One Month Ago:
"Khushiji, come downstairs! There's someone who wants to see you!" Anjali had called up to her sister-in-law
"Coming!" Khushi had replied, elated yet curious at the same time. Someone had come to see her? Could it be her family? Had they finally forgiven her? Descending the stairs, Khushi saw a tall man standing in the middle of the living room talking to Anjaliji, wearing a suit and a tie and with his eyes completely covered with huge sunglasses. Upon seeing Khushi he had removed his sunglasses to reveal soft brown eyes and smiled so big that even Khushi couldn't help but smile back at him. Then, in mere seconds, he had crossed the length of the living room and pulled Khushi into a bone-crushing embrace. Khushi, due to Shyam's constant pounces on her in the past month, had developed the ability to shove a full-grown man away from her and this is exactly what she did to this man. "Who are you?" she had shrieked then, desperately trying to compose herself.
"I'm Amar Chopra, Khushi." He had responded in a deep yet gentle voice, adding "Your brother." Not knowing how to respond, Khushi had then done what any sensible person would do; she fainted.
Part Two:
A sobbing Anjali had screamed as Khushi fainted in her brother's arms, triggering Arnav to come running down the stairs. The scene that greeted him was his sister, standing off to the side with tears in her eyes looking in horror at his wife in being carried by some man he didn't know. Rushing forward, Arnav had practically pulled the unconscious Khushi out of the man's arms, feeling a strong sense of jealousy and possessiveness. Who was this man and what was he doing with his wife?! Deciding to interrogate the stranger later, Arnav had carried Khushi to their room, called the doctor, and waited until she woke up. About a half hour later, Khushi had opened her eyes to see her husband's worried face looking down upon her, breaking into a relieved smile as she gained conscience. Looking around the room, Khushi had noticed the rest of the Raizada present in Arnav and her room along with the man who had quite recently given her the shock of his life. "Amar?" She had asked, not believing that this man could be her brother. He had smiled at her then, walking up to her and sitting down on the other side of the bed not occupied by Khushi's husband seething with jealousy.
Amar had gently taken Khushi's hand and looked at his little sister with such care and love. This was the last straw for Arnav and he had grabbed Amar's collar and pulled him away from Khushi in one swift movement, pinning him against the wall, and snarling, "I don't know who you are, but stay away from my wife."
Anjali came running then, to diffuse the situation and explained to Arnav that this was Khushi's elder brother, Amar. Shocked, Arnav's grip on Amar's collar had slackened and Amar moved away from him with a smirk on his face. Sitting down next to Khushi, he had explained everything to her. When Khushi had been very young, her brother had been sent off to boarding school due to his undisciplined ways and his parents giving up on him. Amar had been 19 years old when the news of his parent's death came to him. In one day, Amar had lost everything. His father's old-fashioned letters to him, his mother's constant packages of food sent to him practically every week, and his little sister's artwork. Even living thousands of miles away from his family, Amar had developed a strong bond with them and their loss had greatly troubled him. However, Amar did not know that his sister survived the crash and instead of returning to India, he left the job of burying the family to another family member and continued with life. This, he later admitted to Khushi, was one of his worst mistakes, for if he had returned, he would have found his sister sooner. Khushi also had not remembered her brother because when Amar got the hint that Khushi was still alive and sent a detective to find out about her, her medical history said that she suffered some amnesia due to the accident and only remembered a few events of her childhood along with the car accident. The Raizada family had welcomed Amar warmly, allowing him to live with them to give Khushi the family support that she had recently lost.
Part Three:
One month later:
Khushi woke to her husband's stubble tickling her neck as he slept on, his arms embracing his wife. She watched his chest moving up and down, and sighed in content, wishing she could just spend the rest of her life in his safe arms. Smiling, she thought of the previous night's events. A cricket game had come on and Amar Bhaya, Nanheji, and Aakashji were sitting on the couch watching each move with great enthusiasm. Arnav had opted out of the festivities however, and sat in a corner with his laptop, working away and yet still sneaking glances at the game, much like a child told not to watch TV and do homework instead. Amar Bhaya had walked up to her husband then, pulling the laptop away from Arnav and dragging him to the sofa. At first, Arnav had felt shocked at this behavior and awkward but he too joined the pandemonium, roaring when India missed a ball and cheering with exubulation when the ball was hit. Khushi was so thankful for her brother for helping her unlock the child in Arnav. But getting to this point had not been easy Khushi thought with sadness.
