“Actually it is the first time staying here so wasn’t getting any sleep… and you?” he asked answering her worried eyes.
“was not getting any sleep so thought to walk for a while…” in the meadow yellow lights of the big lawn in front of the house she tried hiding the awkwardness of the moment.
“I can understand.” he murmured ashamed, it was him who has caused those worried creases on her face.
“and this plan?” Referring to the sudden arrangements she asked as they walked together.
“honestly I had proposed to bring you and kavya back but bebe had done all the preparations beforehand.” remembering the brief moment of shock he went through when his mother had told about her plan, he cleared her doubts.
“i know you might not be prepared about…
“it is okay… it has to happen someday, happening tomorrow doesn’t change anything.” at times she sounded devoid of any living sentiments and despite all the developments in these months he still was unable to feel her completely.
“do the nights always get cold like this?” cutting the deadly silence between them he spoke.
“yeah, they get…I kept quilts in your room, you want a shawl?” already turning to the room she asked.
“no..it is fine, I’ll go to the room in a while.” he stopped her.
“Ummm.” she looked here and there confusedly followed by a sigh.
“don’t be formal Twinkle, it is okay.” he smiled to her.
“just be with me for a while if it is fine with you.”
Looking in another direction he requested.
“would you be able to settle in Indian setup…I mean I have heard foreign companies have a different working style than Indian’s.”She reinitiated the talks.
“Are you forgetting I was working here only before shifting there,” he tilted his brows childishly. “.…and secondly it might be different but living with family is the most important thing even if it is in less money and comfort.”
“yeah, a family is important.” she agreed.
“i was thinking you can apply to hospitals…when Kavya starts school maybe” he told her his recent thoughts.
“why,” she smiled. “won’t we be able to manage in your’s only.”
She was a magician, in the moments he least expected she used to shock him with such beautiful advances.
Her heart did a quick dance within and then he composed himself.
“ You have been an excellent nutritionist, it would be good to use your knowledge.” he kept his point.
“hmmm, you are right… by the way, an excellent nutritionist… who told you that?” she narrowed the eyes which were once the example of mischiefs for him.
“well, I had done my own research before our marriage back then… I wanted to be certain whether my prospected wife was able to control my cholesterol and blood pressure in our 50s,” he told her taking the perfect advantage of this moment.
“seriously… did you do the research?” she asked consciously.
“actually after the wedding, you had to settle in a new city so I wanted to make sure there was no problem while applying to a hospital so I needed to know your past records so it was easy to talk with hospitals,” he told her those once-upon-a- things.
“i never got to know about these.” she whispered embarrassingly. She has done some serious harm to this man sitting beside her, who had loved her immensely with no hopes of the same love from her.
“now don’t ruin this moment please,” he looked at her from his peripheral view.
“ We need to develop the understanding to talk on anything otherwise we won’t be able to open up on a few topics,” he spoke softly.
“can I … asking the permission to hold her palms he fixed his gaze on her.
And when she didn’t react he reached for her palms…
“you are so cold… the icy palms relaxed in no moment finding the safe haven of his warm ones.
This weather was a perfect potion for two lovers to confess their deepest feelings but this couple chose small steps in this moonlit night.
“all your anger, your temper…it all makes sense to me now, I could have never known about this if it all had not happened.”
She whispered after a while.
“well, in that case, I would have been married to someone else and you would have been sleeping in your room with someone else,” he muttered.
“life is full with “ifs” but “ifs” comes with disappointments, we can not make them happen.”
“Yeah.” she agreed again.
“i wanted to ask something?” he again asked for her permission and she felt uncomfortable with this.
“hmmm.” fixing her gaze on a moving star she hummed.
“it might be uncomfortable for you but you…he took a moment. “ genuinely want na?” he finally asked the question which at times tortured him.
He knew it was cruel to ask this question to a person who had once denied him because she loved someone else and was being tied to her just because of fate reversals.
His question shook her adversely, she knew because of past and the current situations he could have his doubts on her but she had made her mind to accept it not only for others but for him also.
“Does my answer make any change?” she looked in his direction.
The words troubled him, his grip on their palms started loosening; it will be like forcing her into an unwanted wedding.
“so it does.” she tightened the grip.
“back then it was an arranged marriage by our families, this time I’ll try to gather all those feelings back.” though she tried to look into his eyes she failed and so she focused on the stars.
