Part 62:

Kerala, India

"Any news?"

"Madhumathi – she died today. Shyam did all the rituals" said Mohini's man

"Who else? Nobody is there to do. Fine..." mocked Mohini

"What about ASR?" asked Rahul "Did he know about accident? Did he know that we are the reason for Khushi and her family's death?"

"Oh... come on Rahul... don't be scared. Why are you giving much importance to Arnav and Aman? They can't do anything. Didn't you see what we did to them?"

"Mom... stop it... you can't even guess what both Arnav and Aman Bhai can do, if they comes to know what we did to Khushi. You don't know them, but I know..."

"If you are that aware of their nature, then why did you do what I told? If you are that much scared about Arnav and Aman then why did you tease her in your college? If you are that much scared about them then why did you think and try to take revenge on her? Don't you know about their angry or capacity that time? Then why are you saying all these and why are you tensed about them now when all finished?" asked Mohini for Rahul's surprise

"Mom!! What are you saying? Whatever I did, I did because you encouraged me and you supported me. I thought whatever I'm doing is correct and you will support me in future. And you never said that I'm doing wrong then why are you mocking me now? If you thought my deeds and my thinking are wrong then why did you support me? Why didn't you stop me from doing all these to Khushi?" Rahul felt bad about his mother's words.

"Oh... so, now you are pointing your finger on me saying that I did wrong to that middle class girl! You are supporting that bloody girl..." shouted frustrated Mohini

"Mom... please... she is dead now. Please don't talk about her like that. I never wanted her to die. I just wanted to teach a lesson to her for insulting me. But I never wanted to kill her. It's you who said to kill them all" Rahul retorted back with anger not liking his mom talk about Khushi after her death

"Yes, I said to kill her, because I wanted her to be dead. I want to take revenge on her, not because she insulted you. I wanted to take revenge on her because she is the person who back answered me and threatened me saying Arnav will kill me. I wanted to take revenge on her because she got my family's full attention in just one meet. Your father, you brother and his so called wife loved her in just one meet. They never gave that importance to me. You also talked about her a lot. You never talked about me like that. She got my full family's attention in less time. She always snatched my people. I hate that girl. She even snatched my lov..." she was stopped by Rahul.

"Mom! What are you talking?" asked Rahul completely surprised by his mother's outburst.

Understanding what she was about to say, Mohini controlled herself not to say anything more "You don't have any rights to question me. You get out from here" she shouted on Rahul in rage.

Rahul felt something different in his mother's behavior. He left from there thinking to find out his mother's problem and the reason to hate Khushi this much.

*******************

Everybody went to RM after finishing all the rituals to Khushi's Bua Ji. Aman consoled Shyam and took him to RM. Even though there are so many members in the house, the deadly silence occupied completely. Everybody felt sad seeing completely shattered and lost Shyam. Tears are flowing on his cheeks continuously. He couldn't believe that he lost his whole family in just one day. He lost his last but one family member today. He sat there and cried his heart out. Akul and Suraj tried to console him. Everybody felt sad remembering Khushi and her family. They saw Arnav coming down holding the kid to his heart protectively. He called HP and asked milk for the baby. Everybody easily can see the lifelessness in his face. He lost his charm, smile and hope. He sat on one of the couches, holding the baby to his heart. He fed the baby with milk

"I want you to stay with us" said Arnav to Shyam

"I don't think it's a good idea" responded Shyam in a low voice.

"I'm not requesting you. I'm just saying. I don't want to lose anything or anyone related Khushi. If you are her brother, then even mine. I don't want to lose you. I don't want you to go from here. You are staying here and that's final. No more discussions on this" that is the first time everybody witnessed Arrogant, rude, ruthless and heartless Arnav Singh Raizada – ASR. Everybody looked at him shockingly. Not giving much importance to anyone's shocking faces, he stood to leave from there. That is the time the land phone rang.

