Chapter Fifty Five

It had only been almost five months since the loss of their first born. The couple had grieved and faced many things, and had made a promise to each other. It wasn't long until that promise had been fulfilled - Khushi was once again pregnant. The Raizada family were shocked when they learned the news, Shalini especially. She feared if the two were rushing it, but Arnav and Khushi explained to her that they needed this before they lost their sanity. It broke her heart to hear those words and Shalini gave them her blessings, as well Aryan.

News of Khushi's pregnancy spread through the town, and everyone knew. Shyam and Anjali had only just returned from their honeymoon when they learned this. The newly wedded couple was very happy for their sister and only wished for her well being. After what she had been through, Khushi deserved this, and they would help her through it, making sure that nothing happened to her nor her child.

Shyam was very happy to learn of this news. He wanted to shout to the world that his sister was the strongest of them all and that no matter what people whispered among each other, she would remain strong. He wanted to spread the news, as well as Anjali. However, what did they know that along with this good news, they would hear bad news.

Something so bad, it was absolutely terrible.

*~*

Shyam wanted nothing more than to see his sister. He wanted to congratulate her, and so did Anjali. So they had planned a date to go over to Raizada mansion, and Shyam forced his parents to as well. Shashi and Garima had fussed, after how Khushi and Arnav had insulted them. But Shyam refused to back down and told them that if they didn't treat Khushi the way she deserved, then he and Anjali would leave. That one, simple threat was all it took to get them to agree, which disgusted Shyam.

It was the first time the senior Gupta's had ever gone to Raizada mansion. Neither Shashi nor Garima could believe their eyes when they saw the inside of the huge mansion.

"Shyam!"

The Gupta's looked up and saw Khushi smiling from end to end. She made her way down to them and Shyam ran over to her, hugging her. Tears came free as Khushi hugged Shyam back. Letting go of her brother, Khushi hugged Anjali.

"How are you two? How was your honeymoon? Did he behave?"

Anjali chuckled. "Somewhat, but that's not important, Di. How are you? We heard the good news."

Khushi smiled with a nod. "I'm pregnant," she breathed.

Anjali smiled, forcing back her tears. She hugged Khushi again and Khushi hugged her back. "It will be just fine, Di. I know it."

"Everything will be," Shyam said.

Arnav came walking into the room, his parents and sister behind him. "That it will be."

Shyam turned to Arnav as he came in front of him. The two men looked at each other for brief moment, before reaching out to shake hands. Arnav glanced at his in laws and saw them looking around. Khushi looked at them as well and remembering their last encounter, she decided that it would be best to ignore them.

"Come, sit," Khushi smiled, and they all sat down. "Tell me, how was the honeymoon? Did you two have fun?"

"Uh, we can talk about that another time, Di," Shyam said, glancing at the elders.

"Well at least tell me you had fun," Khushi giggled. "And I hope you didn't bother her too much."

"Well Di, you know your brother better than anyone," Anjali giggled.

"That I do, the little baby."

"I am not a baby, I am a grown man," Shyam said, pointing his chin up.

"Oh sure," Arnav scoffed teasingly.

Both Khushi and Anjali giggled like little schoolgirls and both Aryan and Shalini sighed at the sight of Khushi's smile. It felt so good to see her like that again.

"Speaking of baby boys..."

Everyone looked at Shyam curiously.

"...how old would he have been?"

Arnav's eyes widened at the audacity of Shyam's question, as well as the others.

"Four months, three weeks, six days," Khushi whispered.

"Oh," Shyam replied casually. "It's too bad. My little niece/nephew would've had an older brother."

Khushi pursed her lips, urging herself not to cry. While Aryan and Shalini looked at him with disbelief, Arnav glared at Shyam.

"I think that's enough on the topic, hmm," Arnav gritted out.

"Oh, hardly my brother in-law. Hardly. Right Amma and Babuji?"

Both Shashi and Garima looked up at their son with wide eyes as everyone else looked at them.

"In fact," Shyam began, hopping out of his seat, "this is only the beginning. What do you say Anjali?"

"Absolutely," his wife agreed, getting up from her seat.

Khushi looked at the two in confusion. "I don't... I don't understand."

Shyam turned to his parents. "Tell me, Amma and Babuji, where were you two four months, three weeks, and six days ago?"

Shashi's eyebrows met at the middle. "What kind of absurd question is that? How could we remember something like that from all that time ago?"

Shyam's eyebrows shot up. "Really? I would think that you would, considering that was the day your first grandson was born."

Khushi looked away and Arnav scoffed, not surprised by this at all.

"It is absolutely amazing how you can be so... my gosh! I mean honestly!"

"Shyam," Garima admonished. "Is that any way to speak to your father?"

"Oh please Amma, you're not any less yourself."

"Shyam!"

Khushi got up and held her brother's arm. "Shyam, please-"

"Please Di," he said, releasing himself and holding his hand up. "Don't try to stop me today."

"Shyam-"

"Please Di," Anjali said, placing her hands on Khushi's shoulders. "You need to hear this."

