Khushi giggled while coming inside the house, buaji 'hain titaliya kya hua nandhkishore tum has kyun rahi ho' (what happened titaliya why are you smiling nandkishore)

Khushi 'voh buaji Arnavji ne use gandi ladki ko daata' (voh buaji Arnavji scold that bad girl)

Garima 'Kaun?'

Arnav looked at Khushi amused, Khushi 'Sheethal ko, *the three elders face paled which did not gone unnoticed by Arnav' aur pata hai voh dar gayi' (and she got scared)

She still giggling 'hume bahut accha laga, voh hume kitna maathi thi' (I felt good, how much she used to beat me) Arnav's eyes darkened listening to her. Before she could say more Garima 'Khushi chup, jao bitiya jaakar haath muh dhokar aao khaana khaane, damaadji kabse tumhara wait kar rahe the' (Khushi go and wash your hands and face before sitting for lunch, damaadji was waiting for you)

Khushi looked at him apologetically and went to wash her hands. Shashi 'bitwa aap bhi' Arnav nodding at him went behind Khushi.

Khushi came out of the washroom and looked at Arnav 'Arnavji voh bucket mein paani hain aapke haath saaf karne ke liye' (there is bucket full of water for washing your hands) Arnav looked at her, Khushi 'mein apki madat kar doon' (should I help you?) he did not say anything. Khushi touched his shoulder 'Arnavji bataayiye na kya mein aapki madat kar doon' (Arnavji tell me na, should I help you)

Arnav 'no Khushi mein kar loonga' (no Khushi, I'll do it myself)

Khushi 'achha tikka mein jaake amma aur buaji ki madath karthi hoon' (okay, so then I'll go and help amma and buaji) She went away leaving behind the thoughtful Arnav who was still thinking on her words.

The lunch was silent affair, Gupta's fussed over Arnav and Khushi. Once the lunch was over they sat for a while before Khushi taking Arnav to rest since they will be leaving for Delhi in evening and he would have to drive for continuous four hours

Arnav laid down on the bed looked over at Khushi who is sitting on the high rolling chair and looking out of the window. Arnav 'Khushi!!!'

Khushi 'Ji!!!'

Arnav 'come here' she came near him, he patted her to sit beside him, Arnav 'Khushi what were you saying downstairs about Sheethal beating you?'

Khushi pouting 'she always bully me and ask me to do work for her, if I did anything wrong then she used to slap me'

Arnav 'she used to slap you?'

Khushi 'haan *pointing her two cheeks* yahaan maarthi thi, I used to cry lot' Arnav cupped her face and kissed her cheek like feather light making her gasp 'ab teek hai'

Khushi 'Ji?'

Arnav patting her cheek softly 'now it will not hurt' Khushi nodded at him, Arnav 'rest for some time Khushi' Khushi laid down who patted her head and she dozed off soon. Arnav sighed looking at her, she had gone through so much and her family too looked pale when Sheethal's name was mentioned.

He came out of the room in search of water since he was feeling thirty; he had just gone passed Khushi's parent's room when he halted in shock listening to the sound of sobbing.

Shashi 'Garima stop don't cry; now everything is fine'

Buaji 'haan Garima we did right in marrying our Khushi to Arnav bitwa, see how he stood for Khushi'

Garima 'but jiji how can I forget the time when my Khushi was crying in pain because of that charaterless girl'

Buaji 'thank God that nothing happened to our Khushi as that Sheethal planned but...'

Garima 'but my bitiya suffered a lot that day, you saw how she writhed in pain'

Shashi's eyes become moist, Garima 'I thought I lost her, my Khushi....my Khushi...that Sheethal and her brothers will rot in hell'

Buaji hugged Garima she herself was crying listening to her and remembering the day when Khushi's life was almost got ruined. Arnav stepped inside the room his face with no expression. The three gasped seeing them.

Arnav with his tone no hint of any anger, pity or any other emotional it was emotionless 'what happened with Khushi? What did they do to her?'

Shashi 'bitwa...'

Arnav 'I want the truth now'

Buaji 'Nandhkishore whatever we are going to say don't mistake our Khushi bitiya, she is pure as a new born baby' Arnav kept quiet.

