Chapter 5

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed."

"So, you got a big fish this time after hitting that Aryan?" this was Ayushi's father this time who asked this salacious question to his own daughter.

"Yeah, I didn't know that you were more clever than us to catch such a big fish. The richest businessman of Bhopal. Wow," Ayushi's stepmother spoke out proudly.

Ayushi felt disgusted at their words. They didn't even think about her that what she went through but they were planning for the next goat they were soon going to slaughter. She felt so shameful that she was a member of such a family.

"Papa, I don't even know what you are talking about? How I've caught a big fish? Leave that, not even for once you asked about my state. Don't I mean anything to you?" Ayushi spoke in a weak voice.

"Haha. I'm talking about Mr. Dhruv Singh Rajput. The youngest billionaire who was standing here a few moments ago. Once you'll be married to him, we too will get richer & richer," her father spoke with cleverness in his voice.

"What?" Ayushi exclaimed. How low can these people be! Every time they just want to make a profit, every time only money revolves around their head. How much more money do they want! Ayushi got frustrated and got up from the bed, she wanted to be alone now, in her own room in her house.

"Yes, we'll try our best to get you married to their son. After all, they're the richest family of Bhopal and I've seen the adoration and love they had for you in their eyes," her stepmother spoke evilly.

"I don't know why you all are so much behind money. You didn't even think once about me, that what I went through today, all you want is money. I despise you all," Ayushi cried and ran outside the room, leaving her stepmother and father to plan more ideas on how to trap this family and loot them.

The next day, Ayushi woke up early in the morning and the first thing she heard was the commotion outside her room. Someone was shouting loudly outside her room. She immediately rushed towards the washroom, brushed her teeth, and washed her face with water, and went outside her room to see that what just happened.

She saw that Aryan's mother was shouting out loud at her father and her stepmother. And she immediately got the reason why it was happening. Because her son was jailed under Section-376 for about seven years for the attempt of rape. She could also see that she was carrying a newspaper in her hands as well and was abusing someone very badly. Ayushi flinched at their high voices with nothing but just hatred and abhorrence filled abuses. She wanted to go there and stop that lady because it was her son who tried to rape her, it was her own son who was the culprit and not the other way around.

Ayushi gathered some courage and went towards them. She wanted to stop this lady's shouting because it was too much now.

"Aunt, your son tried to rape me and you're justifying him? How can you? You're a woman too, can't you even see that what kind of heinous crime your son committed. I'm just so very happy that I got to know the truth about him before the marriage, otherwise, I don't know what more was behind his gentleman facade," Ayushi spoke out with anger blazing out her eyes.

"Oh wow! Now you'll lecture me! Haven't you seen yourself? What were you doing in another man's arms? Being a characterless herself, and you are calling my son a rapist. Actually, you must have only seduced him to do this with you, and later on just to penalize us, you're doing all this drama. How cheap and low you are! Just like your parents," Aryan's mother shouted out loudly in rage. Her every word was like venom which made Ayushi tongue-tied. She didn't know what was her fault in all those things that happened yesterday. She didn't know that in whose arms she was that this lady was accusing her of. She didn't know anything.

"What are you saying?" it was Ayushi's father this time who roared loudly.

"Just see for yourself," Aryan's mother pushed the newspaper she was carrying, in his hands and all were shocked after what they saw on the front page of the newspaper.

In big, capital and bold letters, "FINALLY THE YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRE FOUND HIS LOVE" was printed along with the big photograph of Dhruv Singh Rajput carrying Ayushi in his arms, while his eyes were trained on her only. Both their faces were visible and as Ayushi had fainted, it was edited as she had purposely closed her eyes.

Ayushi was shocked to the core. She didn't even have seen this man then how could he possibly carry her in his arms. Yesterday, she hadn't noticed him because he was standing far away from them. She was perplexed that how could this happen. She didn't know this man for sure. She hadn't seen him for once in her life.