About a week after her brother's arrival, Khushi had found out the reason for Arnav's major marriage decision and come clean to him about everything. The lies, the engagement, and the hug. After that, Arnav's demeanor had completely changed towards his wife and he believed her completely. With the help of Amar Bhaya, Arnav had exposed Shyam for the lying scoundrel he was and Shyam was kicked out of RM and into police custody. However, that had been the least of their problems. Anjaliji suffered severe depression from the treachery of her husband but it did not affect her baby much and with the help of her family and Khushi's brother, who had found a good friend in Anjali, she too started moving on from her painful past.
Arnav looked at his wife as she stared into space, a small smile on her face. "I love you", he whispered gently against her cheek making her blush.
"I love you too Arnav" Khushi whispered back, her eyes closed committing the feel of his lips against her cheek to memory. He looked at her again, taking in her innocent face and feeling a heart- wrenching ache for her. How could he have doubted her? His Khushi? Despite Khushi forgiving him, Arnav always felt the need to constantly remind her of how truly sorry he was for doubting her and how much he loved her because he knew that his words had cut her and no matter how much love he gave her, they would only heal with time.
"Khushi hand me that jalebi mix please." Amar said as he wiped his forehead, leaving a trail of flour across his temple. Smirking, Khushi handed her elder brother the mix, watching his futile attempts in making jalebis. Amar slowly poured the mix into the hot oil, being careful not to add too much or too little of it into the pan. Making a perfect swirl, he grabbed a spoon and pulled the jalebi out once it had turned crunchy and gotten a yellowish- gold tinge. "Yes!" He exclaimed with joy. His 49th attempt at making the perfect jalebi had worked!
Amar had sauntered into the kitchen about a half hour ago and stood watching Khushi's rapid jalebi talent in action. "Do you know how to make jalebis bhaya?" She had inquired gently.
Determined to show his macho man, I-can-do-anything personality, Amar had said, "Of course! Who doesn't know how to make jalebis? You know, I was a jalebi making champion back in the US."
"Really bhaya? That's amazing! Then you could definitely help me make these jalebis for Anjaliji's birthday party tonight."
"Oh crap", thought Amar, putting on a fake smile but trying to quickly think of a way to cover his tall tale. "I would love to help you Khushi but my arm is so sore from teaching Hari Prakash American football and I don't think I'll be able to assist you much. But you could definetely ask your husband for help, he's not doing anything."
Khushi looked up amused, thinking "Hmm, Bhaya is such a liar. How could he have taught Hari Prakashji football when HP and Nanheji were practicing ballroom dancing all morning?" "No no Bhaya", Khushi exclaimed to Amar's back. "Please come and help me, I really need the help of the jalebi making champion right now!"
Amar sighed as he looked at his hopeful little sister, begging him for help. How could he say no to her? Well, now he had to swallow his pride and admit the truth. However, this jalebi making process couldn't be that difficult right? If a clumsy Khushi could do it, Amar was sure that he could do it as well. This cockiness however has slowly melted away as Amar tried making his first jalebi. The mix had clumped up in a small ball in the oil instead of forming the swirl that Khushi was making with ease. Trying desperately to hide his embarrassment, Amar had tried seperating the clumped pieces and ended up burning all the jalebis in the pan.
"It's ok Bhaya, I can understand if you can't do it." Khushi had said with a smirk.
"No! It's just that... that... I haven't made jalebis in years. Let me make a couple and then I'll show you my true skills!" He had protested with a cheeky smile.
Amar was now grinning like a Cheshire cat, looking down upon his first perfect jalebi in half an hour. "Good job Bhaya! That totally did not take you 30 minutes to complete Mr. Jalebi Champion!" Khushi scolded with a smile on her face.
"Ok, I confess." he sighed. "This was the first time I've ever made jalebis. But since I've finally made one the right way, I want you to have it." With that, Amar fed his perfect little sister the perfect little jalebi he had made with his own hands, hoping that this was just the first to many gifts he would bestow upon Khushi.
Arnav, feeling deprived of attention from his wife in the craziness of the birthday party, had gone in search for her and found her in the kitchen with her brother. There she was, in a green sari, completely covered in flour being fed jalebis by her brother. Next to her stood her brother, Amar Chopra, the no nonsense doctor with the heart of a child, feeding his sister much like a father. Arnav had not wanted to intrude on this special and private moment between siblings but Amar had seen Arnav through the corner of his eye, and run up to drag his brother-in-law into the kitchen.
"No way man! You are not getting out of this experience! Have you ever made jalebis?" Amar asked a flabbergasted Arnav.
"What the..? No!"
