Sometimes Hate is Enough

Chapter 02

Arnav

Khushi was a lot of things, but...I didn't know selfishness was one of them. But she clearly proved me wrong. Again.

When I asked her to marry me, I knew I had an upper hand because she would say yes for the sake of her sister's happiness, but...I actually didn't. Because, she said no. And now she's trying to break the wedding because she feels like somehow she's been wronged. As if all this going shit wasn't her and her fault alone.

And now, she has the audacity to look me in the eyes and tell everyone that I have threatened her... I just merely gave her options, but she had to pretend to be the victim. She had to present it in front of everyone, like I was the one doing injustice to her.

I stared at her back as she talked to Payal in a very low voice for me to hear from my place next to Akash. And suddenly, the image of her hugging Shyam flashed in my head.

"Why don't you just leave Anjali ji?"

I clenched my jaws hard enough to hurt as her voice echoed inside my ears. How can she, of all people, do this? She is someone who always thinks about others. Someone who is very, very close with Di. How...how can she do this to her?

Again, Khushi managed to prove me wrong. She wasn't just a selfish person, but she was also a girl with a character so low and cheap that she wouldn't hesitate to try and break someone else's marriage for her own benefits. How can she, of all people, stand so low? I thought she was different. Then again, what did I expect from a typical middle-class girl like her?

Inaudible murmurs started to grow deep and deep around us as Khushi stood in front of her sister, doing or saying God knows what. Hasn't she already done enough? Can't she, just for once in her life, stay away from taking matters into her own hands?

I stared at her as I felt eyes on me and I turned my gaze away from her to search, and found Di, Nani, and other members of my family looking at me while waiting for an explanation for my behavior with Khushi.

I knew the options I had presented her at the table were shitty. And I really didn't want to do that to her of all the people, but after what I saw today at the terrace...my doings were nothing compared to hers. How can she...

"Chote... Anjali Bitiya is asking you something." Nani's words cut through my thoughts, and I shifted my gaze to Di, who was standing next to her.

"Did you threaten to call off Akash's wedding with Payal if...if Khushi Ji didn't agree to marry you?" Di asked as her voice shook a little with each word.

I swallowed dryly and looked back at Khushi for a moment before again turning my eyes to Di.

"Answer, Chote!" Nani demanded. Her face lining with wrinkled worry while her eyes searched in mine for answers.

I slightly opened my mouth to say something convincing since I couldn't actually tell them the real reason behind it, but Bua Ji's voice cut through my line of thought, and before I could even manage to catch what she was saying, she stopped. I shifted my eyes to the small group of the Gupta family along with my family and tried to understand what was going on or what they were talking about.

"Madhumati Ji?" Nani called as hesitation, I think... laced around her words and features. "Is everything all right?"

Bua Ji looked at her for a second before sharing a short but heavy glance with Khushi's mother, then again turned to Nani.

"I...I don't know." She said this while slowly shaking her head and giving me a side glance from the corner of her eyes. "But I think...we should give them a moment." And she gestured at the two sisters, who were too deep in their talk to take even a note of the world around them.

"Hello-Hi-Bye-Bye! What is this drama?" Mami cried out as she stared at Khushi and Payal with her eyebrows raised so high that they almost touched her hairline. Goodness. "Get on with the wedding. Phati Saree, move away from Khunbhari Tang." She motioned with her hand for Khushi to move away.

"Manorama! Stop." Nani glared at Mami for a second or two before turning to Bua Ji. "Madhumati Ji, The time for the wedding is running out."

Bua Ji slowly nodded before heading towards Payal and touching Khushi's arm. She flinched... Her eyes went a little wide as she turned to Bua Ji while her slightly parted lips trembled. And I finally noticed the bruised marks on her arms, which made her flinch like that. And I felt a tug of guilt inside me because I had done that. She pressed her lips close before her eyes met mine. Unconsciously. And I felt something like an ache building inside.

For a second, I got lost in her eyes and thought... Maybe I shouldn't have done what I did. Maybe...I should've asked her to tell me the truth. Maybe I should have given her a chance to explain. Maybe I was acting too rashly, and I...

"Why don't you just leave Anjali Ji?"

I fisted my fingers as her voice again rang in my ears. Damnit. At least you could've thought about Di's unborn baby, Khushi. I closed my eyes as all my second thoughts washed away and turned into rage.

"I can't marry you, Akash." Suddenly, Payal's voice sounded in my ears. What?

I opened my eyes to find Payal and Akash standing in front of each other. While Khushi stood a step behind Payal, they both held each other's hands like their lives depended on it. God!

"Payal, please don't do this. I...I didn't know Bhai would do this. I thought he had some important work and had to attend a call or something... I thought he...he actually wanted to be there for me on my important day. I thought that's why he asked me to wait until he came back." Akash almost choked on his words but continued, "I...I love you, Payal. I..." I didn't want this to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen. Why do you always have to be like this, Khushi? Why can't you just at least listen to me for once in your life?... If you had just listened to me and kept quiet, Akash and Payal would have already been happily married.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I...can't marry you." Payal cut in quietly. It was more like a whisper, but loud enough for everyone to hear. I have to fix this. Akash didn't deserve this.

"Payal, at least..." I spoke up for the first time, and almost all the heads present in the room turned to look at me. Except for...Khushi.

"Bhai, Please. You've done enough." Akash interrupted while looking at the ground to avoid looking at me. I didn't wa...

"Payal Bitiya. It's a very big decision to take in such a hurry. Let's talk this out." Nani suggested calmly as she walked near Payal.

"I'm really sorry, Dadi. I really am. But...there's nothing left to talk about. Especially not after what Arnav Ji did." Payal said. I didn't want this to happen. "I can't let you all continue to insult my family at every turn. And all this...is hard for me too, Dadi. But I also have my limits."