"Hear what?"

"Exactly," Arnav said as he stood up. "What exactly do we need to hear?"

"What my parents, or rather, your in laws were doing the night your son was born," Shyam said, as if it were obvious. He looked at his parents. "Tell them you guys! Tell them!"

Shashi and Garima glanced at each other but remained quiet.

"Can't remember? I'll remind you," he smiled sweetly.

His parents looked at him with wide eyes while everyone else looked at him with confusion.

"Four months, three weeks, and six days ago, after my sister had gone through so much pain, my nephew was born. My sister and my brother in-law were so happy... until they were told that their child was dead."

Khushi shut her eyes and turned away at his words, as if they physically pained her. Anjali squeezed her shoulders lightly and nodded, reassuring Khushi when she looked at her.

"Shyam-"

"Please Arnav, let me."

Arnav clenched his jaw and Shalini went over to him, squeezing his hand.

"Its quite the tale though isn't it? All well and then right at the end, shit hits the fan? But what if I told you that was never supposed to happen?"

Khushi looked at her brother, completely confused. "How can anyone know what is and what isn't supposed to happen?"

"Well, simple: if it's in the hand of fate, you don't. But of it's in the hands of humans, then you definitely do?"

"What?"

"What happened that night wasn't supposed to happen that way Di," Anjali explained. "Instead, all was supposed to go well, you were supposed to hold your little bundle of joy the next morning, and you weren't supposed to face all of this grief."

"Anjali, it's one thing to believe positively but... what's done is done-"

"True," Shyam interjected. "What's done, is done, but what's wrong needs to be fixed."

Arnav eyed him carefully. "Meaning?"

"Meaning that your son should be returned to you after my so called parents kidnapped your child and replaced another baby in his spot who was dead!"

Arnav and Khushi's eyes widened with horror, as well as Aryan's and Shalini's. Shashi and Garima looked at their son in shock, while Shyam and Anjali fumed.

"W-what... what a-are you saying," Garima questioned.

"Don't you dare try to deny it," Shyam said, pointing his finger at them. "Did you or did you not replace Di's baby with a dead one?"

"Shyam-"

"Did you or did you not," Shyam repeated.

"Shyam-"

"Did you or did you not," Shyam boomed, cutting off his father.

"How dare you use that tone with me?"

"Did you or did you not replace Di's baby with a dead child?!"

"Of course it wasn't dead! It was about to and we switched the two with the help of the nurse-"

Garima clapped her hands over her mouth and Khushi looked at her with horror.

"You.. you did what," Khushi whispered.

Shyam shook his head with a scoff. "Help of the nurse, huh?"

Garima's eyes darted from her son, to Khushi's, and at her husband's, but Shashi refused to look at her.

"You stupid woman," Shashi growled.

"Me? What about you? You were the one who agreed to it!"

Shashi glared at her and Khushi, nor anyone, could believe what they were hearing.

"How could you," Khushi whispered. "How could you do this to me?"

Khushi released herself and began walking towards her so called parents. Shyam tried to reach out to her sister, but Arnav stopped him. There was a fire burning in his wife's eyes, and no one would be able to let out, except for her.

"What did he ever do to you," Khushi asked, walking over to them. "What did my newborn son fucking do to you," she yelled.

Shalini tried to go to her, but Aryan stopped him. "But she-"

"She needs to do this Jaanemaan."

"But the baby-"

"Will be just fine."

Shalini hoped her husband was right. After all Khushi was pregnant and in the first trimester, a very crucial time.

"Answer me," Khushi yelled.

Both Shashi and Garima were stunned by her yelling. Never had they ever seen Khushi like this. Ever.

"Where is my son," she said through clenched jaws.

Shashi and Garima glanced at each other.

"Where the fuck is he?!"

Garima recoiled at the sound of her voice.

"I swear if you don't fucking tell me right now, I will fucking murder you both!"

Everyone's eyes widened at Khushi's cryptic voice. Arnav went over to his wife's side and wrapped an arm around her waist as he glared at his supposed in laws.

"I will ask you one more time - WHERE THE FUCK IS MY SON?!"

"In an orphanage," Garima blurted.

Everyone gaped at her.

"O-orphanage," Khushi breathed. "How could you... why?"

"What choice did we have," Shashi finally said. "Business was bad and we were near to nothing! All of our money had gone to your brother's tuition and barely anything came home! We were desperate for the money!"

"So you let someone buy you and have you kidnap your own grandson and dropping him at an orphanage?!!"

Garima opened her mouth to speak, but was immediately halted when Khushi's hand met her cheek with a slap. The sound of it echoed in the quiet room and everyone was stunned by Khushi's doing as she glared at the woman who was her supposed mother.

"Khushi-"

Khushi slapped Garima again. Her whole body shook with hurt and anger, her hand stinging.

"Khushi," Shashi boomed. "How dare you raise your hand at your mother-?"

"Enough Mr. Gupta," Khushi yelled.

Everyone looked at her with wide eyes, except for Arnav.

