Thank you for accepting this theme so warmly, I really wasn’t expecting it. Even though I wanted to address and respond to every comment individually, but I just felt it would probably sound a lot like me wanting to superimpose my opinion on someone else which is not true. I respect everyone’s opinion and really appreciate them. Thank you for the constant support, I can’t stop being grateful!
Link to Episode 30: https://www.tellyupdates.com/riansh-becoming-mrs-raisinghania-episode-30/
BECOMING MRS. RAISINGHANIA – EPISODE 31: STAGES OF MARRIAGE
“Arey, no. In fact, it’s been amazing catching up,” he remarked with a chuckle and pointed his hand toward Ishani as she walked into the balcony. “We were just talking about you.”
Ishani pulled a chair and sat between the two of them, a small smile lingering on her lips. The three of them hadn’t caught up since long, and with this visit, it felt like the old times they cherished in college.
Ishani: Acha? What about me?
Vansh: I was telling Kabir that he won’t have to bear you for a while since you aren’t returning immediately, that’s all.
Ishani: Oh, please! I was the one to bear him. You know all these evenings he drank more than he could tolerate, he would act like a devastated lover. (looking at Kabir) I understand your situation, okay? But the way you act in your vulnerable state is just something worth watching!
Kabir: Eh, she hasn’t changed one bit from college. (chuckling) She has that same snobbish and mean attitude.
Ishani: Hey, I was never mean. I’ve always been very kind.
Kabir: That’s not for you to decide. I’m pretty sure the entire college will agree with me on this if we ever catch up.
Ishani smacked his shoulder and Vansh laughed looking at them. It had been years since they had graduated from college, but their friendship had retained its essence. He could almost envision the way they spent hours in the canteen late at night with a glass of beer in their hands.
Vansh: But honestly, jokes apart; Kabir, what happened between you and your wife?
Kabir: Arey, you leave my wife. That’s a story for another day. You tell me, how your married life is. You’ve gotten married and all recently, how does it feel?
Vansh (shrugging his shoulders): It’s fine, I guess. Like any normal marriage would be.
Kabir: Really, Vansh? That’s the most boring response I’ve heard from someone who’s newly married.
Vansh: I mean, life’s kinda been busy for the two of us. It’s not like we’ve been able to spend a lot of time with each other. (relaxing in his chair) Riddhima’s just started a new job, so she’s been on that. And I’ve my clients, as usual.
Kabir (looking around): And is she still working? Or, have I said something while we were returning from the airport?
Vansh tried talking about her sensitivity, but Ishani wrapped her fingers around his and quietened him. She looked at him with a look of disbelief and quietly questioned him. She couldn’t believe her twin had even begun talking of his wife’s flaws in front of their friend.
Ishani: No, no. She’s really tired actually. (looking at her wristwatch) I will just serve her dinner and return, hold on.
Vansh stared at Ishani’s retreating figure and berated himself for the slip-of-tongue. She was right, after all. Despite what had happened between the two of them, it was unjustified to talk about her flaws with someone else. The problems in their marriage were theirs to deal with, and they didn’t need someone guiding them through the journey.
Kabir: Can I tell you something, Vansh?
Vansh looked back at his friend and nodded his head, quickly falling out of his reverie. His eyes had widened in the suddenness of the moment and as the moonlight fell upon his face, he squinted to avoid the blinding light.
Kabir: I and Vidhi got married as per our choices and when we were divorcing, I thought it was our own problem. Like, you know, I thought we did not have the potential to sustain a marriage. But now I think, our generation takes a marriage too lightly. Like, we think that once the marriage is done, everything’s done. As in, that’s kind of like, we assume it’s the destination for us.
Vansh (rolling his eyes): C’mon, Kabir, get to the point. Stop beating around the bush.
Kabir: I and Vidhi acted like you and Riddhima are at this moment. We were always busy with work, but now as age hits me and I become wiser, I think it’s really the first few years of the marriage that decide how things are going to be in the future.
Vansh (chuckling): You sound like Ma, dude.
Kabir laughed and picked a cookie from the tray to munch on. As the chocolate melted on his lips again, he recalled how much he had missed home in all these years he had been away. Just returning to India felt nostalgic.
Kabir: But I’m serious. You’ve your entire life to work, but this time is not going to return. Try spending as much time as possible with each other.
Vansh (nodding his head slowly): I’ll talk to Riddhima about it. But you tell me, how have things been besides work and the divorce? You planning to get married again?
Kabir (with a serious tone to his voice): I’m thinking of getting married to Ishani only. Two devastated lovers, and look, because of her I’ve been getting so much help with the household chores.
