Silver Linings

Payal was seated on the bed feeling quite agitated, she was supposed to be in this room till someone came and got her. It was the day of her wedding, she was supposed to feel.. excited.. nervous.. shy.. Instead, all she felt was... burdened! she got up and started to pace the length of the room thinking back to why she was feeling this way. The secret she has been keeping from Akash was weighing her down... 

When Khushi, after her first failed attempt at revealing the truth, decided not to expose Shyam, she had gone along with the plan, because It felt much easier to just brush everything under the carpet and focus just on herself, she was finally getting happiness in her life, and she selfishly wanted to forget everything else and concentrate on her wedding festivities.

But for the past few days, she has been slowly realising what a mistake that had been. She had noticed the way Shyam had been ogling at Khushi at every given opportunity.. He seemed more confident with each passing day that his secret was safe. Today when Anjali had announced her pregnancy, she had seen a shadow pass over Shyam's eyes, he had managed to cover it up quickly by plastering on a fake smile. To be honest she felt very scared now... he looked maniacal

"Jiji" (Sister) she heard Khushi call out to her and she turned. One look at Khushi's face and she knew her little sister had been crying, she felt the pang of guilt again. She was the elder one, it was her duty to protect her little sister.. and yet it had been Khushi that has been taking the role of caretaker ever since her first wedding was called off.. As she walked down the stairs she pondered over a decision she had to make..

Akash kept alternating between glancing at the stairs & his watch "Akash bitwa.. aap tho bohot hi utaavle horahe hai" (Akash, you seem to be so impatient) Di teased him and her laughter made him feel a pinch in his heart... She was right.. he was being impatient, but not for the reasons his Di was probably insinuating . He wanted to talk to Payal as soon as possible. He closed his eyes and prayed that he was proven to be wrong in his assumptions.

"Aagayi aap ki dulhan" (your bride is here) Anjali said as she stepped down the mandap and walked towards Khushi and Payal gushing about how beautiful Payal looked. Akash looked up as the three ladies approached the mandap. Only his Di looked happy, both Payal and Khushi seem to be lost in thought. He dared to look towards Shyam, and his heart sank as he noticed the way the latter looked at his soon to be sister in law.

The wedding took place with some being preoccupied in their thoughts, Akash and Payal did everything they were asked to robotically, each of them dreading the impending conversation.

Khushi stood behind Sashi, cleverly keeping herself away from Shyam's line of sight. She had taken an impulsive decision to leave, but where would she go? She didn't know anyone other than her own family and the Raizadas. She had never spent any time away from her family... how would she survive without them... not just them, Arnavji her heart cried out and she braved a quick glance towards him, he was standing behind Anjali. She quickly looked away before her decision wavered. Unke taraf mat dekh Khushi... Tumhe yaha se jaana hi hoga... yehi teek rahega sab ke liye.(don't look towards him Khushi, you will have to leave this place, that would be best for everyone involved)  she focused on the rituals when Akash and Payal exchanged garlands and steeled her resolve.

Arnav stood behind his sister, he had done his best to keep her away from Shyam for the time being, he needed to find a permanent solution. His mind was running miles per second, trying to figure out his next steps.. First, he needed some information... 1. since when have the Gupta's known Shyam, because as far as he knew, they met Shyam only on the day of the engagement, so how come they had such hatred in their eyes for him? 2. what exactly was Khushi talking to her father about... what risk was she not willing to take... and Why was she scared that he would misunderstand her... "Hum marjayenge" (I will die) her words reverberated in his ears and her clenched his fists to control the emotions surging through him. He sneaked a glance at her, she had come up on the mandap with Sashi, and along with Garima, she helped him complete the kanyadaan. The forlorn look on her face made his heart sink.

Shyam smiled his weaselly smile as he watched Khushi and Garima stand behind Sashi on the mandap. Khushi had been smart in the way she hid herself all this while, but poor her and lucky him, she had to help her disabled father! He snickered and watched the wedding proceedings as Akash and Payal took their pheres. His original plan hadn't quite worked out in his favor. If Anjali hadn't survived the accident, he was certain Manorama would have stopped the wedding, blaming Payal's bad luck for the family's mishap.. and that would have hugely worked in his favor. Khushi wouldn't be coming into this house anymore, she wouldn't have any reason to interact with Arnav and that would have put an end to their growing closeness. Anjali surviving the accident put such a huge dent on that plan... but on the brighter side, now that the wedding had actually taken place, he had more ammunitions to blackmail the Guptas into keeping silent... and Anjali's pregnancy gave him a more solid hold on the Raizadas as well, he could stay in this lavish house till the end of times.

Manorama watched on as her son tied the nuptial chain around Payal's neck with irritation. All her attempts at stopping this wedding from happening had gone down the drain. She thought back to all the times she had mercilessly insulted the Guptas in the hopes that they would themselves decide to cancel the wedding... But she had no such luck. She vowed to herself that she would make Payal's life difficult.

Sashi watched with tears as Akash filled Payal's hairline with Sindoor, his elder daughter was finally married.. but at what cost? he looked to his left where Khushi stood, "Hume yahan se jaana hoga Babuji" (I will have to leave Babuji) he remembered her words... what did she mean by that? go away from where? and to where? He had never felt more helpless in his life. His eyes landed on Shyam, the person responsible for his handicap, his sorrow turned into anger. That monster is the one that is responsible for all the misery and yet he was standing there with a sly smile on his face!

It was finally time for the Guptas to leave, Garima and Madhumati cried bittersweet tears as Akash and Payal took their blessings. Khushi helped Sashi with his arm when it was his turn to bless the couple. Payal had walked around her father and pulled Khushi into a bone crushing hug

Hum tumhare liye sab teek karlenge Khushi, (I will make everything better for you Khushi)

Hume maaf kardijiye Jiji... Shayad hum aapse phir kabhi na milpayenge (Forgive me Jiji, we may never meet after tonight)

Akash and Arnav watched helplessly as the two sisters cried.