"Well you're making some now!" Amar said, silencing Arnav's protests by shoving some non-sugared jalebis into Arnav's mouth. Glaring at Amar, Arnav quickly chewed the delicious jalebis and agreed to help, for the sake of his exhausted wife. It was quite a sight at first, the Laad Governer and Amar on their knees, their sleeves rolled up, kneading the dough and heating the oil.
"Khushi, be careful!" Khushi heard every two seconds when she went too close to the stove or ran to get something.
"Hay Devi Maiyya! Why did I ask these two to help me? They've taken over the kitchen!" Khushi thought as she sat down, finally allowing herself a break. This was a bad idea though because in five minutes, the serious work of making jalebis had turned into a competition of who could make the best jalebis, with Khushi being the judge. Both Amar and Arnav made one big jalebi at a time and ran forward to allow Khushi to taste- test them. At first, for fun, Khushi had picked either one of them but as they became relentless to win, she started declaring a tie, wishing to leave this madness immediately.
"No fair!", Arnav whined the first time a tie was called. "You can't do that!" With that, he had run back to the stove, with Amar dashing behind him. Khushi looked at these two men with a smile on her face.
"Thank you Devi Maiyya", she thought. "Thank you for giving me such a loving brother and husband. You may have taken from me before, but what you have given me now is the greatest gift. Joyful tears slowly made their way down her face as they started playfully bantering again over who would be the jalebi champion.
Part Five:
Amar strode into the magnificently lit living room, sending Anjali a flirtatious wink and a smile, making her blush crimson. "How are you feeling?" He asked, sitting down next to her and gently running hishand over her augmented belly.
"Good. Hungry, but good." She gently said, smiling at his concern and care for her. Despite knowing each other for only about two months, Amar and Anjali had become good friends, with him helping her emotionalimbalances and acting as her guiding light in the darkest point in her life. Hehad become her other half and he was far greater than the Shyam that she had been clinging onto only to prove to herself that she was not affected by her past. Amar had not made Anjali paranoid with worry or given her an obsession with diety. Rather, he had given her peace and closure, two things that Anjal ihad desperately craved since the death of her parents.
NK smiled gently as he watched his Di talk freely with Khushiji's brother. Though Amar had been a good friend to everyone in the Raizada house, he had built a strong and deep bond with Anjali and given her a lending shoulder when she had no one else. Hesitating on disrupting their private moment yet excited to show Amar what he had found, NK skipped into the hall, clearing his throat to separate the flirty couple.
"Oh NK! What's up man?" Amar asked, blushing profusely and trying to keep his cool.
"Remember how you were asking Khushiji for the wedding CD?I finally found it! I think Mamiji threw it out after the first time we watched it but HP brought it back and put it in my room." NK burst out, anxious to let his excitement out.
"That's great!", said Amar as Anjali broke out into a cold sweat. "Let's watch it then!" Amar had been adamant inwanting to see Khushi's wedding video, ashamed at himself for missing such a big day in his little sister's life. However, the Raizada family along with Khushi had fabricated that Khushi and Arnav had eloped for a more romantic wedding and hence no marriage video was available but Amar had not given up hope of finding some video.
"Hmm...NK, as much as I love Payal and Aakash, I've already seen their wedding video three times." A bored and distracted Amar muttered to NK a half hour later.
"Oh, I guess it was the same CD all along." Thought NK out loud as he apologized to Amar and started to look for the remote to eject the CD and go find HP and scold him. Not like HP was ever intimidated by NK. NK's Hindi always made even the shy HP burst out laughing hysterically.
"Wait! What is that?" Amar questioned curious, ashe stared at the screen, watching a tearful Khushi and a menacing Arnav by the poolside. "I've never seen this before...", his voice trailing off as heconcentrated on what the two were saying.
"Six months. Marry me for six months and then I never want to see your face again." Arnav snarled at her.
Ready to fight back with her undying spirit, she retaliated with "Or what?" Not getting an answer, she started to turn away and walk off and the look on Arnav's face changed from cunning topure anger. He grabbed her wrist, twisting it behind her with force, not caringif it hurt her, and made her look into his deep, cold, and no- nonsense eyes.
"Or else consider Payal and Aakash's wedding over before it even begins" Arnav said glaring at Khushi as her eyes welled up with tears, threatening to spill over any second.
"You can't do this." she whispered, shock evident on her face as she stared at the cold and indifferent man.
"I can and I will. Marry me temporarily and save your sister's marriage, or don't marry me and be ready to pay the consequences." Arnav whispered back and pushed Khushi out of his arms. "Yes or no? This is the last time I'm asking."
"Yes." she said finally, sealing her fate.
