Chapter 47

*Prajyot Patel is Ritik Patel's father.... khushi calls him Patel uncle.

*****

Writer's POV

Shourya parked his car in front of Khushi's house. On the way, many questions were running through his mind, and he wanted answers.

He rang the doorbell. After a few seconds, Urvashi opened the door, and she was surprised to see Shourya.

"Hi, mom," Shourya hugged her.

"Shourya, how are you?" She hugged him back.

"I am fine, mom."

Urvashi was looking behind him to see Khushi, but not seeing Khushi, she asked in dissapointment. "Khushi didn't come?"

"Actually, mom, I wanted to talk with you about something. She doesn't know that I have come here."

"What? Is she fine? Has something happened to her?" She became panic.

"Mom, mom, calm down. Nothing happened to her. She is perfectly fine." He said holding her arms.

"Ok, you sit here. I am bringing something for you to drink." Urvashi got up to go, but Shourya held her hand.

"Mom, I don't want anything. I have some questions, and only you can answer them."

Urvashi's brows furrowed, but she nodded and sat beside Shourya.

"What questions, Shourya?" She asked politely.

Shourya took a deep breath and said, "About Khushi's father's death."

"Why Shourya? Is my daughter fine? Did she harm herself? Tell me, Shourya," she asked, grabbing his hand. Tears formed in her eyes.

"Mom, calm down first. Nothing happened to Khushi, but-"

"But what, Shourya? tell me." She was eagerly waiting for him to tell.

"She has been having nightmares since Divya accused her. She cries and shouts in her sleep, saying 'leave my dad," "leave me," don't do that," "sorry" and many more. It's become difficult to calm her. Those nightmares don't allow her to sleep peacefully.........." Shourya told her everything except that suicide thing because she is also not well now and if he tells her about Khushi's suicide attempt, she will feel tension.

"So, it started to haunt my daughter again," she started crying.

"Mom, Please don't cry. I will help Khushi. Can you tell me what happened to her dad and why she is saying that she is responsible for her dad's death?" He asked.

He was curious to know why Khushi behaves like that.

She wiped her tears and took a deep breath before starting, and then she started telling him.

Flashback

It was 5th July 2012.

Khushi was crying badly. She wanted to go to meet Ritik, and it was also his 19th birthday. He was not in the city because he was attending college from his uncle's house, and now he only came home to celebrate his birthday.

It's been 5 years since she hasn't met Ritik, and now that he is come to the city, her mom and dad are not taking her to meet him.

After celebrating his birthday, he had to go back to her uncle's house, and she didn't know when he would come back. So, his birthday was the best opportunity for her to meet him.

"What happened to my baby girl?" Her dad, Nilesh, came and sat beside her. "Why is my baby girl crying?" He asked, stroking her head.

"Dad, please I want to meet Ritik. It's been five years since I have not met him," she said between her cries.

"Baby girl, I know, but according to the weather forecast, there will be a heavy rainfall today. See, the weather is also not good there," he said, pointing towards the window.

"Yes, Khushi, why don't you understand? You will not go anywhere today and see the time. Now it's past six," her mom Urvashi came and said sternly, which made her cry more.

"Please, Urvashi, don't scare my baby girl," Nilesh said, glaring at Urvashi and hugging Khushi tightly.

"You are spoiling her, Nilesh," she said, and left from there.

Khushi was crying badly. Not able to see his daughter like that, Nilesh finally agreed to take Khushi to Ritik's place.

"Come, let's go," he said, wiping her tears. Khushi's face lit up like a bulb.

"Really, we are going?" She asked Nilesh happily, and in return, he nodded while smiling at her.

"Thank you, dad. Thank you soo much. I love you. You are the best dad in this whole world. I love you," she said happily, hugging her dad.

Nilesh's heart melts looking at her daughter's smile.

"Go and dress up quickly, and one more thing, we will leave early from there, ok?"

Khushi nodded happily and went to dress up.

After dressing, Khushi came downstairs. Nilesh was also ready.

"Where do you think you both are going?" Urvashi asked, glaring at both of them.

"We are going to Prajyot's house. We will come early, sweetheart," Nilesh said to Urvashi.

