Love after Marriage

by Chandra, Bhagya

  Every moment he thought of Roshni: her likes, dislikes, her conversation, her sweet smile, speech, and her touch…so caring! Everything of her attracted him more to her. Suddenly, his emotions shifted to fear. What if Roshni did not forgive him, what if she did not accept him as her husband, what if he had to go back without her!

  These thoughts bothered him, and he wanted to go back home to be with her. He looked at his watch, and it was 3 p.m.

  Deepak’s thought process continued. Roshni must have had lunch and is probably relaxing. I can inform her of my plan to go to Mumbai tomorrow, and if it’s okay with her, I will stay one more night at that apartment.

  With these thoughts, he left the café.

  ~ ~ ~

  Roshni prepared a good meal. All his favorite dishes that he had mentioned on occasion. Fortunately she was a good cook and a fast cook too. She arranged the table for their lunch – plates, bowls, spoons and cups for water – the food she prepared was on the table. She gently placed lids on these dishes and waited for him.

  It was past 3 p.m., and Deepak was not back. She was worried for him. Where did he go? Why is he not back? Agreed, I said things I should not have, but he could be forgiving. Why did he have to leave? She rested at the dining table with her head down, deep in thought.

  She heard the door open, and Deepak walked in. Without saying a word, he walked to the room to change into comfortable clothes. Roshni slowly limped and knocked at the door to get his attention. He glanced towards her, not paying much attention.

  “Deepak, it’s past three; do you want to have lunch?” she asked him.

  “No, I’m not hungry. I ate already,” Deepak replied in an angry tone.

  Roshni became teary and was ready to turn away, but paused for a minute, looking towards him although he was not looking at her. “Deepak, I’m sorry for what happened this morning. I should not have said things to offend you, especially on your birthday. Please forgive me.”

  Deepak did not respond or even look at her. She waited for a minute and realized that Deepak was still angry with her. She limped her way slowly to the kitchen.

  Deepak could not bear the thought of ignoring her. He nodded. “I should not have done that.” So thinking, he changed and walked to the kitchen.

  The tears trickled down her cheeks. There was no stopping them, and she continued to wipe her tears and began to store the food in the refrigerator. He noticed two plates turned upside down on the table and quickly understood that she had not eaten either.

  He changed his expression. “Roshni, you have not had lunch yet?”

  Roshni shook her head, wiping her tears, and continued to clean the table. Deepak came closer to her and very lovingly held her hand and turned her to face him.

  “Roshni, suddenly I’m feeling very hungry. Come, will you eat with me?”

  Her expression changed, seeing him in a better mood. She wiped her tears and smiled back and nodded her head in approval. She took out the food and started to serve.

  Deepak held her hand, and he helped her sit next to him. He looked over the dishes she’d made: onion bhajias, poories, potato bhaji, vegetable pulav with tomato and onion raita. She’d also made chole and, last but not least, rice kheer.

  “Mmm! Did you make all these dishes?” He sniffed the aroma that was emitting from each of them.

  Roshni nodded, wiping her trickling tears.

  “Did you know that all these are my favorite dishes?” The aroma of all the foods in front of him drove him crazy, and he glanced towards her, and Roshni responded by again nodding her head.

  “How did you know these are my favorite dishes?” He tried to cheer her up and make her talk to him. So far she was only responding with actions and expressions.

  “You told me or…or I picked it up from your, I mean, our conversations,” she responded.

  She served him, and then she started to serve on her plate when he removed one plate and looked towards her very lovingly. “Roshni, we will eat from one plate, and…and how about we feed each other?”

  Roshni had tears in her eyes and again nodded at his question. Deepak leaned forward and wiped her tears. He placed one arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him.

  “Deepak, I should not have said those things to you earlier. I am really sorry,” she apologized to him.

  “It’s okay, Roshni. These arguments make our bond stronger.” He looked at her who smiled and wept at the same time. They fed each other the entire meal with Deepak enjoying every bit of it. Roshni felt satisfied that Deepak enjoyed all the dishes, and she felt a little lighter after she apologized to him.

