Sensitive content ahead. Reader's discretion is advised.
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Khushi paced in her room, thinking about her next step.
As hard as it had been for her, she had gone to Anjali earlier to size her up. To see if she would join hands with her.
She knew it was a long shot, but she had to give it a try. After all, she cannot leave any stone unturned to achieve what she wants.
'Anjali is too smart to fall into obvious plans. I need to think of something good. A plan which she won't be able to decode,' Khushi thought.
Sitting on the bed, she kept her head on her hands, trying to figure out a way, but she immediately sat up straight when she heard her door open.
She frowned when she saw Priya storming inside her room.
"Haven't you heard of a courtesy of knocking on a person's door and taking their permission before entering their room?" Khushi stood up from the bed and faced Priya.
"Cut the crap, Khushi. And why are you here? Hadn't I made it clear the last time that I do not want you in my home and absolutely do not want you trying to be a part of my family?" Priya fumed at Khushi.
Unaffected by Priya's anger, Khushi folded her hands over her chest. "This is my family too, Priya. After all, I am the elder daughter-in-law of this house. And since this house is in my husband's name, this is more my home than yours. Therefore, I suggest you watch your tone when you talk with me. Who knows what you say will anger me and make me throw you out of the house?"
As Khushi's words fueled her anger, Priya walked closer to her and raised her hand to slap her, but Khushi held her hand tightly.
"Don't you dare make that mistake, Priya. I had given you the right to slap me last time because I considered you my sister then. But you are no one to me now. And I am your husband's elder brother's wife. So, it would be best if you showed me some respect. Don't you think?" Khushi flung Priya's hand away.
"Oh, please, Khushi. Why should I show you respect when your own husband doesn't respect you? Everyone in this house had heard your screams when he—" Priya paused, smirking as she saw Khushi's facial expression being changed to that of mortification. "—well, you know what I am referring to."
"Why are you bringing that up now, Priya? I am trying so hard to forget what happened in the past and move on in my life with my husband, who is remorseful of what he did to me in the past. That is why I came here because I wanted to give Arnav one last chance to mend our marriage," Khushi said to Priya softly, immediately changing her demeanor to a timid one as she saw Arnav standing at the door.
"Oh, really, Khushi? Then I will make sure to fill Arnav's ears with so many negative things about you that he will throw you out of the house himself. Then you will know how much worth you have in your so-called husband's life," Priya said, clutching Khushi's arms tightly, trying to inflict pain.
Khushi hissed as Priya clutched her arms harder, her eyes watering from the pain.
If Arnav had not been standing at the door, she would have shown Priya her place for saying what she said and hurting her. But she needed to keep up the act in front of Arnav. So, she closed her eyes to let the water from her eyes fall.
"Priya, please, leave my arms. You are hurting me," Khushi tried to keep her voice teary.
"Khushi, I wi—" Priya was saying when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and suddenly she was being yanked away from Khushi.
"How dare you hurt my wife, Priya?" Arnav stood between Khushi and Priya as he faced Priya.
Smirking, Khushi wiped the fake tears from her cheeks as she saw Priya's face pale in front of Arnav.
Priya looked at Khushi, and seeing her smirking face, she knew Khushi had set her up.
"Arnav, I was just—" Priya was saying but was interrupted by Khushi.
"It is my fault, Arnav. When Priya told me she did not consider me as her sister anymore, I requested her to accept me as your wife, but she refused outright and started abusing me verbally. I even tried telling her I have decided to give you one last chance, but that agitated her more. I guess I should have stayed silent and listened to whatever she said. After all, she is your family, and I am no—" Khushi abruptly stopped as Arnav held her hand.
"No, Khushi. You are not a no-one to me. You are my wife, and I love you," Arnav said to Khushi, squeezing her hand lightly.
Although she wanted to take her hand off Arnav's, Khushi endured his touch as it was essential to let him see she is trying to be normal with him.
So, taking a few breaths to calm her nerves, Khushi let Arnav hold her hand as she pretended to look sad. "I know you love me, Arnav. But your family seems to think you do not respect me. That is why no one here respects me. Even Priya was so rude to me."
Hearing Khushi, Priya began to speak to defend herself, but Arnav beat her to it.
"I am your husband's elder brother, Priya. And Khushi is my wife. So, starting now, you will show her the utmost respect. If I see you being rude to her or physically hurting her, it will not be good for you," Arnav said to Priya, his face stoic and voice stern.
"You cannot make me respect this characterless girl, Arnav. I hate her. I don't even want to see her face," Priya stubbornly refused to do what Arnav asked of her.
Khushi sighed loudly and dramatically as Priya finished speaking.
"See, Arnav, she is rude to me even when you are with me. She called me characterless in front of you because she knew you would not defend me. The thing that happened when I entered this house earlier is happening again.
"If you had defended me then and had made others apologize for assassinating my character earlier, Priya would not have dared to call me characterless now." Khushi threw a crumb of hint at Arnav, hoping he would pick up what she wanted.
Hearing what Khushi said, Arnav knew what he had to do. "Apologize to Khushi now, Priya. Don't make me say it twice."
Priya's eyes widened when she heard Arnav. "I will never apologize to this chit of a girl."
"Well, then pack your bags and get ready to leave my house," Arnav said without missing a beat.
"Arnav, you are throwing me out for this gold—" Priya could not finish the sentence because Arnav raised his palm in front of her face, signaling her to stop speaking.
"I think you should look into the mirror first before calling others that word. And gold-digger or not, Khushi is my wife, and you will show her respect. So, apologize now or get ready to be kicked out of my house," Arnav said to Priya, and she gritted her teeth.
"Fine. Sorry," Priya barked, looking at Khushi with only rage emitting from her eyes.
"Is that fine, Khushi?" Arnav asked. He hoped Khushi would take this as him defending her honor and start seeing him in a positive light.
"She does not sound sincere, Arnav. I mean, if she really meant it, she would have bowed her head and folded her hands in front of me before apologizing to me. But she said sorry in a way as if she was doing me a favor.
"Anyway, leave it. I guess Priya does not respect you enough to heed your order properly," Khushi said demurely, trying to make her voice as soft as possible.
Arnav frowned when he heard Khushi. "Priya, are you a child that I have to even teach you to apologize properly?"
Priya fisted her hands at her sides when she realized what Khushi was trying to do. But she had no choice but to do what Arnav asked. After all, she does not want to get kicked out of the house.
So, gulping back the tears of humiliation, Priya closed her eyes, bowed her head, and folded her hands in front of Khushi.
"I am sorry, Khushi," Priya said, and Khushi could hear the break in her voice.
Her heart filled with satisfaction as she remembered the morning when Priya had slapped her, humiliated her, and left her in that room to get raped and tortured by Arnav.
'It is only the beginning, Priya. You need to endure much more humiliation for what you did to my parents and me,' Khushi thought, smirking on the inside, but on the outside, she pretended to give a soft, forgiving smile and held Priya's folded hands to bring them down.
"It's ok, Priya. All I want is acceptance from Arnav's family and the respect I deserve from them. Will you be able to give me that?" Khushi asked, subtly showing the anger in her eyes to Priya.
"Yes, Khushi. I will try to accept you as the family," Priya replied, blinking back the tears of embarrassment.