"I knew you would make the right choice." He smirked at her, walking away with an indifferent air. Khushi, unable to contain her emotions any longer, had sat down on the edge of the pool, crying and wailing with the pain that had just been inflicted on her innocent heart from the man she had fallen in love with. And Amar had seen it all.
Part Six:
In the three minutes that the accidental footage had run from NK's forgotten camcorder, Amar had seen his brother-in-law inflict severe emotional pain on his darling sister. It finally made sense, the part of his brain that wasn't completely shell-shocked told him. All those nervous and hesitant looks whenever Khushi's wedding was brought up, the lack of any photographs or videos of her wedding. How could there be any happy memories when Arnav had blackmailed Khushi to marry him?
Amar clenched his fists in anger, and closed his eyes, willing the anger to subside. It only grew however as he realized that his sister had suffered all this pain alone. He slowly turned around, glaring at a pale Anjali watching the screen with shock. "Did you know about this?" He whispered his disappointment evident as she slowly nodded her head. His anger was reaching new heights now. How much had this Raizada family hid from him? Had they not done enough by ruining his little sister's life?
Words could not describe the tumultuous storm of emotions that were coursing through Amar. How had he been so blind? How could he have actually fallen into the perfect trap set up by Arnav? How could he not have protected his sister? Once he had found her, he had promised himself that he would never let anything happened her. And he had failed. His sister had been suffering and hurting right under his very nose and he had not done anything about it. But not anymore, he would not let his only and beloved Khushi endure this unjust pain any longer. Amar strode out of the living room, leaving a sobbing Anjali behind him. With a grim face as he ascended the staircase, he vowed to seek revenge from Arnav Singh Raizada.
Bang. Arnav looked up from his laptop to see his brother-in-law charge through his bedroom door, his eyes red and his typical soft smile vanished from his lips. "Khushi!" Amar yelled angrily.
"Bhai, what's wrong? You seem upset?" asked Arnav wearily, not knowing he was only instigating the raging fire set ablaze in Amar.
"What's wrong!? You're going to ask me what's wrong?" Amar yelled at the top of his lungs, marching over to Arnav.
"I don't understand Bhai, are you okay?" Arnav asked starting to worry now. What had gotten into Amar? What could have made the normally cheery man so upset?
"You ruined my Khushi's life you b******!" Amar roared, grabbing Arnav's beloved laptop sitting on the bed and flinging it across the room.
A loud crash brought Khushi out of her daydream as she quickly sat up from her position by the poolside. "I hope everything's okay!" She pondered with worry as she ran into her room. The sight that greeted her was much worse than she could have ever imagined in her nightmares. There was her brother, a murderous streak in his usually friendly and warm eyes, beating her husband black and blue. Once, Arnav had held Amar against the wall for touching Khushi, but Amar was now pounding Arnav against the wall for breaking Khushi.
"Bhaya! Please please stop!" Khushi begged trying to step between the two most important men in her life who seemed to want to murder one another.
"No Khushi! He hurt you! He blackmailed you to marry him, he threatened you, and he has harassed you for way too long. Not anymore." Amar shouted, punching Arnav so hard in the face that he stumbled back, his nose and mouth cut up, bleeding. Khushi sobbed, pushing Amar away from Arnav. She sat down on the floor next to where he was lying and threw herself over his chest. She would not let her brother harm Arnav. Raising her head a bit, she looked down into Arnav's eyes, reassuring him that even if her brother had gone temporarily insane, she would stay by his side, no matter what.
"That's it Khushi, let's go we're leaving this hell-hole." Amar declared, grabbing Khushi's hand and pulling her up and away from Arnav's arms.
"Bhai, please, try to understand. What I did to Khushi was in the heat of the moment. I had truly thought that she was trying to hurt my sister. But I should have never doubted her. I love Khushi Bhai, please, I can't live without her." Arnav yelled, getting up from where he was lying and running after Khushi and Amar, fighting against the pain from Amar's blows.
Amar ignored his brother-in-law's pleas, and continued to drag his sister to the front door, Arnav running behind them. Khushi was screaming and shoving now, trying to detach herself from her brother's strong grip. Her husband, her Arnav was hurt and he needed her.
"You did what was best for your sister and I'm going to do what's best for mine." Amar spat at Arnav turning around and heading out the front doors. Khushi spun around, willing herself to believe her brother could be joking. But he wasn't.
"Arnav!" Khushi begged, her fighting spirit dying as she watched Arnav get weaker and weaker.
"Khushi!" Arnav yelled as her brother dragged her away. Away from his house. His life. Away from him. He took a step forward, ready to run after her, forever if he had to but his body wasn't willing. The fight earlier had weakened him and closed his eyes, his knees buckling under him as he passed out, her name on his lips.
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