Part 29 Plan

Khushi stood there not understanding anything. The old lady saw her and said,

"Here the bride came."

Khushi sulked, hearing the word BRIDE. She looked at Garima who was gulping down.

"What is this, Amma?" She asked with fear, sensing something bad.

Garima was silent whereas Mohini said,

"You are engaged to Akash."

"Whaaaaat!" She shouted in shock.

"Haan Khushi." Garima said looking down.

"What the hell have you done Amma?"

"I did right Khushi. How could we believe a stranger? What if he cheats on you?"

"It's not him but you who cheated on me... it's you, Amma. You have not kept your words. You have forgotten what Arnavji did for you. You became an ungrateful woman..." she yelled with tears.

"Khushi beta, what we did is only for your betterment," Mohini said.

"Who are you to decide what I want? It's my life, who gave you the right to fix my marriage?"

"It's my decision Khushi... think once. What will be my condition after your marriage? Are you ready to leave me alone?"

Khushi was shocked to the core, hearing Garima's selfishness.

"From when did you start thinking so selfish Amma? What if Jeeji is alive? Won't you get me married? Will you keep me with you for your whole life? You never thought like this before even when you were blind... what happened to you Amma? How you became so selfish suddenly? Just to be safe, you have made me scapegoat? Don't you mind about what I want? Don't you want me to be happy?" Khushi yelled furiously.

Garima was dumbfounded. She didn't expect Khushi would arrow such questions. The wrath she saw in Khushi's face made her shiver.

"Khushi beta, you should not talk like this. You should think about your mother. Don't be selfish." A village woman said.

"Ohh really? Then send your daughter-in-law to her mayka forever whose mother is all alone. And then talk about my mother." Khushi snaped her.

The woman turned her face, making a rough face.

"You guys don't care about my mother. She is my mother. I know how to take care of her. (Looking at Garima) Do you think the man who brought your vision back even before the marriage will leave you alone?"

"How could I trust anyone Khushi?"

"How did you trust Jeejaji when he asked Jeeji's hand? Did you hesitate to give her a hand? Then why now?"

"But...."

Stopping her by showing her palm...

"I won't agree to this marriage."

She snatched the plate which they exchanged a few minutes ago and threw it on the floor. The women around them stood, jerking. Akash rushed inside, hearing the sound. He saw Khushi standing in the middle of the village women, panting hard, glaring at her mother.

"What happened?" He asked perplexed.

"They fixed our marriage," Khushi said in a rough tone.

"Whaaat!" shock was visible on his face.

"Haan, we fixed your marriage with Khushi," Mohini said.

"Have you gone mad? Who asked you to fix the marriage that too without my knowledge? (looking at Garima) Don't you know she loves someone? How could you do this to her? Is this what you are?" He asked painfully.

"Akash beta... what your mother did is only for your happiness." A village woman said.

"My happiness had died with Payal. And what about Khushi's happiness? Doesn't she have feelings? Why do you guys don't consider woman's feelings? Let her live her life with a man she likes. (he turned towards Mohini) It's not even ten days Payla died. How could you dare to think of my marriage? Do you think I could forget Payal and accept the proposal? Please stop this rubbish."

"Akash beta, this engagement had done in front of the villagers. You can't break it. This marriage should happen. Or else...."

"Or else....? Or else what? What will you do?"

"You will be tabooed from the village."

They turned and saw the president standing. Akash and Khushi gulped hard.

"This is why I don't want to allow them in our village. I allowed them just because Shivshankar wanted to do the archeology survey in his land. See, what they had done to our village girl. She was a nice girl who never disrespected elders." He said looking at Khushi.

"I too don't want to get married," Akash said.

"As per our village regulation, you have to obey your mother's promise. She had engaged you to Khushi. Being a good son, you should marry her."

"Without interest, how could I live with her?"

"You will be disinterested at first. As time passed, everything will be alright. If you don't agree to this marriage, then we have no choice then taboo your family." The president said casually.

Khushi looked at Akash horrified who stood squeezing his hands. She left the place crying. And all of them dispersed.

Khushi didn't know what to do. She cried...cried...cried. She didn't expect that her dream would get shattered this way. What Arnav can do in this situation?

She turned, hearing footsteps. It was Akash. She cried again.

