Mature and sensitive content ahead. Reader’s discretion is advised.
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Khushi
The lights go off in the living room, and the drapes get closed too, exactly how I had planned.
“What the fuck? What happened to the lights suddenly?” I hear Arnav’s angry voice.
You will know soon, Arnav. Very—
I could not even complete that thought when the video starts playing on the screen, that I had placed in the front.
Everyone falls silent as my booming voice comes from the screen—it playing the video in Nisha’s laptop, being projected to the screen through the projector.
“What the hell is this, Khushi?” Arnav asks me in a hushed voice.
“Do you remember me calling my friend to the mansion two days back to make something in rememberance of all of Anjana’s victims?” I ask and see him nod through the dim light coming through the video playing in the screen. “This is what we made for them.”
“But, Khushi—” He begins when I interrupt him.
“Trust me on this, Arnav,” I tell him and smirk when he nods again, now looking ahead to watch the video.
Trust me to destroy and you and your family once and for all.
With my smirk widening due to that thought, I too look ahead to watch everything unfold.
“I am Khushi Agarwal, and I am here to tell you all the harsh truths that Anjana’s victims faced and cruelties they endured.
“You all heard that right. The one who was the mastermind behind all those murders was not Anjali Rathore. It was Anjali’s twin sister, Anjana.
“While Anjali was adopted by Arnav’s parents, Anjana was left in the orphanage. She later moved out of there when she got married to Manav Adhikari.
“After her marriage with Manav, she became a victim of domestic violence, where she was abused mercilessly by her husband and his business partner.
“That somehow deranged her and pushed her to kidnap her own twin and even kill her, but not before getting Anjali raped by partner in crime, Ridvansh.
“After murdering her twin sister, Anjana impersonated as Anjali to be a part of Arnav’s family and later killed his parents too.
“The years following that, she and Ridvansh murdered many girls. They specifically selected the adopted girls who were loved by their adoptive parents.
“They made those girls their captive and mercilessly tortured them. Ridvansh sexually assaulted them while Anjana watched, drawing sick pleasure from that, and later both of them killed those girls after completely breaking them.
“All the other details including the victims’ names will be released officially by the authorities once they finish their investigation.
“I called you all today not only to give details about the crimes committed by Anjana, but also to urge you to think about what pushed her toward committing those crimes.
“I am not justifying her crimes by saying that as she was abused in her marriage, it was fine for her to abuse and kill those girls.
“It was barbaric what she did. And she should not be forgiven for those heinous crimes, no matter how much she had suffered at hands of her husband and his partner.
“There are many women who get abused in their marriage. Most of them never come out, never tell their story because they are taught it is normal. It is drilled into their minds that when their husbands take them forcefully, it is those husbands’ right and not at all the marital rape.
“They are even taught to endure all the taunts and mistreatment given to them by their in-laws.
“And do you know what’s even worst? Most of the times it is another woman who teach them that. A woman teaches the other to tolerate and bear all the mistreatment in name of saving their marriage. Even if it means they are hurt and unhappy to the point that it either deranges them or makes them want to give up on their lives.
“Only few women dare to call out their husbands and in-laws for domestic violence done to her. Out of those few women, only some get their family’s support while the others get taunted by the society.
“People tend to blame not the husband and the family but the girl for trying to bring disruption in her marital life as well as trying to bring inconvenience in her husband’s as well as her in-laws’ lives.
“It is laughable that those people are concerned about the inconvinience that a woman’s voice for herself can bring to others’ lives but they conveniently ignore the sufferings and pain that woman went through.
“So, I want to ask you all. Why is it that in this country, where people worship the Godesses, tend to turn blind eye to the plight of a woman? How is it fair that no one, barring a few people, stand beside a woman when she raises her voice to get justice against the abuse done on her?
“I urge you all to think about this. Please, please, think hard and reflect on it.”
There is a stunned silence in the room as the video turns off and the lights are back on.
