She thought his birthday and the small talks will melt the ice but the fire that burnt their hearts on wedding day still needed a lot of warmth to turn into spring.
“did you pack the socks, I made for Kavya, Twinkle?” bringing a big bunch of local goodies in her hands her mother asked her.
“I did Ma, and did you tell Di to come early ?” enquiring about her sister her gaze fell on those, some 20 medium-sized boxes.
“What is this Ma and…” she was cut midway.
“uma is taking her elder bahu for the very first time,it is needed dear.” her mother gave a brief smile before turning away.
“ohkay.” with that little answer she controlled her emotions.
“When do you guys plan to come, Ma?” changing the topic in no moment she asked her.
“your father was planning to submit the application in the next month, also Kasturi’s appointment is on the 6th of next month so we will all come together.” her mother explained.
“that’s perfect,” she murmured before resuming to fold the dresses.
“I pray to the supreme power to shower his blessings on my elder daughter also.” her mother prayed and she whispered the same in her heart.
Her husband was the most amazing man of the world, she was the happiest but she knew the emptiness in her sister’s life was above everything and day by day it was snatching her sister from life.
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“kunj…Son, are we going in our’s or have you booked some other car?” uma asked as she arranged the room.
“why do we need to book another bebe , though I have hired a driver.”
He answered shifting the files and his accessories from the other half of Cupboard as ordered by his mother.
“it is better if Twinkle shifts to this room as soon as she comes.”
This room was already changed a lot with a new color on walls, Twinkle’s things filled in different corners and a folding album with pictures of them on the stool just beside their balcony.
“Son! I have to talk about something important.” uma spoke suddenly.
“Yeah Ma…” the serious tone got him turned to her direction.
“don’t stay angry when you two meet tomorrow.” and he noticed the eyes of his mother.
“it is already awkward for her to shift with you, then leaving back her family after a long stay… least we can try is to not disturb her than she already would be,” she concluded and he noticed the chapped lips of the lady.
She had run the markets all by herself to bring new dresses and a few things to welcome her daughter in law and anyway she was aging, he didn’t have any right to worry her unnecessarily.
“bebe, don’t you believe your son?” he asked taking her out of the room.
“I do Son… and where are you taking me, I still have to do so many things .” uma yelped as she was dragged down the stairs.
“your beloved Daughter in law and her husband will manage… why don’t you take some rest, haan?” he told her lovingly.
“Now sit there and I’ll bring you a hot cup of ginger tea…” the boyish care, that mothers crave to see at times was about to shower on the lady.
“add ilaichi too then,” she suggested to him who was already in the kitchen.
“would you like to have the mathri bebe?” he asked as he was feeling hungry.” only two are left though.”
“No, but bring me some biscuits kunj, Anyway your wife is coming who makes your favorite mathri.” teasing her son she hoped he was not going to fight Twinkle anymore.
On the mention of Mathri he smiled, he too didn’t want to fight with her …no more.
*do you guys, remember the 3rd or 4th chapter where it is mentioned kunj loves the snacks made by Twinkle*
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“Kasturi bring the chameli gajra on your way, I forgot.” their mother was a living mess today.
The woman was running here and there on one foot and every-time it seemed she forgot one thing or another or perhaps the list was updated every two seconds.
“have breath Kasturi’s mother… otherwise, after Twinkle’s departure, I am afraid you will fall ill.” Vivek smiled at his wife.
Though he teased his wife but inside even he was excited for her daughter, not more than a year back he felt the most helpless father of world but today…
His thoughts broke when someone blocked his newspaper.
“What happened now?” he looked up.
“you were supposed to go to the market, do you remember anything?” his wife was giving him a look with hands tied on her chest.
“arey, we still have hours till they come… don’t pressurize yourself.” he tried to play safe.
“i don’t want to take any risk, you go and complete the chores… how can we send our daughter without her kalewa.” she reminded him of the importance of going market at this very moment.