"Not another word or the same will happen to you too," she warned.

"How dare you threaten your father-"

"Father?" Khushi broke out into laughter and Arnav squeezed her hand, glaring at the man. "Did you hear that Arnav? He thinks he's my father."

Shashi continued to glare at her and Khushi glared back.

"By which right do you call yourself my father? Huh? By which right?"

Shashi continued to glare at her.

"You kidnapped my son. You kidnapped your fucking grandson, your own blood! You and your wife have done nothing but mistreated me since the day I was born and for what?! Because I'm a girl?!"

"Don't you dare use that tone with me-"

Khushi's hand met Shashi's cheek and the old man was stunned. Garima gasped and looked at Khushi with shock, and so did the others.

"You are not my parents," Khushi hissed. "You are not my parents, you have never acted as my parents, you have never been my parents!"

Khushi released herself from Arnav's hold and stood in her parents face.

"Where is my son? Which orphanage did you put him in?"

"Like I'd tell you after how you misbehaved, " Shashi growled.

"Oh trust me, Mr. Gupta, I'm only getting started."

"Oh? You think you're so tough, don't you girl," he hissed. "You're nothing but a weak, unimportant, unwanted, unessential-"

Shashi couldn't finish his sentence and went falling to the floor when Khushi's fist met his face. Garima was at her husband's side immediately, trying to help him.

"Khushi-"

Khushi bent down and gripped Garima by her hair tightly, pulling it. Garima yelled out in pain and Arnav tried to get Khushi away from her.

"Khushi-"

"Where. Is. My. Son," Khushi questioned, ignoring Arnav.

Garima struggled under Khushi's tight grip. "I don't know."

"Wrong answer."

Khushi pulled her fist back to hurt Garima as well, when Garima shielded herself and blurted "he's at the orphanage outside the west of the town!"

Khushi's eyes widened and she released her. "He's... he's alive.... Arnav-"

Arnav cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her forehead, holding her to him for a moment.

"W-we have to find him," Khushi said. "We have to find him, we have to bring him home, we have to find him-"

"Khushi, baby, relax please. I'll get him-"

"No! No I want to go, I want to get him, we have to get him!"

"We will, Khushi, we will."

"We have to go now! Who knows how our son is doing at the orphanage, we-"

Khushi looked down at Shashi and Garima, who were still on the floor. "Guards!"

At her call, two of the security men came running in.

"Grab hold of them and follow me."

Without a word, the two did as they were commanded.

"Khushi, what are you-?"

But Khushi ignored Arnav and began to walk out of the house. The guards followed behind, taking hold of Shashi and Garima, and the others followed out as well. Khushi walked out of the house and went to the gates, commanding for it to be opened and for the guards to toss the two the streets. They did as such and the people who were passing by, all stopped to see the commotion.

Shashi and Garima landed with a thud. They both looked up and saw Khushi glaring at them, Arnav joining her at her side.

"You kidnapped my own son... I can never ever forgive you for that," Khushi said. "Not now, not ever.

"As of today, you are no longer my parents. I have no relations to you whatsoever and you are both nothing but criminals! Get out and don't ever show your faces around here again, do you hear me?!"

Both Shashi and Garima were stunned. For the first time ever, they were seeing Khushi with might and power, something they had never seen in her, nor ever expected to see.

The people who had heard the commotion were shocked. How could anyone's parents ever do this to their own child? To their own grandchild? People were absolutely disgusted and started to shout and approach the two. Arnav and Khushi saw the crowd approaching Shashi and Garima, and the so called parents shook and quivered as the mob approached.

"Khushi," Garima called out.

Khushi ordered for the gates to be closed, and the workers did just that. Shashi and Garima scrambled up to their feet and clung onto the gates, begging for forgiveness, reaching for her feet. But Khushi didn't care and watched as the mob surrounded her so called parents and take them away. Khushi simply watched, her eyes fierce and mixed with emotion. A memory came to mind, and it all made so much more sense now.

"But little do they know that one day, that you will grow to be a bright young woman."

"What do you mean?"

"I won't say much child, but I will say this: you will grow to be a powerful woman, and your parents will regret behaving the way they do with you. They will regret treating you like a piece of garbage and will be at your feet for your forgiveness."

"Really?"

"Yes... but, at the time when you try to forgive them, you will discover such a secret, that you will never forgive them."

"What secret?"

"In time, my child. In time."

Maybe things don't always work out as predicted, but some things were etched into the marble and meant to happen. Though her parents didn't apologize for the way they treated her, their secret remained to be true. Khushi could never forgive them for what happened nor forgive them for what they had done. 

As the crowd continued to take them away, Arnav and Khushi watched, unaware that Aryan, Shalini, Shyam, and Anjali were behind them, watching as well. 

For the first time in her life, Khushi truly felt powerful, the gypsy right on that. But her power didn't matter - her son did.

Khushi looked up at her husband. "We need to find him." 

Arnav nodded and wrapped his arm around his wife's waist, placing a kiss on her head. "We will."