Hello Lovely Readers,
Here is the Next Part of this FF,

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Not Proofread, Please ignore the typos and grammatical errors.

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Thank you to whoever read/voted/commented on the last chapter.

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Happy Reading and Enjoy

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Let's get started with the story

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Banner done by : Nicolleaxi

Flashback Starts :

She came out of her room when she heard Garima's shout, but didn't ask anything. Then her babuji also came and was looking a bit tense. So, she couldn't help but ask, "what happened babuji"?

He told her not to worry and started to knock on the door, but when Sheetal didn't open the door, he also started panicking. Meanwhile, Garima kept knocking on the door.

Suddenly, the door opens automatically. They understood that it was not locked from within.

They went straight in but were shocked as Sheetal was not there. They were looking for her fanatically. Suddenly, Garima received a message from her daughter, "sorry mom, I couldn't go through with this marriage. I've never dreamed of being a housewife. I wanted to be big and got that lifetime opportunity. I couldn't lose it because of this fucking marriage".

Garima began to feel dizzy after reading the message. Shashi snatched the phone from her hand and read it out aloud. Khushi gasped when she heard it. Shashi Gupta yelled to Garima, "how could she do that to her family"?

He then turned to Khushi and said with all his love, "Khushi, meri bachchi! I've never asked you anything before. But today, I want a favor, bitiya. Will you please listen to me"? Before Khushi opened her mouth, Garima cried out realizing his plan, "what were you doing, Shashi ji"?

Shashi looked at her as calmly as possible, "you're wrong. I didn't call her. She was already here when you were busy in mourning for YOUR dear daughter's act. That's why you didn't notice. Waise bhi, When did you notice her ever"? He was being sarcastic.

"Now, listen carefully. Your daughter did what she shouldn't have! Now everything will happen, the way I want, understand? I don't want any words to come out of your mouth. If you do, then it would be your last day here. Your daughter has already gone, leaving the family in a difficult position. Now I'll throw you out in front of all the people". He threatened his wife.

Garima shuddered at his threat. She was stunned as she never saw him like this before. So, she shut her mouth, even though she was fuming inside.

Khushi stood there gaping and got a little scared too. He looked at Khushi and said, "bitiya! Marry Arnav bitwa. Please listen to your babuji once". Both Garima and Khushi gasped.

Khushi was shaken to the core listening to her father. Her heart jumped at once and started to beat loudly. Tears gathered in her eyes and her lips trembled when she heard the harsh voice of her so-called mother. "What the hell, Shashi ji"? Garima screamed, but closed her mouth when he glared at her.

Khushi shook her head with vehemence. She couldn't go through with it? How could she? It meant she was supposed to be an alternate. No...no. How could she take her sister's place?

"No babuji no. I mean, how could you think like that? I... I... I can never, babuji"! She was shaken up. Marrying him would have been bliss if he loved HER, but its not like that. That would be fraud. And more than anything, he loved Sheetal. She couldn't be selfish. No.

She was on her way out, her babuji stopped her and folded her hand in front of her. She shook her head and wrapped her hand on his, "bitiya, you trust me, right? Until today, I had never asked anything, but today I beg of you bitiya! It was a matter of our family and more importantly, it's about MY reputation. Please, bitiya, at least think once before denying". He tried his best to persuade her. He knew he was forcing her, but it's for the best.

"B...bu...but babuji, it's Sheetal's place. And Arn... Arnavji also loved her. They'd never accept me. That would be cheating, babuji". Her voice got muffled.

"She left her place on her own. No one forced her beta. And as for Arnav, everything would be fine with time. Please bitiya, Gupta family's reputation was in your hands today". His voice choked.

Khushi found herself in a quandary. Her heart started racing like crazy. What she had in mind for herself and what was about to happen? And Garima? She looked at her and shivered. She was giving her a scathing look.

Khushi closed her eyes in despair. After sometime, opened her eyes and stared at her father's helpless face. She finally agreed to do what her father decided for her, making her father delighted.

Seeing Khushi's acceptance, Garima's blood boiled and said, "No, nobody could take my daughter's place, let alone this orphan. I would not allow her to replace my Sheetal".

Shashi screamed, "OUTTTT!!! I said, Out'' but she stood there stubbornly. Shashi blessed his daughter, ignoring his wife's furious form. After some time, he came out happy with a growling Garima behind him. What he didn't notice that Garima didn't follow him, but walked back into Khushi's room again.

She looked at her and said, "I've no choice now, so I'm letting you take Sheetal's place. But remember! You are merely a substitute bride, nothing else. So, don't fly high. Don't forget, Arnav loved my daughter Sheetal, not you. He could never accept you. Now, get ready quickly, we have to go down".

She was about to leave but came back again, "you were only a substitute for my daughter, not the real bride. You would have to give back her life as soon as she comes back. You would live your life as my daughter's substitute, not as the real Mrs. ASR. Don't you dare forget that? If not, you would have to face the consequences" and left the room, leaving a broken Khushi behind.