“ohkay okay, I am going…this lady won’t leave me to read the newspaper in peace.” he smiled as he made his way to the kitchen for cloth bags.
“you have whole life left to continue the newspapers.” she murmured behind him.
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“i like the fragrance of these jasmine in your hairs… he had whispered to her after their Roka ceremony was performed.
“i can buy a jasmine flavored shampoo… she had replied in no moment followed by a hearty laugh.
“or you can rather wear them all the time.” caressing the bun circled with white flowers he had suggested.
“and who is going to bring them every day?”
“This man who has lost himself to your eyes will.” he had whispered.
“I thought last we were discussing my hairs and fragrance.” she smiled craning her neck to be assured no one was seeing this couple.
“i love everything about you.” Yuvraj has satisfied her questions but she noticed a pair of eyes looking in her side who turned away as soon as met hers.
“is it necessary to wear them Ma?” she asked her mother.
“arey wear it Zo, Ma herself loves Gajras and forces on us with the excuse they look good with Sari,” Kasturi answered playfully.
They didn’t know her plight of denying the white flowers had a reason in her husband.
She didn’t know whether he had seen the little moment she and Yash had shared but she just ignored Gajras in front of him day onwards.
“There is nothing like that my daughters but… I do like gajras.” winking on them their mother smiled and inserted the last pin and secured the gajra.
“It looks like they are here…” the car honk followed by their father’s loud voice got them alerted.
Her mother and sister walked downstairs leaving her alone, a kind of nervousness started overpowering her. Her palms went sweating all of a sudden.
With the shivering fingers, she took the small glass of red and filled her hairline.
“time to face him.”She told herself and straightened her pleats before walking out of the room.
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“i can’t tell you how much dkunj missed you Kavya?” kissing the little girl’s face uma showered her love and blessings on her.
Babies are so sweet and so naive..they will become your friend in half an hour of affection filled session with them but will forget you the moment you leave them for a long period.
Kavya too was no different and not being able to recognize her granny she started wriggling in the somewhat strange lap.
“It looks like she has forgotten her Granny, Auntie,” Kasturi spoke and took the restless baby.
“yeah… but now she is going with her granny and granny will make sure she doesn’t leave her side.” uma said enthusiastically and everyone smiled.
“Twinkle, you look beautiful my daughter and look at how beautiful this saree looks at you…” uma spoke kissing her forehead lovingly after she bent to touch her feet.
“thank you bebe, I’ll bring something for you.” in an attempt to leave the area she turned hastily.
“no need Twinkle, I bought everything.” strolling the snacks on the wheeler and followed by their helper Kasturi made her way to the guests.
Seeing no options left she sat beside her mother in law.
“kunj, Son… sit here na we will bring the stuff out sometime later.” Vivek called him.
“it is done Papa.” strolling the last suitcase to the hall he entered inside.
Seeing him after so long her breaths lost their equilibrium for a moment, she felt conscious about herself and attempted to fix her sari out of nervousness.
She was in front of him and after so long, he looked at her and she was looking in his direction only.
To not it make it awkward in front of their families he looked away and went to seek blessings of her parents.
“This new bridge has cut down the journey by 40 to 45 minutes…right son?” Vivek enquired casually after they settled down.
“yeah, Papa… the journey was shorter than we expected.” he smiled.
“Okay, you guys sit, I’ll see the driver and show him the room in the lawn,” Vivek told getting up. “Twinkle, bring me some snacks, I’ll give him so that he also takes some rest.”
“okay Papa…Thanking her father in her heart she got up.
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Opening the door she found him talking with someone on the phone and that was the reason he was not replying to her knocks.
It seemed some close friend was on another side because of the lack of profanities *sarcasm*, he was in a good mood and she hoped it to stay the same.
She thought to keep the water bottle and glass on the side table and left the room… it was just nine but because of the long journey they were tired and the next day they again had a journey so all of them dined early.
She was leaving the room when she heard him sneezing, the late October winds have caught her husband during the journey,
She needed to do something about him before it goes serious and sickens his system.
