Chapter 03

Khushi

With my hands clasped together and my heart beating heavily, I watched Nani Ji take the picture from Bua Ji's hand, and I saw her growing pale. I saw Mami Ji taking the picture from her and falling completely silent. Then I saw Jijaji taking the picture, and a look of shock appeared on his face until Arnav Ji took the picture from his hand and was speechless.

"Chote, what happened?" Anjali Ji asked, looking at him, then she looked at Nani Ji, Mami Ji, and Jijaji. "Will anyone tell me what is in that picture that you all are so shocked at?"

My mouth went dry with fear. I don't know why I was this afraid, but Devi Maiya, please...please Sambhal lena.

Anjali Ji stood up slowly and took the picture from Arnav Ji's hand, who had his jaws clenched tightly but didn't resist when she took it.

No one said a single word as Anjali Ji stared at the picture. Everyone was waiting to see how she would react to the picture. To the truth that her husband has been cheating on her, lying to her, and betraying her. To the truth that he had tried to get married to someone else behind her back. And that someone else was no one but me. The sister of her younger brother's fiancée.

A tear fell from her eyes before she looked up at me from the picture, then again at it.

"This..." She didn't continue as she stared at the engagement picture of her husband and me.

I swallowed nervously while my whole body was shaking because I felt like it was all my fault. Everything was my fault, and I couldn't even look at anyone for how ashamed I felt.

"Are you sure... about this, Madhumati Ji?" Nani Ji asked. "I mean, is this..." She stopped because she knew this was true, but she just couldn't believe that it was true, that it was really happening, that it really happened.

Bua Ji from Amma's left answered, "I can understand what you are feeling now, Devyani Ji. But this is true. If I hadn't been brainwashed by him, then I wouldn't have forced Khushi. And we wouldn't have been sitting here under these circumstances."

I felt Anjali Ji touch my hand.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered, and I looked up slowly. Her eyes were damp with tears.

"Why...why are you apologising, Anjali Ji...?" I asked. My voice was a little shaky with fear and nervousness.

A tear fell from her eyes, along with a shaky breath escaping from her mouth. "I'm sorry you had to face that. That lie. Deceite... I'm sorry that...my...my husband did that to you..."

My eyes welled up, and my lips and chin were shaking at her words and the sight of her. She, I'm sure was in a lot of pain right now. She must be feeling betrayed, helpless, and heartbroken, but she's still apologising to me when I'm the one to whom her husband was engaged. Yes, he lied. I didn't know the truth. But still.

I stood up with tears threatening to fall, so with my gaze down, I said, "I'm sorry...if anyone should apologise, then it should be me. I'm the only one at fault here."

"Bitiya, none of this is your fault. If it's anyone's fault, then it's Damad—Shyam's fault." Nani Ji walked up to us and looked at both me and Anjali Ji. "Neither of you should be apologising or feeling guilty. You both are victims here. We all are."

"Absolutely, Bitiya. It's not any of your fault. We didn't know he'd lie to us like that." Amma said to Anjali Ji.

But Anjali Ji didn't respond. She was still holding my hand tightly as tears continued to stream down her face.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, looking at her. My voice shook slightly, along with my lips and chin, as I tried my best not to cry.

She looked up at me slowly. Her eyes were now slightly red along with her face as another tear rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry too..."

* * *

Two days later, I went to Bua Ji's room after everyone fell asleep.

I tiptoed inside, barefoot, towards the bed in the faint light coming from the street outside through the window on the right side of the room. The only sound was Bua Ji snoring. Loudly.

I placed the Jalebi container at the foot of the bed on the ground and climbed and sat at the edge of the bed on my knees near Bua Ji's legs before tapping on her feet while whispering, "Bua Ji, uthiye!"

She didn't and continued to snore, which sounded like a ferry coming to the dock.

So after five minutes, I walked on my knees up to her. The bed creaked softly under me as I leaned down to her ear with my elbow coming to rest on the pillow for balance before I whispered again, "Bua Ji!"

I shook her with my hand on her upper arm. Hai, Devi Maiya, how is she sleeping like this?

I rose and sat on my knees again before turning on the lights and seeing her snoring with her mouth slightly open.

"Bua Ji, wake up! Aapko Nandkishore ki kasam!" I whisper-shouted as I grabbed her by her arms and started shaking with all the energy I could find in my body, with the determination to not stop until she woke up.

"What? What?! What happened?!" She jumped up on the bed on her knees after her eyes flew wide open. I caught a look of surprise in them while I almost stumbled back and fell off the bed. She looked around her room before looking at me. "What happened?!"

"They won't call off the wedding na?" I asked as I caught myself before falling. My brows were slightly raised and pulled together in the middle as I looked at Bua Ji.

She stared at me for a second before saying, "I don't know, Sanka Devi. But I pray to Nandkishore that they do whatever is the right thing to do."

"Pur—"

"—Pur if you don't get out of here right now," Bua Ji looked up at me with a glare. "Hum tumhari haddi pasli tod denge!"