"Nilesh, today's weather is not good. Why don't you both understand?" She asked in a worried tone. "And Khushi, can't you meet Ritik next time?" She asked Khushi.

"Calm down, Urvashi. I said, we will be back soon," Nilesh said.

Nilesh never said NO to his daughters. He can do anything to see a smile on his daughter's faces.

"Ok, you both have to come early. Otherwise, I will keep you both out of the house," she said, glaring at both of them.

"Ok, my mother," Nilesh said, joining his hands and leaving from there.

"Your mother is a very dangerous woman, Khushi," Nilesh told Khushi, making a scared face. Khushi laughed, looking at her dad.

After 25 minutes, they reached Ritik's house.

Looking both of them, Mr.Patel and Ritik came.

Khushi went and hugged Ritik. "Happy Birthday, Ritik!"

"Thank you, Cutie pie."

Nilesh also wished Ritik.

Khushi was continuously talking with Ritik. So, after having dinner, they got up to leave.

"So, Prajyot (Ritik's father), we are leaving," Nilesh said.

"Nilesh, wait for some time," Ritik's mom, Ragini said.

"No, Ragini, we can't. See the weather is also not good, and my wife threatened me if we didn't reach on time, she would keep both of us out of the house," Nilesh said, making a sad face, which made all of them laugh.

"Ok." Prajyot hugged Nilesh.

After saying goodbye to them, they both made their way home. Khushi was happy after meeting Ritik.

The weather was also getting darker with each passing second, and the wind had also started blowing in that silent night.

"Khushi, it's already 9:00 p.m. Do you think your mom will take us in?" Nilesh asked Khushi. Seeing her father's scared face, she laughed and said, "Don't worry, dad. Nothing will happen."

They were talking when suddenly one car came and stopped in front of theirs. Nilesh immediately applied the full brake, and the car stopped making a screeching sound.

Nilesh was about to open the door when Khushi held his hand. "Dad, please don't go out."

"Baby, you don't come out, ok?" He said to Khushi and opened the door and went towards that car.

"Hey man, what is this? Why do you stop your car in the middle like that?" He asked the one who was driving the car. Their faces were not visible due to the darkness.

Four men came out of the car wearing masks and showed him a gun. Khushi's eyes widened in fear upon seeing that goons showed a gun to her dad.

She opened the door and got out. "Dad!" She shouted and started running towards her dad, but before she reached near him, one goon grabbed her arm harshly.

"Leave my daughter!" Nilesh shouted angrily, but instead of leaving her, they started laughing like maniacs. Khushi was shivering with fear.

Two men were holding Nilesh, and one was holding Khushi.

"Give all your money and gold. Otherwise, I will kill your daughter." The one man who was free said.

"I only have some money with me, and I don't have anything else," Nilesh said, fearfully. One man checked his pockets and removed a wallet from his pocket. Then they saw a golden ring on his finger that they also forcefully removed from his finger.

"That is my wedding ring. Please don't remove it," he pleaded, but they ignored him.

The weather was becoming rough, the sky started to flash its lights, and the thunder started grumbling like an old man.

The wind was blowing at full speed, making the trees swing.

Khushi was crying, looking at her dad like that.

"Hey guys, let's do some fun today with her," the man who was holding Khushi said, gazing at Khushi with his lustful eyes, and the others laughed.

"Yes, guys, the weather is also nice, so it will be fun," the other one said.

"Leave me, you moron!" Khushi tried to break free from his hold, but that man tightened his hold.

"Leave my daughter. Otherwise, I will kill you!" Nilesh shouted at them, but those monsters were enjoying listening to his shouting.

"Please, I am begging you. Leave us...dad has given you what he has. Now please leave us," she begged with her teary eyes. Nilesh was hurt, looking at his daughter like that.

"Why will we leave you, dear, when we will be able to enjoy the night today?" One man said laughing and other men also joined him.

Nilesh's anger reached a peak, and he freed himself from them and started punching them. "I will kill you, morons!" He shouted and started throwing punches in their faces. Blood started oozing from their noses and mouths. One man caught Nilesh and punched him on his face.

"Leave my dad!" Khushi shouted, wiggling from that man's hold, but they didn't stop and started beating him up.

