Introduction
Blood is thicker than water. That's how the saying goes, right? A blood relation will always take precedence over any other. Or, so Arnav Singh Raizada thought. He was willing to do anything for his sister, the one who had been there for him through everything in his life. The one he thought would always be there for him.
Alas, he was wrong. He was so wrong. This woman, the woman who had always meant more to him than life itself, was responsible for ruining his life, destroying every last shred of happiness. She knew what a b*stard her husband was, yet she did nothing about it. She allowed Arnav's only happiness in life to slip through his fingers. A selfish, cruel woman; that's what she was.
He didn't see things from her perspective, though. How could he, with all the pent-up rage built up inside him? When you have two blood relations, both relying on you, both unable to coexist, which do you choose? Such was Anjali Manohar Jha's plight.
Part 1
BANG! The door slammed shut behind Arnav, waking Anjali out of her trance with a jolt. She kneeled down by the door, placing her hand against it, and sunk to the floor.
"Chote... I'm so sorry Chote... Chote... Chote..." She repeatedly mumbled between sobs.
"If you value me as your brother at all, Shyam will not be here when I get back." Arnav's sharp words resonated in Anjali's mind. What do I do? She slowly wandered over to the cot where her daughter laid; she had placed her in there shortly after Arnav's entry into her room.
"Asha... my beautiful Asha. Asha Manohar Jha." She crooned as she tickled beneath her daughter's chin. Asha's mouth opened, a small giggle erupting from within. Anjali carefully lifted the fragile bundle out of the cot and held her tight, walking around her bedroom. All of a sudden, Asha began to cry.
--FLASHBACK--
"Chote, look! It's going to be fine." Anjali spoke, in an attempt to pacify a wailing Arnav. They had been playing outside when a 4-year-old Arnav tripped and grazed his knee against a rock.
"It hurts, Di!" He managed between sobs. Anjali stroked his head lovingly.
"Listen, Chote. Hold my hand, okay? I'll make everything better." Arnav held onto Anjali's hand with a vice-like grip as she slowly began dabbing his graze with a moist cloth. He hissed in pain.
"Di, it hurts too much!" Anjali mock-frowned.
"Is this the same Chote who likes running around playing the handsome prince?" Arnav looked up at her through tearful eyes. "How can you be brave enough to rescue a princess if you can't even handle a little bit of pain?"
"I am brave!"
"So, prove it! Princes don't cry. I'll make your leg better and then we can ask Mama for ice cream, okay?" Arnav broke into a huge smile at the thought of ice cream. He allowed Anjali to continue wiping his wound and place a plaster on it. "There we go, Chote. All better." She smiled.
"You're the best, Di!"
--FLASHBACK--
Asha's screams brought Anjali out of her reverie. Anjali rushed around, rocking Asha and trying to figure out exactly what was wrong. She attempted to place a dummy in Asha's mouth, which she spat out, cueing another round of tears.
"Asha, come on! Help me out here..." After eventually realising that Asha was due a feed, Anjali went downstairs to make some formula for her. Ever since she had discovered the truth behind Shyam's deceit, she struggled to develop a bond with her baby, therefore she didn't feel comfortable breastfeeding her. She would often sit awake in bed at night, gazing at Asha's cot, trying to stir some emotions within her; some motherly instincts. Yet all she could think was this is not my baby. This isn't how it was supposed to be. Her and Shyam both devised a system where they took turns to wake up and feed her during the night. Crazy as it sounded, despite knowing about all of the pain Shyam had caused everyone, Anjali couldn't help but feel at peace when he was around. Even though it was all an illusion, a fantasy, it was one she did not ever want to escape from. The three of them together were the perfect family, even though she knew they were just keeping up appearances.
Asha eventually fell asleep again, and Anjali tucked herself into bed, exhausted. A little nap won't hurt, she thought as she awaited Shyam's return. She found herself wondering exactly what she was going to say to him, what her decision was going to be. Could she not live in this dream for a little longer? She closed her eyes.
