Love after Marriage

by Chandra, Bhagya

  Roshni wondered at this question. Why is he asking me? These are not for me! She looked at him with a questioning expression.

  “Roshni, I need some help finalizing these dresses. I picked these two. Do you like them?” Very subtly he asked her opinion.

  Roshni looked at the dresses Deepak selected, and she liked them. The colors and designs were of her preference, and she communicated the same to Deepak.

  “Roshni, do you really like these?” he asked again to confirm.

  “Yes, I do. They are pretty colors.”

  “If it was for you, would you buy these? Would you wear them?” he repeated.

  She approved them.

  Deepak looked at Sarita and conveyed the same to her.

  Deepak paid for the dresses, and they left the store, thanking Sarita. After leaving the bags in the car trunk, they walked to the jewelry store. The owner recognized Roshni since she was there not too long ago with Sashank to select jewelry sets for Kusum. Both were welcomed into the store.

  “I am interested in buying a couple of sets for my wife,” he glanced at Roshni, “and a set for my sister-in-law, please,” said Deepak to the owner.

  Roshni overheard him say ‘wife’, and her mind filled with various negative thoughts. She tried to ignore them, but they bothered her. Of course, Deepak meant his wife – Roshni.

  “Any particular designs, sir?” asked the owner.

  Deepak called Roshni to help him.

  “I think you can get gold or a pearl set for Kusum didi. She will like one of those,” Roshni suggested.

  On behalf of Sashank and Akash, Deepak was asked to buy a set with a necklace, earrings and bangles. “Okay, let’s start there,” said Deepak and asked the owner to show him gold and pearl sets.

  The owner brought out a few gold and pearl sets. Deepak and Roshni discussed them, and finally they selected one gold set that had very intricate details with beautiful tiny pearls embedded in the design. It was not too heavy, with several grams of gold.

  “Roshni, can you wear this? Let’s see how this looks,” asked Deepak. He was smart, asking her to try them on and seeing how it looked on her!

  Roshni tried it on, and Deepak was enthralled seeing his beautiful wife in that necklace. The 22-carat necklace shone brightly on her silky white neck! He asked the owner to show them matching bangles, and they chose a set. Again, Deepak asked Roshni to try them on since both Roshni and Kusum bhabhi were the same size. Roshni tried them on; she too liked the set. They decided to purchase this pearl set.

  The owner asked what other sets they were interested in, and Deepak looked at Roshni for her help, and Roshni suggested looking at emerald or ruby sets.

  However, Roshni had a question. “Deepak, do you have a budget? I mean, emerald and ruby sets can be expensive. We can ask him to show us something that fits your budget,” she said.

  Very thoughtful indeed. “No limits, as long as the set is good and you like it.” He smiled at her.

  Roshni asked the owner to show them some emerald and ruby sets. She was perplexed. Why did he ask her opinion when he bought these sets for his wife?

  A thought crossed her mind. Whoever this woman is, she is lucky, for he loves her so much that he is ready to pay any amount. She thought of the dresses he’d bought earlier, and the same thoughts crossed her mind. Little did she know that all these were purchased for her.

  The owner brought in several emerald and ruby sets with diamonds and pearls, all embedded in 22-carat gold, and exhibited them. Deepak very quietly watched Roshni’s expressions as she looked at the sets. It appeared that Roshni did not like diamonds; she focused on the sets with pearls and fewer diamonds.

  She selected a few and looked at Deepak. “I choose these sets. As you can see, they are expensive. You may choose what you like.”

  “Gosh, how am I to choose which one is better?” He looked at her. “Roshni, would you mind wearing these so I can see how they look before I decide?”

  Roshni started to try one after another, and they discussed each of the sets. Deepak tried to get Roshni to agree on a couple so he could buy them for her. She looked absolutely gorgeous with each of the sets she wore to show him.

  Deepak could not stop watching her neck – thin and long with silky skin – wow! How he wished he could touch that skin!

