Reconciling with her Family

Khushi's POV:

We returned home on the next day, early in the morning. Shajan got ready to go to the office and I was busy in my works. Someone knocked the door and I opened it. I was surprised and Shajan came downstairs.

"Khushi, who is that?"

"My mom and dad," I said, and Shajan came to me immediately. He was happy that they visited us.

"Khushi, are you going to talk to them without inviting them inside?" Shajan said.

"Please come inside dad and mom. I am sorry. I forgot everything after seeing you both."

"Khushi, we came here to invite you for your sister’s marriage. We don't want to step inside the house of a criminal," my dad said.

"No dad, you are misunderstanding him. He is..."

"What should I call a person who married my daughter through black mail? Is he not a criminal? Entire world knows about him."

"Dad, please…"

Shajan held my hand asking me not to argue with them.

"You are my elder daughter. I want you to come to the marriage of your sister," my dad gave the invitation card to me.

"I am sorry, dad. I respect you and love my sister. But I can’t attend the marriage as you didn’t invite my husband. How can I attend it alone when my husband has no invitation for the marriage? I am sorry."

"Khushi, it's your sister’s marriage. Are you going to hurt her without attending the marriage?" My mom said.

"Maa, I don’t want to hurt her but how can I insult my husband by attending it? I am sorry."

Mom convinced dad and then they invited Shajan to attend the marriage. They left but I got upset with their words.

"Khushi, now why are you crying?"

"I can’t see anyone insulting you."

Shajan sat near me and gave a side hug to me.

"You are seeing their anger at me but I am seeing their love for you."

"How did they know the truth?"

"I asked Abhi to say the truth to them."

"I can’t attend the marriage."

"But why? It hurts your parents and sisters."

"How can I go without you?"

"Who said I am not coming for the marriage? I am attending the marriage. Both bridegroom and bride’s parents invited me. How can I be without attending the wedding? It's up to you whether you accompany me or not, but I am going," Shajan said.

"But Jan, they won’t treat you as a son-in-law and you will be insulted before everyone."

"Don’t worry. I will manage everything. So are you ready to come with me?"

I nodded though I suspected that they would hurt Shajan because they love me a lot. I wish nothing happens there which hurts my husband or my parents.

"If you trust me, then leave everything on me and just smile.

I smiled and leaned on his shoulders.

"Your smile makes me crazy every time," Shajan said and kissed me.

"Pack our clothes. We are going to your home today in the evening. Abhi asked me to come today itself," Shajan said.

"We can go on the date of their marriage," I said.

"I promised Abhi that we are coming today."

I nodded but still I am worried about the situations there. In the evening, Shajan returned home and we both went to our home.

"Didi," Vidya and Varsha said. Both hugged me. My mom came and took Khushi with her without even talking to Shajan. I turned back to see Shajan.

"Maa, Shajan also came with me. Please, wait for a minute.

I went to Shajan. Shajan smiled seeing me in tension.

"It's ok. Let's go inside. It's our home, there is no need of welcoming us specially," Shajan said.

We both went to our room. At night, Vidya called us for dinner. We went but my dad got up from the table to leave, seeing Shajan. Shajan noticed it.

"Khushi, I feel uncomfortable to eat together with all. So, I will have my dinner in the room. You please carry on with your family."

I went to Shajan to give him the food and I thought to have my dinner with him.

"Why are you having food here?"

"I can’t leave you alone," I said.

"My dear, we will have dinner together every day. But until you are here, you just have it with your family. Otherwise, they will be hurt," Shajan said.

"They are hurting you intentionally but still you are saying not to hurt them."

"Khushi, I am your husband and you love me a lot. They are your parents and you love them too. You should never hurt them for me. One day, surely, I will win their love. Now you relax and have your dinner with them."

"But…"

"Don’t you listen to me?" Shajan said and I went to have dinner with my family. Everyone are so happy as I came to home. Khushi is thinking about Shajan. I returned to my room and found Shajan on a call.

"No Surya, I am not angry with you. But I just want to suggest you one thing. Without knowing totally about anyone, never blame them. Especially in the case of girls and their character. I can’t leave that minister easily. He must pay for the tears Khushi shed for a year. He should be punished severely. I won’t leave him at any cost."

I hugged Shajan hearing his words.

"Surya, I will talk to you later," Shajan said.

He disconnected the call and turned towards me.

"What happened to you?" Shajan said.

"I love you," Khushi said.

"I too love you. But don’t you know that I need something else along with your hug?"

"Something else?"

"A sweet kiss."

I smiled and turned back. Shajan hugged me towards him and I kissed him.

"Now you can’t stop me from loving you," Shajan said and sat on the bed, pulling me onto his lap. Shajan hugged me and someone knocked on the door. I opened the door, teasing Shajan as he is disappointed.