“We all will be happy together,” he told his relieved heart who has lost the rhythms suddenly.
The few centimeters between them asked her decision…
The grasses with drops of evening water supported her…
winds with the sound of a new beginning buzzed a new music
And leaving every thought she did something alien to them…
Closing the distance between them she kept her head on his shoulder.
“i’ll try controlling your cholesterol for the rest of our lives.”
“This means you are agreeing to my idea!!”
“yeah, and anyways it would be good to focus somewhere.”
The restless evening has ended into a relieved night and that was important for the would-be bride.
I don’t want you to change your mind for anyone, you need to think about my happiness over anyone else’s…even if it is a life of someone very important to our lives. his unsaid words echoed in his brain.
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“it is not looking bad on you, when you have decided to do it then please let me do this for your Kunj.” Kasturi chided her on her attempts to stop her own makeup.
“I am telling you Di, I am okay with this pink one…” covering her lips with her palms she pleaded her sister.
“have you ever heard of a saying that you should eat according to your choice but dress according to people who love you. believe me, this shade 31 will look perfect on you.” Kasturi teased one last time.
“i am already wearing this magenta color because of you, now please Di,” she requested her sister.
“okay… by the way, may God keep the evil eye away, you look so beautiful, sister.” Kasturi has gone through these moments of adorning her sister but after the baby, her sister has gone through some beautiful changes and it had filled her not only with some needed fats but with a new shine too.
“di… stop being emotional now.” hugging the stomach of Kasturi she cringed on her.
“my daughters, my granddaughter is ready, are you two?” in a sound beaming with joy entered their mother.
“mashallah, may god keep the evil eye away… you look so beautiful my girl.” seeing the reflection of Twinkle she expressed her heart.
Putting the little black tika behind her left ear, she handed her little granddaughter to Kasturi and did the ritual of taking away the evil eyes cracking the knuckles.
“God keep you happy my girl…” kissing the forehand lovingly she blessed her.
“Kasturi come soon… everyone is waiting.” taking the little baby who was wriggling to go to her mother she turned to leave.
“just a few more minutes baby, be with your Nani na.” trying to divert the attention of the baby the elder lady left them.
“try to smile when I click pictures…” Kasturi teased her again.
“seriously Di…” Twinkle eyed her furiously.
“i mean after 20 or 30 years, I don’t want you to think, you could have smiled that day.” Kasturi winked.
“jokes apart I am so happy for you my doll, it used to upset me but now I know you will be happy again.” Kasturi blessed her before they headed downstairs.
__________________*_______________
It was a simple ceremony with just two families and a few close friends.No pieces of music and no dance like the earlier one but she felt relief at the moment.
she memorized the moments ’cause anyway she had nothing to do, there were no awkward teasing sessions by her friends and no alien feeling of bonding with a new person…
he looked his best in that royal blue kurta and the way he smiled at her when she came down…
She observed the pure joy in her daughter’s eyes as she was in playing with him in his arm’s and giggling when he tickled her.
She saw the happiness and a gesture of contentment in his parents’ eyes after so long even though her father wasn’t very happy with the sudden programs.
She has expected the same ring but he surprised her with a new ring, “I want a new beginning.” he had whispered to her later when she had been caressing the ring.
“Anuj Bhai, can you take a picture of three of us?” her thoughts were broken with his request.
“of course, Man!!” Anuj had replied.
All the moments were running with light speed and she had been following the trail like a robot.
She noticed her sister gesturing her something but she wasn’t getting that… and only when her brother in law was done she got her point.
She wanted her to shift closer to him for a better click
“ her sister was a whole different thing from morning”.she mused inwardly.
a same ceremony has happened a few years back with the same human in the same room but this man wasn’t the same shy man she was going to marry back then, this was a man with a beautiful heart and a past of some harsh wounds which he covered and now buried for her.
_____________*____________
Precap – “ what do you mean you are doing injustice to her?
Is there any way you ever thought about me and what I have been going through all these years?” his voice screeched.
“try to understand…we cant do this..” she pleaded.
“That was someone else but this Kunj is not that patient, this marriage will happen and it will happen on any cost.” he pushed her away and banged the door behind him.
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Hey everyone, how all of you are doing? i apologize for the delay but believe me i was busy with so many things as i have told earlier… i just hope you liked the part and do tell me with your comments.
with Love Morusya.