Making Her Mine- An IPKKND story.

Chapter 71 - Dishonour

Dadi brought out the worst in Arnav. He wondered if it was in their genes. Her, her sons, and him. All terrible people.

But Dadi was quickly proving to be the worst. Because Arnav discovered that when she couldn't fight his rage, she had resorted to bullying the rest of his family in secret.

Khushi, despite threatening to keep him out of wedding plans, had asked him to come with her to the jewelers to select rings. He got home in the middle of the day, and was making his way to his room when he overheard his grandmothers talking. They were seated in the living area, and neither of them saw him.

"How can Arnav get married, and not invite his own family?" Dadi was saying. "His closest family. Not only that, he turned them out of their own home. Devyani, you have to—"

"Who is my closest family, Dadi?" Arnav interrupted, striding to them, his anger ignited the way it hadn't for a while.

"Your Chachaji," Dadi said with a calmness Arnav found incredible. "Like it or not, Arnav, he is your—"

"He threw us out of our home, Dadi," Arnav said, his anger white hot. "And you did nothing!"

"You turned him out of his house, Arnav. He told me everything."

"Subhadra, how can we invite Arjun here? After what he did to Arnav and Anjali?" Nani said.

"Is that why you're here? To plead his case with me? He deserved what he got. He's not welcome in this house, or near my family. And if you can't accept that, you're welcome to leave." Arnav said, seething with rage.

"Arnav!"

Wow, so she wouldn't get insulted out of this house. He glared at her, daring her to say more. She met his gaze, her flinty eyes full of fury. He turned to Nani.

"Nani, I tolerate her in this house only because of you and Di. She's crossing her limit – I won't stop to think about what people will say when I've had enough."

He didn't wait to hear what either of his grandmothers had to say to that, and went to find Khushi.

"What happened, Arnav Ji?" Khushi asked as they drove to the jewelers. Arnav realized, too late, that he was being too quiet.

"Nothing. It's not important," he muttered, and if he brooded as they selected rings, Khushi didn't mention it.

-

But he should have known Dadi wouldn't just back down. The next afternoon, he realized he had forgotten some files at home, and when he found out only Khushi and Aarav were at home, decided to pick them up himself. He arrived in a rather good mood, hoping to run into Khushi, heading to the kitchen because she had mentioned something about making pakoras.

Except, Khushi was standing in the kitchen with Aarav behind her, speaking sharply to — Dadi!

"He's just a baby, how can you say that to him!"

"Khushi?" He asked, amazed. "What happened?" He glanced at Dadi, who looked triumphant.

Khushi seemed to think this was a reprimand. It was not, Arnav knew whatever was happening was definitely Dadi's fault. He just wanted to know what she had done.

He was going to reassure Khushi, because he hated this woman too. Almost as much as her sons. But Aarav's small voice piped up before he could say a word.

"It's my fault, not Khushi Aunty's."

"Why was it your fault?" Arnav thought he was being calm, but he could see the fear in Khushi's eyes.

"She –" Aarav pointed to Dadi with dislike—not at all surprising. "said my family was bad, and I have bad blood. Khushi Aunty got angry because of that."

"When you pick up someone from the streets and give them more importance than your own blood, they will dare tell lies," Dadi cut in, utterly unfazed. "Why don't you ask this boy why he has been coming into my room? He ran away when I saw him – trying to steal, probably."

Arnav looked between his wife, this orphan boy, and his grandmother.

Aarav was shaking. "I wasn't stealing! I went there to break something!"

"Aarav!" Khushi exclaimed. "Why would you—"

"Because she was mean to you. She said you are not good, that's why you live with ASR without marrying him. And she made you sad —"

"Aarav!" Khushi said warningly, while Dadi spoke over them both.

"Nothing like that happened. Arnav, I was only telling Khushi how this family has been devastated by women who didn't understand the sanctity of marriage —"

Suddenly, panic replaced the anger that was coursing through him: He wasn't ready to bring this up infront of Khushi. Because it would bring out the monster in him that she was terrified of.

"Dadi..." he said, his voice shaking with the effort to keep calm. "I need to talk to you alone."

Dadi seemed to think she had won, because the look she gave him before turning away was that of triumph.

Arnav followed her to her room.

"I think you have not understood what I have been saying," Arnav said once they were in Dadi's room, which looked bare and ascetic, just like the evil woman living in it. "I said that anyone who mentions my father, or – that incident – is not welcome in this house."

"Then throw me out."

"Don't test my patience, Dadi. I—"

"You haven't told your so-called wife about it. Why? You don't trust that girl after all, despite parroting over and over that she is your wife!"

"That is none of your business. Bully Khushi or Aarav again, and I will throw you out," he said, an edge of steel in his voice.

"That boy came to my room to destroy something. That shows what sort of upbringing he has. And your wife — what kind of girl agrees to an elopement? When it brings shame to our family —"

"Your family? No one in this house carries your family's name. My name is Arnav Singh Raizada."

"Don't think I haven't noticed that," Dadi said, her face set in a mask of anger. "You and Anjali refuse to honour your family name."

"There is not a single Malik that I respect," Arnav replied, satisfied to see her face twist in anger. "I don't consider it my duty to honour that family's name."

He had had enough. This woman had poisoned this house for long enough. She had to go.