"Mom is calling you," Varsha said. I looked at Shajan.

"Please go," Shajan said.

Khushi smiled seeing his reaction. I went to mom. My mom and sisters showed me the sarees they bought for the marriage. My sister observed the injury to my hand and caught my hand.

"What happened to your hand?" Vidya said.

"Nothing, it's a small cut happened while cooking."

"But it doesn't look like a cut, it looks like your hand was burnt..." Varsha said.

"Vidya and Varsha, stop it. While cooking, injuries are common. No need to make it an issue."

"I feel sleepy. Bye."

I said and came to my room. I found Shajan sleeping and I too slept beside him.

The next day, Abhi came to my home. My mom is feeding me, Varsha, Abhi and Vidya with her hand as she usually does it. Shajan saw us.

"Mom, shall I join with them?" Shajan said.

My mom saw him and threw the dish, shocking us.

"Never call me as mom. If I have a son like you, I would have killed him," My mom said.

Abhi went to console Shajan and I went to my mom.

"Mom, why are you behaving like this with Shajan? He is not as bad as you think. In fact, he is a very good person. He loves me a lot," I said My mom held my hand.

"I can understand how much he loves and cares for you by seeing this injury."

"It's just…"

"Don’t try to fool me as you did with your sisters. I know the difference between a burn caused while cooking and burnt by a cigarette."

"Mom, he is not like that now. At present he loves me a lot. He changed a lot."

"Stop it, Khushi. As he is your husband, you can forgive him. But I can’t forgive him for torturing my daughter."

I went to my room thinking about mom’s words. I was on balcony in the room and hugged me.

"What my darling is thinking so deeply?"

"Nothing."

"Hiding something."

"I am sorry."

"But for what," Shajan said.

"For my mom’s behavior," I said, holding his hands with tears.

"I already forgot it. Any parent would behave in the same way when a person takes away their daughter from them."

"Mom saw the injury to my hand. So, she behaved like that."

Shajan went into the room silently.

"Shall we go to our home? We can come for the marriage."

"No, Khushi. Their anger has a reason and they are right in their behavior. I can’t erase my past mistakes by being good now. It's my fault to hurt you."

"Shajan, please don’t worry. Situations forced you to behave so. Only situations are wrong but not you. I love you and I am lucky to have you as my husband."

Shajan looked at me with guilty for his mistakes. Later on, we came downstairs and are busy in the arrangements. Suddenly, Shajan caught the hand of a person and took him from there to a side. Shajan punched him on his face. I didn't understand what happened between them.

"I know about my wife very well. She is pure and the best. Never dare to talk wrongly about her and her family. Otherwise I will smash you. Be careful," Shajan said and punched him again in his stomach. My dad saw Shajan fighting with him.

"Stop it. What's going on here?" My dad said.

Everyone came there.

"Uncle, this person is talking wrongly about Khushi and our family. I asked him not to talk like that about his wife. He started beating me," that person whom Shajan punched said to my dad "What? Shajan never talks like that. I know about him well," I said "Stop this nonsense. Here, I invited everyone and wished to get my daughter married in a peaceful and cheerful environment. But because of your husband, everything was spoiled.

Khushi, if you want us, stay with us. Otherwise leave with your husband immediately. I can’t accept such a mannerless person as my son-in-law."

Abhi and I were about to say something, but Shajan stopped us. Shajan and I went to the room and packed the luggage. We went to meet my parents.

"I am sorry, dad and mom. Though you both don’t like me calling you so, I am seeing my parents in you both. You are right that I didn’t trust Khushi and tortured her a lot. But now I have realized her love for me.

She is the one who changed me with her love and patience. I can’t change the past. But I promise you that the rest of my life, I will love Khushi unconditionally and will make her happy every second."

Varsha and Abhi, I am sorry if I create any mischief in your marriage knowingly or unknowingly." Shajan said.

"Yes, you should be sorry for saving my father when all the relatives stepped back to help for his surgery.

You created mischief in my marriage, by helping my father to arrange money for my marriage unknowingly.

You did a very big mistake by warning a person for saving the respect of your wife and our family. Though it's not your mistake, you didn’t say even a word for protecting the relationship. So, you should be sorry for all this," Varsha said.

I saw Shajan in shock. Everyone didn’t understand her words. Varsha explained everything that happened. Shajan didn’t even say to me that he helped my family.

"I am sorry, Shajan. We misunderstood you without knowing about you," my dad said.

"Don’t be, uncle. Because there should be no sorry between a father and son," Shajan said.

My dad hugged Shajan.

"We got two sons in the form of you and Abhi. We are lucky," my dad said.

"Khushi came into my life and removed my loneliness. Now she gave a family too. I love her a lot," Shajan said as if he is talking to himself but everyone heard it and I blushed hard for his words.