Chapter 8

"Every sunrise is an invitation for us to arise and brighten someone's day"

The Sun was finally above the horizon, shining so brightly with cold fresh air blowing steadily while the birds with their sweet voices were making the environment more tranquil and pleasant. Finally, it was a new day, a new start.

Ayushi got up because of the chill she felt of morning's fresh breeze, moving her tendrils softly in its flow. It was not her first time to sleep outside her house, she actually loved to sleep under the sky, sleeping off while gazing at the beautiful stars, embellishing the night sky. She smiled looking at the new blossomed rose which was a bud yesterday and sat upon the bench.

She joined her hands together and brought it near her chest and sent a prayer to God, thanking him for this new sunrise in her life. It was a habit that was inculcated within her by her maternal grandmother. No matter how worse yesterday was, always remember that the sun would again rise after the blackest of nights, that was her Nani's words, which always motivated her.

Ayushi moved up from the bench and roamed inside the small garden where she had planted some of the beautiful flowers, she was just going to touch the Dahlia, when she felt an immense pain on her elbow. Her cut had become sore now and even a small movement was causing her a lot of pain.

"It's paining so much," she cried in pain, it felt like her hand had been paralyzed. She rushed inside her house, and was just going to enter inside her room when she saw her stepmother was there glaring at her harshly. Yesterday, she didn't get a chance to torture Ayushi, because she was busy opening up the gift wrappers, which were given by Ayushi's in-laws.

"Oh, who we have here. Queen Victoria, whose in-laws are so miser that they cannot even give some branded gifts but the gifts from a local vendor. Yesterday you were saved by that Payal-Dayal, but today I'll make sure you get the fruits of what you and your in-laws did to us, you bitch," she tried to mishandle Ayushi when her husband came in between and stopped his wife's hand before she could do anything to Ayushi.

"Stop it Kamini. You need to understand that by harming her, we are only going to lessen our chances of gaining anything from her rich in-laws. We need to be good to her, in front of them as well as behind their back. That way they'll be impressed by us that we are very good towards her," Anil tried to make his wife understand the sensitivity of the situation, and Ayushi just looked at him in shock.

Everything was around and about money for them, everything. She looked at him in despise and moved inside her room. How could he do that! Nice behavior just for money, why couldn't it be nice behavior out of his fatherly instincts towards her. She sighed sadly and moved towards the washroom, she needed to freshen up.

****

Ayushi after freshening up and changing her bandage with difficulty, moved downstairs to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, when she saw that her in-laws were there, sitting in the living room, and instantly her mood was lifted up. She moved towards them and after taking their blessings, sat beside Payal who was smiling very teasingly at her at which Ayushi just looked at her confused.

"Ayushi beta, there's good news for you. Your marriage date has been fixed by our family Purohit (priest) and its exactly after two weeks. I just want you to enter our house as soon as possible, I can't wait," Pratibha hugged Ayushi lovingly who was now a little shocked. Just two weeks! How would they prepare everything in this small span of time? Even Anil along with his wife was quite shocked. This early!

"But how will we prepare everything within..." before Anil could even complete his sentence, Dhiraj touched his hand and nodded at him in assurance.

"Don't worry Anil Ji. Everything will be taken care of by us, for our daughter, we'll select the best of planners, venue, decorations everything. You just sit and relax," Dhiraj spoke out softly and Ayushi could see how much love and adoration he had for her like she was his own daughter.

She smiled at him in gratitude and he just shook his head in a no, he didn't want her to thank him, he didn't call her his daughter just for namesake, indeed she was his daughter and he wanted the whole world to see the grand marriage of his beautiful daughter.

"And Bhabhi, you know the venue?" Payal asked Ayushi in an excited manner at which Ayushi just shook her head in no.

"It's going to happen in Udaipur Palace. Oh my God! Can you believe that? I'm just so excited. Ma, couldn't Pandit Ji make it tomorrow?" everyone laughed at Payal's excitement.

"Calm down beta. It's not good to be this much childlike in this age. People will make fun of you," Kamini spoke out in a bitter tone, trying to take revenge on Payal for what happened yesterday.

"She's our princess, Kamini Ji and she can act however the way she wants. And even we love how she lightens the mood, every time and we just don't care about what others think about our daughter because I know that both daughters are best," Pratibha spoke out confidently while taking both Ayushi and Payal in her arms.

Kamini just smiled at them, thinning her lips. Only she knew how embarrassed she was feeling now.

"Anil Ji, tomorrow we all will be leaving for Udaipur as other marriage functions will too take place there, so pack your bags and enjoy the journey," Dhiraj declared in a commanding tone and stood up as it was time for him to leave now.

He kissed Ayushi's forehead and smiled at her and Pratibha too followed the suit and finally Payal was left there with no intention of going back with her parents.

"Ma, I'm going to spend the whole day with Bhabhi, so send Driver Bhaiya with a car with my nightdress too and also, please please please pack my bags," Payal pleaded so sweetly to her mother, adding a pout at the end that her mother couldn't disagree.

"Hahaha, sure beta," Pratibha agreed and left the house, leaving behind the terrified Kamini who was now wondering that with what plan this Payal-Dayal was going to stay in her house.

"Come Bhabhi, let's cook some tasty breakfast together. I can cook here, right uncle?" she asked Ayushi's father with an innocent face on and he just smiled at her and nodded his head but his wife was just busy in shooting bullets in Payal's head with her eyes.

