1

Khushi

"Please, Maa, I can't eat more," I said to my mother, looking at her putting more curry and rice on my plate.

"Of course, you can. Look how thin you have become. I am sure you do not get to eat any nutritious food in the hostel. I don't understand why you had to go to Mumbai for your education when we have excellent universities here in Delhi," she said to me, and I opened my mouth to reply, but she just stuffed more food into my mouth.

"Amrita, you have been saying that since she joined the university in Mumbai and started her B.A. in English literature two and half years back. She will graduate in the next six months. I guess you can put a pause to your complaining now." Papa sat on the dining table, smiling at the way Maa was feeding me nonstop.

"Satish, I will stop complaining once my daughter returns home to us after graduation," Maa said to Papa, opening the curry pot to put more of it on my plate.

But before she could do that, I took the plate and stood up from the chair.

"Maa, enough now. Please." I was about to go to the kitchen to put my plate in the sink when I heard Priya's voice.

"Khushi, take advantage of this pampering from Maa today. Because the preparations for my wedding will start tomorrow, and the wedding functions will start after two weeks. So, you will be busy for the next three weeks till my wedding," Priya said as she walked inside the house, and I ran to her.

Hugging her, I dragged her to the living room and made her sit on the couch. "So, my dear sister, tell me when and how you met my to-be brother-in-law?"

"I met Aashish at our common friend's wedding. I did not talk with him much at first because he is a Rathore. Their family is well-known in the commercial world and wealthy too. So, I thought he would be a typical spoiled rich boy, but he surprised me with his maturity and humble attitude.

"We exchanged our numbers then and started dating. After dating for six months, he proposed to me, and I said yes. And here we are, three weeks left for the wedding." Priya beamed at me, and I smiled, seeing her happy.

I jolt out of that happy memory and tremble as I hear a knock at the door.

It has been six days since the night Arnav forced himself on me, and I have kept the door locked since then.

He has not come to my room for the last six days, and no one else in this mansion has bothered to check on me too.

This room where he has kept me is in the farthest corner on the second floor.

I visited the Rathore mansion a few times during Priya's wedding preparation, so I know that no one usually comes to this part of the mansion.

Also, after what happened that night, I don't know whether anyone even cares if I live in suffocation and someday even die in this room.

The knock on the door becomes persistent, and I back up to the wall, not wanting to open the door.

I do not want to see him and do not want to feel his touch ever again.

That night when he forced himself on me, I had felt such excruciating pain that, at one point, I had thought he would be satisfied only after ripping me apart.

He showed no mercy on me that night. I sobbed, screamed, and wailed, but he kept torturing my body. Not once was he gentle, not even when I begged him to stop and pleaded with him to show mercy, as it hurt so much.

I slump on the floor, bringing my knees closer to my chest and rocking my body back and forth as the knock becomes louder.

"Khushi, it's me, Priya. Open the door." I hear my sister's voice and immediately stand up from the floor.

I feel hope bloom in my chest as I think my sister came to rescue me from this hell.

I knew she would understand me and not judge me to be guilty. I knew she would soon realize I was not at fault for whatever happened that night.

Quickly walking toward the door, I open it and smile, seeing Priya standing on the threshold.

"I knew you would come to get me. Take me out of here, Priya. I feel so suffocated here." I sob and lean forward to hug her, but I frown as she clutches my arms and pushes me back.

"What--" I cannot voice my question as I feel a stinging slap on my cheek.

Clutching the cheek where Priya slapped me, I look at her tearily. "Why?"

She folds her hands over her chest and looks at me up and down. "I am glad you are finally getting treated like you deserve to be treated."

Looking at Priya's cold demeanor, I am at a loss for words. I continue looking at her as she walks forward and yanks my hair.

I shriek due to the pain but do not say anything. I only stare at her, still unable to believe that this is my sister who is behaving this way with me.

"I had been blind not to see your cunning face before, Khushi, but now, my eyes have opened, and I can clearly see how you have been manipulating my parents and me ever since you came into our life.

"My parents adopted you, pitying an orphan like you, and you gave them only humiliation and embarrassment in return. Although I had to share my parents with you, I used to console myself by thinking that I also got a sister, but I had been wrong in thinking that. You are nothing but an orphan and a bad omen," she spits those hurtful words at me, further slashing my already wounded heart.

Suddenly, she leaves my hair and pushes me to the floor.

"You thought that I was here to free you. Well, you thought wrong, Khushi. Because I am a daughter-in-law of this house now, and Arnav is my brother-in-law. I will never do anything that will hurt my position in this household.

"Everything went downhill that night, and it happened all because of you and your evil, manipulative ways. My wedding day was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, but I only feel sadness surrounding me when I think of it. All because of you, Khushi.

"Although I married the person I loved that night, he still is angry with me. Aashish thinks that I am also at fault because you are my sister. So, I have come here today to break all my ties with you.

"I love my husband, and I detest you. Therefore, it is an easy decision for me. Break my ties with my sister, who I hate, to get love from my husband, who I love with all my heart," Priya finishes speaking, and I stare at her, dumbfounded by everything she told me.

"Do Maa and Papa also--" I start asking, but she crouches in front of me and slaps me again.

"Don't you dare call my parents Maa and Papa. You have lost the right to call them that. That night, you became an orphan again, Khushi. And it happened all because of your selfish deeds. You are alone in this world now. No one loves you anymore. So, do not keep your hopes up by thinking someone will come to rescue you.

"There are five men outside this room who Arnav has strictly instructed to keep a close eye on the door, not to let you escape.

"This room and Arnav's cruelty are your destiny now. Try to enjoy it. I know I will." She smirks at me and walks out of the room, leaving me sobbing on the floor.

With difficulty, I stand up from the floor and walk to the bathroom.

Once inside, I splash my face with the cold water and look in the mirror.

I see the bruise starting to form on the cheek where Priya slapped me twice, and unable to stop myself, I run to the room and lay face down on the bed, crying as I recall her words.

I came home from Mumbai a month back for Priya's wedding.

I was surprised by the news because I used to talk with Priya on the phone every other day, but she never told me she was dating someone or loved someone.

Honestly, I was not much surprised because somewhere, I knew she still hesitated to accept me as her sister wholeheartedly.

Ours have been a bittersweet relationship since I was brought to her home after my parents died in a car accident.

Since both my parents had no family, I was adopted by my father's friend and his wife. They then became my Maa and Papa.

When Priya's parents adopted me fifteen years ago, I was nine years old, and Priya was twelve years old. She had been welcoming for a few days, but I remember her throwing tantrums and fighting with me when I started calling her parents Maa and Papa.

She was their only child, so it was hard for her to deal with the fact that someone else suddenly came to her house and got half share of her parents' love and attention, which were supposed to be hers.

With time, she accepted me, albeit reluctantly, and although she was stiff toward me sometimes, she loved me in her own way.

But now she hates me, and Maa and Papa too hate me.

All because of that incident on Priya and Aashish's wedding night. And due to that incident, I also got tied to this forced marriage with Arnav Rathore.

"Oh, good, you are already on the bed. One less thing for me to do," I hear Arnav's voice and still on the bed.

I was so lost due to my grief at Priya's words and her behavior with me that I forgot to lock the door.

And now he is here. He is here to torture me again.