--FLASHBACK--
It was beautiful day. The birds were chirping, and Anjali whistled in tune with them. She skipped over to her brother. It was Raksha Bandhan, one of Anjali's favourite festivals of the year as every year, she and Arnav made a promise to one another; a promise to protect each other. Always. As always, Anjali presented Arnav with a Rakhi she had made herself, this time with gold and red thread. She smiled as she tied it onto Arnav's wrist.
"I'll always be here for you, Chote. No matter what."
Arnav in return handed Anjali a new red salwar kameez, as well as a sterling silver pooja ki thali. Anjali beamed at this, disregarding the salwar kameez completely and focussing only on the intricate design on the thali.
"And I promise to always protect you, Di. Through everything, I'll protect you." Arnav smiled as he fed Anjali some kaju katri. Anjali in return fed Arnav with a sugar-free alternative.
--FLASHBACK--
Things were so simple then, she thought. One thing that had never changed was the fact that Anjali was Arnav's source of solace, the one person he could talk about anything to.How could I do this to him? She had allowed her selfishness to ruin his life. But was she not justified as well? Couldn't she have her happiness? It wasn't as if she had forced Arnav to marry Khushi in the way he did. Why did everything in her life have to begin and end with Arnav all the time? She was sick of having to put him first all the time; she had a new family to take care of.
Sitting up in bed, Anjali glanced over at Asha's cot, watching her daughter's chest lightly rise and fall as she slept. She owed it to Asha as well as herself to try to make this work.
--FLASHBACK--
Anjali could only make out snippets of the conversation.
"...dirty sl*t! why were you talking to him?!"
"I wasn't, I swear..."
"How dare you answer back?!"
"No... please..."
Smack! Anjali felt a shock go through her body as she heard yet another one. More shouting.
She held a shaking Arnav tight in her arms as they both hid in a room upstairs. Ever since she opened the door for her father and smelled the strong sour odour emanating from his mouth, she knew what was coming. When her mother had sent her and Arnav upstairs to play, it had just confirmed her suspicions.
"Di, I'm scared!" Arnav cried out, but Anjali was quick to hush him.
"Chote look, remember what Mama said? It's just a game that Papa likes to play sometimes. There's no need to be scared, okay?" Anjali attempted to block Arnav's ears as her mother screamed again.
"But Di, Mama doesn't like this game!"
"I know, Chote."
"Then why is no one stopping Papa?! We just need to tell him that Mama doesn't want to play anymore and he'll stop." Arnav got up but Anjali quickly pulled him back.
"What are you doing, Chote?" She whispered urgently.
"Going to Papa."
"No! You don't take a single step. You're staying right here, with me. With your Di." Anjali wiped Arnav's tears and held him tight again. She cradled him and sang to him until he fell into a deep sleep. It was only then that she let go of him and allowed her own tears to fall.
--FLASHBACK--
Her mother's old bruises hadn't even begun to fade by the time the new ones became visible the following morning. Yet she would never hear a word said against their father. She would just go about her normal day, acting as if nothing had happened. She had grown so used to his erratic behaviour that she didn't even flinch when he'd poke at her bruises and ask her how she got them. "I fell down," she automatically responded "it won't happen again." Something they all knew wasn't true. Whenever Arnav even began to mention it, or question her on the bruises as he grew up, their mother was quick to silence him. She'd sometimes even snap at him for asking such questions. But she had tried her best to protect her children; she would never let their father lay a finger on them. She tried so desperately to keep her family together, to keep her children happy despite everything. As Arnav grew older, his resentment for his father grew. In the days that followed their parents' death, Arnav cried no tears for his father; any tears he shed were for his mother only. He blamed his father for everything.
But Arnav didn't understand. He was still young. He didn't understand that sometimes sacrifices had to be made in order for a marriage to work; in order for a family to work. He still doesn't, Anjali thought.
--FLASHBACK--
Anjali sat up on the grass, still admiring the beauty of the stars above her. From the corner of her eye she saw Shyam follow suit. She also noticed something in his hands, which he then passed to her.
"These are for you." Anjali gazed lovingly at the bouquet of roses presented to her and looked up at a smiling Shyam. She quickly looked down again, a blush creeping up her cheeks.
"Thank you Shyamji." She whispered almost inaudibly. She gazed around at the open field they were sat on, trying not to meet Shyam's eyes.
