Love Happens: Prolouge

14 years ago
May 25th, 2002.

Sheesh Mahal, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

It was night time. Everybody had retired to their bedrooms after dinner. Devyani Raizada had come to meet her daughter Ratna because things were not good in her martial life. Suddenly loud noises were heard from the main hall and the entire family started gathering.


"How could you do this to us Arvind? You destroyed everything. How could you believe every little thing Amol told you without using your brain? Was this the trust you had in me and our marriage? Say something Arvind" asked Ratna.


"I honestly don't know what to say Ratna. But you cannot entirely blame me. You were too somewhere responsible for this mess in our marriage" said Arvind defensively.


Ratna stared disbelievingly "After everything you put me through and after everything you accused me of you have the audacity to stand in front of me and blame me instead of owing up to your foolishness."


"Ratna Bahu" Subhadra spoke angrily "Is this the way you speak to your husband? Do you have no shame left in you that you are shouting at your husband in front of your children? What must they be thinking?"

That is when Arvind and Ratna realized that all the family members had gathered around them. They also realized that their 19 year old daughter Anjali was looking at them worried and their 14 year old son Arnav was watching them confused and angrily.


"Forgive me maaji but I do not have any strength left in me to think of about anything. Whatever respect I had for this man is now gone. Do you even now what Arvind has done. Do you have any idea of the accusations he has thrown on me..." said Ratna defeated.


Before she could continue Subhadra spoke angrily "whatever he has done does not give you the right to speak to him this way. Are these the manners your parents taught you?"


Ratna screamed angrily "I do not care about these so called manners right now. Do you know why, because your older son Arvind accused me of having an affair and your younger son has filled Arvind's mind with so many lies that now we have lost everything: Sheesh Mahal, the business and the other properties, everything has been lost in gambling and drinking debts. For the past several months Arvind would come home drunk and would demean my character. He did not once ask me the truth. He believed everything Amol told him blindly"


"Is this true daamadji" asked Devyani "What Ratna is saying, is it true?"


"YES. Yes it is all true. But believe me I did not do it purposely. Amol made it all seem true that I believed him. But now I have come to know that he wanted the property all for himself and that is why he fed me all the lies. He did not think that I would lose all the property in gambling" said Arvind.


"You are joking right?" Asked Ratna "how do you just believe about something your brother said about your wife of 21 years, the mother of your children, YOUR LIFE PARTNER without confirming it?"

"You said it yourself; he is my brother, MY BROTHER. I could not dismiss his worlds. But you are right; I should have talked to you. I should have asked you" said Arvind frustrated.


"Yes you should have asked me, but now it is too late, you have destroyed the purity of our marriage, you have questioned my character and I cannot live with these accusations" saying this Ratna went to her room crying.


Arvind tried to go behind Ratna but before he could do anything Arnav stopped him


"You don't have the right to go after her. You made my mother cry. You are not my father because my father loved my mother" saying this he ran towards his parent's bedroom.


Arvind just stood there like a statue with Subhadra near him. Everyone started going towards Ratna when they heard it: A loud sound of a gunshot coming from the bedroom where Ratna had gone. The sound was so loud that it echoed in the corridors of Sheesh Mahal.


The next day

Arnav lit fire to the body of Ratna and completed all the rituals. Arvind did not come out of the room. That day changed the 14 year old Arnav Mallik.


Two days later

Arvind's Body was found hanged in their bedrooms fan with a note saying "I AM SORRY RATNA" Apparently Arvind could not bear the guilt of destroying his marriage and Ratna's suicide. Arnav lit fire to the body of his father but this time he did not feel anything.


Within that month

Anjali and Arnav with Subhadra shifted to Delhi to stay with the Raizadas. Amol was nowhere to be found. Arnav and Anjali changed their surname to Singh Raizada from Mallik. This is how ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA was born.

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18 years ago
February 4th, 1998.

Laxmi Niwas Palace, Bikaner, Rajasthan.

It was morning and everyone was sitting in the main hall. Suddenly Ronit the only son of Manyata Singhania came down with some luggage.


"Are you going somewhere beta?" inquired Manyata "you do know the condition of Tara. Then where are you planning to go leaving her alone."


"Oh, I know Tara's condition alright. That is the reason I am going" said Ronit dismissively.


"What are you saying? I don't understand anything?" spoke Tara weakly.


"Please cut the drama. Do you seriously think that I would stay with you in your pathetic condition and serve you instead of enjoying my life" said Ronit cuttingly.


"What?" asked Tara looking confused.


"What nonsense are you speaking Ronit. Are you drunk? Is this the way you speak to your ailing wife?" inquired Manyata.


"Do I look drunk to you? For your information I am very much sober. I am just telling you what I should have told when I found out about Tara's cancer. I am leaving. I cannot stay in this marriage any longer. I married Tara for she was beautiful and fit to be my trophy wife but now she is nothing but a living dead. And I am not going to spend a minute more in this profitless marriage. I have found someone who can give me what I want. So now I want a divorce" said Ronit


For a moment there was complete silence which was broken by a loud "MAA". Khushi the 8 year old daughter of Ronit and Tara rushed towards her mother who looked like she had aged twice in a minute. Looking at Khushi, Manyata ordered Sarita their house help to take her away but Khushi refused and stayed by her mother.


"Are you out of your mind Ronit? Do you even know what you are saying? Marriage is not a deal in which you stay till you earn profit and you break the partnership when you start to suffer losses. It a sacred bond which ties a husband and a wife for eternity" said Manyata.


"Please maa spare me the marriage lecture. Tara is anyway going to die so why should I suffer along with her. It's not fair on me. I want my share of money from the property and i want a divorce" said Ronit angrily.


"Don't do this, at least think of Khushi" said Tara holding a freighted Khushi in her arms.


"Are you mad? Do you think I will actually think about her and put a stop to my freedom with Roma" said Ronit.


"So that is the name of the HOME WRECKER..." screamed Manyata


"Don't say anything about her. She is not a home wrecker. She is the love of my life" said Ronit


"You know what you what a divorce take it. Tara doesn't need you, she has Khushi and me. But you will not get a penny from me" declared Manyata.


Ronit screamed "you cannot do this to me..."


"YES I can" said Manyata cutting Ronit "I can very well do it. Don't you forget that the property and business are in my name. And for your information when I got to know about Tara's illness I transferred all the property in Khushi's name. She will get it when she turns 30. And if before that anything suspicious happens to her then the property will go to a trust but you will not get anything"


"This is not right. I am the heir of the Singhania family. It is my right to have the property" screamed Ronit.


Just then a woman came into the main hall.


"Who are you and how did you come inside?" asked Manyata


But the woman did not pay attention to Manyata's question and rushed in to Ronit's arms. Everyone understood who she was by looking at them.


"You are a shameless person. Your wife is on her death bed and you hug your mistress in front of her. I am ashamed to call you my son. Get out of here before I do something I won't even regret" said Manyata angrily.


Ronit stared at Manyata and Tara for few moments, then took Roma's hand in his and walked towards the door.


Before going out the door Ronit said "I am going for now but I will return one day to take what is rightfully mine" he gave a look of pure hatred to Tara and left the house.


After that Tara broke down. Her already fragile heart and body could not bear this betrayal and her health deteriorated rapidly. Within two months of that incident Tara Singhania passed away. Instead of burning her body, Manyata and Khushi buried her in the backyard garden. It was Tara's favorite place in the house. Then Khushi was sent to a hostel to study for Manyata had to take care of the Business and she wanted a stable environment for Khushi. This was the incident that shaped KHUSHI SINGHANIA'S life.

 *** Photo credit: Google