"I don't even know this man," she cried out loudly and all eyes were on her now.

"Don't start your drama again. I know girls like you can never stop running behind rich men. Gold diggers like you just run behind rich men to please them and later on after looting them, you just dump them. Because of your slutty nature, my son is in jail now. You are the reason behind all our miseries. You deserve to be raped," she was going to say more when a loud and authority filled voice stopped her.

"Stop this right now," it was Dhruv's Dadi who shouted out loudly for this lady to stop her venomous words against that innocent soul who didn't even know that who was this man who was carrying her in his arms.

"She fainted at that time when this photo was clicked. And you know why she fainted? Because of the trauma, she went through because of your monstrous son's deeds. People like you are the reason why so many rapists are moving so freely in India because no matter what, you only name the girl as a slut, characterless, and all. My grandson was carrying her towards the room where the doctor was going to check up on her. It was the deed of one of the famous media-house to gain some TRP and hot news. I just pity your mentality," Dadi's words were like a huge slap on Aryan's mother's face. Her face was down as she was embarrassed by how much bad words she used against this innocent girl, whose only mistake was that she trusted the wrong person.

Aryan's mother couldn't even speak a word and moved out of their house with shame prevalent on her face.

Between all this, Ayushi was hurt the most. She was being called a characterless, slut, gold digger, and whatnot. And what was her mistake? She was tried to be raped, only that was her mistake. She cried there uncontrollably and her so-called family just stood there sympathizing with her.

It was Dhruv's grandma that ran towards her side and took Ayushi in her embrace. Dadi knew what she must be feeling now. If a question is raised against a girl about her character, that's where she feels the most helpless, weak, and demoralized.

Actually, Dhruv's whole family when saw the newspaper today in the morning, they were too shocked and paralyzed at their respective places. Because these media houses can seriously cook any story and serve it in front of the whole world with many spices and salt mixed in it. A gesture of help was shown as a gesture of love and romance. Wow, how ridiculous. And then after finding out about Ayushi's address through their investigators and sources, they immediately rushed towards her house because they knew that this matter will spread like fire all over Bhopal and they needed to take any action against this as soon as possible. Dhruv's grandma along with his parents arrived in Ayushi's house. And the rest is history. But Dhruv was still unaware of that as he used to read newspapers in the lunch break, and not in the morning.

"Sshh my child, don't cry. We all know that how innocent, nice and good-mannered you are. These kinds of people can never stop their ill words against anyone. So just don't think about her anymore," Dadi spoke softly, embracing Ayushi in her arms. Pratibha too came towards their side and moved her hands lovingly on Ayushi's head, she saw another daughter in Ayushi and now she knows why.

"Sit here, please bring a glass of water," Dadi made Ayushi sit on a sofa and asked Ayushi's stepmother with authority who was just gazing at them all with her widened eyes along with her husband as she couldn't believe that the richest family was here in their house. She rushed towards the kitchen and asked her daughter whom she met on the way to prepare the best dishes for the guests that had arrived in their house and Ankita, Ayushi's stepsister followed her mother inside the kitchen and started preparing for the delicacies her mother had ordered her to make.

Ayushi's stepmother brought glasses of water for all of them in a tray and moved towards the living room where she found that all were sitting now on the sofas with Ayushi next to Dadi and Pratibha.

"As we all saw the news headlines today, we've come to a decision," Dhiraj spoke for the first time with authority in his tone.

"What decision, sir?" Ayushi's father asked him confusedly.

"Why not marry off Dhruv and Ayushi?" he proposed and Ayushi along with her parents gasped at that. Finally, what Ayushi's parents wanted to be was happening without any of their mastermind plans.

"But only if Ayushi is ready for the marriage with our son," Pratibha spoke and turned towards Ayushi who was now looking at the ground.

"We loved Ayushi the very first time we met her when she saved my life. But we didn't think about any alliance of her with our grandson at that time. But now, the circumstances have forced us to think about marrying my grandson with Ayushi. She's everything we want in our daughter-in-law. And I think no one can be better for our Dhruv than Ayushi. The way he hit that molester was something that even we didn't see in him ever."

