Waking up to the loud voices , Anaswara held her head. She was covered in a blanket , of course Rudra, muttering this She was about to leave the room. Radhika walked in with a saree in her hand,

“ You woke up?"

“Haan”

“ here , freshen up and change into this saree. Do you need any help ?"

Nodding a No , Anaswara got ready and exited the room only to find Rudra on the way.

He gave her a smile and she returned it.

“ Dulhan , yeh sar dakhlo apna pehle "

Keshaki bua said making her frown , giving her the most fake smile she put the pallu on her head.

“ you didn't change?"

“ I did”

“ into a saree”

She nodded at her husband who stood studying her .

“ What?"

“ change into something comfortable Anaswara "

Saying this he walked towards the bed , Anaswara looked at him keenly . He knew she was looking at him moreover it's a glare and not a glance .

“ kya hua ?"

“ Yeah,  kya hua ?"

Rudra shook his head knowing no answer.

“ Don't you think , I deserve an explanation?"

“ for what exactly?"

“ The marriage. "

“ What about it ? "

“ When I clearly told you to reject….."

“ Anaswara, let's forget that all. Okay , we're married now ."

She frowned and looked away. He switched off the light and slide into the blankets. 

She sat there , lost in thoughts .

“ so jao Anaswara "

“ neend nahi aa rhi , tum so jao "

“ thik hai , phir baatein karenge "

She too slided into the blanket and turned on her left to face him , just few inches away.

His face had the most beautiful smile .

“ kya ?"

She nodded as a No.

Forwarding his hand , he hoped she'll put her hand on his , she gently kept her hand in his, holding it he said

“ Mujhe nahi pata , but I fell in love with you the moment you walked into the hall that day giving your mom a  devilish smile. "

Even her face had a smile now.

“ then tumne suddenly kaha let's meet somewhere, I loved the way you presented yourself. I thought like I found the missing piece of mine , like the one I waited for  all my life."

“  Confession or Explanation?"

She asked him and he chuckled , holding hands they slept in the wee hours. The shrill sound of her phone broke her sleep and she straightened herself . Freshening up she walked out of the room putting a veil lest interested in his bua's tantrums. 

“ Dulhan abhi kamre mein hi raho , Puja ke waqt baher aana , pata nahi aaj kal ke ladkiya na bado ko mante hain na reeti riwazo ko "

Keshaki left no stone unturned to make Anaswara feel down.

“ main tumhe rokne wala tha but you dashed out "

“ tumhari bua lost cause haina "

“ kya kaha bua ne "

“ kuch nahi , you sleep "

“ there are some books on the table , you can read it "

“ bold of you to assume I read books "

Rudra laughed at her expression who give a stinky eye. Did she really think that her life was going to change ? Oh boy , she was so wrong here, he was almost like a child who got a candy of his favorite flavour.

Anaswara had a smile on her face , a genuine smile that forgot the way to her face long back.

“ Anaswara,  I was going for a walk , you mind joining? "

Radhika asked hoping the new bride would agree,  she had seen Anaswara being rude to her brother unnecessarily and her brother waving it off with a smile. Those moments where hard for her to digest when she interpreted it wrong as Anaswara didn't want the marriage or she was forced.

Nodding her head , Anaswara set off for the questionnaire journey with her sister in law.

“ I maybe blunt but lemme be clear with you"

An astounded Anaswara stooped in her tracks in the middle of the paddy . 

“ Rudra is a very sensitive and emotional person, he had always had a smile on his face and lest I want it to changed "

“ I'm not understanding "

“ well he seems in love with you , aur tumhe meine uss se rudely baat karte bhi dekha,  were you forced to marry him?"

Shaking her head , she answered

“ No,  it was my sole decision to get married and about love , I know he does . Otherwise he wouldn't agree to marry me , who is already married, divorced and can never bear his offsprings ."

With a sad smile , Answara walked back to the home , she didn't really know the way back but that wasn't her concern now , the home too looked different with all the decorations making her reach there soon enough.

Rudra was in the sit out to go in search of his wife when he saw her walking like a corpse to the home with her head hung down.  He caught her wrist and she right away looked at his eyes , tears brimming in her eyes .

“ kya hua "

Smiling with the tears , she wriggled put of his hold ,well ,she tried to ,

“ leave me "

“ not until you tell me "

“ I don't want to "

Radhika marched into the home to see her brother and his wife , disappointment was evident in her eyes.

“ Thank goodness di, I legit thought you forgot the way back home when just Anaswara returned."

Radhika muffled a scowl and beeseched

“ tu toh bohut bada ho gaya na bhai , na tujhe uske alawa kuch dikhta na teri aankhe sach dekh rha “

“ Haan woh toh hai , ab I have a wife uske alawa kise dekhu , haina meri jaan "

Astonished, the two ladies looked at him blinking their eyes.

Radhika walked off huffing and Anaswara stood gaping.

Taking her hand in his ,he took her to their room kot wanting the whole family to witness anything .

Two days passed away awfully with Radhika's , bua's and his mother's tantrums. Anaswara literally never cared as it was just that she grew immune to all the badmouthing. 

“ mujhe tujhse baat karna hai "

Radhika demanded and walked out not soon after that Rudra too followed her suit.

The life we imagine has nothing to do with the life we live ; but there are exceptions , some live life and some too live life , the difference is a mere line of dissatisfied expectations. 

Author's note:

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