  After the meal they helped each other clean the table and kitchen. Roshni had the last couple of things to clean and she was near the refrigerator when he asked, “So Roshni, did you bring me a gift? Where is my gift?”

  Roshni had not bought any gift for him. She turned towards him. “I did not bring any gift. What would you like?”

  Deepak moved closer to her and looked into her eyes. “Hmm, I do need one thing.”

  “What is it? If time permits, I can get it for you, or I can ask Sheetal to buy it,” she responded.

  Deepak held her hands and looked into her eyes very passionately. “I need Roshni.”

  “What? I mean, what did you say?” she exclaimed.

  Deepak nodded that she’d heard right. “I need my Roshni.”

  Roshni instantly pulled her hand from his grip and turned away, facing her back towards him. “Roshni belonged to you, but you did not want her…you distanced her.”

  Deepak came behind her and held her hands from behind. He rested his chin on her neck and closed his eyes. “Roshni belongs to me, and I need her. Please give me my Roshni.”

  Roshni moved further from him, but he wrapped his hands around her, hugging her from behind. She had no option but to stay close to him. Roshni closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest.

  “Roshni belonged to Deepak, but now…she has gone away so far that returning may not be possible.”

  Deepak still hugged her. He pushed her hair away from her neck with one hand, exposing it. He slowly bent down and snuggled, touching her neck and rubbing his cheek against hers, sending tingles down her spine; a fire was blazing within both of them. She was unable to control herself. She attempted to pull herself away from him, but he pulled her closer. With his eyes closed and enjoying the closeness, he said, “Everything is possible, Roshni.”

  Looking at her from behind, he continued in a husky tone, “I’m sorry for all that happened between us, Roshni. I mean it. I love you, Roshni. Can you please give me one more opportunity? I want to make this happen. Please…give me one opportunity,” he said and rested his chin on her shoulder, and then he closed his eyes, snuggling in her hair.

  Roshni forcefully pushed away from him; then she turned around and faced him. “Do you know what you’re saying? You love me!” She shrugged her shoulders and allowed her tears to flow down her cheeks. She moved closer to him and started to talk. She was full of anger and resentment.

  “Do you even have the slightest idea of what I had to go through? It was so easy for you to say that you were not interested in me. Without hesitation you mentioned that I was a stranger in your life. Without any effort you said you were pressured into marrying me, and…and you did not want to marry me.”

  Deepak looked and listened.

  She paused and continued as she wept. “The day Babuji showed me your picture and said that my marriage was confirmed with you, that image stuck to my heart, and I started to love you, started imagining my life with you, our life together, our house, our future, kids and everything. Then all of a sudden, on the night of Suhaag raat, I heard from you that I was not your choice and that you were forced into this marriage.”

  Looking straight into his eyes, she moved a step closer and started pushing him away, then started to gently pound her hands on his chest. She continued venting her feelings with tears flowing down her cheeks. Deepak tried
to hold her hands, but she forced them out of his.

  “In a moment, in a flash of a second, all my dreams were shattered, my ego, my morale was crushed to pieces, and do you even realize what I had to go through? No, Deepak, no, you don’t! It was so easy for you to say what you said that night. Did you even think you were talking to a human being! I don’t think so! How can anybody be so rude to a wife on the first night itself? What were you thinking…a toy wedding or a fairy tale? We were two human beings, grown-up human beings, and…and you decided to break the relationship in a second! How could you? How could you?”

  She continued to be a little violent, pushing him, and Deepak stood listening to her. Finally Roshni got the opportunity to vent her emotions that lay suppressed for so long. She grabbed his shirt with her hands and said, “I hate you. I hate you…for all that you said and did to me. I hate you, Deepak…I hate you, Deepak.”

  She wept when Deepak held her hands and pulled her to his chest. She resisted, but he forcefully pulled her and hugged her tightly and consoled her, and repeated, “I am sorry, I am sorry, Roshni!”

  His eyes were glassy too. He knew she was mentally tortured; he consoled her. He was thankful that she finally vented her anger and all the bitterness she had for him!

