HWGA Chapter 35: You Are Nobody

Thank you everyone who liked and commented on the last chapter. The purple bits are meant to be Hindi and the bold bits are the past events. Enjoy :)

Chapter 35: You Are Nobody

1 year, 4 months and 6 days later

Khushi was sitting at her dressing table fighting very hard not to fidget as Payal adjusted the veil on top of her head. Today was her wedding day even though she would’ve preferred if they had waited a while longer but everyone had convinced her that after the year she’s had, she deserved a little happiness.

When she was younger, she would often talk to Payal about her dream wedding. “I want the biggest wedding in the world!” she’d say, “I want everybody there, it will be so colourful, there will be tons of tasty foods, music will blast loud enough for the whole country to hear and everybody will enjoy themselves.” And Payal would always laugh and call her crazy but she would just smile and stare wistfully into the future. Now that she was older, she didn’t want any of those things, she wanted a quiet and intimate wedding full of her loved ones. That is exactly what she was going to get.

Payal cleared her throat, making Khushi jump out of her thoughts. “I finished fixing your veil 10 minutes ago and you haven’t moved from that very spot.” She sighed. “What’s going on Khushi?”

“Nothing.” She replied too quickly.

Payal raised an eyebrow. “Khushi Kumari Gupta, don’t you lie to me.”

Khushi smiled sweetly at her. “Jiji, would I ever lie to you?”

Payal lightly slapped the back of her head, being careful not to mess up her hair and veil. “Yes. Are you ready?”

Khushi chewed her bottom lip but stopped after she received a glare from Payal. “Can I have a few minutes to myself please?”

Payal nodded. “Ok, just call me when you’re done.” She then turned to leave.

“Jiji, can you ask Karan to come to my room please?”

“Sure.” She exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Not a minute had passed when Khushi heard something by her window. She got up from her chair to investigate when the windows swung open and Karan jumped into the room.

“Karan!” she exclaimed in surprise.

“Hey Khushi.” He said with a grin.

“Why did you come in through the window?”

“Why not? I was waiting for Payal to leave so I could talk to you.”

“A normal person would’ve waited by the door.”

“I’m not a normal person.” He then changed the subject. “You said you wanted Payal to find me.”

“Yes, I just wanted to talk.”

Karan crossed the room the sit on a spare chair and beckoned Khushi to do the same. “So talk.”

Once she sat down, she looked into his eyes and said, “I feel like I shouldn’t be doing this.”

“I agree.” He replied immediately.

Khushi was taken aback. She had been hoping that he would tell her that she was being silly and that she was only getting cold feet. She certainly wasn’t expecting this. “What?!”

“I agree you shouldn’t be doing this.” He then dramatically fell to his knees and mockingly said, “You should marry me instead. Come on, let’s ride off into the sunset and elope.”

Khushi stared at him for a minute before bursting into laughter. She felt some of the tension, she didn’t know she was carrying, leave her. “Oh Karan, you always know the right things to say.”

Karan fought very hard not to smile and to keep a straight face. “I was being very serious.”

“Then of course I will marry you. Take me away, oh brave and handsome prince.” She said jokily.

“Anything for you, oh sweet and beautiful princess.”

He picked her up and swung her around. They laughed for so long and hard that tears began to appear in their eyes.

“Oh no,” said Khushi as she attempted to wipe the tears away before they ruined her makeup. “Payal’s going to kill me.”

“No she’s not. You still look gorgeous.”

“Thanks Karan. I really don’t think I should be getting married today.”

“Khushi, we’ve been over this-”

“I know but I just can’t stop thinking.”

1 year, 4 months and 6 days ago

Khushi wasn’t really sure what was going on anymore, she was on automatic mode. She vaguely remembers how she got to the hospital. But all that’s going though her head is that Amba’s alive. For now. No. She won’t think like that, not until the doctors’ have announced it and not until she’s checked for herself too.

She was broken out of her thoughts by some sort of commotion. She looked up to see a furious Karan being restrained by Logan and Arnav was lying on the hospital floor.

“You bastard!” Karan shouted as he tried to get out of Logan’s hold. “This is all your fault. If it wasn’t for you, my daughter wouldn’t be fighting for her life right now.”

“Karan, get a hold of your self.” Said Logan firmly. “We’re in a hospital. Don’t create a ruckus because they’ll kick you out and you won’t be able to see Amba after she’s regained consciousness.” Karan relaxed in Logan’s hold. “Come with me, we’ll get coffee for everyone while we wait.”

He lead Karan away and Karan followed willingly whilst glaring at Arnav. Khushi approached Arnav and helped him up.

“Why are you helping me?” he asked in bewilderment. “He’s right.”

“No he’s not-”

“Yes he is. If I hadn’t let go of Shyam, if I had made him pay, none of this would’ve happened.”

Khushi sighed. She was so tired of what ifs. “Arnav let it go. The past is the past. You did it because Anjili is the only person you love more than life. I would’ve done the same if it was for Amba.” There was a pregnant pause. “Listen, Arnav, I don’t know what’s going to happen to Amba-”

“Don’t say that-”

“Just shut up and listen!” she snapped. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to her but I think you deserve to know. Only a handful of people know the truth. You are Amba’s father.”

Arnav stared at her. “That’s not funny.”

“It’s not supposed to be.” She said seriously. “It’s true I did go clubbing a lot when I came to London and one day I passed out in the club. Thankfully, a kind man took my phone and called Karan to come and pick me up. I’d been fainting quite regularly so Karan decided to take me to the doctors’, they confirmed I was pregnant. The only person I had sex with was you, so you had to be the father. I wanted to tell you but I wanted to do it face to face and since Karan wouldn’t let me travel in my condition, all I could do was wait. But then the video came and I realised that you didn’t love me and probably wouldn’t love my child, so I stayed, built a life for myself and my daughter and moved on. I just thought you should know because I’m tired of the secrets and lies.”

By the time she had finished the story, Karan and Logan were back with everybody’s coffee.

“What’s wrong with him?” asked Karan when he saw that Arnav was in a stupor. “You know, besides the usual.”

“I told him.” Khushi said simply.

“Told him what?” asked Karan in confusion.

“That I am Amba’s father.” Arnav whispered.

Karan saw red. He dropped his coffee and slammed Arnav against the wall. “No you are not her father, you are her sperm donor. You weren’t present at her birth, first day of school, holidays, birthdays, sick days. You didn’t worry or stress out about her. You weren’t there when she needed you and you weren’t there when she didn’t. You didn’t watch her grow from a sweet, innocent little girl to a strong, independent woman. I did all of that because I am her father and you are nobody. So don’t you dare, after all these year, don’t you dare, say you are her father because you’re not.”