  There were three sets that Roshni and Deepak agreed on. Deepak asked her if it was her choice, which one she would buy, and she told Deepak that she had helped him this far and now he should make that decision. For a moment, he thought he would get all three and looked at Roshni for her opinion. Roshni had no answer. The owner, of course, had a good customer in front of him and wanted to sell all three sets. Roshni saw that Deepak was being manipulated by the shopkeeper, and she could not take it anymore.

  She interrupted, “Deepak, I think you should get the rubies and emerald/ruby sets. You can forego the emerald set with diamonds. These two look very nice, especially if your wife is fair and has a long neck.”

  Deepak had his answer. He asked the owner to pack the two sets they liked and turned towards Roshni. “Do you like them?”

  “Yes, these are very nice. I’m sure your wife will like them.”

  Deepak shook his head with a smirk on his face. His wife was Roshni and nobody else. How he wished Roshni understood this. Deepak was very satisfied and happy that he was able to get something for Roshni of her liking.

  ~ ~ ~

  It was past 6:30 p.m., and they had to rush home. Everybody at home was ready for Roshni and Deepak. All the guests had arrived, and they introduced themselves to all the family members. Kusum and Sashank were very happy to see such a wonderful group of people.

  Roshni and Deepak arrived at the door, and Roshni rang the bell. Sashank opened the door for them, Deepak and Kusum bhabhi talked with their eyes, and in a few moments, the entire crowd came forward and yelled, “Surprise.”

  Roshni was astonished to see her colleagues.

  All of them shouted again, “Surprise, Roshni. Happy birthday!”

  Neelima brought the cake to the dining table. Roshni gazed at Deepak and wondered if he had told everybody. They exchanged looks, and Roshni was not pleased. She did not want anybody at home to know of her birthday, and Deepak had messed up everything for her.

  Kusum wished Roshni a happy birthday and took her to the table for cutting the cake. Deepak took the bags to his room to make sure the gifts were properly wrapped. Being satisfied that all was packed well, he brought back all the gifts and gave one bag to Kusum bhabhi and kept the other two with him.

  Roshni cut the cake, and everybody wished her happy birthday again. Sashank and Kusum fed her the cake, and the love and affection she missed from Babuji came to her with Sashank and Kusum, and her eyes became glassy. She was grateful for having this family. She touched their feet and took their blessings

  “Roshni bete, always be happy. Just as your name, spread all the wonderful brilliance and bright light everywhere and lighten up everybody’s lives as you did with us. Thank you so much, bete,” Sashank wished her.

  Kusum handed over the gift, and Roshni glanced towards Deepak to see if he knew of this. He just smiled.

  Then she hugged Akash bhaiya, and kissing her forehead, he said, “Roshni, thank you for everything. We are so happy you are a part of this family.”

  The gratitude from Sashank and Akash was evident. A feeling of satisfaction came to Roshni and mentally she bowed to her babuji for being there to support her, and wiping her tears, she took blessings from Kaki. All her friends came forward and fed her the cake.

  Deepak watched all this. He was so delighted for Roshni. He agreed with Akash. He was glad she was his wife and a part of this family.

  Then it was his turn. He came forward, took a piece of cake, and fed Roshni. She appeared to be a little hesitant at first, but with everybody watching them, she ate the cake he fed her. Before she realized what he was about to do, he took her in his arms and hugged her. She felt his breath n
ear her ear. He very lovingly looked at her and kissed her cheek.

  Roshni was all red and blushing, being embarrassed; she burrowed her face in his chest, trying to hide her feelings. She never expected this from Deepak in public, and her immediate reaction was to hide her emotions.

  She wanted to pull herself away, but he wouldn’t let her go. He hugged her and snuggled into her hair. “Happy birthday, Roshni!”

  He wanted to hold her forever!

  It was a beautiful moment, and Sanjay, taking pictures, certainly did not ignore the romantic moments between Roshni and Deepak. She freed herself from him, after which he gave her the gifts he bought for her. Roshni was completely confused. Was he doing this as part of their acting?

  Deepak later reminded Sanjay to send these pictures to him.

