Arshi-TUTA TARA

Part 17

"Arnavji. Don't you think your family deserve to know the truth" for which Arnav nodded.

"Do you want to talk to them now or later?"

"I will talk to them now itself Khushi. My papa doesn't deserve a moment of hate more."

"Ji. You go and talk to them .I will wait in our room"

"No khushi. Please come with me. I need you there with me Khushi ."Arnav begged her holding her hands.

"Arnavji, they may not be comfortable sharing the past in my presence."She caressed his hair soothing him

"They will be Khushi. You are my wife and your place will always be with me.Please  Come with me .I need you there with me"

They went down stairs. Their family was sitting in the living room talking about the reception they attended and something about the traffic in Delhi these days. When they saw both of them they all went silent but the moment they saw Arnav devastated face every body panicked. The first one to reach him was his mami. She cupped his face gently and asked

"What happened to you? Why are your eyes so red? Were you crying bitwa"

By the time every one  surrounded them and started questioning about his unusual appearance.

"Tell us chotte...what happened to you? Why have you been crying? Anjali begged and then send Khushi an accusatory look as if she was the reason for his misery.

"I will tell you all. Please be seated."

They all settled .Khushi sat near Arnav and gave a reassuring smile to her Jiji who was worried

"Tell us bitwa "A panicked nani coxed and Arnav nodded

"I told Khushi about our past " with that everybody's face went pale with his statement.

Nani nodded.

"Khushi raised some doubts which made me think. So I went in search of answers. We searched in our old chest which we never opened because it had papa's belongings and we got this." Arnav showed them a bunch of letters and a few dairies.

"What is this bitwa?" Mamiji asked.

"It's papas."

"What about that man?" nani questioned and her words full of hate.

Arnav took a long breath "papa loved a girl during his college days. After college when he contacted her, her family said she got married .They were orthodox and was against their love so they got her married . Papa's every attempt was met with failure and the answer he got was same that she was married and settled somewhere in south . He believed them. Later papa got married to ma, his ma's friends daughter. He was happy in his life. Soon they had Di and then later me.

"Oh so she was the woman with whom he cheated my daughter" Nani snared

"He never cheated nani."

"What" they exclaimed

"How are you sure about that?" Mama asked

"His last few entries in dairy ...Aadesh malik was not happy that papa planned to give a land which was prime property that time as a wedding gift to Di. He many time argued papa about that. Papa gave him some money but he was not happy with that. The night before the marriage chacha blackmailed papa with his old photograph with that girl he loved during college days. The threat was to cause problems in Di's marriage portraying papa as a bigamist. Papa didn't wanted anything to cause problem in di's marriage. So he agreed to give him more money in the morning. That was his last diary entry .Chacha must have talked to papa again in the morning and mama may have heard all that misunderstood the situation .

"The diary entries says how much he loved our ma. These letters are the replies written by ma when he was away from her for business purposes or when she was staying with you for delivery or during our vacations. Every single letter she ever wrote him was safe with him.And then what papa wrote in his dairy is all how much he is thankful for having ma in his life. How he wouldn't let go off a life with her and us for anything in this world .How he can't live a day of life without her .Didn't he acted just like that by opting suicide just after ma. I clearly remember him saying ma that day that it's not what she think it is. All he ever did was having feelings for a girl during college days before he even met mama."

Arnav explained his family what he came to know in the last few hours. If only he was thoughtful as Khushi he wouldn't have hated his Papa for past 15years.

"Why couldn't Ratna wait  for him explain, Why did she take such a step? All for a misunderstanding" Nani leaned back in sofa with a distant look in her eyes.Her eyes glassed with tears remember her daughter and her act

That night Raizadas wept again because of the tragedy that hit him 15 years back all because of a greedy man.

There was a long silence prevailed in the living room.

After a long time nani said "It's good that we came to know the truth. For the past 15 years I loathed myself for getting Ratna married to Aadarsh. Now I am guilt free .He loved her enough to not live a day in his life without her. What more can a mother ask for."

"I want day after tomorrows barsi Pooja with all vidhis. Chotte we will do everything for his soul.We have to beg his soul to forgive us for the hate he never deserved. Now everyone go and sleep. Let's pray tomorrows morning bring back every happiness we ever lost.