"Go on beta, this house is all yours," he spoke out, trying to impress Payal, as he knew the intention of Payal, staying behind here all day with Ayushi. And he didn't miss the glare he received from his good-for-nothing wife. She signaled him to come to their room as she needed to discuss something very important to him.

Ayushi and Payal moved towards the kitchen which was farther from Ayushi's parent's room and they got engaged in talking and cooking.

"Bhabhi, how can you tolerate that lady all day? You know I should give your name for nominations for the award of the most tolerant citizens of India," Ayushi laughed at Payal's joke and shushed her as her stepmother could hear them.

"No, seriously. She's very cunning like typical vamps of Ekta Kapoor's daily soaps," Payal huffed out and Ayushi laughed more.

"But you know Bhabhi, even living with these kinds of people you're still so kind and humble, Bhai is really so lucky to get a girl like you as his wife," this time Payal spoke in a serious tone causing Ayushi to look at her, leaving her stirring the pan. She smiled at her shyly and took out a Kaju katli (a sweet made up of cashew nuts) from the fridge and fed Payal lovingly.

"For what?" Payal asked with her mouth still full of sweets, creating a funny noise.

"For thinking that I'm capable of receiving the award for the most tolerant person of India," Ayushi spoke out in a serious tone, and later they both were found on the ground laughing their heart out loud.

"Bhabhi, where is your sister?" Payal asked Ayushi after they both got up from the floor.

"She has an exam today so she is in her college now," Ayushi spoke out while turning the flame low, going towards the cupboard to bring out sugar as she wanted to make Kheer (Rice pudding) for Payal as once Payal had mentioned that how much she loved kheer.

There on the other hand, Kamini was looking at her husband like she'd eat him up alive.

"Why are you glaring at me like that, Wifey?" Anil tried to joke but the fumes that he saw from his wife's ears stopped him from doing further mimicry.

"Why did you say to that Payal-Dayal that 'it's your house, do whatever you want'. Why?" she tried to mimic her husband's voice with her eyes blazing with anger like a red bull.

"Ohio, sweet and naive wife of mine. I'm just trying to be in good books of that girl because you've already shown your face to her yesterday, so I'm still left to bat, so that in one or two sixes, I can make her believe that I'm really good, and I've heard that these people help only good and nice people with the monetary fund, so I'm trying to be the best person," Anil spoke haughtily and his wife just looked at him in awe.

"You're really so intelligent," she spoke happily and hugged him lovingly.

Finally after ages they've hugged today. So beautiful couple with greediness filled in every nerve of them in equal amounts!

****

The breakfast was ready and Anil and Kamini too came on the dining table as they got the sweet aroma of the kheer which made them even more hungry. Kamini smiled at Payal sweetly and Payal too smiled back at her, extra-sweetly. Ayushi served them their breakfast and sat beside them, enjoying the breakfast she and Payal had cooked together.

"Beta, the food is really very tasty," Anil complimented Payal and she just smiled at him, mumbling a thank you.

"Really, the food today is very delicious," Kamini too tried to butter Payal who now smiled at her extra-sweetly again.

"Bhabhi, the kheer is so tasty. Aunt, taste the kheer, it's very delicious," Payal moaned in delight because really the kheer was very tasty.

"Yeah, let me taste," Kamini too tasted the kheer and moaned after tasting it.

After they all were done with eating, Ayushi stood up and started collecting the plates to wash, when Payal stopped her and asked her something unusual.

"Bhabhi, you cooked the food right? Even served us, so that way Aunt should at least collect the plates and wash them, otherwise with no activity at all, I know Aunt will be the most obese person, living on this earth," Payal's sly comment made Kamini look at her in shock. How could she call her fat! But because of her husband's pressing her hand to not react, she smiled at Payal tightly and started collecting the plates.

Ayushi and Payal went outside after washing their hands, to walk a little in the garden and also to get some fresh air.

"You really have so much guts, Payal. You literally called my stepmother fat, wow," Ayushi said and started laughing and Payal too laughed with her.

"Bhabhi you don't know all about my guts yet," Payal spoke in a devilish tone and Ayushi just looked at her in shock because she knew Payal did something.

"What did you do?" she asked her with a shocked tone.

"You'll get to know. Let's go inside," Payal grabbed Ayushi's hand and moved towards the house and what they saw was something incredible & unbelieving.

Kamini was, again and again, using the washroom with a very tired and devastated look on her face. Her stomach was upset, they could get it even by standing at a good distance from the house.

"What happened Kamini?" Anil asked his wife who was resting on the chair placed near the washroom.

"I..." she couldn't complete her sentence as again she had to flush out all her waste.

Wish she could flush out all her greediness and evilness too. But she was a born vamp.

"Hahaha. I mixed protein supplements in great doses in her kheer, Bhabhi, and look at her now. Deserves her better," Payal explained and laughed out loudly and Ayushi just looked at her in shock.

She was never of that type of person to take revenge against anyone, even if it was her own stepmother who tortured her like anything.

"Bhabhi, don't feel sad for her. She deserves much more than this for what she did with you. Apna time aa Gaya hai (Finally, our time has come)," Payal tried to reason out and now Ayushi smiled a little, then a little more and then they started laughing out loudly.

Really, this small punishment for her stepmother was very small compared to what she did with Ayushi all these years! She had starved Ayushi and now Payal in her own way feasted the lady with delicacies and now, her flush was On and wasn't going to be OFF anytime soon.

"As she has planted, so does she harvest, such as the field of karma."

~**•**~

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