"Anjaliji, you're blushing so much that you're putting the roses to shame!" Shyam laughed at Anjali's desperate attempts to stop herself from going any redder. He lifted her chin so she was facing him directly. "Do you like them?"
"Yes." He smiled in satisfaction. Hesitantly, Anjali spoke again. "B-but why did you get these for me Shyamji?"
"Because I have something very important to ask you." Anjali looked up at him expectantly, her heart racing.
"What is it Shyamji?"
"Let's go for a walk." He helped Anjali to her feet and propped her up against him until he was sure she had found her footing. "Anjaliji, ever since I first met you I knew there was something there."
"Something? Like what Shyamji?" He smiled at her naivety.
"A spark, if you like. Something had drawn me to you ever since I had first set eyes on you. As I'm preparing to leave for Lucknow for some business, I realised that I don't want to leave you."
"I don't want you to go either Shyamji." She spoke softly. His next words surprised her.
"So why don't you come with me?" He stared at her intently, trying to gauge her response.
"Come with you? To Lucknow? I-I can't. What will people think, Shyamji?"
"I meant as my wife." Anjali's eyes widened in shock.
"You want me... you want me to marry you?" She eventually managed.
"Yes! I've never felt this way before, Anjaliji. I want you to go from being Anjali Malik to my Rani Sahiba, Anjali Manohar Jha. I promise to take care of you and I'll try my best to keep you happy." Anjali beamed up at Shyam, only for her smile to fade again and be replaced with a frown.
"I... I can't, Shyamji." Shyam furrowed his eyebrows.
"Why not?" Anjali looked down in shame.
"Because... I am not worthy of you. I mean, look at me! Can you really imagine yourself with a crippled wife for the rest of your life?" Shyam stopped to look at her, moving a stray strand of hair away from Anjali's face.
"Look at me, Rani Sahiba." She grudgingly looked up at him. "Don't you ever say that again. You are perfect; in fact, I am not worthy of you. When I first set eyes on you, it wasn't your disability that captured my attention; it was your beautiful smile and the twinkle in your eyes.
"But Shyamji-"
"But nothing. If you have any other reason to object to marrying me, I will listen to it. But if you feel I'm so superficial that I'd even care about your leg being in this condition..." He shook his head, turning to leave when Anjali grabbed his arm.
"Shyamji, wait." He turned back towards her and she smiled. "I would love to marry you." Shyam smiled at this, and so did Anjali until a thought suddenly struck her. "But how will I convince Nani and Chote?" Shyam placed his hands gently on Anjali's shoulders.
"You're forgetting that I'm a lawyer, Rani Sahiba. I'll speak to them." He assured her.
--FLASHBACK--
Anjali recalled the day of Shyam's proposal with a smile on her face. Shyam had always treated her like a princess, for once making her feel as if she actually deserved happiness and God wasn't punishing her anymore. Before meeting him, she had often prayed to Devi Maiyya, asking her what unforgiveable crime she had committed in a past life that subjected her to so much hardship in this one. Yet she was never given an answer. She figured that it had been because now that Shyam entered her life, all her woes would disappear. She remembered how wonderful it felt to know that someone could still love and care for her despite her flaws; love her out of choice rather than out of duty. After her previous encounter, her broken wedding a few years prior and the imminent death of her parents, no one had visited with proposals. Anjali was seen as being cursed after going through so much misfortune, and nobody wanted to see their sons with such a woman. But Shyam had been different. From the first day they had bumped into each other, a chance meeting, to their frequent meetings that followed. Anjali discovered that she and Shyam had many more similarities than differences; the two of them were orphans, however Shyam had no other relatives and was brought up in an orphanage. Where in her family, Arnav provided for her and handed her everything on a plate, Shyam had to work tirelessly to get where he was. Anjali had always admired that about him - his determination, his drive, and the high expectations he had for himself. It was these two different approaches to life that helped them mould together and complement one another. Their differences were a strength rather than a hindrance to their relationship.
And she needed strength if she was going to hold her family together.
