Chapter 9 - Part B

myhummingword
Apr 22, 2021
13 min read

Updated: Nov 11, 2022

"Why?"

"What do you mean by why Payal?"

"What I mean is that I want to know why exactly do you want to know about Khushi's past?"

Arnav stood up from the chair he was sitting on in Payal's office, too restless to sit anymore and walked over to the other half of her room that was occupied by a large oval-shaped oak table. He then leaned on to the table, crossed his arms, arched his shoulders back and stared down at Payal, who had swivelled her chair to face him again, and sighed. "I don't really have a great answer for you, but I know that I need to know what makes Khushi the way she is. That fortress she has built around herself with a no entrance sign chiselled into stone, I need to know what is the reason behind it"

"And I come back to my question - Why? Bhai, you are one of the most important person in my life. You are family and I will never ever not give you something that I can. But this thing that you are asking of me, this is something even Buaji and I don't discuss. You are asking me to rip off a bandage that is trying to heal a very deep seated wound. And if I am going to do that, willingly open up topics that I shouldn't, I need to understand your reasons"

"Which bandage are you talking about Payal? After what happened last night, I don't think that wound you are scared to open has even begun to heal. Look....", Arnav moved his fingers through his hair, and blew out a breath, "I don't exactly understand myself why I can't seem to shut my mind and stop asking these questions. And I know I am asking you to betray the trust that Khushi has placed on you and tell me something about her without her consent. I know all that. But, these last few weeks of knowing her I have seen two versions of Khushi. The intelligent, smart, self-made woman, who is responsible for at least quarter of AR's profits in last five years. And then, I see that sad, full of doubt, trying to disappear in crowd Khushi, who emerges when she thinks no one is looking. And, for some reason, I just can't let that version of Khushi go. And then what happened last night. That broken shell of a woman I saw, that was not Khushi at all. Now I am scared that the second version of Khushi might some day take over. And again, for reasons I am still trying to understand, I cannot let that happen. So …." His brows stitched together, almost as if he was trying to reason with himself while talking to Payal, "I am not sure if this is good enough reason for you, but this is why I am here. I need to know her"

Payal gave a sad smile. She got the answer she was looking for. Didn't he know how much he had said with those words? In all the years of knowing him, this was the first time she had seen him so frustrated with something. And, maybe she was wrong in divulging her sister's story to him. But in that moment she believed it was the right thing to do.

"Bhai", she swallowed thickly, "What I am going to tell you is not my story to tell. In fact I haven't even spoken about this to Akaash. I hoped Buaji and I were enough to solve this problem. To help Khushi. But, after last night, I am worried that Khushi will run again. She will go back to States and this time she will stay there forever. So, I will tell you everything I know"

Arnav nodded as he settled on the chair he previously vacated, somehow sure that whatever he was going to hear will change his life forever.

Abhay Verma was one of the renowned cardiologists in the country. His name was synonymous to brilliance. Confident, handsome and intelligent, he seemed like a perfect man. He was content with his life until the day he came across Sukanya Mehra. He met her in Bangalore to Mumbai flight. She came and sat right next to him and Abhay's life changed forever. Her peachy complexion, deep hazel eyes, and intriguing smile - she swept Abhay off his feet. Professionally she was a model and was the face of one of the big telecom brands. She was nothing like him, but everything he desired for. One meet turned into long phone conversations which turned to a hill-top proposal and which finally took the face of marriage. Abhay was on cloud nine - successful profession, and a beautiful wife - He had it all. Until the day Sukanya discovered that she was pregnant. Abhay was ecstatic, but Sukanya kept crying for days saying how the child will destroy her career. Abhay kept reasoning with her that after delivering the baby, within few months, she will be able to continue her work, but she was adamant that her body would never be the same after the baby and she wanted an abortion. After numerous attempts to pacify her, finally Abhay gave up and booked an appointment with her doctors. But, their fate had other plans. After her check-up, they discovered that she had a very risky pregnancy and abortion would very likely endanger her life. And just like that life took an abrupt turn for Abhay.

He made a point to shower his love and care on Sukanya. He pampered her every single moment hoping that the indifference she showed at the time was all hormones and nothing else.

And 8 month 2 weeks later, Khushi Abhay Verma was born. She was a beauty. She got her sharp looks from her mother and received her witty intelligence from her father. She was a perfect blend of them. Abhay was instantly in love with her. But, Sukanya couldn't even look at her. After 4 months of Khushi's birth, Sukanya started her physical training. The harder she tried to get her shape and modelling life back, the less she paid attention to Khushi. Abhay tried a lot to bridge the gap, but failed miserably.