"Hello..." said Arnav

"Call Suraj Mathur"

"..."

"Can't you hear? Call Suraj Mathur or Akul Raizada" ordered the person

"Nobody... exactly nobody has any right to order Arnav Singh Raizada" said Arnav in a low voice sending shivers to the person on the phone and members of the family.

"I... I want to talk with Suraj and Akul"

"Who are you?" said Arnav arrogantly

"Their friend" said the person

"Call for you" Arnav gave the phone to Suraj and left from there. He stopped from stepping on the steps, listening to the shocking voice of Suraj

"What are you talking? Who are you?"

"Didn't you remember me Suraj? This is not fair. I thought after your daughter's death you will talk with me. I waited for this long for you. I thought after separating from your daughter you will come to me, but it didn't happen. I even thought after your daughter's death you will talk to me, but it's also not happening. I hate you for this"

"Who the hell are you and what are you talking about?"

"Your daughter Suraj... Khushi. Don't say you didn't recognize her"

Suraj sat with a thud hearing the person. Everyone rushed to him. Aman and Akul supported him.

"What are you talking? Khushi... my..."

"Yes... she is your daughter Khushi Mathur."

Listening Khushi name from his Mamu, Arnav rushed to them

"What's wrong Mamu? Who is on the phone? Mamu answer me" he shouted

"Khushi... my Khushi... she is my Khushi..." Suraj managed to say

Both Arnav and Aman looked at him shockingly. It took some time to others to understand what he meant.

"Who is on the call Mamu? Who said this to you?" Arnav took the phone from him "Hello... who is this? Who are you? Talk damn it..." but didn't get any response. He threw the phone and called his manager to track the phone number. He turned to his Mamu and demanded the answer

"She said... Khushi... Khushi is my..." he broke down completely hugging his friend Akul. Understand what he is trying to say everybody became numb and Saritha started crying.

"My Khushi... my daughter Khushi... oh god... I lost her again..." Aman ran to his mother and hugged him trying to calm her "Why is this happening to our Khushi, Aman? Why she isn't with me? Why I have to lose her again? Oh my god... my daughter died???? NO... NO... SHE IS NOT DEAD... I NEED MY DAUGHTER..." she looked at Arnav and ran to him. "Arnav you said, you will marry her and bring her here, right? I want my daughter now... I never asked you anything. But now I'm asking you to give my daughter... I need her in my life... please Arnav bring our Khushi... please Arnav... please... pl..ea..sss...." with that she fainted in Arnav's arms. Arnav pick her in his arms and made her lie on the bed.

After doctor checked her and went prescribing some medicines, everyone came to hall and sat there with so many doubts in their minds.

"What's going on? How come Khushi bhabhi is Suraj uncle's daughter?" asked NK not understanding anything

"Yeah... what's going on? I never knew that I had a sister" said Lavanya in a complaining way.

"NK and Lavanya, Suraj Mamu had another daughter. She went missing after you were born. Someone kidnapped her and when we caught that person we found him as our maid. But we couldn't find Khushi that time. When police interrogated the maid, he took out his life without answering the questions. That day we lost all the hopes to find her. But as we got to know that girl is Khushi, we again lost her" said Anjali crying badly. Arnav held her closely consoling her while Aman sat with his father.

"That's why she said her name was Khushi!!!" said Shyam in a trance.

Everybody looked at him. That's the time they noticed Shyam, who is the only person who can clear their doubts about Khushi.

"Is Khushi your real sister? I want to clear the things" asked Suraj holding his hand. Everybody held their breaths

Shyam shook his head in denial "No, she wasn't my biological sister. But she is my life. She is my baby sister more than my own sisters. Please don't take her away from me. I can't lose her. Please..." he forgot everything what happened to Khushi already. He forgot that his Khushi is not in this world anymore. Everybody looked at him shockingly.

"Did she know that you aren't her real family? Asked Aman.