Buaji 'Arnav bitwa, Tiwarji is the head of the village, the man has set his own rules which the villagers has to follow, in which one of the rule is to marry of the girl of our house as soon as she reaches the age of fifteen, no one tried to oppose, and this is what is going still today. He however never ever humiliated any woman which made us to regard him with respect. But it all changed since five years when his two sons took the charge of the village as soon as Tiwari ji got bed ridden, they started imposing many other rules in our lives, it was like they had made a new hell for the village people crossing the limits of their own family tradition. Girls were no more safe, some people send their girls themselves and some were forced too. *Arnav closed his eyes in disgust* because they are working under them, they had to do as they say if not they will not be able to live. It was that time when their eyes fell on our Khushi, she was just fifteen then, a school going girl' she stopped when Arnav asked her another question.

Arnav 'is that why you stopped her education?' he looked at Garima's crying face, Shashi's moist eyes which held worlds pain, Buaji nodding at him 'yes, as soon as she finished her tenth, I stopped her education, I could not afford to get her life spoiled by them'

Garima crying 'We so much wished to make her study and give her life which we were unable to live, Shashi ji and I had dreamed of her getting educated but all....' She shaked her head not able to continue further...

Buaji 'they started to threaten us to send Khushi but we could not...how can we push our bitiya in hell, they had made Shashi jobless, ordered no one to help us. We struggled hard for one year, where Shashi would go out of this village to earn for our living, but we hid this all from our Khushi not wanting to know what is happening with us'

Garima 'our child would be distraught'

Shashi 'that was the time bitwa you bought a large area of land and had built a farmhouse. And when I came to know the land is owned by Subathra Mallik's grandson I went to her for help, I contacted her through the manager who was looking for the caretaker for the farm house and other workers from village. I said to him that Subathra Mallik knows my family; he contacted your Dadi who then talked with me. She knows my babuji and Dadaji since she is from the same village and when I stated my helpless situation, she appointed me for the caretaker job and Garima helps me in Gardening and taking care of the farm house.'

Arnav 'I wanted to buy a place in the outskirts of Delhi to build a farmhouse where I and my family could relax away from the noisy environment. And Dadi suggested me to buy in her birth place, where she is from and lived her childhood. But in these two years I never got to come here'

Garima wiping her tears 'everything was going fine, we started living, and buaji would be always with Khushi around, even then that Sheethal always used to bully her, beats her because Khushi is the only girl whose family refused her brothers request. But then three weeks before.....' she sobbed.

Arnav's heart constricted knowing something bad had happened which shattered the Gupta's, buaji 'we found out that Shashi babua has cancer, it was so painful for us....and then something happened which we never thought of in our dream'

Arnav looked at them, silent but a storm brewing inside him, Buaji 'there was a function kept by Tiwari's family for his sixtieth birthday by his son's and daughter, and everyone from village was invited. We did not want to go but being under their shadow we had to. The function was kept in the big ground of our village. Everything was going fine, Khushi was with me and Garima, and we wanted to leave the place as soon as possible and were looking for a chance. The function was with all posh, drinks of every high quality for men and sharbat kept for woman. A waiter brought the sharbat towards us, he handled each one of us a glass and went away, we should have known to not drink or eat anything there but....'

The party was in full swing; Khushi sipped her sharbat and giggled seeing the people dancing around. She was then forced inside the group of people to dance who giggled dancing to the beat. Buaji and Garima worried had kept their glance at her. But then a waiter moved past them blocking their views on Khushi. And after he moved away all they could see was Khushi was gone and she is nowhere in the party.

Garima and Buaji got panicked, they told to Shashi who started to search for Khushi. The three searched for her in the whole area. They looked for Raghav and Raghu, Raghav was there but Raghu was not which made them more petrified. They came out of the fuction to find their Khushi in the village or in Tiwari's house in doubt.

Buaji was crossing the farm field where she heard a noise coming from; she followed the noise to see Khushi was made lie on the ground.