Khushi was crying and begging them to leave his dad, but those monsters were not ready to leave him. Nilesh's face was covered with blood.

"Please leave me. I want to go to my dad...please," Khushi was begging that man. "Please, leave my dad. Please, don't do that," she begged, but they didn't stop.

They beat him until he lost his life.

Suddenly, they saw one car coming towards that side, so they left both of them and started their car, leaving from there with full speed.

Khushi ran towards her dad, who was lying there lifeless. "Da-dad, please get up," she tried to wake him up by shaking him, but he was not moving.

She held his head on her lap and patted his cheeks. "Dad, please dad..get up ....don't do this prank with me," she said between her cries. Her heart was thumping fast in her chest with fear. She didn't know what to do. She was shaking like a leaf.

She saw one car coming towards them, so she got up to stop it, hoping that person would help her.

"Plea-please, help me. My dad is not wak-" she tried to stop that car, but the owner ignored her and left.

She was hoping that someone would come and help her, but not a single fly was there to help her.

"Dad, please get up... I am sorry. It's all happened because of me ....please,  get up...don't do this prank with me ...I know you are awake," she said, shaking her dad to wake up, but she didn't know that his soul had already left his body.

Sky also started crying over that poor soul's death. His blood started mixing with rainwater. Thundering was increasing by the seconds, making Khushi scared. Khushi was crying hysterically for her dad.

"Please, dad, I-I am sorry ...to-today onwards, I-I will list-listen to you-your every wor-word ...please wake-wake up," she patted his cheeks. "Dad, yo-you don't when I-I cry..see now I-I am cry-crying. Wake up an-and wipe my tea-tears, dad..Please wake up....dad please," she was continuously crying and begging near her dad's lifeless body to wake up.

After some time, she also lost  consciousness and fell beside her dad.

The whole night, two poor souls were lying on the road in that rain, one unconscious and the other lifeless.

The whole night, Urvashi didn't sleep. She tried to call Nilesh, but his phone was switched off. She was worried for them. Then she tried to call Mr. Patel and then Ritik, but their phones were also not reachable. There was no network because of heavy rainfall.

In the morning, someone took Khushi and Nilesh to the hospital and informed their family about them. Urvashi didn't waste a minute. She took Divya and rushed towards the hospital, where she got the shock of losing her husband and finding her daughter in ICU.

She was continuously praying to God to save at least her daughter. Divya was also crying, looking at her dad's lifeless body and seeing her sister lying in a hospital bed connected with tubes on her body.

After four days, Khushi opened her eyes, and the first thing she wanted was to see her dad. There was a hope in her heart that her dad would be fine, that her dad would talk with her and make her laugh.

Urvashi and Divya got up, seeing that her daughter had opened her eyes. "Khushi, how ar-" Urvashi was about to ask her about her health, but Khushi cut her off, asking, "How is dad?" Urvashi became silent, and her tears started flowing down her cheeks.

"Mom, I asked you something. How is dad?" She raised her voice, but Urvashi didn't reply.

Khushi's heart beats started increasing in speed.

"Where is my dad and how is he?" Khushi asked the nurse who came to check on Khushi. That nurse gave her a sympathetic look. "Your dad is no more." Khushi got angry hearing that, and she slapped that nurse. "Do you even know what you are saying?" She shouted at that nurse.

"Khushi, calm down. What are you doing?" Urvashi holds Khushi.

"I am sorry on behalf of my daughter," Urvashi apologised to that nurse, in return, she just nodded, smiling weakly, and left from there. She also felt pity for them.

"See, mom, what that mad nurse was saying. I know nothing happened to my dad," she said between her sobs.

"Calm down, baby girl," Urvashi was trying to calm her down. Divya was also crying, looking at her sister.

"Plea-please, tell me, mom..whe-where is my dad?" She asked while holding Urvashi's hands.

"Khushi, now you rest. We will talk later. You also have to take medicine, then we will go home," Urvashi tried to change the topic.

"Mom, I asked you WHERE IS MY DAD AND HOW IS HE?" Khushi shouted angrily, making them flinch.

"Khu-"

"ANSWER ME, MOM!"

"Your dad is no more!" Urvashi shouted and fell to the floor. "Your dad is no more," she started crying.