  While dinner was being served, Roshni’s friends insisted Roshni open the gifts she received from her family and her very romantic and loving husband. Roshni unwrapped the first gift she received from Sashank bhaiya and didi. She was dumbfounded to see the same gold and pearl necklace she had selected with the matching bangles.

  She stared at Deepak, and both of them communicated with expressions. “Oh, this was for…” said Roshni.

  “You. Kusum bhabhi and Sashank bhaiya wanted me to get this for you. Akash bhaiya contributed for the bangles,” Deepak said.

  Roshni thanked Sashank bhaiya, Kusum didi and Akash bhaiya.

  As the guests mingled, Sashank asked Roshni to wear the jewelry set they’d given her. As Roshni finished putting it on, he remarked, “Roshni, it looks so good on you, very nice!”

  “I agree.” Kusum didi came forward to feel the necklace. “Roshni, so beautiful…”

  Deepak continued to stare at her. She was so beautiful. Roshni introduced Deepak to her colleagues and their spouses. Roshni did not care to open the gifts she received from Deepak, much to Deepak’s disappointment. Kusum asked her to open those gifts as well. They wanted to see what her dear husband gave her. Roshni was not used to this ‘pampering husband’.

  She believed firmly that Deepak was only pretending so nobody suspected them; she was not aware that this was not acting, he meant it for real!

  She opened the jewelry gifts first and was completely astounded. He’d given her those gifts that he had purchased for his ‘wife’.

  How could he do this? Why did he do this? I am not his wife. He purchased such expensive gifts for ‘his wife’ and gave them to me. No, this is not acceptable!

  Then she opened the bag with the dresses and had the same reaction. The dresses he’d bought for ‘his wife’ were given to her. What was he thinking? Why did he do this?

  She stared at him with several questions, and he enjoyed watching her puzzled reaction. As this thought process went on in her mind, everybody around admired the jewelry and dresses.

  Deepak was so overjoyed that she’d let him feed her the cake twice that day and allowed him to touch her and hug her, and he knew there was some hope to bring her back. He definitely made the right moves to flirt with her. He imagined the beautiful hug he gave her, her beautiful silky body against his, her shyness, her gentle movement…everything about her was making him want her, want her more!

  Everybody had a good time at the party. Deepak made Roshni comfortable, and occasionally, both of them exchanged glances and smiled.

  It was 8 p.m. when Roshni received a call from Ravi, who was hired to clean Babuji’s house. Ravi had called to inform Roshni that he and his wife had to attend a family ceremony, so they would come early to clean. Roshni agreed to meet them the next day, and they hung up.

  Deepak overheard the conversation and wondered who Roshni had talked to and where she was going the next day? He had to leave at 11 or 11:30 a.m.; would she be back by then? He looked at Roshni and asked her if all was well, and she briefly indicated to him that she would discuss it later after everybody left.

  ~ ~ ~

  All the guests left at 10 p.m. Roshni and Deepak went to their room, and she left the gifts Deepak had given her on the top shelf of the closet. She had made room on this shelf for Deepak to use while he was there. Both changed into their night clothes.

  Roshni came to Deepak and thanked him for the birthday party. She was overwhelmed – the affection from everybody, the party, and the gifts – she had not expected any of this, and her conscience prompted her that Deepak was behind all this celebration. She turned away not to show her tears to Deepak, but he noticed and asked her if she was okay. She just nodded her head, her back towards him, but he was not satisfied with her answer.

  He came to her, held her hand, and turned her around to face him. She tried to hide her tears, but Deepak held her chin and raised her head gently and asked her, “Roshni, are you okay? You seem upset.”

  Roshni wiped her tears. “Yes, I’m all right.” She wanted to turn away, but he stopped her.

  “Roshni, you don’t look good. Please tell me, is anything bothering you?”

  “Nothing. I was thinking of Babuji,” she replied.

  Wiping her tears, she looked into his face. “Thank you, Deepak, thanks for the party. It was good.”

  “It’s my pleasure. I hope you enjoyed it.”

  She gently nodded and moved away.

