Chapter 4: Casualty

Khushi

"I will stay, in this house, under this roof, but only if you marry me."

"What utter fucking nonsense."

It seemed that not even the great ASR had expected the proposition.

Or proposal, as it were.

Khushi tried to explain, "This way I can stay with Jiji and you can make sure that I don't hurt Anjali-ji."

And you can protect us both from Shyam-ji.

"What the hell are you saying?"

"Come to the house tomorrow and ask for my hand. They'll arrange it all quickly, especially if you tell Anjali-ji that you want it done as soon as possible."

"Are you out of your mind?" Arnav-ji pushed her into a wall, teeth gritted as his careful control seemed to slip away, "What is this? A distraction? A way to keep me occupied so you and Shyam can plan to run away?"

"No!" she took a deep breath, "Look, you said that the only way I can remain here is if I live in this house. I am agreeing, but with this one condition."

He searched her eyes, and whatever he found there made him step away. "You're serious."

Khushi nodded, "Don't you see? Shyam-ji will torment Jiji if I disappear, he'll make her life a living Hell. I can't leave."

"And if you marry someone else?"

"He'll see that I don't want … That I ch-chose someone e-else."

"That you chose me?"

Arnav-ji closed his eyes but not before she saw the conflict that shone there. Her heart dared to hope as he took three deep breaths. His calm returned.

"Not tomorrow. If we do this, we do it tonight."

"But …"

He grabbed her wrist, twisting her so she could see the altar inside. She hissed in pain as he spoke. "Either you're innocent and you'll do anything to protect your sister, or you're trying to buy time so you can destroy Di. Choose. Now."

"No. I can't … not like this."

"Then leave. I'll write you a blank cheque."

He released her to stride away.

The world seemed to reduce to just this moment, this poolside decorated with fairy lights and his retreating figure. Her heart twisted in agony. She forced her mind to play it out, to consider leaving her sister at Shyam-ji's mercy. Aakash-ji would protect her, and Arnav-ji would eventually destroy the hold Shyam-ji had over Anjali-ji. But her heart rebelled, refusing to let her sister come to harm because of her own inability to tell the truth all those months ago.

"Wait."

He stopped. Turned. Returned to her side, expression unreadable.

Khushi made the impossible choice, "Yes. I'll marry you tonight."

The words seemed to sap the little strength that remained in her body. She lost the battle against her tears, sobbing into her hands as he watched, seemingly unaffected. Then she swayed, her knees buckling unexpectedly, but caught herself on the small table beside her.

When she looked up, Arnav-ji was running a hand through his hair, "They're still waiting."

She nodded, "I'm ready."

Instead of leading the way as she'd expected, he proffered a handkerchief, "Tidy yourself up, it will look bad enough when we return without your tears."

Khushi complied, wary of this unexpected kindness. He nodded his approval when she looked at him expectantly and then pocketed the cloth, inclining his head towards the doors. She felt his gaze burn into her every step of the way.

Bua-ji was the first to notice when she arrived at the top of the stairs, "Oh, there she is! Khushi! Where were you? We were all …"

She trailed away, her gaze shifting, and Khushi guessed that Arnav-ji had appeared behind her. The silence of the crowd changed subtly from curious and concerned to scandalised. Whispers erupted as they crossed the room. Khushi avoided her father's eyes, dreading what she would read there.

"Khushi-ji!" Nanhe-ji pointed his video camera in their direction, "And Nannav! Where have you two been?"

"You haven't started?" she tried to lighten the atmosphere with a stretch of her lips.

"Aakash was waiting for Nannav," her friend explained, "We can start now that you two are here."

"Yes," Nani-ji forced a smile at the priest, "Let's begin."

Jiji and Aakash-ji exchanged garlands before taking their places at the altar, but Khushi's eyes were constantly drawn to the tall figure beside them. He stared back. The ceremony passed in a blur. Khushi tried to smile for her sister, but the implications of her decision churned in her mind. Her eyes found Arnav-ji as his brother and her sister took their vows, and again as he placed his marks on her — a mangalsutra about her neck and sindoor in her hair. She watched as they were pronounced husband and wife and started to take blessings from both their families.

"I warned you," Bua-ji had approached unnoticed, "What were the two of you doing?"

"Nothing," Khushi tried to smile, "Just a few last minute preparations."

The interrogation stalled as Jiji and Jija-ji approached, touching Bua-ji's feet and receiving her blessings before hugging her. Then Jiji was in her arms, sobbing as they embraced.

"Khushi …"

"Jiji …"

She wept, the knowledge that she was about to break her sister's heart tearing her own to shreds.

"Khushi."

Arnav-ji had appeared beside her. Jiji straightened with a sniffle and bowed in tandem with Aakash-ji to receive blessings from her jeth-ji.

"What the—?" Arnav-ji stepped backwards so that for a moment it seemed that he stood next to her and Aakash-ji and Jiji had bowed to them both.

"Chhote," Nani-ji smiled, "You cannot escape this. They need your blessings."

He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like absurd before pulling his brother up and gathering him in an embrace, "Congratulations, Aakash. Be good to her."

"Yes, Bhai."

Khushi blinked back tears as Arnav-ji nodded to Jiji.

"Here, Sanka Devi, take this," Bua-ji pressed a platter into her hands before turning to Arnav-ji, "Arnav-babua, that needs to go into the temple, help her."

Given permission to leave, Khushi stepped forward to offer the platter, eyes lowered. His hands closed over hers as he took it, and her eyes flew up to his as she was instantly transported to another time when he'd done much the same thing. He left the platter on a low table instead of taking it to the temple area and gestured towards the front door when they were out of sight. Khushi followed, noting that he slowed his pace enough to allow her to overtake him.

His car was ready, parked near the door, and she climbed inside without hesitation. Their silence was broken by the shrill ring of his phone. Arnav-ji tapped the Bluetooth device at his ear before starting the car.

"Yeah? …. Yes, we've left" his eyes flicked over to her as he drove, "Good, make sure everything is ready … Yes."

He ended the call, returning them to silence. Khushi watched the familiar landmarks rush by, her pulse quickening with every minute that brought them closer to the temple. Arnav-ji didn't look at her again until he'd parked the car inside the temple grounds.

When he spoke, his tone was low, soft, saturated with some emotion she couldn't identify, "You understand that this is not real?"