As Khushi grew, the problems between the couple grew too. The first words and sentences that little Khushi heard when she started understanding how to talk were blames and abuses her parents threw at each other. Khushi's nanny Rekha, was all Khushi had. Her mother was never at home, her father even though loving had no time because of his work. And whatever time they spent at home, they fought. Every fight ending with Khushi's name thrown around as an object of hatred. By the time Khushi turned 10, the only thing she remembered was her mother blaming her father and her father drinking his sorrows in form of alcohol. In fact with time, even Abhay stopped trying to make her see what she was doing to their little girl. She kept breaking Khushi little-by-little by abstaining her from mother's love. Abhay never dared to correct her and Sukanya never tried to change.

Khushi was around 13 year old when she got her first major blow. She came back from school, hoping that may be today was the day when she will finally get one loving glance from her mother, maybe, just maybe, today for the first time her mother will address her with her name and not call her, "you girl". But, as soon as she entered home, she knew something was terribly wrong. She saw Rekha standing in one corner with horrified expression etched on her face, her father slumped in another corner with a piece of paper in hands, his eyes bloodshot. She made her way to him, and asked him tenderly "Papa, what happen?"

Abhay looked at her for a long time and then slowly stood up, his alcohol laden breath making Khushi cringe. He kept his hands on her shoulder and spoke softly "Why did you come into this world? You broke the only relationship I had. You drove my love away from me"

Then he gave a painful laugh and continued "And now she gone. She left me. She wrote that she is sick and tired of this life, that she feels suffocated here. She is gone Khushi. She is gone because of you"

And he collapsed on floor. Rekha rushed to his side, asking Khushi for help. But, Khushi was in a state of shock. Her mother was gone. She had left her. Forever. She didn't even tell her only daughter that she is leaving. Not even once she thought that it was important to at least give her the basic courtesy and tell her that she will be motherless from now. She suddenly remembered that one time when Sukanya told her that she was the most disgusting and ugly part of her body, but Khushi thought that her mother was sad and she didn't mean it. But today that sentence came back like a slap on her face. Her mother was gone and took her father too with her. This man in front of her hated her too.

Amidst all these thoughts, Khushi kept thinking where did she go wrong? What was her fault in this? What could she have done differently to ensure her parents love for her.

After Sukanya left, Abhay broke down completely. He kept to his room and the only thing he did was drink. He became irregular at his hospital. And someone took advantage of this fact by forging his signature on documents that facilitated illegal supply of banned drugs within the hospital. This kept going until one day, the hospital racket was busted and Abhay got a warrant issued on his name. There was a CBI raid on their house and Abhay was taken into custody. Drunk and helpless Abhay finally did what he was planning to do for a long time.

Khushi received second major blow of her life, when she got the news that her father had slit his wrists in the prison. While giving pyre to him, she didn't shed even one single tear. As she saw the smoke from the fire in front of her making its way up the sky, she saw her childhood, her teenage, her life going up in flames with it. That day she lost her faith in parent-child relationship.

As she came back home after collecting her father's belongings from the prison, she was enveloped in a warm hug. First time in her 15 yrs of life, Khushi was receiving a hug, and she didn't know how to reciprocate. As the hug ended and the person revealed herself, Khushi's legs buckled. It was her Garima Maasi, her mother's sister. But why was she there? As far as she knew, they didn't talk to each other? Has she come here to tell her that her mother was dead too?

"Beta let's go home. You don't have to be here alone. I have come here to take you with me"

Before she could reply, another pair of hands came resting on hers. Payal's warm eyes and small smile was something that melted Khushi's heart. She knew nothing could be worse than the life she had with parents who hated her existence, and with those thoughts, and one last look at her childhood home where she had lived her 15 years of pathetic life, she made her way towards a new life. Garima applied for adoption and Khushi Abhay Verma officially became Khushi Gupta.

Shashi Gupta and Garima Gupta's home in Lucknow was half the size of the bungalow she lived in Mumbai, but the warmth she felt was something she had never ever felt before. She found a mother in Garima and a loving sister in Payal. And to complete the circle, she was pampered endlessly by Madhumati bua. Shashi Papa was not that accepting, but he was still more caring that her actual father ever was. Khushi was happy. For the first time in her life, she understood what family meant.

Payal was almost 18 years old when she gave her the entrance exam for medical school and got selected by one of the most prestigious medical university of India. Khushi cried the whole night before Payal left with a heavy heart to stay at Madhumati's house in Delhi and pursue her dreams in the Medical field.

As the days passed, Khushi settled in the new dynamics of her home where Garima showered her with limitless love, Payal and Buaji spoke to her every single day and her Shashi papa just did his duty by being there. But, the design of her fate was far twisted than she ever comprehended.

It was Khushi's 17th birthday, and Garima called all their friends and local family members for a party. It was the first time, Khushi was getting a party for her birthday and she was beyond happy. She was standing on the terrace, when Ashok, one of Shashi's business associate made his way to her. He stood next to her asking about her subjects and what kind of graduation she was planning for. Everything was fine, until he spoke suggestively, "I must tell you Khushi, you look exactly like your mother"

Khushi turned towards him confused.

