Chapter 12

"Aap Andar Nahi Jaa Sakte, Arjun Bhaiyya!" said the security guard, prompting a surprised reaction from both Arjun and Jyotsna.

"What? Have you gone mad?" questioned Arjun, mentally questioning the man's sanity.

"I'm sorry, Bhaiyya. Nani Ji and Di asked us to stop the two of you here and inform them of your arrival. She mentioned that it was to ensure proper welcome," he said, as he pointed to his colleague calling up Namita through the intercom.

Arjun rolled his eyes as he mumbled under his breath. Jyotsna decided that it was best if she did not utter anything, although the thought of the Ranawats welcoming her was an agonizing one as it seemed to be erasing the line of professionalism.

The door of Ranawat Mansion opened to reveal Namita with a ceremonial plate in her hands to welcome them and Indumati standing with a sophisticated smile playing on her lips.

"Di, Nani..." Arjun started, but was only cut off by Indumatii's glare at him.

Namita circled the plate around them, making them feel all the more awkward around each other and inciting tumultuous emotions in Jyotsna's heart. Namita placed a dot of vermilion on their foreheads and moved to a side to allow them in.

"Honestly Di, what was the need for this? You just made Ms.Khanna stand for longer, which is against what had been advised for her," he questioned, as he loosened his tie a bit to his familiar environment.

"Of course, it was necessary, Chote. We don't mean to put Jyotsna Bitiya's health at risk, but it is a ritual. After all, Bitiya is our Bahu now," mused Nani, her words stopping Arjun in his path.

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

Arjun and Jyotsna looked at each in surprise before turning their attention to Indumati, who seemed to be least affected by the intensity of their glares.

"Nani, I think you are becoming delusional!" lashed Arjun, noticing Jyotsna's discomfort.

"I think you are forgetting something, Golu. You have signed a contract which says that you both would be legally married from the minute of Jyotsna Bitiya's pregnancy. So that means, Jyotsna is the Bahu of this house," she answered with a proud look on her face.

"What the heck? Nani, when Ms.Khanna placed that clause in the contract, she meant she wanted legal rights as my wife and ground to claim as so in front of others. It is to ensure the legitimacy of her as the mother of the child, which she wants to be known as, even in the future. Not to be the Ranawat Bahu! Isn't it, Ms.Khanna?" he looked at her, asking for her views.

" I agree with Mr.Ranawat, Nani Ji. When I put in this clause, I didn't want or expect the privileges of being Ranawat Bahu. I also clearly mentioned that I don't expect anything from this family or your grandson. I repeat that this marriage is just on papers, nothing beyond that," she argued. Being called as Bahu and wife of someone was the last thing she wanted at the moment.

The situation was already taking a toll on her and she was getting more strings attached than she would have wanted to happen. But she would not let stray strings attach to her heart and bind her to Arjun Ranawat. Not if she could help it.

"Of course, we are aware of the same, Jyotsna. But you see, our Golu is as adamant as one can get. We know for sure that he won't be marrying anytime we would live to see so we thought that we would treat this contract marriage as the real one as long as it lasts, considering this is the closest we can get to the dream we have seen. Moreover, it is a win-win situation. It would create a healthy atmosphere for you and your unborn baby too," replied Namita in a haughty and matter-of-fact tone.

Jyotsna stood flabbergasted as she tried to comprehend what Namita uttered. She thought that she was the only one who was cursed with a family member who held their personal desires above the dreams of others but standing face-to-face with Namita and Indumati, who put Arjun in a fix with their wishes, surely proved that she was wrong.

"ENOUGH! How much more do you want to ruin our lives, Di and Nani? One wish after other, one demand after the other, does your list have an end? Don't you have even a bit of thinking ability which would make you realize how much harm you are causing us? Let me bring it on myself to acquaint you with the reality," lashed Arjun, as he moved over to Jyotsna and guided her towards Namita and Indumati.

"Standing before the two of you is a lady who sacrificed herself for the sake of her family; the one for whom her self-respect means the world but what have you done to her? You put her in a situation in which she could no longer be her master, she had to bend down in front of situations she never would, thanks to you and her brother. The one who loves her family enough to place them over herself could not even wave them a final good-bye. Why? The guilt of lying to her mother killed her from within. What caused that? Your atrocious demand of being an aunt and great-grandmother. You ruined her enough and I would not let you ruin her any further, so please keep her out of your wretched dreams," he spat, astounding Namita and Indumati.

They had surely expected resistance from either of them. But being used to Arjun 's initial resistance but later acceptance through the years had made them think that this time it would be no different. Little did they know that they would see Arjun proving that one's pain becomes intolerable when they see it being inflicted on someone whom they admire.

On the other hand, Jyotsna was unable to take her eyes off Arjun. The foster mother of hers who always seemed to understand every action of hers could not decode her cryptic behavior and the man whom she still called as an almost stranger in the inner recesses of her brain had not just managed to comprehend her behavior but had also understood the reason of the same. An unknown warmth spread through her body as she eyed the man who argued for her against his own family.

Not giving a chance for them to reply, Arjun turned around, still holding Jyotsna's hand in a firm yet gentle grasp, and guiding her to the destination he had decided after the altercation: she would stay on the same floor as him.