HWGA Chapter 28: Over My Dead Body

Thank you everyone who like and commented on the last chapter. The purple bits are Hindi, the bold bits are the past and the italics are thoughts. By the way it's 12am here, so if there are any mistakes, I apologise. Yes, I know I'm stupid and I have college in 8 hours but I had to write this up, my fingers were itching. Enjoy :) 

Chapter 28: Over My Dead Body

“Khushiji I admit that I drove you out of the house but I’ve done nothing to your daughter.” Defended Anjili.

“Maybe not directly but you did do something indirectly.” Said Khushi.

“What did I do?!” demanded Anjili.

“Did you or did you not give Shyam a large amount of money and the best private detectives you can find?”

“I did and I’m ashamed of the influence that he had on me.”

“Do you know what he did with the resources you gave him?”

“No I don’t.”

“I’ll show you.” She turned to Amba. “Amba take off your trousers.”

Amba frowned in confusion. “Umm mum did you say trousers?”

“Yes take them off.”

“Mum-”

“Amba do it!”

Without another word, Amba stood up, unzipped her trousers and took them off. She stepped out of them, picked them up and stood in her panties. Everyone was incredibly uncomfortable at this point and were looking anywhere and at anything but Amba.

“Khushi was this really necessary?” asked Karan.

“Yes. Amba come here and show them your right leg. Look at what happens when you refuse to believe in the truth no matter how much evidence we show you.”

Amba walked over to her mother. Purely because they were curious, everyone turned to look at her right leg. It looked like any other leg until they reached right above her knee. There was a huge, ugly scar running from just above her knee to just below her hip. Everyone’s mouth dropped in horror and disgust. Seeing as everyone had seen her scar, Amba decided to put her trousers back on and take her seat.

23 years ago

It was a stormy night in London. Normally, Khushi would’ve been scared out of her wits. She hated thunder and lightening but now that she was a mother, her main priority was to her 3 month old baby, Amba. She was trying to put Amba to sleep when the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Khushi, it’s me Karan. I’m going to be late.”

“What?!”

“I’m really sorry, I know how much you hate thunder storms. Listen, I’ve asked Jenny to come and check up on you and she was nice enough to suggest staying until I got home. She said she had some chores to finish and she’ll be right over when she’s done. By the way, Nik is staying with my parents so you don’t have to worry about him.”

“Ok Karan. Just come back as quickly as possible.”

“Alright Khushi I’ll try.”

Khushi hung up the phone and held Amba close. Amba had fallen asleep long ago but Khushi liked the comfort of her baby especially through times of thunder storms.

She heard the front door open so she set Amba down in her crib.

“Karan? Is that you?” she asked into the darkness.

She was just about to reach for the lights when she heard footsteps coming towards her. Then everything went black.

Khushi woke up tied to her bed. She lifted her head up to find Shyam holding her baby. Her eye widened to saucers and she struggled vigorously against her bonds.

“Oh Khushiji, it’s nice to see that you’re finally awake.” He said with his perverted grin. Khushi starting screaming at the top of her lungs but Shyam just laughed. “It’s no use Khushiji. It’s raining like hell and there’s a thunder storm going on. No one’s coming to your rescue.”

“Untie me Shyamji.” She demanded whilst struggling against her bonds.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. You see, you’ve been very naughty. First you get married to Arnav, then you have me kicked out of the house and now you have a child with a random man. What part of ‘you are mine’ don’t you understand?”

“I’m not yours and I never have been. I never loved you. You had a great thing with Anjiliji but you chose to throw it all away. If you didn’t love her, you should’ve gotten a divorce.”

He tutted. “Here’s what’s going to happen Khushiji; I’m going to make you mine, we are going to leave this spawn here, then we’re going to get married and live happily ever after.”

“Over my dead body!”

“Suit yourself. But it won’t be your dead body.”

He brought out a knife from no where. It was long and the blade glittered in the dark. He brought up the knife and cut open Amba’s night cloths on her right leg.

“No stop! Please.” Khushi begged. “She’s just a baby. Please don’t do this.”

“I think you need to know just how serious I am Khushiji.”

He proceeded to plunge the knife into Amba’s right leg, just above her knee, and dragged it all the way up her thigh. A high pitched wail escaped from Amba’s lips as she began to cry her eyes out. Her pink and white night cloths were stained with vivid red splatters.

Shyam was about to bring the knife down again when Khushi spoke: “Shyamji, make love to me. I now understand that I am yours and that I’ve been a bad girl by sleeping around with other men. Please make love to me.”

Shyam considered continuing with the torture of innocent Amba but he could hear the sincerity in Khushi’s voice.

Khushiji really wants to sleep with me. She finally understands that she’s mine.

He quickly and carelessly put the still crying Amba back in her crib and made his way towards Khushi. Tears began to fall from Khushi’s eyes as Amba’s cries echoed around the room. He was a foot away from her when he fell down. Khushi looked at the unconscious body of Shyam in confusion and then back to the place where he had stood. To her relief, Jenny was standing there with a frying pan in her hand. She then proceeded to bash Shyam on the head a couple more times before she rushed over to Khushi.

“Are you ok?” she asked.

“Amba!” screamed Khushi.

“Don’t worry.” She said whilst untying Khushi. “I noticed the front door was open so I came in and I witnessed the whole thing. I’m sorry I didn’t stop him from cutting Amba but I was waiting for the right time to step in. I’ve already called the police and an ambulance. I’ll call Logan to come and tie up this scumbag and you try to staunch Amba’s bleeding.”  

