A week later,

Rohan's House

"A week later is our hearing date and after that I hope I never see you again," Rohan said, his face had no smile, just a pure bit of irritation.

"Same here, Rohan. Even I can't fake my smiles with you beside me at anyone anymore. I wish the judge would grant Riya's custody to me," Khushi snorted. She's done with him and his actions that don't look good anymore.

"We are co-parenting, Khushi and that's what would be the judgment. Riya is my daughter and I have full rights to be a part of her life," Rohan wants Riya as his daughter at any cost and that's how it would keep his reputation in society intact.

Wasn't that one of the reasons why he married Khushi?

Khushi controlled herself from cursing him. Rohan Saxena walked from the living room and Karan Saxena walked in just a minute later.

"Bhabhi?" he called.

"Hi, Karan," Khushi greeted who was just about to go to her bedroom.

"I am sorry my wife and bhai did this to you," Karan for the hundredth time apologized to his Bhabhi.

Khushi's smile turned into a slight scowl as she said, "Let's put it behind, Karan."

Karan didn't know what else to say and smiled a little before walking to his room.

Khushi walked to her bedroom lost in her thoughts.

As if Devimayya wanted to shed some brain into her head, she realized how wrong she was and how had she wronged Anjali not once but twice. Not just her, her family and Arnav too had wronged Anjali. While it was just her selflessness, a little selfishness of not wanting her sister's marriage to be broken again, and her inability to see Arnav's and Anjali's hearts getting broken that made her hide the truth, it didn't wash away the bitter truth that she was wrong, that she wronged Anjali and she had to accept this fact only when she was hit with the same fate.

Her married life with Rohan was blissful or that's what it was until Sakshi entered their lives.

Sakshi is her brother-in-law, Karan's then-live-in-girlfriend and now wife.

Her husband, Rohan was attracted to Sakshi, like Shyam was to her.

She was too busy with her job and daughter to realize how Rohan had become after Sakshi entered their life a year ago and Rohan's Oscar-level acting was an add-on.

Khushi knew his advances towards Sakshi and she never told her or Karan once.

And when she asked for the reason, Sakshi's answers baffled her.

"How can I, Khushi Di? I know the truth would hurt you and Karan and what about Riya? She was just 1 year old then. I couldn't destroy your happiness. I gave him a chance to mend his ways but he never changed," Sakshi said, tears rolling down her eyes. From the moment she entered this house, Saxena House where Rohan and his brother, Karan stayed; Rohan had been hitting on her. She thought he'd change now that she's married to his very own brother but he didn't. He continued with his actions and she didn't want to hurt Khushi and Riya who were very happy with Rohan, so she kept hiding this.

"What right do you have to give bhai a chance, Sakshi? Bhai is Bhabhi's husband and only she has the right to decide whether to give him a chance or not. He's literally cheating on her going behind you, don't you realize that?" Karan asked his wife, feeling cheated by her. Even if she didn't encourage Rohan's actions, she kept it hidden from her husband and Bhabhi which isn't morally right.

"I know," Sakshi whispered broken.

"But didn't care enough to tell me at least? Okay, fine, you couldn't tell Bhabi that, you could have told me, I'd have told her if not you. Why didn't you confide in me, Sakshi?" Karan threw the valid question at her, if she couldn't tell Khushi, she could have told him.

"I know it'd hurt you that your bhai had done that to your Bhabi. I just don't want to hurt you or Khushi Di." Skashi clutched his hands, crying.

Karan sighed, "And you still did," he was trying to swallow his anger while Khushi stood all numb to even cry.

Riya is in her room sleeping and Rohan who was caught trying to hug Sakshi and later was slapped by Khushi is just watching the drama unfold before him knowing the set of questions is ready to hurl at him.

"It's not my fault that he came behind me, I didn't lure him," Sakshi defended herself.

"Really? You didn't lure me?" Rohan asked, sarcasm dripping from his mouth.

Khushi shot a look at him. Karan didn't stay behind in showing the mirror to his brother, "If she lured you, Bhai, why didn't you tell Bhabhi or me? And now don't tell me just like Sakshi you too thought I, Bhabhi, and Riya would be hurt, so didn't tell us? And not to forget the scene we witnessed earlier." He's pointing to the earlier scene where Khushi and he caught Rohan trying to hug Sakshi.

Rohan had to shut his mouth as he had no reply.

"I didn't lure him. He's lying," Sakshi defended herself again not wanting her husband to doubt her character.

"Of course, it's not your fault that he came behind you and I am not blaming you for any of that. You didn't lure him, I know, I agree." Karan took a deep breath.

