40 Tricked
Part 40 Tricked
Khushi smirked at Madhavi's shocked expression. Madhavi looked terrified as she realised the missing diamond necklace she had kept under the mattress. Where could it have gone? Oh God! It was worth fifty lakhs! She glanced nervously at Savitri, biting her nails.
"Amma, if you're going to search for something, you need to learn how to do it properly," she hinted at Savitri.
She looked at her raising her brows.
"Look under the mattress properly," she added with a laugh, pretending to joke.
Savitri flipped the mattress and said,
"I'm doing it properly! Stop mocking my work and find the necklace."
Khushi slowly moved to stand next to Arnav. He frowned when Khushi scratched his hand, looking at her questioningly.
"Check Madhavi's bed under the mattress..." Khushi whispered, covering her mouth with her palm.
Arnav looked at her, puzzled. She blinked her eyes, and he realised it was Madhavi's plan to trap Khushi. He gritted his teeth, anticipating next move. Khushi would have seen Madhavi keeping the necklace under her mattress and she replaced it in Madhavi's room. Before he could shout, Khushi said,
"Be patient and act cleverly... in their way..."
Arnav looked at Khushi, who smiled contentedly.
"Make her nervous..."
Arnav understood that Khushi wanted to see Madhavi nervous. He thought for a moment. Although Khushi wanted to see Madhavi anxious, it didn't mean he would abandon her. How dare Madhavi accuse Khushi? He couldn't just leave her like that.
He noticed everyone looking disappointedly at each other.
"Enough! You haven't found the supposed necklace in Khushi's room. What now? Are you going to say she hid it somewhere?" Arnav challenged.
Savitri turned to Madhavi, who seemed restless. Her plan to humiliate Khushi was falling apart, and now the necklace was missing. She clenched her hands anxiously.
"I have no doubt this is Madhavi's scheme to trap Khushi..." Arnav added, leaving Khushi dumbfounded. She was taken aback—what was he doing? Why was he causing a scene?
"No... I didn't do anything. Why would I trap her?" Madhavi protested.
"To insult her... because you can't stand her being independent. You want to humiliate her so she loses her respect..."
"No, Arnav... that's not true. Didn't you hear what Khushi said? I treated her respectfully."
"That's just a façade. You don't want anyone to suspect you, so you pretend to respect her..." Arnav guessed it right.
"Arnav sir, please calm down," Khushi tried to soothe him.
"Khushi, don't be so nice to those who want to insult you."
"Arnav, your accusations are completely baseless..."
"Oh really? Are my accusations baseless?"
"Arnav, without proof, how can you accuse Madhavi?" Chandra Murthy asked.
"In the same way your wife accused Khushi," Arnav replied.
"She was in Madhavi's room, which is why I suspected her," Savitri said.
"If you all doubt Khushi, then why did your daughter seek her help, leaving all the servants behind?" Arvind questioned.
"That was her mistake," Savitri admitted.
"She intentionally did that to insult Khushi," Arnav asserted.
"Arnav, why would I insult a servant?" Madhavi asked defensively.
"She is not a servant. Dad is not treating her as one, and that's why..."
"Arnav, stop it. You're being unreasonable."
"Oh, is it unreasonable? By hiding the necklace, Madhavi creates a scene to humiliate Khushi..."
"Can you prove it?" Madhavi challenged.
"What will you do if I prove it?"
"Prove it first..." Madhavi insisted.
"Will you leave the palace with your family if I prove it?"
Chandra Murthy was left speechless.
"Are you asking us to leave the palace over a mere servant?" he responded.
"She is not a mere servant. Justice is equal for all..." Arvind interjected before Chandra Murthy could say anything further.
"Mama, I don't disagree, but..." Chandra Murthy began.
Arvind silenced him with a gesture and turned to Arnav.
"Arnav, how can you prove your accusation against Madhavi?"
"Just as they searched Khushi's room to prove her guilt, Madhavi's room should also be searched to prove her innocence."
Everyone was stunned into silence. Khushi understood why Arnav had dragged the issue further.
"But why, Arnav?" Savitri asked.
"I suspect Madhavi hid her necklace in her own room and then accused Khushi of taking it."
"Mama, won't you say anything?" Chandra Murthy pressed.
"Why did you search Khushi's room?" Arnav continued.
"Because the necklace is valuable..."
"Khushi's respect is also priceless," Arnav countered.
Arvind looked at Arnav and said,
"You can search her room."
Arnav nodded and proceeded toward Madhavi's room.
All of them followed him, including Khushi and Arvind. Even though Arnav knew where the necklace was, he searched the closet first, as he didn't want to raise any suspicions. He opened the locker and saw many sets of jewellery. Some were gemstones, but there were no diamond sets. He pulled out all the clothes from the closet that Madhavi had arranged with Khushi's help.
When he didn't find the diamond necklace there, he decided to look elsewhere. Madhavi fumed as he checked the flower vase. Khushi looked down, struggling to hide her smile. Finally, Arnav approached the bed and flipped the mattress. There, he found the necklace. He glared at Madhavi, holding the necklace and focusing on her. Madhavi was shocked to the core. How did her necklace end up under her bed? Didn't she keep it under Khushi's bed?
Arnav looked at Arvind, who was glaring at Madhavi.
"Uncle, I don't know how this necklace got here," Madhavi protested.
"The common excuse everyone gives..." Arnav retorted.
"I promise, I really don't know what's happening..."
"Would you have trusted Khushi if she had said the same thing after you found it in her room?" Arvind asked.
"Uncle, please believe me. I have no idea what's going on..."
"Shut up! How low will you stoop to insult Khushi?"
"Didn't I tell you it was her plan? Look at what she did. I've proven she plotted this. What will you do now?" Arnav questioned.
"Mama, I think she just misplaced the necklace under the bed, which is why all this confusion happened," Chandra Murthy suggested.
"Oh, so you'd forget where you put the necklace and expect us to forgive her?"
"Arnav, she is your uncle's daughter. It's not right to support a servant over her..."
Arnav and Arvind spoke simultaneously,
"She is not a servant."
Chandra Murthy was at a loss for words.
"Mama, please drop this matter."
Arnav gritted his teeth.
"What do you think of yourself? Do you think you can do anything you want? And how do you view Khushi? Is she just a toy for anyone to play with? Who gave you that right? Do you think she has no one to stand up for her?" he shouted.
"Mama, I don't understand why Arnav is so upset. Mistakes can happen to anyone. Sometimes, we hurt our eyes with our fingers—should we cut off our fingers because of that?"
"We won't cut off our fingers because they are ours( Arnav stressed.)because we know our fingers wouldn't hurt us intentionally. This situation is different. You all seem ready to hurt Khushi intentionally, acting without caring about her feelings. You are not HER fingers to forgive..."
"Okay, we may not be her fingers, but we are yours, Arnav. We are relatives. How can you turn your back on us?"
"Just because you are my relatives doesn't mean I can turn my back on Khushi, who has been with me from the beginning—even before the so-called relatives came into my life. She hid the necklace and accused Khushi. She kept it under her bed."
"No, I didn't keep it there..."
"I know it's you..."
"No Arnav, I didn't keep it there"
"Don't lie"
"I don't lie"
"Yes, you are lying... You are the one who kept it there"
"No... I didn't keep it there"
"Then, where did you keep it?"
"I keep it under Khushi's bed" Madhavi said hurriedly and bit her lip, understanding her mistake.
Everyone were shocked expect Arnav and Khushi.
To be continued...
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