Moonlit nights

Zero

Aurora Orphanage..New Delhi

Ratna Raizada,the divorced wife of Asutosh Mallik looked at the little girl in her arms. She just felt like calling her Khushi. She was barely three months when her parents passed away in accident. Like every other kids there,she was called by a number. Number Five.

But Ratna named her Khushi. Because of her smile. Khushi was growing up with Ratna well. Ratna spend her days in Orphanage,telling the children stories,teaching them. She would only return home,to her mother and brother and his family late in the evening. No one objected. Actually it was an orphanage with Raizada family as managing trustee.

But soon after few years,when Khushi was barely ten,Ratna passed away. She was the dearest aunty for Khushi. Before passing away,she had gifted Khushi a doll on her birthday. She had told her,the other doll of the set was with her son. But she never said what was his name.

Ratna passed away. But at times Khushi would look at the groom doll and dream about a man,running behind her,asking for her number. And she would wake up with a gasp..

Ten years passed. Khushi was Twenty one now. The warden came to Khushi and told her to get ready. There was a man who seeked her hands for marriage. Khushi protested. But she knew the warden well. She never harmed any kid. She was a very kind woman with kind heart. And her Ratna Aunty's family was there too. She would not dare..

Soon Khushi was married to a man she never saw. She had to leave for Mumbai immediately. There she saw the staffs of the giant mansion,the Mallik family. The enstraged people. Everyone was afraid of one man,Arnav Singh Raizada. His presence was terror for everyone. He did not speak a word. Just registered his marriage with Khushi and left her in Mumbai and left. Actually his grandmother, Devyani Raizada,was no more. He had to return to Lukhnow with his maternal family to complete the final rites. Rather than taking a newly wed woman to funeral home,he left her in Mumbai.

But fate played it's cards. Khushi could feel the enstraged behaviour of Malliks. First the different surnames. Then the two children of Ashutosh Singh Raizada and Kavya Raizada, Nikhil and Lavanya. They were anything but friendly..

And Kavya started her drama of being good mother. Khushi had no much contact with the outside world,took it as true. By the time Arnav returned,the damage was done. She too took him as the rest. His silence added to it..

Arnav on the otherhand was extremely busy. He was running around the clock to finish everything up and leave the land for good with his wife. He had planned to settle abroad. Away from poisonous clutch of Malliks.

But one night all hell broke loose. When he asked Khushi for her documents to apply for Visa and passport. Before that,they only talked like,yes,no. But Khushi asked,why did he need it. Arnav explained. He wished to take her away..

And Khushi reacted. She was feeling the love of a family. After Ratna passed away,first time she was feeling home. And he wanted to snatch it away.

A big fight broke out. Khushi screamed. Arnav screamed back. Bad temper of Arnav. And he left. Leaving behind a vunerable Khushi..

Kavya took the chance and started filling her mind with poison. How he never cared. How he was the child of the other woman. And so on..

But Khushi was stunned when she saw that doll,in the cupboard that she was arranging. Then she sat whole day,waiting for her husband to come back..

Arnav returned home. He saw her sitting on the bed. Beside her were two dolls. She had fallen asleep waiting. There were tear marks on her face. He sighed. He was not good with words. But finally. He decided to talk to his wife. Ground was open. All he had to do was hit the boundaries..

May be it was his chance..

Khushi got up hearing the opening ov washroom. Arnav was there..

Soon,both sat,under the moon light. Khushi told him,how her childhood was. With Ratna Aunty. Arnav listened. Then he told her,how his father had extra marital affair. And his mother filed divorce. But could not fight for his custody as his father proved his mother was not financially independent. He had to stay with his father and step mother. His grandmother was there for him. His mother wrote a lot of letters to him,telling him about this tiny angel Khushi. He was jealous at times. But soon,he fell in love with her cuteness. After his mother left,he found her last wish. To marry Khushi. He had kept a faceless girl in his heart all these years. He had to run,work hard in business. He succeeded. It took him four years and he reached there..

He was independent. Strong enough. He wished to take her away from the toxic people and start a new life..

Under the moonlit night,they talked. About their dreams. Khushi told him her dreams,about opening a restaurant. Learning cooking. Arnav shared his passion about art. He even hummed a song he loved for her. They sat,leaning on each other. It felt,like,love,what was more than this?

And a star blinked in the sky,as if blessing the two..