Making Her Mine- An IPKKND story.

Chapter 75 - Ghosts

Shit hit the fan.

One more early day from work, this time to tell Khushi he had the NDA papers ready for Kamini, he wanted to meet her, and one more run in into a battleground — Khushi versus Dadi.

The whole family was there, gathered in the living area, while Dadi was seemingly berating Khushi. Everyone was looking on helplessly— Nani, Di, Mami, Payal, and NK. What the fuck?

"What's going on here?" Arnav said, striding in, temper rising as he saw Khushi— she was in tears.

They all turned to him, fear on all their faces. Not relief that he was here to stop whatever nonsense was going on, no. Fear.

"This girl," Dadi said sharply, "was going through our old family things. Your parents' things, in the store. I saw her. Trying to pry into our family's past."

"Dadi, I asked Khushi Ji to help me find something, that's why she was in the store. It's not what you're thinking—" Di said, trying to be the peacemaker she always was, but also directing a terrified glance at Arnav.

"She wasn't looking for what you wanted, Anjali. She was looking through old photo albums, and your mother's things," Dadi said, sounding almost gleeful — she thought she had got Khushi. "She was digging around for information that you don't think she should know."

Khushi looked at Arnav with the same terrified expression. "Arnav Ji, I- I wasn't trying to—"

"I don't care."

He turned to Dadi. "Khushi has the right to go wherever she wants in this house, do whatever she wants, look at whatever she wants. She's my wife."

"Arnav, she was trying to—" Dadi began, as if he had not understood what she had said.

"I said I don't care, Dadi. This is my house. I don't mind if my wife goes through my mother's things. She has every right to." He turned to Khushi. "Come with me."

He extended his hand, and she placed hers in it, somewhat hesitant.

"And, Dadi. This is the last time I am going to say it. Bas! Enough."

He tightened his hold on Khushi's hand, and strode upstairs, taking her with him to their room.

"Arnavji, I'm sorry, I was just—"

He held up his hand to stop her. "Why are you sorry?"

"I — I didn't mean to look —"

"Didn't you hear what I just said? You don't have to ask for permission to go through things in this house. Especially not from her."

Khushi flung herself at him, and clasped him in a surprising strong hold.

"Khushi?" He gasped, as she held on to him, eyes closed, her hold tightening. "I'll stop breathing if you don't ease up." She let go.

"No, no, don't let go," he said, pulling her back into an embrace, putting his arms around her. "Just don't smother me."

"But I really wasn't trying to pry, Arnav Ji. I know you don't want to talk about it," she said, her voice muffled against his chest.

No, he didn't want to talk about it. He stiffened, dropping his arms from around her. Khushi let him go, and stepped back, that look on her face again.

"I don't want to see you unhappy," she murmured. Her face was fearful – as if she was afraid he would break something, or erupt. Like he had done so many times in front of her, like he would have done now, if she hadn't been looking at him like that.

He turned away, his back to her, but he saw her reflection in the mirror, the way she seemed to droop. He knew it was not fair for her to be kept in the dark. Even if it meant he would drown.

"My mother —" he said, finally. "My mother took her own life, when I was fourteen. I was there. On Di's wedding day. Her wedding broke. My father was having an affair. I blamed him. He shot himself. Dadi stopped talking to us."

It all rushed back. He was drowning in a sea of pain and horror swirling like water around him. Echoes ringing through his ears as his head throbbed: laughter cut short abruptly. Screams, tears, a gunshot, more screams, wails. The world ending.

A warm hand covered his balled up fist. Khushi. She stepped to him, and hugged him. A knot seemed to have come undone inside him, because he could feel something wet on his cheek — tears running down his face. She was warm and soft, with her sandalwood and jasmine scent, which he hadn't realized until then, was so comforting. She didn't say a word, and he didn't know how long she held him like that. Until the pain had dulled, until his tears were dry.

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, as he sat on the recliner. She moved around the room, bangles and anklets clinking, clothes swishing, as she put things away. He hadn't realized before how comforting the sounds of her movements were.

"Are you okay?" She asked finally, coming back to him, kneeling on the floor, so her eyes were level with his. He nodded mutely. He was as okay as he was ever going to be.

Hai Prakash came with summons from Nani. Before Arnav could get to his feet, Khushi was already panicking. "Do you want me to come with you?" she asked biting her nails.

"Khushi, I think I can handle Nani by myself," he said wryly.

She looked so worried he almost smiled.

"Chotay, this is difficult for all of us," Nani said without preamble when he stepped into her room. "But I wanted to tell you that I'm going to talk to Khushi bitya about - our family history."

"There's no need for that," he said shortly. "I already told her."

Nani looked at him in surprise. And then, she pursed her lips in an expression of sorrow and affection, and took him in her arms. Nani wasn't really a hugger. Neither was Arnav, but he wasn't going to complain, after the whole fiasco about their elopement.

"I know you are not a bad person, Chotay. That's why I was so shocked," Nani said sitting down with his hand in hers. "And also I know you love Khushi bitya very much."

"Nani..." he swallowed. "I made a mistake. But I'm not going to let Khushi down again. Or you and Di. Nani, I wanted to talk to you, about Dadi. She has been –"

"We cannot ask Subhadra to leave, Chotay," Nani replied. "I have already spoken to Anjali about it."

She shook her head when Arnav opened his mouth to argue. "Subhadra wants us to reconcile with Arjun. That's why she's here. I have told her as long as I am alive, that will not happen. You had a right over Sheesh Mahal, even before paying for it. It was your inheritance. But we cannot turn her out before the wedding. There has been so much bitterness in this family. If we make her leave it will give Arjun more ammunition to speak against us."

She sighed at the look on his face. "You have had to grow up very fast, Chotay," she said. "You've had to take on so many responsibilities at such a young age. But you don't have to fight every battle for this family. If Subhadra wants to be there for her grandson's wedding, so be it. But I will make sure she remembers that she doesn't have any say what happens in this family anymore. She gave up that right when she abandoned her responsibilities to you and Anjali."