  After a few minutes, unawares, Roshni hugged him tightly. She wanted him more than she thought; she knew it and gently raised her head to look at him with tears in her eyes. She cupped his face with one hand. “I love you, Deepak. I love you. I have always loved you. How could you do this to me?”

  She buried her head in his chest and cried profusely.

  Deepak cupped her face with his hands and turned her to face him. “I love you too, Roshni. I love you, and I cannot live without you.” He pulled her to him and hugged her. Both of them wanted each other. They hugged, feeling the comfort and warmth.

  They remained in each other’s embrace for a long time, satisfying their hunger and thirst for each other, feeling safe and secure in each other’s arms!

  Chapter 32

  Akash and Sheetal Agree to Marriage

  Roshni and Deepak woke up to reality when Roshni was startled by the door opening. Sheetal stood in front of them with a box in her hands.

  Sheetal looked at both of them. “Oops, I should have knocked first! I am so sorry.”

  Roshni wiped her tears of joy and moved her head away from Deepak. “It’s all right, Sheetal.” She quickly glanced at Deepak and turned towards Sheetal. “We should be repentant, for…for…not being aware of our surroundings. What time is it?”

  “4:30.”

  “Sheetal, we didn’t realize it was this late. Please forgive us.”

  “Don’t worry, Roshni.”

  Sheetal glanced towards Deepak, and he nodded that all was well and looked very happy and relieved. He continued to hold Roshni close to him with one arm around her waist.

  Roshni noticed the box in Sheetal’s hand. “What’s in the box?”

  “Well, you asked me to bring something, didn’t you?” Sheetal reminded Roshni.

  Roshni instantly remembered that Sheetal was bringing a cake. “Ha, yes, I remember. Deepak, we have a cake for you. We want you to cut it,” Roshni said, facing him.

  “So you bought a cake for me,” he said, and then he bent down to her ear and whispered, “I received my gift, thank you.”

  Roshni felt a little embarrassed in front of Sheetal and quickly changed the subject. “Deepak, can you cut the cake now that Sheetal is home too; then we–”

  Deepak let Roshni loose, and both started to move to the table.

  “Can you wait for a little longer, please?” Sheetal asked.

  Both Deepak and Roshni stared at each other and then wondered why Sheetal wanted to wait.

  “Sheetal, is there a particular reason you want Deepak to wait?”

  Sheetal did not want to tell them that Akash was expected any minute and spoil the surprise, so she thought quickly. “Well, it’s been a long day. I’d just like a few minutes to freshen up.” She hoped Akash would arrive soon.

  “Of course,” Deepak said. “Please take your time.”

  Relieved, Sheetal placed the box on the dining table. Deepak moved to the family room to relax while Roshni limped to the kitchen area to finish what she’d been doing before her outburst.

  The doorbell rang.

  Sheetal jumped to open the door, and Roshni was astonished to see Sheetal so ecstatic. Who could it be?

  Akash was at the door, and Sheetal and Akash were delighted to see each other. It was obvious, and Roshni and Deepak shared a knowing look.

  Akash came to his senses and came forward and hugged Deepak. “Happy birthday, Deepak. Many happy returns of the day.”

  “Thank you, bhaiya, but you…here!”

  “Well, I wanted to give you a surprise,” he said.

  Then he glanced at Sheetal, and Roshni noticed this. It did not take her too long to perceive that he must have arranged this with Sheetal.

  Akash turned around to look for Roshni, and he was glad to see the improvement in her health. He hugged her. “Roshni, so nice to see you. I am happy you recovered well! How is everything going?” Then Akash looked at Deepak, waiting eagerly for his response.

  “Everything is going very well, bhaiya,” Deepak responded and winked at his brother, indicating all was under control now with regards to his relationship with Roshni.

  After what she’d seen a few minutes ago, Sheetal could not deny it but nodded her head in agreement. Akash was relieved to hear this.

  A few minutes later, everybody moved to the dining table for Deepak to cut the cake.

  “Wait a minute. Sheetal, I have a question for you,” Roshni said.

