Kushi was walking down the steps of her favourite devi maiyya temple, when she saw Anjali Raizada there.

"Anjali ji. How are you?" Kushi asked politely. She was very thankful that the Raizada family hadn't called her to go to their place the last week.

Though, she likes nani and Anjali, she did not want to go to their place often. And she is too polite to tell that to their face.

"Kushi ji." Anjali smiled at her, but Kushi found that smile very dull

"Everything okay Anjali ji?" Kushi asked

"Can we sit somewhere and talk?" Anjali asked. She was very thankful to have met Kushi here. She needed to talk to someone so badly.

It's been a week since her brother had declared that he had broken up with his girlfriend. Lavanya had moved out of Shantivan immediately after that.

Arnav, as usual, didn't bother to give them any explanations. Lavanya was tight lipped too.

The only thing Lavanya said was 'This is for the best di. We are not made for each other'

"What is it Anjali ji? How's nani and Lavanya ji? I have been quite busy the last week. I didn't get time to talk to Lavanya ji either" Kushi said

"Lavanya is in London right now. She said she will be back after two weeks" Anjali said and she proceeded to explain about what happened a week ago.

Kushi stared at Anjali, unable to figure out what she should feel.

"I think it is for the best Anjali ji" Kushi said after a few minutes of silence.

Anjali looked up at Kushi in astonishment. She had expected Kushi to lash out about her brother.

"Don't mind me saying this Anjali ji, but Lavanya ji deserves more" Kushi said

Anjali hung her head low, feeling ashamed of her brother's behaviour.

"I'm not only talking about your brother Anjali ji. Yes, he is the main factor in this. He doesn't respect her. Every woman deserves respect. But, she also deserves a family who accepts her for who she is" Kushi said something that has been bothering her for a very long time.

"Kushi ji!!" Anjali exclaimed in shock.

"I'm sorry Anjali ji. My intention is not to offend you. But I have to get this off my chest. Because I have been a part of this too. You employed me to change the character of a person, so that she can fit into your family. How would you feel if someone does that to you Anjali ji? I will definitely feel offended" Kushi said

"I.. I never thought..." Anjali trailed off, still reeling from the shock of Kushi's words.

"Arnav ji is an atheist. He doesn't believe in God. He doesn't believe in the institution of marriage. He doesn't believe in love. It's okay if the son of the family is like that. But it is not okay for a woman to be like that. Is that it Anjali ji?" Kushi asked

"Kushi ji. I thought, you do believe in all these things"

"I do. I do believe in God. I do believe in love and marriage. I do believe in the importance of relationships. But that doesn't means I have to force others to believe in that. I made that mistake once" Kushi said

"I never thought it that way Kushi ji. When I realised chotte has someone in his life. All I wanted was to make it permanent. And nani wouldn't agree for anything other than a wedding. My only option was to train Lavanya ji for traditions. And she was okay with that back then" Anjali said

"Hmm. Lets hope everything is for the best" Kushi said

****

Anjali was still thinking about what Kushi said, that she didn't see Hariprakash coming with a set of laundered clothes.

She almost collided with him

"Sorry Hariprakash ji. Is that chotte's" Anjali asked pointing at the clothes.

"Ji Anjali bitiya" the old man said

"Give it to me. I will keep them in his room" Anjali said and took them from Hariprakash.

For the last week, Arnav have been leaving the house early morning before anybody wakes up and coming back late at night, after everyone sleeps.

So, she decided to wait up for him to reach home that night.

What Kushi said made sense. They never considered Lavanya's feelings in all this. And just because she wants her brother to have a companion, she can't ruin a girl's life.

They had misunderstood that Arnav has feelings for Lavanya. How can love exist without respect?

Anjali opened Arnav's cupboard and decided to rearrange them, while waiting for her brother to return home.

It has been an hour, when she completed with the setting of the cupboard.

Anjali decided to keep her mother's bangles in Arnav's cupboard locker. She had taken in out of nani's jewel box to give it to Lavanya. But it didn't come to it.

Now, she has decided to leave it to her brother. She certainly hopes he will one day find someone he loves enough to give these bangles to.

She opened the locker and found her mother's jewel box there.

"Momma's jewel box?" Anjali took it out, her eyes filled with tears remembering the number of times she has watched her mother taking out jewels from the same box

Anjali opened it and found a pair of golden bangles.

"Whose bangles are these?" Anjali asked herself. They look very familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she has seen it.

There were some other things in the box.

She saw three beautiful pearls and some broken pieces of glass bangles.

Anjali was confused out of her wits seeing what her brother has kept in their mother's jewel box.

What she next saw was an envelope.

She opened it and staring back at her was Kushi.

She remember the picture. It was of Kushi, taken for the calender shooting.

Akash had told her what had happened at AR that day. The ruckus Lisa, the model caused. And how Arnav had tortured Kushi by forcing her to model.

The calendar project was cancelled for no particular reason, by none other than ASR and no one was brave enough to question him why.

Anjali stared at the picture, trying to figure out why her brother had kept them safe. That too in their mother's jewel box.

That's when Anjali noticed the golden bangle Kushi was wearing, in the photo.

Anjali looked at the golden bangles in her hands and remembered Kushi wearing them.

'These are my Amma's' Kushi had once told

"Why does chotte has a collection of Kushi ji's things. Are these broken bangles hers. Kushi ji does wear these types of bangles. What is happening here?" Anjali asked to no one in particular.

"Aaj aapko jawab dena padega chotte" Anjali was startled as she heard the loud voice of her grandmother.

(You will have to give me an explanation today)

A/n

Here goes the next shot.

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