I look around the room and see everyone still looking at the blank screen with thoughtful looks on their faces.
Then, turning to look at my husband’s family, I am slightly surprised to see remorse on their faces.
I am surprised because I did not think they were capable of feeling that emotion.
Well, even though they feel remorse now, it is already too late for them.
Finally, I look at Arnav and frown when I see tears pouring out of his eyes. Wiping his tears, he looks at me after a few seconds and I peer into his red eyes.
“Khushi, I am sorry,” he whispers, his voice teary.
Looking at him, I feel.... Nothing.
I feel absolutely nothing as I look at his sorrowful face and tear-filled eyes.
“It’s too late, Arnav. Too late,” I tell him, this time not putting on any mask of understanding or forgiveness.
I see him shudder as he looks at me.
Rightly so, because he must be seeing the anger and hatred in my eyes for him as I do not make any attempt to hide them this time.
“But you said—”
“I lied,” I interrupt him, my voice firm. “Everything was over between us the moment you mercilessly raped me on our wedding night even though I kept screaming and pleading you to stop.”
“Don’t do this, Khushi,” he tells me, the hard edge back in his voice, his eyes no longer teary. “You will regret this.”
“Hmm, just a moment earlier you looked remorseful. But now that you know that I only hate you and won’t ever give you another chance, you are back to your threatening ways.” I shake my head in disappointment.
“Anyway, what could be expected from a rapist like you,” I say loudly, and a collective gasp is heard in the room as everyone hears me call Arnav Rathore a rapist.
“SHUT THE FUCK UP, KHUSHI,” Arnav shouts, but I stand my ground, unfazed by his angry, booming voice.
“Why? What will you do if I won’t shut up? You will take me to your room and rape me again while your family turn deaf to my screams as they did for days after our wedding when you kept me locked in your room and abused me almost every day?”
“What nonsense are you spewing, Khushi? Our family has reputation in the society,” Ishwari Rathore says, subtly shaking her head, signaling me to stop speaking immediately.
But I ignore the signal and chuckle mirthlessly.
“That is why I called everyone here today,” I say, walking to the center of the living room. “After all, everyone should know what kind of family they are giving respect to.”
“Shut up right now, Khushi. Don’t you dare speak another word.” It is Priya who comes forward this time.
My face contorts in anger as I look at her.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. This is the daughter of Mr. Satish Agarwal and Mrs. Amrita Agarwal--the couple who adopted me after my birth parents’ death,” I point toward Priya as I say that.
“Mr. and Mrs. Agarwal were sent to the prison on my wedding night because they dared to try to save me from Arnav Rathore and his family.
“And do you know who helped Arnav in sending Mr. and Mrs. Agarwal to prison that night?” I ask and look at Priya, who lowers her head in shame. “It was non other than their birth daughter, now known to you as Mrs. Priya Rathore.”
Saying that, I walk to Priya and clutch her jaw, making her look at me. “I wonder how you even sleep at night, Priya. You sent your own parents to prison. Those parents who loved you with all their hearts. Who did everything to ensure your happiness, even sacrificed their own happiness a few times so you could get everything you want in life. What kind of daughter are you?”
I leave her jaw, making her stumble back. She barely controls herself from falling to the floor.
“What are you planning to achieve by doing all this, Khushi? You do know that it is all talks, right? You do not have any evidence against anything you are saying right now.
“After all this is over, you will have to stay in this mansion, with me and my family who you are insulting right now,” Arnav says, walking closer to me as he says that.
He then leans close to me and whispers in my ear. “You will pay sorely for this Khushi. I promise.” His voice so light that only I can hear that.
With my anger rising with each passing second, I push him back with all my might, making him fall on the floor.
“Do you really think I did this without first ensuring I won’t have to be with you after all this is over?” I ask him, crouching on the floor in front of him.
“What do you mean?” He asks, his voice hard and face angry as he stands up from the floor.
I too stand up, folding my hands over my chest as I look at him.