  Sheetal was confused and didn’t know what to expect.

  “Did Akash bhaiya communicate with you that he was coming here?” Roshni asked Sheetal.

  Sheetal felt shy and nodded her head.

  “Oh hooooo! How long has this been going on?” she asked.

  “What?” Sheetal pretended to be ignorant.

  “C’mon, Sheetal, I can see all that is going on between you and Akash bhaiya.”

  Both Akash and Sheetal were embarrassed and looked at each other. “What is going on?”

  Roshni came closer to Akash bhaiya and whispered, “Bhaiya, tell me very honestly; do you like her?”

  Akash was in a dilemma to answer this question, but he nodded his head. Roshni hugged Akash. She was happy, and Deepak noticed this, and he suspected that their suspicion regarding Akash and Sheetal was true. He was happy himself. He moved to Sheetal and asked Sheetal if she also liked Akash. Sheetal agreed.

  “Akash bhaiya and Sheetal, I want to ask each of you something,” Roshni said and looked at Deepak for his approval. He smiled and nodded his head.

  She took Sheetal to her room while Akash and Deepak waited outside.

  “Sheetal, do you like Akash bhaiya?” she asked very openly.

  Sheetal agreed.

  “Would you want to marry him?” was Roshni’s next question.

  Sheetal again nodded.

  Roshni moved a step closer to Sheetal. “Sheetal, did you talk to your parents about this?”

  Sheetal answered affirmatively to this question as well.

  “So, what do they say?”

  Sheetal mentioned that they agreed, and Sheetal felt shy and hugged Roshni. Sheetal was shy and remained in her room.

  Roshni was very excited. She came out of the room and held Akash’s hand and took him to their room. She asked Deepak to accompany them. In the room she asked, “Akash bhaiya, do you like Sheetal?”

  Akash agreed, so her next question was, “Do you want to marry her?”

  Akash was startled by Roshni’s openness. He looked at Deepak and then towards Roshni. “Yes, if she and her parents agree, I would like to marry Sheetal.”

  “So, what about Sashank bhaiya?”

  Deepak and Akash were confused and looked at Roshni.

  “What about Sasha
nk bhaiya?” asked Akash.

  “Don’t you want his approval too?” Roshni asked.

  Akash was shy. “Of course, I don’t think Sashank bhaiya will have any objection,” he said very confidently, and Deepak agreed.

  Roshni and Deepak both hugged Akash for giving such good news. Then Deepak hugged Roshni. “Very nice, mission accomplished, Roshni.”

  All of them returned to the dining area.

  “It is a wonderful time to celebrate. Akash and Sheetal want to marry each other – such a wonderful piece of news,” Roshni said.

  Sheetal interrupted her instantly and said, “More important news of the day…” She glanced towards Deepak to seek his permission, and he agreed. Sheetal continued, “What more could we want when Roshni has forgiven Deepak, and both of them will start their life together. Let’s celebrate this first!”

  Roshni could not believe what she’d just heard! Who told Sheetal? Deepak saw the expression on Roshni’s face and whispered in her ear, “They know all of it, Roshni.”

  Roshni looked at him, and he nodded, indicating that he’d informed them. Meanwhile Sheetal moved forward and gave the knife to Deepak to cut the cake.

  Deepak pulled Roshni to him and wrapped his arm around her waist. “I am so happy today,” he expressed. He looked towards Roshni. “Thank you, Roshni, for such a wonderful birthday gift!”

  The tears of joy in both their eyes blurred their vision, and Roshni knew what Deepak was referring to as ‘the birthday gift’.

  He held her hand, and they cut the cake together. As Sheetal and Akash watched this new growth in their relationship, Deepak fed a piece of cake to Roshni, and Roshni did the same, and they were lost in their gaze only to be disturbed by Sheetal and Akash.

  Roshni turned towards Akash and Sheetal and asked them to feed a piece of cake to each other as well, and they did. All four were in a very joyful mood.

  Silence followed.

  Deepak interrupted the silence. “Such a great day to celebrate. Why don’t all of us go out to dinner to celebrate this!” he suggested.