“If Jenny hadn’t come then I don’t want to imagine what might’ve happened.”

Diane, Arnav, Anjili and Viren all stumped at the shear weight of the past that was bearing down on them. None of them could’ve fathomed that that had actually happened to Khushi.

Jake turned to Amba. “Dude, did you know any of this?”

“No. I was told that I got this at an accident in the playground. I didn’t really question it, I was a clumsy child.”

Priti stuffed another bunch of popcorn in her mouth. “This just gets better and better.” The rest of the kids turned to give her a berating stare. “What?” she asked defensively.

Finally Khushi spoke again. “If you are satisfied, Mr Riazada, I’m going to be going now. Amba let’s go.”

Khushi grabbed her bag and Logan helped her with them. Amba stood up and gave the kids a quick goodbye before joining her mother, father and Logan. All four of them advanced to the front door and this time Arnav didn’t try to stop them.

IAL Chapter 28: Day 6

Chapter 28: Day 6

 

Khushi woke up early today. She had a new resolve. She after a lot of thinking, she had decided to get married to this mystery man. And why shouldn’t she? According to her mother and Bua, he and his family were quite something. Besides, she didn’t want to pine after someone who was never going to be hers. She believed in the sanctity of marriage and Arnav didn’t. And she had managed to convince herself that he viewed her just as a friend and these past few days were nothing more than to try and earn her friendship because of what he did.

 

She went to tell her mother and Bua about her decision.

 

“Buaji, Amma, I’ve decided to accept the proposal on one condition.”

 

“Sure, what is it Khushi?” asked her mum.

 

“I want Arnavji to do a background check on him to make sure that he isn’t another Shyam.”

 

“Of course, we were actually going to ask Payal to ask him as he is her brother-in-law now. Now get ready, he’s going to arrive in 2 hours.”

 

“Ok.”

 

 

Khushi hadn’t even began to pick out an outfit to wear when Buaji called her.

 

“Khushi! Arnav babuwa is here to see you.”

 

“Ok Buaji-”

 

“I’ve sent him to your room.”

 

Before Khushi could question why Buaji would do such a thing, Arnav entered her room and shut the door behind him.

 

“Ok Khushi are you ready to go?” he asked.

 

Khushi was puzzled. “Ready to go where?”

 

Arnav gave her a are-you-serious look. “To work of course.”

 

“But I’ve requested a day off.”

 

Arnav frowned. “Why would you do that? You just started working in AR two days ago. Are you sick?” he asked in concern.

 

“I’m not sick, it’s just that…” Khushi didn’t know how she was going to say this or how he was going to react. “I’m meeting someone today.”

 

“You get off at 5, why didn’t you arrange the meeting after that. I could’ve even taken you to where you needed to go.”

 

He wasn’t getting it, so Khushi finally came out and said it. “It’s a rista.”

 

Arnav let shock cloud his features before he schooled it back into a smile. “Oh, well congratulations. Take as much time off as you need.”

 

Khushi looked disappointed in his lack of interest. “Is that it?”

 

Arnav looked confused. “Umm yes.”

 

“You’re not going to say anything else?” She asked in anger.

 

“I congratulated you, that’s what friends do.”

 

Khushi’s fears came true at that moment. The moment that he said friends she pushed him with all her might making him stumble.

 

“I hate you! How could you do this to me?” she screamed.

 

Arnav was astonished with that fact that Khushi had pushed him. “What?”

 

“You lead me on with the gifts and the dates and the kiss. Did you mean any of it? Or was it a way to gain my friendship and trust? And now that I’m getting married to another man, you have nothing to say? The great Arnav Singh Raizada who always has to have the last word has nothing to say. You’re just going to let me be get married, live with and have kids with another man.”

 

“What does it matter?”

 

“It does matter! Because…”

 

“Because? Look Khushi, don’t marry him if you don’t want to marry him. If you do, at least you’ll be happy. As your friend that’s all I want.”

 

“You don’t understand that I can’t marry someone else when I’m in love with you!” Khushi mouth fell open at the confession that she had just made.

 

Arnav grinned and without missing a beat he said, “That’s good, because I love you too.”

 

Khushi wasn’t convinced. “Then why didn’t you say it before I started yelling at you.”

 

“I’ve been ready to say it since before Payal’s wedding. I couldn’t then because of all the things that happened that night.” He got down on one knee and produced the case that held the mother’s bangles. “Will you marry me Khushi Kumari Gupta?” He opened the case to reveal the bangles to her.

 

“But what about the other rista?” Khushi was stalling because she still couldn’t believe what was happening.

 

“There wasn’t any. Remember yesterday when I dropped you off and went to that important meeting?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I actually came to your house and explained everything to your parents and your Bua. We came up with this plan so you would confess.”

 

“But what if I had come home early?”

 

“You work with Aman, he would’ve told me.”

 

“And why did you do this?”

 

“Because I know how much you like drama. How else was I going to make this proposal memorable? Now will you answer the question because my knee is starting to hurt?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Yes you will answer the question or yes you will marry me?” he teased.

 

Khushi smiled. “Yes I will marry you.”

 

Arnav got up off his knee and place the bangles on her wrist before kissing her with passion that could’ve exploded the sun.

You can find out what the bangles look like in the visuals of "6 Din Ladki In". I'm afraid this story is nearly over boys and girls, I should be finished in less than a week.