Ashok gave her a leering smile and continued, "Oh dear, you cannot act surprised now. Who didn't know her. Her beauty, her body...ahh, I was a true fan, I have the entire collection of the magazines in which Sukanya Mehra Verma ever appeared"

Realization dawned on Khushi's face. But before she could tell him to stop talking, she felt his hands on her back, and she stiffened. Ashok gave her back a squeeze and said, "And being her fan, I can safely say, you have inherited those killing looks Khushi. What I can't say is that whether looks is the only thing she gave to you, or you got her character too. She ran away with some other man...right?"

As these spiteful words came out of his mouth, he started moving his hands lower and lower until it rested on her hips and she jerked away. Before she could shout, his hands came on her mouth muffling her scream and he spoke to her in a low voice, "Now now, come on, you don't want to anger me by shouting. I haven't done anything at all, but I hear one word from you - i might change my mind. And remember I can be very creative. So be a good girl and keep your pretty mouth shut"

He walked away to leave her then, but before stepping out he again turned towards Khushi and said, "And if this is not motivating enough for you, I would like to give you one more reason to behave as I want you too. Your precious Jiji, Payal right? I heard from one of my people in Delhi, that she is quite pretty and takes a very lonely road to her college every day. Now, girls don't realize that anything can happen on such road...Right Khushi?"

Giving her one last dirty look and an animalistic laugh he left the terrace and Khushi collapsed on the floor. What the hell just happened? She wanted to scream, unable to believe that somehow her mother, who never even looked at her properly, had come to haunt her in her new life. She thought of telling Garima and Shashi about what transpired on the terrace, but then decided against it as the parting words from Ashok came crashing on her. "What if he really does something to Jiji? At least I have ma and papa to protect me here. Jiji is alone there, and this might even put Buaji at risk".

Two months passed, and Khushi never saw Ashok again. She had almost forgotten about him when one day they got a call saying Garima's mother was extremely sick and she had to leave for Agra for few days. It was around 6 pm one evening, Khushi was walking back home when her phone rang. It was a message from Garima saying that she had come back from Agra early and she was waiting for Khushi in one of the restaurant they both often frequented. Ecstatic to meet her ma after 2 days, Khushi made her way to the restaurant. There was a deserted old building right before the lane that restaurant was on. Before Khushi could cross that area, she felt someone grabbing her from behind, muffling her scream with a piece of cloth that came over her mouth.

She kept struggling against her assailant but the next thing she knew was waking up on a damp floor of a completely dark room. Scared and shocked, Khushi screamed with all the energy she could muster. But, she felt her voice ricocheting back to her. Frantically she moved her fingers around, hoping to find something, anything, that could tell her where she was. Loud sob tore through her throat as she continued to move around the room. Suddenly she felt something concrete hit her fingers. She extended her hands to grip the object when she realised, it was some kind of stairs leading up. Taking a deep breath, eyes still trying to adjust to the darkness, she moved both her hands trying to grab the ends of the stairs and gingerly she placed one foot next to another to start the climb. After what felt like 10-12 steps she reached the end of the stairs. One hand still gripping the handrail tight, she moved her other hand above her head to frantically feel the ceiling above and she felt a small knob hitting her fingers. With all the strength that she had, she pushed against the knob. She then heard a creak and the small door of which the knob was a part of, moved. Khushi raised the hatch little bit. Her eyes squinting at the light that greeted her. She gasped, realising that she was in a basement. She took another deep breath, gathering all her energy to push the hatch all the way & escape. But before she could even think of doing what she wanted to, she heard footsteps approaching her, followed by familiar voices, which made her freeze.

"The money has been wired to your account. Great work there. You always get me the best out of the entire consignment"

"Thanks Ashok! Hopefully I would get an invite soon once your condition is over? You know how much I have controlled myself. Last 2 years had been pure hell"

"Oh yes of course. You know how these billionaires are. They want virgins only. Else, I would have let you have your way with this little bitch. But, don't you worry, once she had been used by them for a while there, you can make an appointment and trust me I will even arrange for a discount for you. You know, you being related an all"

As the two men shook their hands, laughing and making the deal. Khushi got the third big blow of her life. Her feet buckled as she closed the hatch and came back into the darkness again, this time welcoming it. Her Shashi Papa...man she respected like a father. He just made a deal of selling her! And with these last thoughts Khushi fainted.

Note for Readers:

Hello my dears! 😍 Here you have Part B of Chapter 9. Part C will be up soon. Hope you enjoyed what you read. Please don't forget to drop a message to let me know your thoughts.

Until next time - take care and stay safe!

And to everyone who commented & liked my post last time - Thank you my lovelies! ❤️

Also, I know some of you have requested to become members - I will be approving these requests with time😍.

I‘ll be keeping the list of the members short and of only those who are interacting with the story often. Members will have access to story or any other restricted content as the story progresses.