Some of these short stories are graphical and contain some elements which some readers might find disturbing so reader discretion is strongly advised.
Chapter 1: Written by Jyo (AKA Jyo.Arshi.IPK)
As her mother in law exited the room, Khushi hugged herself tighter, fresh tears escaping her eyes, fear enveloping her as she thought about the life growing inside her. Arnav was away again this time and Khushi felt a sense of deja vu surrounding her all around, she couldn't let it all happen again, she couldn't let history repeat, she couldn't save her first baby but she couldn't let the life inside her meet the same fate, if it was a boy then there was nothing to fear but if it was a girl, she knew the fate that awaited it and she wasn't ready to let go of her baby this time.
Her thoughts went back to her husband who was unaware of everything about his family, she considered herself blessed to have a loving and caring husband like Arnav, it truly was an irony as she thought about her mother-in-law, her husband was nothing like her mother-in-law, he was gem of a guy who had given her all the happiness that any woman could have hoped for from her husband, it was this love of his for her and their family that prevented her from revealing the ugly truth about his mother's real face. She knew he would be shattered if he came to know the evil deeds that his mother had forced upon Khushi, and she couldn't let it happen.
But now she was in a dilemma, she had to save their child, she was dreading to tell Arnav everything, she didn't know how he would react if she told him what had actually happened during her first pregnancy. But this was his child too and she had no right to keep such a truth away from him. She was ready to bear any amount of suffering if it meant that Arnav's relationship with his mother would remain intact, but she could let their children suffer her fate.
The time passed and Khushi was still in her room, she wished Arnav would return sooner, it was only when he was around, that her mother in law treated her with love for the sake of her son. Otherwise it was all hate and spite.She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize that she was being watched.
Arnav had returned early this time around, he had wanted to surprise Khushi , also he had felt this gnawing fear in his heart each time he thought about her, like she was calling out for him, as though she needed him with her, so he had wrapped up his meetings and got back home early, he had been downstairs spending a little time with his mother, she had told him that Khushi was resting in their room and he had left immediately to meet her.
But what he saw unsettled him, he saw her lost in her thoughts, worry lines creasing her forhead, occasionally a few tears dropping down her cheeks.
Khushi felt startled when she felt warm lips on her cheeks, kissing her tears away, a pair of strong arms enveloping her, but her initial fear gave way to happiness as she recognised the pair of arms hugging her, she turned around in his arms and hugged him tight, Arnav held her closer in his arms.
'Did you miss me too much Khushi?' asked Arnav. Khushi didn't reply but she hugged herself closer into his arms, for now all that mattered was that she was back in his arms. 'What is it Khushi? You were crying ... What happened?' asked Arnav
Khushi broke out of the hug and looked at him in his eyes; all she could see was all encompassing love and care. How could she tell him her fears? How could she tell him that he was going to be a father once again but tell him that their baby was in danger?
How could she tell him that their first baby wasn't miscarried but killed by his mother?
There was so much her husband didn't know and had a right to know. She knew she had to tell him if she wanted to save their child this time.
She took her hands in his and kept them on her womb, looking at him straight in his eyes 'I am pregnant Arnav' she said. It took a moment for the words to sink in, she watched as his expression turned from worried concern to breathtaking happiness, the smile on his face dazzling her senses, he pulled her into his arms and held her close, pressing kisses on her hair, wishing he could never let go of her from this hug...
'I am so happy Khushi. So happy, God's given us a second chance this time around, I am going to be here 24/7 with you. I will take care of you myself. I won't let anything go wrong this time!' proclaimed Arnav. Khushi hugged him tighter, knowing that what she was about to tell him was going to break his heart. 'If you want to see our baby being born into this world, then protect me from your mother Arnav' whispered Khushi
Arnav stilled in her arms, it took him a long time to register what she was saying, his shock giving way to utter confusion. He looked at Khushi to see if she was making some kind of a weird joke but all he saw was fear and pain in her eyes. 'Khushi what was that? What did you just say? Protect you from Mama? What the hell is that supposed to mean? How can Mama hurt you or our baby? She loves us so much!' said a confused Arnav.