Shyam shook his head again in denial.

"Damn that means she is my Choti. I knew it. I recognized her at the first time. But I thought..."

"Leave it Aman... there is no use of thinking, talking and all now. I don't want anyone talk about her." said Arnav

"Are you Ama Bhai?" asked Shyam suddenly. Aman looked at him surprisingly

"She used to call you in her sleep along with anju Di and Chote. Some days she used to call for her Amma. But she never talked about you all when she was awake. She missed you all a lot. It took lot of effort for me to make her forget you all"

"I SAID STOP TALKING ABOUT HER" shouted Arnav with his high voice, making everyone jump in their places. Shyam looked at Arnav's red eyes and went to him

"Arnav... I can understand how much you are missing her. But you should accept the fact. You should accept the fact that she is no more. You have to learn to live without her... You have to accept that fact Arnav. She never will accept you to be in sadness. She always wanted your happiness. Now she is not going to come back to you. She..." Shyam was stopped by Arnav holding his collar. Aman rushed to Arnav to stop him from doing any blunder. But Arnav shrugged Aman's hand and said in low voice

"Don't you dare to talk about her" He turned to others and continued in a cold voice "This is the last time I'm saying this. No one... I said NO ONE will talk about her in this house in my presence. If anyone does that, then think that is the last minute you all will see me. I'm warning you" he warned everyone and left from there leaving everybody shocked.

********************

"Don't say that. I just called him to inform him about his daughter. I want him to know about his lost daughter"

"But you only..."

"You no need to remind me that I'm the person who kidnapped her with the help of their maid. But I needed to do that, because he never accepted my love. After marrying Mr. Malhotra also I tried a lot to get him. He and his friend that Akul has warned me to stay away from them otherwise they will say everything to my husband. They warned me... ME... Mohini...I thought he will accept my love one day. But it never happened. After this Khushi was born he never looked at me or respond to my pleads. He made himself completely busy with her. I never saw him anywhere. If I see him, then this girl would glue with him. I wanted him, I loved him. So, I thought if I separate that girl from him, he will be sad and I can go to him to console him and can get him. But it never happened. He concentrated on his family more. He completely ignored me, warned me and even told everything to my husband. It made me infuriated. How can he do that? Why can't he understand my love?"

"I can understand. But why did you do all these now? Why did you use your son in all these revenge? And why didn't you say anything to your son?"

"Because I don't think he would understand me. And he is the person who gave me chance to revenge on Suraj and Akul. When I came to know about that girl, who snatched my Suraj from me and now snatching my family again – I couldn't control myself from doing all these. I hated that girl from her birth and I hated her even now. She was the main reason for my loss. If she wasn't born, I would have got my Suraj."

"Then why did you tell him about his lost daughter being Khushi? Why now?"

"Because I want him to know that he lost his daughter again. I want them to crush in sadness. I want them to cry in their loss. It's my revenge. Now I'm happy for what I did"

----- Rahul couldn't understand what he heard from his mother few minutes back. He never expected his mother to turn this evil. He sat on his bed dejectedly. His mother's words kept ringing in his mind. Rahul couldn't believe his mother used him for her revenge. He felt disgusted about his mother loving another man after getting married to his father. He felt insulted thinking about his mother using him for her deeds. He felt ashamed for trusting his mother blindly in all matters where his father and brother tried to make him understand. He felt horrified thinking being the reason for Khushi and her family's destruction. Tears rolled down on his cheeks in guilt

"I'm sorry Khushi... I never knew I will become monster. Sorry for not understanding you and your love for Arnav Bhai. Sorry for not understanding your discomfort with me. Sorry for whatever I did to you. Sorry for everything. I wish you are alive, I would have held your feet to ask apology. I'm really sorry Khushi. I know I'm not worth of your forgiveness. But please forgive me if you can... sorry Khushi..." he cried his heart out remembering Khushi's innocent face.

...to be continued