Khushi froze upon hearing that. Only her tears were flowing from her eyes.

Urvashi got up from the floor, wiping her tears. "Khushi baby, you take rest now," she said, wiping Khushi's tears with her both hands.

Suddenly, Khushi fell unconscious on the bed.

Urvashi immediately called the doctor. "Please, keep her away from stress. She is fine. After some time, she will gain her consciousness," the doctor said, checking Khushi.

After checking her reports, the doctor gave her a discharge on the second day.

Since she got discharged from the hospital. She used to lock herself in the room. That happy-go-lucky Khushi went somewhere far away, and this Khushi was totally different from her.

There were no emotions on her face. She stopped talking with anyone. She stopped eating. Many times Divya also tried to talk with her, but she was just sitting like a statue.

Urvashi sent her to school thinking maybe she would talk with her friends and their old Khushi would get them back, but nothing happened like that. Her ranks started going down. A girl whose name was always at the top of the ranking list, now started going down .

A house that was always filled with laughter and crying is now filled with silence, as if no one lives there. Urvashi became worried about Khushi. She didn't know what to do. It's been one and a half months since that incident, but still, there are no changes to be seen in Khushi.

Always at night, she used to cry in her sleep, having nightmares, so Urvashi and Divya started sleeping with her.

Days passed like that, but still there was no improvement in Khushi. Urvashi and Divya were longing to see her smile, to hear her laugh, to listen to her cries, but they got nothing.

One day, Urvashi got a call from Ritik saying he was coming to meet Khushi. The next day of his birthday, Ritik went back to his uncle's house, he did not know about Nilesh's death, but later, Mr. Patel told him that he wanted to come that day only when he got to know about Nilesh's death, but because of his exams, he was not able to come. So now he had holidays after his exams, so he thought to visit Khushi.

Urvashi became happy hearing him come to meet Khushi because Khushi was very close to Ritik. Maybe after talking with Ritik, they will get her old Khushi back, Urvashi thought. There was only one hope in their heart, that today their old Khushi will get them back.

So the next day, Ritik came to surprise Khushi with his sudden visit, but he didn't know that one surprise was waiting for all of them in her room.

"Aunty, where is my cutie pie?" He asked Urvashi.

"Your cutie pie is in her room," Urvashi said, smiling at him. Ritik ran towards Khushi's room and knocked on the door, but there was no response. Again he knocked, but still there was no response from inside.

He started calling her by banging on the door, but still there was no response. He tried to twist the knob, but it was locked from the inside.

He became panicked. He called Urvashi. She came running.

At last, Ritik broke the door, and the sight in front of them made their hearts twist in pain.

Khushi was lying there in a pool of blood. Her wrist was cut, and her face was stained with tears.

"Khushiiii" they ran towards her. Ritik's eyes were filled with tears looking at his sister like that. Urvashi was crying badly, looking at her daughter. Divya also came running after hearing the cries and was shocked.

Since that horrible incident, Khushi has been blaming herself for her father's death. She was thinking that because of her stubbornness, her dad died. She was only thinking about that horrible night. Only that night was dancing in front of her eyes. So, she thought to end her life and go to her dad.

Ritik scooped her in his arm and ran towards his car, keeping her on the back seat. Urvashi sat behind, keeping Khushi's head on her lap.

They took her to the hospital.

"She lost a lot of blood, and her blood is O-ve ...and we don't have that blood in our hospital. We tried to stop her blood from flowing from her wrist. Please arrange the blood fast as soon as possible. Otherwise, she will lose her life," the doctor informed them and left from there.

Urvashi sat on the bench with a thud.

They felt as if their world had collapsed. They were feeling as if someone was trying hard to pull their hearts from their chests.

Controlling his tears, Ritik asked Urvashi, "Aunty, what's your blood group?"

"Her blood only matches with her father's," she said between her cries. "Ritik, please save my daughter, please."

Ritik didn't know what to do. Suddenly, he remembered his friend, who could help him.

"Aunty, please don't worry. I will ask someone to arrange for blood," Ritik said and dialled his friend's number who was working in a blood bank, hoping they will have that blood and asked him to bring blood.