"Then what are you blaming me for?" Sakshi asked, sniffing and confused.

"For hiding the truth, for not confiding in me or Bhabhi, for deciding to give Bhai a chance on Bhabhi's behalf, you had no right to do that. You haven't just wronged me, you wronged Bhabi too, Sakshi." Karan cleared his stance, standing for what is right is always his work and that's why he's a successful Lawyer.

Sakshi bowed her head down and Khushi's head shot up in realization at Karan's words. Didn't she do the same with Anjali and Raizadas?

Karan released a deep breath, he loved his wife and couldn't see her like this but that didn't mean he was going to ignore the hurt she caused him. She could have told this before the marriage, "I understand you don't want to hurt us with this truth but what were you thinking when you married me and came into the home same as his? Didn't you think the truth would be out one day? What were you going to reply to me and Bhabhi when the truth comes out?"

"I thought he would change," she stuck to her words.

"And decided to hide the truth, decided to give him a chance? What right did you have? Didn't you realize that right belongs to his wife? Whether to give him a chance or not?" Karan threw question after question.

"I am so sorry." She could only say this.

"Hell with your sorry, Sakshi." Karan gulped down his anger and turned towards his brother to throw a bomb of questions on him.

Khushi who was listening to the argument without talking much is relating every word Karan uttered to her own behaviour. When it should be the time to question her husband, she is busy realizing what she did in the past is nothing different from what Sakshi did to her.

It's hurting her. Sakshi's actions, her husband's betrayal, and everything is hurting her. Doesn't the same apply to Anjali too? She too hurt Anjali. She never realized the gravity of her decisions and their consequences on Anjali and Raizadas.

It was true when people said that you have to put yourself in their shoes to realize what they are going through. True, until it happened to her, she never realized what she did to Anjali and what Anjali had gone through.

What right did she have to give Shyam a chance to change? What right did she have to hide the truth? True she didn't want to hurt them that's why she hid and gave Shyam a chance but who is she to decide that? Doesn't that right belong to Anjali and Anjali alone? Yes, it does. She had wronged Anjali and was very bad in that case. She couldn't even deny the fact that she also became selfish for her Jiji's marriage.

She needs to ask forgiveness from Anjali when she meets her.

She came back from her thoughts when she heard her husband screaming at Karan.

"Yes, I don't want to stay in this MARRIAGE ANYMORE."

"And what's making you think I want to stay in this marriage, Rohan?" Khushi opened her mouth putting her thoughts aside.

"Yeah, I know that very well, Khushi. Once ask yourself if you want to move on from your past, Khushi?" Rohan threw the blame on her.

Khushi was furious at his jab and fumed saying, "Rohan, we discussed this even before we got married, didn't we?"

"Of course, I know but that doesn't mean you take me for granted," he stated, whenever he made a move on Khushi, she had always distanced him making him remember that they married for society, brought Riya for society, and that she needs time to completely move on.

"When did I do that? Didn't I tell you my reasons? You understood me, didn't you?" she had always given him her reasons, even before marriage. He did understand her and that's why agreed to marry him, didn't she?

"Now not anymore. I don't want to. I agree I am attracted to Sakshi and you can divorce me for all I care but Riya will be with me," he declared.

"Why wait till you send me the divorce notice? I will do that in the first place and yes, Riya will be with me. I am her mother." Khushi walked away, fuming, and went to Riya's room who was sleeping on the bed with pillows protecting her from every side.

It's been two months since that day and here they are getting ready for the divorce maintaining the farce in front of society until D-day a week later. They don't want noisy neighbors poking into their lives. Rohan is moving to Delhi selling the house in Mumbai and so is Karan who's still miffed with Sakshi to an individual flat in Mumbai itself.

Shantivan,

"Mami, I don't think you're right. Chotte had forgotten himself after Khushi-ji had gone. Not his fault, Mami. He loves her. Who better than me knows what it feels like not to live with the one you love?" Anjali yet another time explains Manorama who was complaining that Arnav doesn't care for Anjali or the others anymore.

"But Anjali Bit-" Manorama was just stating the facts.

"Unlike Shyam-ji, Khushi is a good woman, Mami. He will find himself once he finds Khushi-ji." Anjali put an end to the discussion and got up to walk away from the living room. The wedding is today and there's so much to do other than listen to what her Mami has to complain about Arnav coming to the wedding at the last minute and not two days before like he promised.

"I just hope you don't realize it late again, Anjali Bitiya," Manorama whispered to the figure of Anjali and stood up herself, ready to order the servants for anything that's still left to do with the preparations of NK's wedding.

Regards,

Poly

03/04/2024