Charade (IPKKND AU)

Chapter 3: Calamity

Khushi

Bua-ji berated her on the short walk between Anjali-ji's room and the guest room, but Khushi's mind was hazed with confusion and panic. Everything was unravelling too fast and it was all she could do to hold on. She changed into the red and blue outfit she'd picked weeks ago, recalling with some bitterness that she'd chosen it because red was his favourite colour.

Then she made to rush out the door, desperate to talk to Arnav-ji and make things right, but Bua-ji held her in place with a hand wrapped around her arm. Khushi winced as her aunt unknowingly pressed against the bruises that were beginning to form.

"I don't know if you need to be told," Bua-ji began, "but you must be careful. Any misstep, however small, and the gossip and rumour will destroy us all. Your father has too much trust in you, I fear, but I will not see you squander away our honour. Do you understand?"

She blinked in confusion for a few moments before registering exactly what Bua-ji was saying. They had always met whenever they'd wished, sometimes in secret and sometimes in full view of their families, but the last few days had made them especially careless. Arnav-ji had danced on stage with her, had driven all over Laxmi Nagar looking for her, had sat on her sickbed with all the haq of a husband or lover, and the only truly surprising thing was that her family hadn't said anything sooner.

"I know," Khushi assured her aunt, "You can trust me to do what is right."

She gathered up her skirt and ran when Bua-ji released her.

But Arnav-ji's room was empty, as was his sister's, and he wasn't amongst the guests milling downstairs as they waited for the ceremony to begin. Khushi distractedly wheeled her father to the altar at her mother's request, her restless eyes seeking his tall figure wrapped in black.

Arnav-ji strode through the side door and into the main room in the sudden hush that accompanied the priest's announcement that it was time. Her heart raced as she ventured towards him, but he only narrowed his eyes at her before helping his sister to her seat. His family surrounded him. Then she was distracted by Jiji's arrival at the top of the stairs, resplendent in red and escorted by their mother and aunt. She gripped her father's shoulder, grinning as her heart soared at the sight.

A hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist, pressing against the small bandage she'd applied to her wound. She gasped as she was pulled behind a pillar, and then, as everyone watched the women slowly make their way to the altar, was dragged to the poolside. Arnav-ji flung her away as soon as the glass doors slid shut. He spoke before Khushi caught her breath.

"How much do you love your sister?"

Khushi blinked at him. He seemed as blank and immutable as the concrete wall he stared at.

He continued, "You're willing to do anything for her. Right?"

"Yes."

"Then you have to do something for your sister tonight."

"What?" she whispered, dread pooling in her belly.

As much as his fury had scared her, his calm now terrified her. It seemed too controlled, too calculated.

"Di is pregnant. I want you to leave."

He finally turned to her, and the pain in his eyes took her breath away.

"Leave?" she asked.

"Leave tonight. I'll give you as much money as you want. Leave, and never come back."

"No!"

"I won't let you hurt Di, be sure of that. I will not allow you to destroy two lives. Leave tonight, make your excuses and never come back. I'll give you whatever you want."

"I don't want—"

"—I know exactly what you want, but I'll never let you have it. I'll destroy Shyam when the time comes, but I cannot tolerate any threat to my sister's happiness, especially not when she's with child."

"I should never have tried to confide in you," she whispered, "If you truly believe me capable of these disgusting things, if you think so lowly of me, then you ... you don't deserve ..."

She started to walk away, sobbing, but he used her arm to twist her around until she faced him again. His sudden menace shocked her into stillness.

"Shut up!" he snarled, "Decide. Now."

She gasped in pain as he twisted her arm behind her when she didn't answer quickly enough, "Yes, or no?"

"My sister is here," she tried to reason through tears, "and my family."

"You didn't care about my sister when you were sleeping with her husband."

Nausea churned in her tummy, "Arnav-ji, I haven't ... I swear ..."

I've never betrayed you, or your sister. Never.

He released her suddenly.

"Look over there," he indicated through the glass doors, where Jiji and Aakash-ji stood ready to exchange garlands, "Aakash won't begin the ceremony until I'm standing next to him."

Khushi watched as both families looked around, clearly searching for the two of them. She closed her eyes as a black tide of despair threatened to overwhelm her.

"All I have to do is stand here, and your sister will remain unmarried for a second time."

The threat cut into her soul.

"If you believe this," her voice shook, "If you believe that Shyam-ji and I ... then why pay me to leave? How do you know that he won't follow?"

"Because I'll offer him the same deal as I've offered you; anything he wants, as long as he stays with my sister for the next six months."

"And you know that he'll accept?"

"On the terrace, that man all but admitted that he married my sister for money. He'll stay as long as he's well compensated."

Arnav-ji turned to her with a sneer, "What did you think, that he loves you, that he would choose you over the Raizada fortune? You two deserve each other."

No, I thought that you loved me, and that you would choose to trust me.

"This is unreasonable," Khushi argued, "This is not a solution. If you would just listen then I could ..."

"There is no other solution! The only way I would allow you to remain in Delhi is if I could watch your every move if you lived under this very roof."

"I ..."

"I would never let you near him if you lived here," he interjected, misunderstanding what she'd been about to say, "And I won't tolerate your presence in the same house as my sister."

Taking deep breaths, Khushi tried to think through her options, but there were only two impossible choices. To leave and condemn her sister to unimaginable torment at that snake's hands, or to stay and shame her family in unimaginable ways.

Unless ...

"I will stay, in this house, under this roof, but only if you marry me."