"Don't worry Khushi. I'm here for you."

"What will you do? Will you go against the villagers? They will taboo you. You could get nothing from them. You will be left alone."

"I know. But what can we do? Are you ready to marry me?"

Khushi looked at him horrified and bow down, without answering.

"Then we have to do this."

"What?"

"Get married to Arnav."

"Whaaaat! but how?"

"I have a plane."

Khushi looked at him speechless.

"Just elope with him and get married to him. No one could do anything after that. Ask him to get a transfer. Don't come here again."

"But..."

"You will never get permitted to marry him. You have no other choice than this."

"Amma won't allow me to go out."

"I will take care of it. I will meet Arnav and tell him the plan. Ok?"

"I don't think he will agree to it."

"I will explain to him and make him accept it."

"I'm scared."

"Don't worry. Arnav and I will take care of everything." He smiled.

Khushi nodded ok.

Within an hour, the marriage matter spread all over the village. NK shocked to the core about it. He hurried to Arnav's room and they were not there. He headed towards the field and they were working there.

"Arnav..."

Arnav looked at him and smiled.

"Arnav, Khushi's marriage got fixed with Akash."

"Whaaaat!"

The pickaxe slipped from Arnav's hand in shock. Aman and Shyam also shocked hearing that.

"How did that happen? How Khushi agreed to it?"

"There was a big mess in Akash's house it seems."

NK narrated everything which happened in Akash's house.

"Neither Khushi nor Akash agreed to the marriage. It's villagers who are stubborn."

"What can we do now ASR?" Aman asked nervously.

"We have to think fast," Arnav said.

They saw Akash coming.

"I want to talk to you." He said.

Arnav nodded yes and went under the tree. Aman and NK followed him whereas Shyam continued his work but he could clearly hear their talks.

"I hope you would have known the issue," Akash asked.

Arnav nodded yes.

"Khushi is continuously crying..." He sighed.

"What can we do going against the villagers?" Aman asked.

"I'm going to file a case against the villagers. Khushi is a major, after all." Said Arnav.

Shyam interfere,

"Then they won't allow us to do our work. Without the villager's help, we can't finish our survey. Because of your love matter, I don't want to stop what we started."

Arnav rolled his eyes. Aman and NK sighed.

"Arnav, try to accept reality. This stunt won't work. This is not Delhi but Shivshaktipur. We can do nothing against the villagers. They won't understand your perception. We are here to do an archeological survey. Do that and leave." Shyam warned and left the place.

"He is like that... from the beginning, he is against Arnav," Aman said wearily.

"Don't know how he could be Sumer." NK murmured which was not audible to anyone.

"Leave him," Arnav said.

"I have a plan."

"Tell me."

Akash narrated his plan.

"What? Eloping? This is pathetic." Arnav said disappointed.

"You have no choice if you want to married to Khushi. Please don't make her disappointed. She won't live without you."

"Don't we have some other genuine plan?" Arnav asked as he doesn't like to elope.

"We have but it won't work," Akash said.

"Akash is right Arnav. Nothing will work in this village." NK said.

"Khushi will come to your place tonight. Take her with you."

"what about Aman and Shyam? Won't villagers punish them?"

'I'm here... I will take care of them and made the villagers send them out of the village."

Arnav looked at Aman,

"We will be alright."

Arnav nodded ok.

"Be ready. I will send Khushi."

Akash left the place.

"I don't know how much we can trust Akash," Arnav said shrinking his face.

"I'm also thinking the same," NK said

"I think we should take the inspector's help," Arnav said.

"Good idea. I will tell him everything." NK said.

"I think all of us should leave the village together," Arnav said.

"I'm ready to leave but what about Shyam? I don't think he will accept our idea." Aman said.

"Yeah, he is a sincere worker, after all." NK sighed.

"I will talk to him," Arnav said.

Aman and NK nodded yes.

To be continued...

Next part on Inkitt

Eloping Plan

Akash came home back.

"You and Khushi can go back home. As our marriage is fixed, it won't be looking good if we stay together." He said to Garima.

"She is going to be our bahu then why are you bothering?" Mohini asked.

"No Ma, the villagers may talk rubbish. Until the marriage happens, let her be with her mother."