Part 7 Weird action

Khushi made Diya and Jiya sit with her and inquired about them. They talked with Khushi, caressing her jewels lovingly. Girls...! I sighed.

Suddenly, RM became heated up. A few uniformed women entered RM with big-size silver plates covered by thin golden organdie cloth. They were gifts to Raizadas for Payal's pagperah. Yes, they were from Gupta Palace. The uniformed crew saw Khushi who was sitting on the couch with Jiya and Diya. They marched toward her and bowed, slightly bending their knees. Khushi nodded her head slightly. They again marched out.

Then Payal entered and everyone was dumbfounded. She was in the same dress with jewels as Khushi's. I looked at Khushi whose facial expression changed but it was definitely not jealous but something. Why did I think Khushi was purposely showing herself rigid?

My family members floated in happiness, seeing Payal getting respected by her in-laws, especially, my father. They didn't expect Guptas would treat Payal equally to their daughter. Everyone greeted Payal with a tight hug all emotional as if they got separated from her for years. Khushi was watching them silently with an UNNAMED expression.

After a mellow drama, Payal went to Khushi smilingly. Khushi gave a warm hug to Payal. All the eyes were only on them. Before my marriage, I never accepted anyone more beautiful than my sister Payal. But now, she was wearing the same dress as Khushi but she didn't match her. I could not deny the truth.

Payal looked at me and hugged me.

"How are you Bhai?"

"Good"

Payal looked at Khushi again.

"Akash tried your number and it was switched off," Payal said.

"Yeah, I will talk to him later," Khushi said.

Switched off? But why? Didn't she like to talk to her parents and brother? She must be angry with them for forcing her into this marriage. I guessed.

"Are you comfortable here?" Payal asked.

Khushi nodded yes smiling and said,

"Akash said, you resemble our mother. He is right. You are..."

I was confused. Did Payal look like Mrs. Gupta? No way. Akash might have said that because 'love is blind' but what about Khushi? Didn't she see the difference? This brother and sister were really blind. I supposed.

"You are going to Gupta Palace for Pagperah..."

Cutting her,

"No... I'm not going there but to the Mini Palace," Khushi said.

"Oh..." Payal became thoughtful.

Lavanya who went to put her phone in the charge, came downstairs and saw Payal.

"Payu..." she rushed to her and hugged her.

"I missed you, I missed you" Lavanya kissed her cheek.

"Hey, it's just one day and you missed her?" NK teased.

"Touch your heart and say, didn't you miss her?" Lavanya cornered him.

"I can't touch my heart... our Payu took it with her," NK said clutching his chest dramatically.

Payal hit his shoulder playfully.

"Is not our Payu looking gorgeous?" Lavanya asked.

"She is... but not up to the ORIGINAL" Dhruv said looking at Khushi.

"Of course, I'm not original. Who could match with the Princess?" Payal accepted the truth, smiling at Khushi.

Khushi closed her eyes and sighed.

My mother came there and looked at Payal's neck. She lifted her necklace and frowned.

"Where is your mangal Sutra?" my mother asked nervously.

"Aunty asked me to remove it as it doesn't suit the necklace," Payal said.

Everyone's eyes turned toward Khushi to check whether she was wearing the Mangal Sutra or not, including me and she was wearing it and I didn't think it didn't suit the necklace.

My mother was an orthodox woman yet, she said nothing because it was Payal's mother-in-law who wanted her to remove it.

That was when Payal's phone rang. Payal looked at her mobile screen.

"Wow, new iPhone..." Lavanya said excitedly.

"Yeah, the latest model. Aunty gifted me" Payal said and attended the call.

"Haan, Akash"

"...."

"Yeah, one minute"

Payal extended the phone to Khushi.

"Akash wants to talk to you"

Khushi stuck for a second and took the phone. She talked. Her eyes were on my cousins who were teasing one another.

"Yeah..."

"......."

"No..."

"....."

"Not like that"

"......."

"I'm not coming"

"...."

"I'm going to Mini Palace"

"......"

"Will meet you another day" She disconnected the call and gave the phone back to Payal.

I was sure she didn't like to go to Gupta Palace for Pagperah.