Arnav and Asha dominated Anjali's thoughts that night. She thought about her mother, and what she would do if she was in this situation. There was no thought necessary ' she already knew. Her mother would have stayed with Shyam if she had thought it was what was best for her children. Despite whatever Arnav thought of him, their father did provide for them and ensured that they always had food in their stomachs and clothes on their backs until his addiction took sole control. Their mother knew that she would not have been able to provide for them alone. That, along with the fact that she still loved him unconditionally, made her endure the torture he inflicted on her that eventually led to both of their deaths.
Anjali forced her eyes shut as she heard the door silently close behind her.
"'yes, same time tomorrow. You too." Shyam whispered into the phone, careful not to wake Anjali up. He hung up just as he saw Anjali stir. "Ra-Rani Sahiba? You're awake?" Anjali smiled over at him.
"I fell asleep waiting for you but I heard you come in. Was that a client on the phone?" Shyam breathed an inaudible sigh of relief.
"Yes, it's a really big case and he keeps hassling me to meet him." Anjali nodded knowingly.
"You were working late again?" She asked innocently.
"Yeah, there's just so much work to do and I need to work as much as I can; we do have a little one to take care of now as well." As if on cue, Asha gurgled as she readjusted her body to find a more comfortable sleeping position.
"As if you've provided for anyone in this family before." Anjali mumbled.
"Sorry, what was that Rani Sahiba?" Anjali smiled too warmly and invited him to sit down next to her.
"Nothing, it was nothing. So, how was your day?" Shyam shrugged.
"Same old, same old. How was yours?"
"Oh, it was enlightening." Anjali said, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. There was a pause, and Anjali used it to gather her thoughts. She leaned her head on Shyam's shoulder, wrapping her arm around his waist. He reluctantly put an arm around her.
"Rani Sahiba, is everything okay?" Anjali hesitated before she spoke. She looked up at Shyam with a shifty look.
"You know tomorrow Khushiji is getting married?" She felt Shyam tense under her touch at the mention of Khushi's wedding. Still, he managed to make his voice sound impassive.
"Yes."
She bit her lip. "Well' Well, I-I know you said we couldn't go. But I really want to." She looked up at him gingerly, trying to gauge his reaction.
"Rani Sahiba, how many times have I said this to you? We are not going, and that's final."
"But why?" She asked, trying to match his degree of indifference. Shyam sighed and rolled his eyes.
"What is she to do with you, Anjali?!" Anjali was shocked at Shyam's sudden harsh tone. His expression switched instantly and he gave her a rueful smile. "I'm sorry, Rani Sahiba. I didn't mean to shout."
"She's my sister-in-law. And a friend. I just want to be there on her wedding day." Shyam pushed Anjali back slightly so he could face her directly.
"Look Rani Sahiba, we have little Asha to think of. She's still so tiny; there's no way we'll be able to take her there. Also, are you forgetting the pain Khushiji put the whole family through when she left Arnav ' I mean Saale Sahib? That too, with no reason?" Anjali pulled away from him.
"She had a reason." She whispered, almost inaudibly.
"What was that, Rani Sahiba? I didn't hear you."
"I said, she had a reason." She spoke, raising her voice slightly. Shyam folded his arms across his chest, giving Anjali a quizzical look.
"And what reason would that be?" Anjali took a deep breath to compose herself. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears. After a moment, she looked up, meeting Shyam's eyes directly.
"You." She spoke in a venomous tone. To add to the fury built up inside her, Shyam began laughing. A forced laugh, she noticed as she saw the panic evident in his eyes.
"Me, Rani Sahiba? What did I do?"
"You know exactly what you did, and so do I." She spoke again just as Shyam opened his mouth. "But incase you've forgotten I'll remind you, shall I?" She paused and had the satisfaction of seeing Shyam gulp in fear.
"R-Rani Sahiba-"
"No! This time I'm going to talk and you're going to listen." She was surprised at the viciousness of her own usually sweet voice, but she continued. "The rich clients who were so grateful for your assistance in their cases that they treated you to holidays in exotic locations for weeks. Where did you go again? Oh, that's right ' Barcelona, New York, Paris. Oh, and conveniently they only ever booked you one ticket. Whenever you'd return from your 'holidays', there you'd be emptying our bank account again because you 'accidentally spent' all the money you earned. Oh, and who can forget those wonderful fortnightly phone calls I used to receive from all those exotic locations?" Shyam felt a bead of sweat dripping down his face as he desperately waited for her to continue, trying to conjure up an excuse for whatever accusation she was going to throw at him. "All from your mobile number. Which, if I remember correctly, can only make or receive calls within India!" She continued, interrupting Shyam once again when he was about to speak. "I saw your bank statements, Shyamji. I know that the postcards you brought were all from the gift shop located 20 minutes away from where Khushiji lives!"