Vansh (scratching his chin with thoughtfulness): Well, in that case, gear up for some really tough days, Bro.
The two of them laughed at their exchange and continued talking about the different happenings in their life. It’d been a while since the two of them had caught up with each other. However, even as the conversation continued, Kabir’s words kept coursing in Vansh’s mind. He wondered if his friend was, after all, right.
————
Vansh tossed in the bed, wanting to find some sleep. He had been trying to sleep since the past few hours, but Kabir’s words had kept coursing through his mind. He’d tried reasoning several times that the two of them knew better than that, but it seemed like a false consolation.
“Are you fine, Vansh? It’s been a while quite a few hours.”
Vansh: Uh, I think so. Maybe, it’s the room temperature. (looking toward her) Why aren’t you sleeping?
Riddhima (inhaling a deep breath): I’ve been thinking.
Vansh turned toward her and looked at her through the darkness of the room. He could see the silhouette of her face against the dark and as he continued staring at her, he saw the creases along her forehead. He lifted his hand and tried running a finger along the creases hesitantly. She blinked her eyes open and looked at him, and he noticed the way the creases on her forehead had magically disappeared.
Riddhima: I don’t know what the two of us are doing or thinking, Vansh. But I hate seeing us like this. You know this feels very synonymous with the kind of marriage I’d initially wished for.
He let the silence prevail over the two of them and continued looking at her. She was trying to keep herself from frowning and as his finger swept across her skin, he saw the way her skin flexed and relaxed comfortably. A wave of tranquillity passed over him as he looked at her and noticed the way his touch comforted her.
Riddhima: I know I’ve wrong you by not telling you about my choices, but I feel like I was really trying to convince myself otherwise. Or maybe, I was just too scared that’d you’d leave me alone. Maybe, I wasn’t ready for that either. I think I’ve been really selfish.
He listened to her while swiping the finger against her skin. As he felt the contours of her face under his fingertips, he realised how much she comforted him with just her presence. As a few moments whirled, he felt her tears being soaked against his skin and he looked at her, worried.
Vansh: What’s wrong?
Riddhima: I don’t know if I’d ever want kids, Vansh. But if you wish otherwise, I don’t want to force my choices on you. You’re allowed to divorce…
Vansh pressed a finger against her lips and stared at her as a wave of shock overwhelmed him. He couldn’t believe how easily the words had slipped past her lips. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her as she let the tears roll down on his shoulder. He inhaled a deep breath as the words from the evening began coursing in his mind again. Perhaps, Kabir had been right.
Vansh: I loved you first, Riddhima. The future I thought of was with you, and honestly, I don’t know if I want kids now or no. But that day, even though my reaction seemed otherwise, it wasn’t because you denied for kids. It was because you never shared the thought with me before marriage. (exhaling a deep breath) It came without any forewarning and all these days, I’d kept thinking that we’d come beyond that.
Riddhima: I know. I shouldn’t have hidden it from you, but I was just trying to convince myself somehow. It felt so wrong in both the ways, but I think my guilt surfaced much later. (looking up at him) I’m sorry, Vansh.
Vansh looked down at her and slowly pressed a kiss against her forehead, his lips hovering over her skin for seconds longer. He felt her warm against his skin and a soft smile pulled at the corners of his lips.
Vansh: You know, Kabir was telling me that the first few years in a marriage are very crucial. And I think, the two of us should try spending more time with each other now. We shouldn’t let our work overwhelm us so much all the time. Later, we will have these responsibilities to take up.
Riddhima (nodding her head): I’m sorry for how distant I’ve had behaved. It’s just that the thought of a child really horrifies me. I don’t think I will ever be ready for that kind of a responsibility.
Vansh: Spending time together doesn’t always have to be physical, Riddhima. Love is not about physical attraction only, it’s a lot more about how mentally and emotionally invested you are.
Riddhima: I know, but… (looking at him with an innocent face) Would this count as a step to growing closer?
Vansh looked at her skeptically, but as he felt her cold skin against his, he almost grumbled under his breath. He looked at her with furrowed brows as she tangled her foot with his to warm her cold skin against his warm skin.
Vansh: This is so unfair, Riddhima!
Riddhima: But patidev, this is so comfortable.
As he continued grumbling under his breath, Riddhima laughed against his skin and shut her eyes to find some sleep. She could finally sleep comfortably.
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I was honestly too tempted to write everything’s fair in love and war in the last dialogue.
Thank you for reading and stay safe everyone!