Within a few minutes, my father came out of his room with his phone.

"Chotte, Shashiji called me. Drop Khushi at Gupta Palace for Pagperah. They are waiting" he said looking at me.

I looked at Khushi who rolled her eyes. She stood up, understanding the situation that, she could not give any excuse.

"Let's go," she said.

"One minute..." my father stopped her.

"Ratna, ask HP to keep the gifts in the car"

My mother nodded ok and sent the gifts with HP to load them in the car. She gestured for me to drop Khushi home. After bidding bye to my mother, Khushi nodded her head slightly at my cousins who were weaving their hands at her. I walked out and she followed me.

I started the car towards Gupta Palace. That was my first visit to the palace. Khushi was silently looking outside.

"I can understand. You are angry with your parents for forcing you into this marriage... that's why you don't want to go there"

"Are not you angry with your parents?" She asked me because I too was forced.

"No... I'm not angry with them because I love my family"

"Oh... sacrifice?" her voice was not sarcastic.

"What's wrong if I sacrifice for my family? You will get to know how good it feels to sacrifice for your beloved ones"

"How many times did you sacrifice your happiness for others?" she arrowed the question.

I looked at her frowning. What did she mean?

"How many times did YOU (I stressed) sacrifice for others?" I asked.

She didn't answer.

"I agree to this marriage for my sister's happiness," I said concentrating on the road.

"Only for your sister's happiness?" she questioned, looking at me.

I knew what she pointed out. I married her for our business benefits also.

"If you have so much problem in marrying me, why didn't you stop it?" I asked.

"I can also ask you the same question. Can't I?"

"You did... I answered unlike you"

"You did because it's about your family and business"

"What your reason is about...?"

She didn't answer me.

"Yes, we get business benefits from your family. Anyone in my place would have done the same. I'm not exceptional. I love my parents and sisters..."

"I too love my brother"

I looked at her understanding her words. She loved only her brother, not her father and mother. But why? She was forced into this marriage because Akash loved Payal. Then why didn't she get angry with Akash? I didn't understand.

After that, we didn't talk. I saw Khushi was rotating her bracelet for a long. She was thinking about something. I didn't know what and I knew she won't tell me if I asked her. Yet, I could not be ignorant because I felt something in my heart whenever I saw her. I felt she had some valuable reason to ignore me. We were closing up to Gupta Palace.

"I don't know how will you take it. You can ask me anything. I'm ready to help you if you want. I will do that NO MATTER WHAT. Not just because we are married. I just feel to say..." I assured.

Khushi looked at me with sparkling eyes.

We reached Gupta Palace. The security saluted when our car entered. I stopped the car at the main door of the huge palace. Out of respect, I too got out of the car. To my shock, Khushi came to me and turned me towards her, gently clutching my shoulder. I looked at her hand and then at her face bewildered. I was facing my back to the palace.

"Is it true, shall I get any help from you?" she asked.

Words were not coming from my mouth, seeing her so close to me. The fragrance of Khushi bewitched me. I nodded yes gulping down.

"That's nice to hear. Will you come to pick me up, or, shall I come on my own?" she asked me with a cute smile.

I was looking at her without blinking.

"We will go to Mini Palace in the evening to start our life. Be ready" She dusted my shoulder with her knuckle gently where there was nothing.

I looked at her with confusion. She looked inside and called someone.

"Philomena..."

A woman rushed out.

"Take the bags from the car" she ordered.

"Yes, your highness..." the woman said and obeyed the order.

"Let's go..." Khushi said, looking at me.

"M...e?" I stammered.

"Yeah, you..."

Clutching my hand, she walked inside with me. I stepped into Gupta palace for the first time. It was such a place no one could have words to narrate its grandness. Each and everything in the palace exhibited Gupta's richness. But, I was not in the condition to look at those. My eyes were only on my wife who was pulling me with her, the girl who asked me to be MYSELF and wanted to be HERSELF was doing something I could not understand.

My mother said understanding a girl would not be hard for me because I'm clever. I was suffocating to understand my wife's weird actions that seemed like a riddle to me.

To be continued...