It took her five to seven minutes to come back with the glass of a herbal mix…
He was not in the room, perhaps he was in the washroom… they didn’t even greet each other properly leave alone the talks and she didn’t want to make it awkward for them so she thought to wait for him.
It took a good 5 minutes of her waiting for him but when no sound came from his sound, she got puzzled and knocked the wash-room but to her surprise, he didn’t answer.
She turned the knob and a dark wash-room stared her back.
“He was here only then where did he go?” she asked herself.
She thought to call him but then what if he went out for a walk or something…
With these thoughts, she thought to wait for him cause any way they were done with everything and she just needed to change into something comfortable.
Sitting on the bed she rested her back on the bed rest and waited for him…
But half an hour passed and he didn’t come, a terror started filing her insides and to look for him on the lawn she came outside of their house.
There was no one on the lawn, the bright lights of lawn told a different story though.
It meant the main doors were still open and her father was also outside… but her father’s shadow made way after a while and she waited for a second shadow behind him.
“what happened Twinkle, standing here?” he asked spotting her.
“Nothing Papa… I think kunj has gone out for a walk something..
“arey we too went out for some random talks and a small walk after the heavy meal you guys had cooked for us…” his father spoke. ” he wanted to walk for a while but I was tired so I came back.”
“oh..okay papa,” she replied with her nerves getting their calm back.
“Twinkle, if you are not sleepy then please lock the doors after kunj comes…I am tired.” Vivek requested his daughter who did it anyway from the time she was here.
“okay Pa, good night,” bidding him the good night she turned to the kitchen and bought a glass of water to fly away the sleep overpowering her eyes.
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Her eyes shot open with the sound of iron doors of the entrance.
“what happened?” she asked herself as it took her one moment to adjust her eyes to the arena.
“it might be kunj only.” taking a look on the wall clock she concluded. it had taken just 15 minutes for the sleep to overpower her.
Keeping the glass on the table she approached the door and opened it…
“Hi…” she greeted him.
“hi, you still awake?” he asked seeing her on the door.
“yeah, was waiting for you,” she replied with sleep driven eyes who had turned into some undeniable drug by now
The whole house was dark with a few little lights here and there and here at the entrance his wife was standing like a nymph, untouched and naive, the innocence on her face was hard to ignore.
From the evening he thought a few times to tell her how pretty she looked in that cream and pink color saree but every time he thought to say something the time felt a wrong one.
He took a step towards her and then stepped back
This followed a moment of glances exchange between them and she remembered something.
“i’ll go and lock the doors..” and she left the door to bring the lock.
“no need to go anywhere…” he stopped her and pulled her in front of him with no inches left between them.
“do you know how much I missed you all these days,” he whispered and his breath revealed the peppermint he was very much fond of.
“kunj, we should take rest,” she spoke looking down.
“no one is stopping you for a long time… but your husband needs a few moments with you, right?” he asked and the words raised hairs on her exposed neck.
“Kavya is alone…” she whispered and thought to leave the hall swiftly when …
In a moment her head was resting on his heart and he hugged her tight like if his hold slackens even for a nanometre then he will lose her.
“bin bhi jaage ratjaga hai…
Vaari jau mai sari sari…
“you stay here,I’ll lock the doors.” he offered to take the big lock from her as she came in front of him with the lock in her hand.
It was her stupid brain who was playing with her and making her dream these moments…controlling her emotions she spoke up.
“Okay, keep the keys on the table, Good night.” with that she turned away from him.
“wait…” he called her.
“you look beautiful and…” her rhythm started rushing in and out through thousand of ion channels and she waited for him.
“and these white flowers makes you even more beautiful.” he told before leaving her wanting for more.
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Hey everyone, MAHA SHIVRATRI ki shubhakamna to everyone.
Now how do you like the chapter? I tried to compensate the delay with a so far longest chapter, Do tell me your views.
With Love Morusya.