Charade (IPKKND AU)

Chapter 7: Consequences

Khushi

The first thing Khushi noticed when she awoke was that Arnav-j hadn't returned in the night — his bed remained untouched. The second was that she was running late for the morning puja. She stood, twisting her hands together as her mind ticked over, and was disturbed by a knock.

One of the kitchen ladies stood at the door, a bundle in her hands, "Forgive the intrusion, bhabhi, but the other ladies and I have prepared this. You have always been kind to us, and we ... we thought you could use these."

"Thank you."

Khushi accepted the bundle with a smile and closed the door behind her before settling on Arnav-ji's sofa. The bundle contained a toothbrush and soap, a hairbrush, and a tiny container of sindoor. Blinking back tears, she used his bathroom to complete her meagre ablutions before rushing downstairs, though her efforts seemed in vain. She didn't know what was worse — that no one defended her when Mami-ji made her barbed comments, or that Jiji was insulted alongside her.

Perhaps I should have stayed away. It might have been better for everyone.

She was distracted from her melancholy when talk turned to Nani-ji's conspicuous absence. The revelation that she hadn't been seen all morning had Khushi rushing upstairs with everyone else.

"Khushi-ji, I have to speak to you," Shyam-ji intercepted her.

She tried to step around him without acknowledging his words, but he spoke again, glancing upstairs to ensure they went unnoticed.

"Please Khushi-ji. Just tell me once, just one time, why? Why did you do this to me? You betrayed my love and my trust in an instant."

He chased after her when she tried to escape, and it seemed better to stay rather than attract undue attention. He was her Jija-ji, after all, and refusing to speak to him would raise questions.

"He forced you to do this, didn't he? Khushi-ji, I promise you that I will not spare him."

Her skin crawled, her revulsion a physical thing that made her want to retch. The mangalsutra about her neck seemed to burn. The front door opened before she should answer to reveal Arnav-ji, still in the clothes from last night. The sight of him gave her strength.

"You tricked us!" she hissed to Shyam-ji, trying to keep her words from carrying upstairs, "You betrayed Anjali-ji! You disgust me!"

Arnav-ji came to stand next to her, his entire form rigid with anger as he spoke to Shyam-ji, "I warn–"

A loud banging began at that moment, drawing their attention upstairs. Khushi turned to her husband, "Nani-ji. She hasn't come out of her room."

Arnav-ji ran, taking the stairs two at a time, and she followed as quickly as she could. They found the family milling around the door.

"Chhote, Nani-ji won't open the door!" Anjali-ji explained tearfully.

"This is all because of this Phati Sari and her sister, Khoon Bhari Taang!"

Khushi's heart wrenched as Aakash-ji and Arnav-ji broke down the door, but as everyone rushed inside she found that she couldn't follow. It was a private moment for the family, and she was acutely aware that she was not family — she was not a wife, not a sister, and not a bahu. She stood just outside the room instead, feeling utterly wretched. She rushed to prepare a glass of water when Anjali-ji mentioned Nani-ji's high temperature, glad for the reprieve from Shyam-ji's filthy stare, busied herself with the copper vessel. Khushi froze when Jiji reached for the glass without meeting her eyes, and handed it over after a short hesitation.

Jiji is the real bahu, she reminded herself, the bride to who came into this home with the proper permissions and blessings. All I've done is ruin her standing within her new household.

She might have remained in the corner, silently drowning in her misery, had Anjali-ji not refused her brother's offer to call the doctor.

"Call the doctor, Aakash. Chhote need not trouble himself."

Khushi inched towards her husband as Anjali-ji stood.

"This is all your fault, Chhote. You wanted to get married, so you just got up and married someone? Neither you nor Khushi-ji will tell us why you made this decision. Maybe the two of you are unaware of how much this has hurt us!"

Arnav-ji looked away, his eyes finding Shyam-ji, and Khushi trembled to see the rage that shone there even though it wasn't directed at her. She swallowed hard, taking the final few steps so she was standing next to him.

I choose you. Always you.

"Last night ..." Nani-ji spoke for the first time since they'd all entered the room, "Last night Chhote proved that he's his father's son."

The words seemed to echo in the room — Anjali-ji broke down and even Mami-ji seemed stunned at the declaration. Arnav-ji left the room without another word, leaving Khushi to wonder what secrets lay buried in the past, that they could hurt one of the strongest men she knew so much.

#######

"Thank you, Doctor-Sahib."

Khushi closed the door behind the man before rushing upstairs. Arnav-ji would want to know that the doctor had seen Nani-ji and had given her some medication. But when she didn't find him in his bedroom or by his poolside, she ventured to the study, hoping he hadn't left the house without her noticing.

Maybe the servants will know where he is.

She paused, overhearing a voice in Anjali-ji's room.

"Did you see Mamma, did you see what ... what our Chhote did to us?"

"Di! How long will this drama last?"

She guessed that Arnav-ji had entered the room using the poolside entrance.

"How dare you!" Anjali-ji sounded outraged, "After all this, you're saying this is a dra—"

"—I'm simply saying that the faster you all accept this, the easier it will be."

"This act of yours is unforgivable!"

"Di, I accept my mistake. But all of you have to accept that I've married Khushi. This fact won't change because of your anger or your refusal to accept it."

Peeking inside, Khushi saw that the two siblings faced one another in the middle of the room. She couldn't see Arnav-ji's face, but Anjali-ji was crying as she held his arm.

"You married Khushi-ji without permission, without even telling us! You flouted tradition and disrespected our family!"

"Di, if you can't accept this then ... then Khushi and I will leave this house."

Khushi gasped at the ultimatum, wondering yet again whether this ill-thought act of theirs had brought more hurt to the family Shyam-ji ever could. So great was her inattention that she was caught by surprise when Arnav-ji appeared in the doorway. He paused on seeing her standing there.

"Don't worry," he mumbled, "I haven't forgotten our agreement. You stay where your sister is."

Guilt churned within her when she realised that she hadn't thought of that at all. Instead, her traitorous heart had hoped that, away from Shyam-ji and the constant reminders of her imagined betrayal, he might be more open to hearing her out.

Khushi nodded, hoping her thoughts weren't etched clearly on her face, and watched as he walked away.

If he doesn't intend to leave Shantivan, then what game is he playing now?