“I sent the video recording to the police where you have confessed in detail about how you abducted, tortured, and killed Vivansh,” I tell him, feeling satisfied as a shocked expression mars his face. “You had so smugly gloated to me about avenging the death of your child. Telling everything in detail. Even about the weapon you used and also where you hid it.
“How could I let my husband’s great deed go to waste? That is why I recorded it all and even sent it to the police.
“They have also found that weapon exactly where you told me you buried it. Thank you so much for being honest about it with me,” I say, smirking at his shocked stupor, and turning to the side to nod at the inspector standing beside Nisha.
Seeing me nod, he along with his team, walk to where Arnav and I are standing.
“Mr. Arnav Rathore, you are under arrest for Vivansh’s murder.
“Khushi has also filed a domestic violence case against you and your family. So, along with you, we will also be arresting your family,” the inspector says, taking out the handcuff.
The others in his team also take out the handcuffs, one for each Rathore.
“What fucking nonsense is this? I will call my lawyer right now,” Arnav says, his voice angry.
“We have evidence against you, Mr. Rathore. So, you and your family will need to come with us to the police station. You can call your lawyer from there.” Saying that, the inspector cuffs Arnav’s hands.
The other Rathores are also cuffed and I feel some peace settle within me as I get the flashes of my parents being in the prison due to these criminals.
Finally the people who deserve it will be inside that cell, not the innocent victims.
“It is about to be time for the Prayer. Please at least let me pray for the departed souls of my Aarti, Adarsh, and Anjali,” Ishwari Rathore requests but I shake my head.
“You don’t deserve to pray for them, Mrs. Rathore,” I tell her, and turn around when Arnav shouts my name.
“Don’t you dare talk that way to my gradmother, Khushi. She has all the rights to pray for her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter,” Arnav says. “Even I have the right to—”
I intervene before he can complete that sentence.
“Anjali was raped by Ridvansh before getting killed by Anjana,” I remind him. “You are also a rapist, Arnav. No matter how much you shout to deny it in front of the world, you know in your heart what you really are.”
I walk closer to him, seeing his face contort in something akin to shame as he processes my words.
“Do you really think your sister would want a rapist to pray for her when she had also been raped few moments before getting killed?” I ask him. “Do you think she would want the family, who turned deaf to another woman’s scream while that woman was getting raped, to take part in prayer for the peace of her soul?”
When Arnav lowers his head and does not say anything, I turn to Mrs. Ishwari Rathore. “After you found out the truth about Anjali’s death, you told me you loathed Anjana and Ridvansh for the crimes they committed against Anjali.
“But do tell me one thing. How are you, your grandson, and your family different than Anjana and Ridvansh?
"Agreed you did not ruin many girls’ lives as they did. But you did ruin my life.
“Ridvansh raped Anjali while Anjana watched.
“Arnav too raped me. You all were in the mansion then. You all heard my screams. But none of you came to save me.
“So, tell me, Mrs. Rathore, how is your grandson different than Ridvansh and how are you all different than Anjana? TELL ME,” I shout at the end, feeling my anger rise as I remember all those nights when I used to scream at the top of my voice, pleading with everyone to come and help me.
But no one came.
No one came when my body was mercilessly ripped.
No one came when I was violated against my wish.
No one came.
I blink my eyes to stop the tears from falling.
“Please take them away, Inspector,” I say after a while.
Nodding at me, the Inspector and his team drag Arnav and his family away, the media running after them to capture everything in their cameras.
One by one, as everyone leaves the house, only I remain in the living room.
Slowly walking to the main door, I close and lock it.
My feet finally giving up as I slump on the floor.
I close my eyes to let the tears pour out.
“It’s over. It’s finally over.”
I keep chanting that as my body shakes in relief.
I know there is another fight coming because Rathores are only arrested now, and I still need to face them in court and make sure they get sentenced.
Still, this is one step toward their destruction that I have taken and I won’t stop until they get what they deserve.
End, go to epilogue.