Shyam attempted to compose himself. "Y-yes, Rani Sahiba. I didn't have time to-"
Anjali raised a hand to stop him. "And the ring? The time you bought that ring, thatengagement ring." She almost spat the word 'engagement' out. "The ring that didn't belong to me, yet I saw Khushiji wearing one that matched the description on the receipt completely."
"Rani Sahiba, I already told you. The ring I bought was for you, it just went missing' what are you trying to say?" Anjali slid back, looking at him in bewilderment.
"You're sweating, Shyamji. You look stressed." Shyam subconsciously attempted to wipe his face with the sleeve of his kurta.
"I think we both need to sleep, it's been a long day."
"No' we're not done yet. You're right, of course. These are just random coincidences; all the hormones are getting to me, I guess, and I'm just blurting out stupid things." Shyam breathed a sigh of relief.
"Finally, I-"
"I mean I must be going crazy, imagining that you had a secret phone filled with calls and texts sent to Khushiji and more recently a woman called Laila. Right?"
"Y-you and your imagination R-rani Sahiba." Shyam's eyes widened in horror as Anjali presented his phone to him; the phone no one knew about. They widened further as she went through his calls and texts, reading out the ones that stood out to her.
"Khushiji, I can't wait to be married to you. Laila, I miss you baby. Can't wait to see you again." She threw the phone at him. "DO I NEED TO PRESENT YOU WITH ANY MORE EVIDENCE OR DO YOU BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THAT I KNOW ALL ABOUT YOUR SCHEMES?!" She screamed. "I know all about your engagement to Khushiji. I know all about this sordid affair with Laila & I'm not going to sit back and let you walk all over me anymore!" Shyam shook his head in disbelief.
"Rani Sahiba, let-"
"Don't you dare call me that." Anjali spoke in an acid-like tone. "Do you remember our wedding day, Shyamji? We made promises. The most important promise we made was to stay true and loyal to one another. The final time we walked around that fire, sealing our relationship. Sealing our fate." Shyam just nodded numbly. "I worshipped you! The second you proposed to me I felt like all my prayers had been answered. Yet you piled on the lies and snuck around behind my back. The second you stopped fulfilling the promises you made was the second this marriage was over."
"Rani Sahiba, you can't do this!" Shyam urged her, getting down on his knees in front of her. In reply, Anjali took of the mangalsutra she had tied around her neck and placed it in his hand. She then proceeded to wipe the sindoor off of her forehead.
"Me and Asha don't need you; I doubt she'd ever want to know a man who was such a coward. Get up, you look pathetic." She grabbed a suitcase and randomly threw some of his clothes in there, chucking the bag at the kneeling figure in front of her. "Now get out." When it looked as if Shyam might protest, she spoke again. "Don't make me call the police."
Shocked and unable to comprehend the fact that he had not been as careful as he had thought, Shyam grabbed his bag and turned to leave. He cleared his throat. "Asha is still my daughter."
Anjali smirked at him. "I'll see you in court if you want to fight for custody. I'm sure the judge and jury would jump at the chance of giving custody to someone with a background of attempted murder." She paused, taking in his shocked expression. "I told you Shyam, I know everything. Oh, and I just thought I'd warn you - I'm filing for divorce first thing tomorrow and you won't be getting your filthy hands on a penny of my wealth."
Anjali practically pushed Shyam out of their room and then out of the front door. As soon as she heard the door shut completely behind him she broke down into floods of tears, feeling as if her soul had just left her. She sat against the door, unable to move a muscle.
"It's just you and me now Asha. Just you and me." She sobbed.
Shyam got into his car and began gulping down the stash of vodka he had hidden in the glove compartment. He switched on the engine and began to drive.
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