  There was a lot of pain hidden in her. Their marriage had taken a toll on her, and now with her babuji’s death, she felt very lonely and broken. She appeared to be happy, but she struggled internally. She felt burdened; her chest was heavy! Only he saw it, and it was very unfortunate nobody else in the house noticed this.

  She was very close to Kusum didi, but now that she was a member of this family, Roshni felt distanced from her too. Oh, how Deepak wished she would confide in him, how he wished she found him trustworthy enough to share her feelings and pain. She probably needed a shoulder to rest on, a friend and a confidant who she could rely on and download all her pain and sorrow, and he was not able to provide this yet. He was disheartened for not providing this solace. What could he do to have her believe him? What could he do for her to respect him?

  Roshni, too, remembered Deepak holding her, hugging her and other romantic moments. His gaze, his smile, his physical proximity, she could not lie to herself; she certainly enjoyed those moments, but doubt haunted her. Did he do all this to show other people, or was this all genuine? There was no way she knew the answers to these questions at this time; she had to wait and watch.

  The few days he spent with her were not sufficient for her to observe him closely or believe that these feelings he exhibited were genuine.

  ~ ~ ~

  The next morning was Sunday, and they all discussed the party the previous night as they had chai at the dining table. It was about 7 a.m., and Roshni was ready to leave with Rahim chacha when Deepak asked her if he could accompany her. Roshni informed him that she was going to Babuji’s house and that he should relax at home because of his flight later that day. Deepak insisted, and Roshni had no choice but to agree.

  They arrived at Babuji’s house, and Ravi and Geeta were waiting for her. They got to their job of cleaning with directions from Rahim chacha, and Roshni went to her babuji’s room and came closer to his picture that rested on the table next to the bed. She stared at his picture and conversed with him mentally, tears in her eyes. How she missed him only she could tell.

  Deepak watched her but did not want to disturb her; it was important for her to download and make her chest lighter. He was there if she needed him. He respected her feelings, and she certainly appreciated this quality in Deepak.

  After a few minutes, she felt his presence behind her. She turned around, “Deepak, I had to come here.” She looked at Babuji’s picture. “Especially after my birthday yesterday.” She faced him again. “Deepak, I miss him a lot; he was everything for me.” She could not control her tears and wept.

  Deepak came closer and gently pulled her towards him and hugged her, giving her the comfort she needed. She was lost for some time in his embrace; she rested her head on hi
s chest and cried. She needed this, and Deepak patiently comforted her.

  She came to her senses after a few minutes and noticed she was in his embrace. She wiped her tears and moved away. “I was taken away with Babuji’s memories. I’m really sorry!”

  “It’s okay, Roshni, no worries. I am here for you always,” he said.

  Roshni popped her head high, staring at him. “No, not always.”

  Deepak ignored her comment. He did not want to get into an argument. He changed the subject. “Roshni, have you thought of either renting this place or selling it?”

  “Yes, and I don’t want to do either of them. Sashank bhaiya also talked to me about it.”

  “Why not?”

  “Deepak, I need a place to stay after December 14th. Where else would I go?” She paused and continued, “Moreover, this house carries a lot of my childhood memories, and I want to come back to live here after our arrangement ends.”

  Deepak was dumbstruck. She still intended to stick to their agreement. He quietly listened to her without any reaction. He was determined in his goal, and she was not coming back to this house!

  Roshni gave instructions to Rahim chacha, Ravi and Geeta, and then she and Deepak left. They were pretty quiet on their way back.

  ~ ~ ~

  Kusum and Kaki had prepared brunch, so Deepak ate before leaving for the airport. All the family was at the dining table, eating and keeping Deepak company. It was a very joyful atmosphere at the table. The steam from the containers of food spread the aroma of spices. As the family tasted the parathas and rajma, the ‘mmms and aahs’ continued, and they thanked Kaki and Kusum for such wonderful-tasting dishes.

  Sashank initiated the conversation. “Deepak, what time is your flight?”

  “It is at three.”

  “Roshni bete, I just remembered, didn’t you say you had to go to Bangalore as well?” asked Sashank.

  Deepak turned to Roshni and was stunned. She had never mentioned this to him.