Girl With Secrets

The Contract Marriage

      "Khushi!!!", a voice echoed in the mansion. All the members present in mansion came to the living area to know what's happening except Khushi. Amrutha, Krishna, Rohan, Arnav are surprised to see Khushi's aunty (Madhumathi), who takes care of Khushi and Raagavi as her own daughters as her husband died at their early age of marriage.

   Raagavi also came down with naniji (Sushma, Rohan's grandma), followed by her in-laws (Gopi and Radha). Raagavi runs to Madhumathi and hugs her. She then backs off sensing something was off with Madhumathi.

 Raagavi: What's the matter buaji (aunty)? Why are you like this? (Madhumathi comes back to her senses and ask with deep angry voice)

Madhumathi: Where's Khushi????

Everyone present there get surprised to see her in this much anger. Arnav was going to speak something but before it naniji asks what's the matter was about. Raagavi seeing her buaji's facial expressions she understands her arrival and takes her to Khushi and Arnav's shared bedroom. They were about to enter the room but buaji stops Raagavi and asks her to give them some privacy. Raagavi nods to her and goes from there by scolding herself that how can she forget what she should be supposed to do as every year. Buaji enters the room and closes the door behind her and checks where Khushi was. Then she gasps seeing Khushi at the floor near the balcony and goes close to her. She takes a deep breath as she noticed that Khushi didn't see her presence. She keeps her finger near Khushi's chin to make her look at her. Khushi sees her buaji and starts to cry. Buaji holds her close and tries to make her stop crying.

Madhumathi: Khushi!! Shshshhhh!! Honey don't cry! I am right here. Please stop crying. See I am here. OK cry but first listen to me!!  (Khushi stops crying but tears are falling from eyes nonstop). See honey!! as I always say you that they will be watching you from above there. If they see you crying this hard, after these many years, what will they think about us, that we are not taking good care of you. We are not there to protect you, care you, cherish you. Is it correct?? Are we ignoring you, not caring you?? No, right?? So, honey, please don't cry!!

Khushi: Hmm!!!!

Madhumathi: Khushi do you really want to leave?? Are you 100% sure that you will go there alone? I am just scared, and I really don't want to send you there. Leave the thought of going alone. Can you please stay back here with all of us and not go there? (Khushi freezes at her spot)

Khushi: Buaji I made this decision since a long time and if I step back then I will regret this throughout my life. I am already regretting many things I have done intentionally or accidentally, but I don't want to make that mistake again. I am done with my life which is useless, and I really want to do this and please don't stop me from doing this. For me, please!! (She continues to sob slowly)

Khushi stops crying after a while when she heard a knock at the door and take deep breath and stables herself to not let anyone know that she was crying before. After seeing her nephew's actions Madhumathi's lips curve into a sad smile and both make their way towards the living room where everyone was waiting for them as Raagavi has already explained them buaji's visit.

FLASHBACK

Sushma: Raagavi! What happened?

Raagavi: Actually, every year, on this day Khushi gets emotionally weak. She saw her parents alive, being happy and enjoying their life with her for the last time on this day. She remembers this day as her best day of her life, and she regrets to let them go away from her on this day. 

As she says this everyone gets shocked as they didn't know about this till now. Amrutha realizes that she didn't see Khushi from morning, as Arnav gets into his thoughts as he saw her sitting at the balcony from the time, he was awake, and he quickly runs to the kitchen and tell the worker to get him a plate of food. He hurriedly takes the plate to their room and was about to open the door and freezes as Buaji asks Khushi "Khushi do you really want to leave??" and he hears the whole conversation but cannot understand clearly what they were discussing. After a while he didn't hear any voice, so he knocks on the door and enters the room with a plate of food in his hand. Buaji sees him surprisingly and asks him what was there in his hand in a very soft tone and Arnav replies that it was food for Khushi as she didn't eat anything from morning. She calls her to eat but,

Khushi: Buaji lets go down. Everyone should be panicking for your sudden appearance.

Khushi was ignoring Arnav from past few days, and she even talks to him coldly and keep him away from her which was being noticed by Arnav but do not react as it may cause their marriage life to fall apart. He sighs heavily and comes down behind them.

Naniji (Sushma): Khushi!! Are you fine??

Khushi understands that Raagavi has spilled everything she knew as she cannot keep secrets from her nature. Khushi nods her head and assures them that she is fine by smiling a little. Arnav was looking at Khushi as he knew that Khushi wants to leave from here and wants to go to somewhere. He also understood that buaji doesn't want Khushi to go there but Khushi is insisting to go. He was in his deep thoughts while looking at Khushi but go interrupted by Krishna, his cousin.

Krishna: Bro!! You can eat her in your room. But now don't stare at her as you are eating her by staring.

Arnav: I wanna talk to you about something important. Come with me!! (He drags him to the pool)

Krishna: Why are you dragging me??

Arnav: Khushi wants to leave from here!!

Krishna: WHAT ??????