After some time, his friend arrived with a blood bag, and Ritik immediately informed the doctor. And without wasting time, they gave the blood to Khushi.

"She is fine. She will wake up after two to three hours. Please take care of her.. I think she is slowly slipping into depression. Let her rest now. Don't disturb her. Show her to some psychiatrists before it's too late. They will help her cope with her problem." The doctor said.

They were shocked to hear Khushi slip into depression. They both calmed themselves and went inside to see Khushi. They sat beside her, looking at her.

After two hours, Khushi tried to open her eyes. Ritik quickly wiped away his tears. "Hey, my cutie pie," Ritik said, smiling at her, but his smile vanished when she didn't react. She was continuously looking at him without blinking, without any emotions on her face.

"My baby girl, how are you feeling?" Urvashi asked Khushi, stroking her hair, but she also got the same answer, which is silence. Her heart was breaking seeing her daughter like that.

The next-day, the doctor gave her a discharge. Ritik didn't go home because he was worried about Khushi. Once they almost lost Khushi, now they can't take any risks. So he started living with them. Many times, Ritik tried to talk with Khushi, but now he was getting nods, yes and no answers from Khushi. He was happy that at least he was getting to hear her voice other than silence.

Urvashi thought to take Khushi to the psychiatrist. In the first two sections, Khushi didn't utter a single word other than Yes or no. On the third section, she told everything that happened that night and how those monsters killed her dad.

She cried and cried. The emotions she caged in her heart and mind started coming out. The psychiatrist gave her a pillow and told her to put all the anger she has for those goons on that pillow. Khushi didn't waste her time; she continuously started punching and tearing that pillow into small pieces. The whole room was filled with her cries, and after some time, she passed out.

Urvashi's and Ritik's eyes were filled with tears seeing Khushi like that.

As the days passed, there was an improvement in Khushi. Slowly, slowly, she started smiling, and she also started talking with them. Ritik didn't leave her side, even for five minutes. His holiday was complete, but he still missed college for one week. He was afraid that Khushi would do something to herself again. Khushi was also enjoying his company. Slowly, she was trying to forget that incident, but it was difficult to forget that, so she was still trying to divert her mind.

Her heart was always bleeding thinking about her dad.

Police informed them that those goons who killed that poor soul that night, three of them were killed by accident only that night and one was caught later.

Slowly, Khushi became normal, and her nightmares also stopped. So, Ritik thought to go back to his uncle's house, but before that, he took a promise from Khushi that she will never try to harm herself, and Khushi promised him that she will not try to do something like that again. Being satisfied, Ritik went back to his uncle's house, but later he changed the college and took admission in their city's college.

Flashback ends

Urvashi was crying, telling all this to Shourya. Shourya was shocked. Never did he think that Khushi had gone through all this. Never did he think that at the age of fifteen, Khushi had seen her dad dying, or better say got killed, right in front of her eyes.

"She was very close to her dad, and he was everything to her. Shourya, I know that Khushi married you against your will, but as she is with you now, please take care of my daughter. Once, I almost lost my daughter. I don't want to lose her again," Urvashi said between her cries, holding his hands.

Shourya didn't know what to say. He was out of words. His mind was filled with what Urvashi told him about Khushi's dad.

He just nodded at her. "Mom, I am leaving now. I am getting late," he said and got up to leave.

"Take care of yourself and also of my daughter," she said. There was sadness in her voice.

"Mom, don't worry. I will take care of Khushi," he said, assuring Urvashi, and left from there.

"If that boy Ritik didn't reach on time, I don't know if Khushi could have been ali-'

He parked his car and rang the bell. Khushi opened the door. "Hey, you came?" She smiled at him.

He didn't answer. He was just looking at her.

"Hey, why are you looking at me as if I am a ghost?" She scoffed, but he didn't react and started going inside.

Khushi furrowed his brow and stopped him. "Shourya, is everything alright? If you have any problem, then you can share it with me," she said.

"Huhh?...no- no, everything is alright. Actual-actually, I am a little tired. I am going to freshen up," he said.

"Ok, after you freshen up, come downstairs. Lunch is ready," he nodded and went upstairs.

"What happened to him today?" She shrugged and started setting plates for lunch.

Hey guys,

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Vel💕