Part 52 Gained memory

Ratna looked at Khushi and asked,

"Who are you?"

Khushi looked at Arvind, perplexed, who was standing behind Ratna.

"Aunty, I'm Khushi..."

"Khushi? Khushi is a small girl. I don't know who you are."

Khushi smiled at Arvind brightly.

"Uncle... I think Aunty got her memory back," she said excitedly.

"Memory back? What are you talking about?" Ratna looked at Arvind, turning behind.

She widened her eyes when she saw him looking old. She stood up, not understanding anything. She advanced him with confusion.

"What happened to you? Why did you look like this?" she asked, touching his shoulders. Her voice was clear, just like before she lost her memory.

Khushi and Arvind smiled at each other as they understood Ratna had gained her memory.

Ratna's eyes fell on the mirror behind Arvind. She winded her eyes in shock as she also looked old. She went to the mirror, looking at herself frowning.

"What's all this?" She asked, gulping down.

"Ratna, do you remember you jumped into the well in an attempt to commit suicide?" Arvind asked.

Ratna nodded yes.

"My head hit on the stepping stone of the well," she said, remembering the incident.

"Exactly... You lost your memory after hitting on the stone."

"Whaaaat? Did I lose my memory?" she was shocked.

Arvind nodded.

"Uncle arranged for your wedding. What could I do then? How could I see you marrying someone?" She says, choking.

"I know..."

"Did you...get married?" She asked hesitatingly.

Arvind nodded no.

"Didn't you?" she asked unbelievably.

Before Arvind answered, Khushi did.

"No, Aunty. Uncle didn't marry anyone. He fought with the King and stopped the wedding preparation."

Ratna looked at Khushi.

"What are you looking for, Aunty? I'm Khushi... Your Khushi..." she smiled.

Ratna smiled, nodding her head like, 'Really?'

Khushi nodded, "Yes." Ratna spread her hands, and Khushi rushed into her arms and hugged her tight.

"You became a big girl, Khushi..." Ratna smiled.

"She is the one who took care of you. You ate anything only from her hand. If Khushi had not been there, I would have faced a tough time looking after you."

"Did I trouble you?" Ratna asked, touching her cheek.

"No, Aunty. I didn't think like that. I felt glad to serve you."

Ratna smiled at her lovingly.

"I'm so proud of you, Khushi, but the king didn't understand you..." Ratna got stuck and asked,

"He should be angry with me because you stopped the wedding... Right?"

Arvind nodded no.

"He is not angry with me... He can't be... because he is no more."

"Whaaaat? What did you say?" She asked in shock.

"He is dead, Ratna."

"But how? He was fit and fine."

"He got a heart attack..."

"Heart attack? How did it happen?"

"Yeah... It's a wonder because the man who didn't have a heart had a heart attack." Arvind said.

Ratna glared at him.

"Don't talk like that. He is your father, after all. Tell me what happened."

"When you lost your memory, uncle got ready to leave the palace with you. That caused him a heart attack." Khushi took the lead.

Ratna looked at Arvind unbelievably.

"Were you ready to leave the palace for me?" She asked emotionally.

Arvind smiled. She hugged him and cried in no time, making both of them emotional.

"Ratna, don't cry."

"I always doubted your love for me, but when you showed it in the open, I was not lucky enough to witness it," she choked.

"Why did you doubt my love, Ratna?"

"I thought you were still in the memories of your first wife and struggled to accept me as your wife."

Khushi lifted her brows in amusement.

"I agree I have her memories, it doesn't mean I don't love you."

Ratna smiled with tears.

"Poor she died not having the luck to live with you..." she felt based for Amrita.

"No Ratna... She didn't die when my father threw her in the river..."

Ratna looked at him shockingly.

"What do you mean?"

"Somebody saved her. She just died recently"

"How do you know?"

Arvind hesitated to open up with her about Arnav.

"Someone should have told you..." She said. That was when something sparked in her mind.

"You said she was pregnant when your father threw her in the river. If she didn't die, the child in her womb also should have been alive. Right?"

Arvind looked at Khushi and nodded.

"Is it? Is HE alive?"

Arvind and Khushi wondered. How did she know the child was HE and not SHE?

"How did you know it's a male child?" Arvind asked, unable to contain himself.

"What's the big deal? Having only one son is an unwritten rule in your family! That's what's happening for generations...!"

Arvind felt a prick in his heart.

"I'm sorry, Ratna, because of me..."

Cutting him off,

"Why are you feeling sorry? What's your mistake in that? Your father separated you from the girl and got you married to me. But God's plan was something. Per your family's unwritten tradition, you already had a son, but unaware of the truth, your father expected it from me. The saddest thing is, even you didn't know you have a son."

Arvind gulped hard.

"After his mother's demise, you must save and guard him. Go and bring him here," Ratna said.

"Actually, he is here only," he said hesitating.

Ratna looked at him stunningly.

"Did you bring him?"

"No, he came here on his own. He didn't know I was his father when he came here."

"Really? He stepped into our village. That means he should be a good guy... Right?" She asked excitedly.

Arvind nodded yes.

"Not only that, he went to the mountain and brought medicine for your treatment."

"Really? I can't believe this... Did he put his life in danger for my recovery? Is he that generous?" She asked emotionally.

Arvind nodded.

"The way he reached this village is an interesting story."

Arvind narrated how Arnav ended up in the village.

"See, how fate brought him to the place he belongs to...!" Ratna said.

That was when Arnav came to Arvind's room. The trio looked at him. Ratna frowned, seeing him as she didn't know who he was.

"Appa, Uncle Sathya Narayana called and asked me to meet him. I'm going. Do you want me to convey anything to him?" Arnav asked Arvind.

The word 'APPA' narrated everything to Ratna. She understood who he was. She smiled, looking at him. Arnav found it different. The way she looked at him seemed new to him. He looked at Khushi, who nodded yes. A sudden awkwardness raised in his mind. He didn't know if he should talk to her or not. He stood with hesitation, not knowing what to do.

"Ratna, he is Arnav. My..."

Cutting him off,

"Our son..." Ratna said.

Arnav sighed inwardly. He smiled at her.

"I heard you went to the mountain to bring me medicine. Why did you risk your life?"

Arnav looked at Khushi, who knew the REAL reason for his trip to the mountain.

"I just felt like doing it..." He said.

"I'm glad to meet you. Finally, you reached the place you belonged to..."

Arnav smiled.

Ratna looked at Arvind and asked,

"Which Sathya Narayana he is going to meet?"

"The one who is in the Pancha Nandhi"

Ratna was shocked and also nervous.

"Whaaaat? Have you gone mad? He is your rival. How could you send him to him? What if..."

Cutting her off,

"We sorted out our problem and became friends again" Arvind smiled.

"Friends again? But how? Didn't he get angry with you? Then, how did he get consoled?" Ratna asked the valuable question.

"Arnav made it possible. He spoke to him and made him understand I was not at fault." Arvind said proudly.

"What fault are you talking about?" She asked.

Arnav and Arvind became embarrassed, not knowing how to tell her she was the sole reason for Sathya Narayana's anger and his love story.

To be continued...