After some hours, she became Khushi Singh Raizada. ASR's Substitute Bride. Garima reminded her the same thing again while giving blessings.

On her way back to Delhi, she was scared. Her heart pounded with nervousness. What would she do when they took that veil off? How did Arnav and Raizada react to the treachery? But she was shocked when Arnav presented her as Mrs. ASR. For a brief moment, she was happy, but Garima's words started to swirl through her mind again. She wasn't able to handle the stress and passed out.

Flashback Ends

Now, she was sitting here on the floor like a broken doll with no clue what to do or more precisely say. She was just waiting for Arnav and his family to come and throw her out of the house.

She jerked back to reality when she heard the door open. She lifted her eyes and saw Arnav was leaning on the door.

He blinked his eyes, "when did you get up? How are you feeling now"? Without realizing tears started to flow from her eyes hearing his soft voice. It held no anger made hrr more guilty. He swallowed, seeing this. He cursed himself for doing this to her. He felt guilty.

He didn't know how to console her, that's when Ratna came and walked up to her. She fondled her head, "Khushi beta! How are you now"? She was amazed to see such calmness on her face. She threw herself in Ratna's arms and started crying loudly.

Ratna's eyes got teary to see her like that. Aditya and Arnav felt stifled. Ratna knew what Khushi might have been going through. "I... I am sorry, Aunty. I... I... I... Sheetal ran away from marriage and I... I had to fulfill her place. I couldn't see babuji being insulted. Please forgive me, Aunty. I...i... I... will go back once Sheetal is back". She was hiccuping continuously while saying all this.

"Shushhhh... shuhuss... beta! We know what happened. We already spoke to Shashi Ji, and who told you to leave? From now on, YOU are our bahu and my Chote's wife. You had nothing to do with Sheetal's running away. So let's not think of all this now. Okay? Rest, we would take care of it together. Alright! Now take some rest. We had to conduct the muh dikhai rasam in the evening and before that, we also had to meet dadi. Okay bachcha". Ratna said lovingly and caressed her head.

Khushi looked at Ratna astonishingly. Was this like a mother's love? For the first time, she felt that she also had a mother. She nodded her head, and they went away, asking Arnav to look after their daughter.

After they left, Khushi felt uncomfortable to face her husband. She was fidgeting in nervousness. She was about to open her mouth to say something, but stopped.

Arnav looked at her nervousness and thought to give her some time and was on his way to the bathroom. But...but...Khushi also placed her hand on the knob at the same time. Her heart skipped a beat feeling his touch. She started to wriggle in nervousness to take her hand away and he left it even though he wanted to hold it firmly. But its not the right time, he knew that.

"You go first. You should change, this dress looks very heavy"! He asked her to change.

She stared at the man in front of her. "Who was this man? His bride ran away from the mandap and he had to marry a stranger. Still not even once shown anger towards me or my family? How could someone be so good? How could Sheetal leave such a man and ran away"?

"Khushi, what happened? Why were you still standing here? Go and get fresh. You must be hungry too, right? Ifbi am not wrong then you didn't have the time to eat anything till now"! He asked her concernedly.

Khushi nodded at him, "Aa.. you also hadn't eat anything na.. will not eat anything"? She looked at him with the same concern.

Arnav felt happy seeing her concern for him. He nodded and told her they will eat together after getting fresh. She smiled and went to washroom for getting fresh.

Meanwhile his mobile ring broke his trance. Seeing the number he turned into a ruthless, merciless ASR again, "yes, Rana! Okay" and drop the call.

"Sheetal Gupta! You wanted to hurt my Pari with shredded glass, now see how your own medicine tasted like" and smiled like a merciless demon. He later called Aman to tell him about the call.

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Abundant Building :

Sheetal came to the address that was given to her, but was afraid to see no one there. She found herself alone in a dark, dingy building. She shouted, "Hello! Is there anyone here! Hello...hell...hell...hello"!! She stammered.

Then she heard someone's shoe shuffling. "He...hello, mam! I... I am Sheetal Gupta". She held her hand forward to greet her, but got scared when she saw her cold face. She wasn't feeling good about all this and was about to say something, when from nowhere some guys came over there.

They tied her eyes and mouth and hands with some black cloth and started to drag her after taking her shoes off. Only her muffling sound came out. All of a sudden, she felt tremendous pain in her feet, as if some glass pieces were pricking her.

"Ummmm...ummm. Umppphhhh" She tried to free herself and screamed in pain. That's when she heard a woman's voice, "Kyun? Bahut dard ho raha hai? It was always painful when glass pieces pricked. They say na, karma is a bitch. You never know, when it comes back to bite you". Her voice held disgust. She dragged her from there and put her in a chair like that and went from there saying, "don't even try to run away. Got it" leaving a frightened, crying, screaming Sheetal behind him.

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How was it?

Hopefully, You all will like it. If not, forgive me for disappointing you.

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Take care and Stay Safe,

Regards,
Dipanwita86