"They're a pair paired up by God only. And these circumstances were just a medium to unite them together. And I know people will start commenting on them as soon as they'll see today's news, so it's better to take the measure so as to stop any rude comments against any one of our families. I know a father's dignity lies in his daughter. So, Anil Ji, will you give your daughter's hand for our Dhruv?" Dadi smiled at last and asked Ayushi's father in a soft tone.

Ayushi just stared at Dadi when she said all this. So many things happened to her in just two days. She didn't know what to do, what to say. But one thing she knew for sure, that this family had always made her feel at home, she felt so connected with them all, yesterday as well as that day when she hospitalized Dadi. Whereas, Ayushi's parents couldn't find words to express their happiness.

"Gayathri Ji, you don't know how much tension you've removed from my shoulders. Yesterday, the whole night I was worried about Ayushi's life because of what happened yesterday, and today morning, I had to hear all those abuses, bad words against my daughter. I was just too depressed who'll marry my daughter now! But you came as God and solved all my problems. I don't have words to thank you for this. You're the most generous and prosperous family of Bhopal, only a foolish father can reject this proposal for his daughter. I'm ready for giving my daughter's hand to your grandson for the marriage," he spoke softly with fake tears in his eyes, as he knew that finally, the big fish was in his trap.

"So, now we are Samadhis. Bring sweets, Kamini Ji, its time for some celebration," Dhiraj spoke out happily and hugged Ayushi's father as Samadhis do. Pratibha too hugged Sulekha and then they both moved towards the kitchen to bring some sweets.

"This is the bio-data of our grandson, beta. I know that yesterday you didn't even notice him. But now this data has everything you want to know about your soon-to-be husband. And also, welcome to our family," Dadi spoke softly and opened her arms for Ayushi. Ayushi was speechless because everything was happening so fast but she knew that this family was where she belonged. Even she loved this family when she met them for the first time.

"Tomorrow we'll come with Dhruv with our Panditji (Priest) so that Ayushi and Dhruv can meet and then we'll fix the marriage dates too," Dadi announced happily after feeding a sweet to Ayushi and everyone agreed on that.

****

"My marriage what?" Dhruv shouted out loud when his father came into his office to inform him about the alliance that they had fixed for Dhruv with Ayushi, the girl he met yesterday.

"But Dad, I don't even know that girl. For God's sake, she can be like that Manisha. How can I marry a girl without knowing her?" Dhruv was frustrated now.

"Did you see today's newspaper?" Dhiraj asked his son calmly and got a no in reply.

He pushed the newspaper in Dhruv's hands. Dhruv was shocked would be an understatement. How could this be possible? He carried her to just help her and not in a romantic way. How can these media houses always portray the false love stories of the young businessmen! He grunted in frustration and pulled his hair.

"Beta, I know that you're modern and all. But I've met Ayushi, not once but thrice. And I think she is the best one for you as we can't find anyone better than her. Even you know that what happened with her yesterday and now after seeing this newspaper clip, what do you think she must have been going through? Her whole family was a mess, people were calling her bad names. So, to give her a good life, we came up with this idea of marrying you both together. Because I know, this picture must have reached all the social media users by now and do you think the society will let her live after knowing that she had a so-called "love affair" with you? To protect her dignity, we decided this. And I assure you Dhruv, she's the best girl we could've ever found for you," Dhiraj tried to explain everything to his son deliberately.

Dhruv understood everything but he remained silent.

"I'm ready," Dhruv spoke out with an emotionless tone and his father hugged him out of happiness and told him about the meeting that will happen tomorrow and went out of his cabin to arrange everything for tomorrow but Dhruv stood there with an emotionless face. He had now two options to choose from: his girlfriend or his family's choice, a girl whose dignity was now in his hands, either a yes or a no.

~**•**~

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