Khushi looked at him and the expression in her eyes freaked the hell out of him, all he could see was pity and pain in her doe eyed pools, his intuitions told him that his world and his beliefs was going to crumble very soon ... 'Khushi speak up dammit! Your silence is killing me now!' said Arnav. Khushi mustered up her courage and send a silent prayer to the Gods to give her husband to survive the truths she was going to give him; she knew it had the power to rip his heart into smithereens. 'If Mama loved us so much, then why would she make me abort our first baby Arnav?' questioned Khushi
She saw Arnav recoil in shock, his hands had gone numb as he clenched his fists, his whole world turned topsy turvy as he tried to register Khushi's words, his heart and mind fighting against accepting it, no his mother could never do that! He had seen how much she loved Khushi, how happy she had been when Khushi was pregnant the first time.
'Khushi please tell me all this is a joke, you and mama are playing with me right, please stop it baby, I can't take it anymore!' said Arnav. Khushi looked sadly at her husband, she could see that neither his heart nor his mind was letting him accept her words but she couldn't stop now, she placed her head on his heart as she wrapped her arms around him and continued speaking... 'I am sorry Arnav but you have to know this, I kept everything away from you all this while because I didn't want to be the reason to cause a fissure in your relation with Mama. Ever since the day you married me and brought me home I have always loved Mama like my own mother, I have always felt that am the luckiest girl to have got such a loving family and a husband like you.
But things changed the day I got pregnant , I can still remember tht day Arnav, we both were so happy, I can still remember how happy you were, Mama seemed to be so happy for us, time passed and you left on the business trip, and thats when my world turned dark, as soon as you left Mama took me to a doctor for a medical checkup, the doctor welcomed us as soon as we reached, it looked like she was expecting us, she made me take some tests that day and we came back home.
The next day Mama came barging into our room, she was livid with rage and I was scared, I had never seen Mama get angry, she raged at me, cursed me for coming into your life, and when I asked her what I did for her to hate me so much, she told me that the test results had come and that I was expecting a baby girl !! A little Pari was about to enter our lives Arnav. I was so happy, I hugged Mama and thanked her for giving me the news but she pushed me off, I asked her why she was so angry, and thats when my world fell apart, everything that I believed about Mama broke apart that day!
She hated our baby Arnav, she hated me, she wanted a son to take our family name ahead, she never wanted a girl child, I tried convincing her, tried telling her that it was wrong to differentiate between a girl and boy, told her that she too had daughters, asked her how she could hate girls when she herself was a woman, she slapped me for questioning her, she told me she would never let me give birth to the baby, told me that I have to abort the bay or else watch her kill it if I gave birth to it, I was scared Arnav , I couldn't agree to what she was asking me to do, I couldn't kill our baby. It was a symbol of our love, how could I kill our baby Arnav?
And then Mama did the unthinkable, she took me to the hospital again, told me that the doctor wanted to talk to me once, once we reached there, I was taken for the routine checkup, but I had this fear inside me that something bad was going to happen and before I knew it, they drugged me, Mama had already bribed the doctor and some of the staff already, and when I woke up, I knew without anyone telling me what had transpired.
They killed our baby Arnav, Mama brought me back home, I felt lifeless, there was nothing I wanted to hear , there was no one I wanted to speak to, all I could feel was the emptiness inside me, I wanted you so much , wished you were there with me, ached for you to hold me in your arms, I decided not to tell you anything, I knew that you would be shattered when you heard about our baby but I didn't want you to know that Mama was the reason we lost our child, I knew Mama would have a story ready for you and I let her do what she wanted.
I am sorry Arnav, sorry that I kept this truth away from you for so long but I can't do it anymore, I am scared for our baby, Mama wants me to give birth to a boy, she doesn't know am expecting again and I don't want her to know, she will have it killed as well if it turns out to be a girl, I am scared Arnav, I don't want to lose our baby again' sobbed Khushi.
Khushi sobbed her heart out as she finally told him the real face of his mother, Arnav let her give it all out, and the more she spoke, the more his heart broke, his own tears mingled with hers, Khushi had gone through so much pain and she didn't let him know anything, she took it all alone because she didn't want him to go against his mother! His mother whom he loved as much as his wife, whom he worshipped, adored, his very own mother had killed their baby, only because it was a girl!
He couldn't bear it, the pain threatened to engulf him, rage boiled in his heart, the world turning dark to him, but he couldn't let himself breakdown now, he had to be strong, strong for Khushi, for their baby, they both needed him now, Khushi had already gone through so much, he couldn't let her suffer more, he wouldn't let his mother hurt his family ever again!
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