Ishqana Dil

Part 46

A/N: This is mostly Rachita-awesomeness... =P

When he looked up, he was standing outside the wedding venue. He had not even realised how he had made his way there... but he knew why he was there. He needed some answers from Amaya too but more than that, he needed some solace from her... Would she give it to him? Could he trust her at least or would she have changed, like Uma? He hoped not...

As he started to make his way in, he realised something was wrong. There was tension in the atmosphere. He looked at his phone. The wedding had not started yet, it was late... What was happening? Rama was already on the dais, waiting for his bride but no one from the girl's side could be seen. Had those three women done something again? Just as he was walking up to Rama, Rachitaji made her appearance, but not in the way it would be expected of a bride.

She was not exactly surrounded by the members of her family or her friends. She was not walking slowly, her eyes lowered with shyness. On the contrary, she was looking up at Rama and his family, her eyes blazing with anger and she stormed over to them, the rest of her family running after her. And the look on Amaya's face...

***

The woman, who would have been her mother-in-law in just a few hours, if things had gone differently, stared at her with a discomfited face. It made her want to laugh but she stood there, smiling down at her.

"Rachitaji..." Rama gazed at her questioningly, maybe because of the entry she had made. She did not reply, she did not say anything at all. She kept her eyes fixed on his mother. On the inside though, she wanted to laugh at them. Sumitra Gupta and her three acolytes had definitely come here to humiliate her family, she now realised. Tonight was supposed to be the biggest blast. Except that she was going to turn the tables and blast it in their own faces. Whether Rama was on this too, she did not know and to be honest, she did not care. That boy had managed to lose all the respect she had for him and more...

His mother finally stood up. "Yeh sab kya hai?" she hissed so that only Rachita could hear her. "I had clearly told your Nana-"

"Yes. And I am waiting for you to do it," she smiled.

"Amma?" Rama got up too, baffled.

"Tu yeh shaadi nahin karega, Rama!" Sumitra told her son resolutely.

Looking from the bride to his mother with total lack of understanding, Rama grimaced. "Kya? Lekin kyun? What happened, Amma? Rachitaji?"

Sumitra cleared her voice and spoke louder now, for all the guests to hear. "Yeh shaadi nahin hogi! I will not let it happen! Arrey, do you think I have gone mad? This illegitimate girl will not become my daughter-in-law!"

Gasps and whispers arose. Rachita remained silent for a few minutes to let the sound diminish before she started talking and to prevent herself from laugh out loud as well. She couldn't believe this woman could be so foolish. She had set a trap for her and even signalled her about it and yet, Sumitra Gupta had thrown herself into it.

"Sorry, Aunty... is it me you are talking about?" she asked innocently, her voice clear.

Silence fell and Sumitra had a puzzled look on her face. "Huh?"

"No, aapne abhi abhi kaha, na? Ke 'ek naajayaz ladki' aapki bahu kabhi nahin banegi? Are you talking about me?"

Sumitra's face twisted with indignation. "Aur nahin toh kya? Who will I be talking about? I had-"

"Oh? I am illegitimate?" Rachita raised her brows with feigned surprise. "Tell me, Aunty... How exactly do you know that?" The woman deflated immediately. "Matlab... koyi proof hai aapke paas? Have you been living with my parents since they got married? Did either of my parents tell you that? I mean, on what basis are you saying that I am illegitimate?"