Buaji was shocked, She looked at the two people, Sheethal 'bhai I had mixed the drug in her juice now she will comply to your wish, only fifteen minutes more it will take the drug to get activated in her system then you can have your way with her. Enjoy the night bhai, I'm leaving for the party which is still high, need to search for my prey. You finish with this bitch who is a threat to my beauty'

Raghu looked at Khushi with lustful gaze, Sheethal patting on his arms went away, Buaji looked at Rahu pulling Khushi's duppata off her. Her heart almost stopped to beat, Buaji 'hai re nandhkishore, this slim ball is trying to ruin my Khushi's life, I'll not let him' anger filled her eyes, before he could touch Khushi more she attacked on his head from behind with a fat wood. He dropped on the ground unconscious.

Buaji patted Khushi's cheek 'Khushi...Khushi...' Khushi stirred and gripped her hard. Her body not coping her at all......buaji made her stand and supporting her took her towards their home. Khushi felt uneasiness and uncomfortable 'buaji...buaji...'

Buaji 'titaliya bus todi dher phir hum ghar pohunch jayenge'

Khushi 'buaji hume kuch ho raha hai' (buaji something is happening)

Buaji eyes filled up cursing the two low life 'Shhh Khushi kuch nahiin hai...tum teek ho' (shhh Khushi it is nothing.....you are okay)

Garima and Shashi saw Buaji coming with Khushi and ran to her, Shashi 'jiji what happened to her?'

Buaji 'Babua I'll tell you everything just go and bring the doctor to our home'

Shashi 'but...'

Buaji 'please babua....'

Garima looked at her daughter's state, and helped buaji to take her home, they dropped Khushi on the bed who started breathing heavily 'amma buaji hume kuch ho raha hai...please teek karo na...' (amma buaji something is happening with me.......please make it al right na)

Garima cried 'what is happening with her?'

Buaji cried in anguish that Tiwari's son and daughter did this to her, they had mixed something in her juice. Doctor arrived with Shashi and checked on Khushi, Khushi on the other hand writhed in pain, her head ache increasing with stomach pain. She doesn't know what is happening with her. She felt nauseated. Garima and buaji cried seeing their daughter in pain; Shashi could not handle it and went away. Doctor gave her an injection and left giving medicine to Gupta's to give it to Khushi. Khushi had to go through those torturous pains for more than four hours till the drugs effect subsided in her system. Buaji had told Shashi and Garima what happened before her eyes, they became scared of Khushi's safety and secure future life.

Arnav's fist clenched listening to all this, Shashi 'I don't know what will happen to my bitiya after I'm gone, she is not safe here anymore so we thought of marrying her into another village or city away from here'

Garima 'that is when your Dadi, Nani and Anjali bitiya came for short trip to the farmhouse. On seeing me upset they asked me what happened and I confided with them what happened with Khushi and how she came down with fever'

Shashi 'Anjali bitiya, Nani and Dadi ji wanted to see Khushi and came to our home, that is when your Dadi ji asked for Khushi's hand for you bitwa. She assured us that you will take care of her well and we have no choice for to refuse her proposal. We wanted our bitiya to be happy and safe away from this hell and we agreed'

Buaji 'Khushi does not know all this, she was just told that she had something in function which made her health worse and she believed it'

Garima 'we are grateful to you and your family bitwa because of you all we were saved from those monsters every time'

Arnav could not get a word out of his mouth, his eyes were moist and his fist held tight digging his nails into the flesh of his palms, he could not believe someone could do such hideous act to such a poor soul. He looked at the three and get the word with difficulty out of his mouth 'she is safe with me' and went out of the room, that one line was enough for Gupta's to sigh in relief, they are no more worried now, their daughter is in safe hand.

Arnav came inside the room and rushed beside Khushi's side, his tears flowed out of his eyes, he had thought God has done injustice only to him but he never thought so many people are out there going through like him or more than him where his wife too was subjected to the such a harsh cruelty, he took her hand in his, kissed her palms thinking how much she would have gone through the pain. Bending down towards her face he kissed her face 'Oh My Khushi' and hugged her close. Khushi stirred but went back to sleep after his patting on her back.

Arnav eyes were red, dark red, anger simmering in them ready to burst out 'those mosters will suffer for what they did to you Khushi and I'll make them pay for your pain' he vowed in his heart.