Sidharth

We landed an hour back. Yes, I brought Shruti with me to let our families know that we are back together.

The daze of yesterday's kiss was still loitering in me whenever I saw her lips moving. Last night was bliss as we slept in each other's embrace after that sizzling kiss and the airy weather of Trichy's night.

"We are close." I informed her, palming her knees, which she kept shaking due to her anxiety.

"Do you think you are ready to marry me?" I asked her, the question which has been eating me up.

"Yes" She replied, a lot more determined.

"You have no problem if we get married today, right?" I inquired again to be sure. Because, I know, my mother can't be trusted.

"Today?" She seemed to be contemplating.

"Yes" She expressed again after a brief thought and I nodded at her.

Our car drove through our ancestral bungalow and I pressed her palms, which rested on her lap.

In a few minutes, my Maa ran outside our house to welcome me as she would've been notified of her approaching car by our security.

"Sid, how are you, beta?" I heard her excited tone as she engulfed me in a protective hug, oblivious to the presence of a certain someone beside me.

"Good, Maa." I smiled as she pinched my cheeks. But, her hands halted as she saw, who accompanied me.

She stared shocked at Shruti, dressed in a red anarkali with her centre-parted brown hair let down to accentuate her heart shaped face. She looked like a new bride.

"What is this girl doing here with you, Sid?" Maa glared at me as she registered our intertwined hands.

I gestured to a very nervous Shruti to touch Maa's feet as I joined along with her to take her blessings.

"Bless your son and to-be daughter-in-law, Maa." I expressed as we awaited her blessings. She touched my head only and looked at Shruti with suspicion.

"I'll ask you." She said sharply, averting her eyes from me.

"Why are you here?" She turned to Shruti as the later tightened her hold on my hand.

"I love him, Mansi aunty." She whispered as Maa crudely laughed at her.

"You remembered your Mansi aunty today after one and a half years, Shruti?" She chuckled at her own words, which made Shruti's head bow in shame.

"Are you here to run away again with a crappy excuse, huh? Wasn't the last time enough to bring shame upon us?" Maa glared at her, distastefully as she looked at me, daring me to intervene.

"My son is getting married next week to Sharanya. Tomorrow is going to be their engagement. If you could run away from your wedding because you don't believe in love and marriages, I can also dismiss your confession of love for my son because I don't have any faith in your love. Who knows, after marriage, someday you might magically lose your faith in marriage and leave my son?" I could see Shruti's determination crumpling down at Maa's harsh words so, I intervened.

"It's enough, Maa. I am getting married to her."

"Sid, she isn't a reliable girl to marry." She spoke harshly as I shook my head and left a pause to calm her down.

"I know, any apology is not enough for my last mistake. But, I intend to make it correct. Please, give me a chance to prove to you, I am worthy of your son." Shruti spoke, quite determined, holding my mother's hand.

"You want to prove your love for my son, right?" My mother inquired as she nodded, bravely. I knew, something bad was coming.

"Well. Call your parents here. You both are getting married tomorrow night." She stated as I looked at her in suspicion.

What was she up to?

"Maa, I know, you are planning something." I whispered as I walked closer to her.

"Don't bother about my plans, Sid. Focus on your wedding." She caressed my cheek as I nodded, helplessly.

I ushered Shruti inside our house as she looked sombre, maybe thinking what awaits both of us. Especially, her.

"Don't worry. We are in it together." I patted her shoulder as I took her to the guestroom, though I wanted to take her to my own room.

"Take care." She nodded as she hugged me, closely.

In five hours, her parents reached our house. Seeing no surprise in their face, I concluded they had an inkling of what ran in their daughter's mind even before she confessed to me.

"We are blessed to have you, son. I knew, you both are meant to be." Her mother expressed touching my head as I touched her feet.

Mom went ahead to my mother as Dad proceeded to the guestroom to meet Shruti, but, she came down as I had informed her prior about their arrival. In the meanwhile, I was in a shock seeing Sharanya walking into our house.

To my surprise, she rushed to me with a sweet smile.

"When did you come back? And, how's the Ph.D going?" She inquired, taking me in a friendly hug.

"Just few hours back. My Ph.D is over, so, I will be staying here for a while." I answered. We've known each other for our whole lives being family friends, still the sudden proposed engagement kinda made it uncomfortable for us, ceasing our earlier ease in communication. She softly nodded.

"Is that why aunt called me here? Don't tell me we are getting engaged tomorrow?" She chuckled while jesting as I stood a little uncomfortable.

"About that, Sharanya-" I interrupted her.

"Now, don't cover up. I know your terror mother. She can very well do that, and it won't be a surprise too." She was laughing at her own words as I saw Shruti walking towards us.

"Who is-?" Before she could ask, I took the lead.

"Sharanya, she is Shruti. You know her, right?" I spoke as she nodded, befuddled.

"She was the one." She whispered as I nodded while, Shruti stood there calmly, a little out of the place.

"Don't tell me, you guys are married already!" She gasped as I shook my head at her words.

"We aren't. But, we want to. No doubt!" I cleared her as she smiled at me, her eyes showing her genuine happiness for us.

"I'm glad you found your love, man!" She hushed, coming forward to hug Shruti, who complied happily.

"Both of us are distant cousins. So, I guess, I'll be a cousin to you too." Sharanya smiled as Shruti reciprocated it simply.

"Great to meet you, dear."

They talked a little, before Sharanya rushed upstairs to meet my mother.

** 

The next morning after a hearty breakfast, when the two lawyers came to conduct for our legal marriage.

We both signed in the legal papers as my younger brother, Prashant, handed us garlands to make each other wear one.

"Here" Maa forwarded me a small silver box designed like a flower, which contained vermillion. I filled her partition with a pinch of vermillion as some fell on her nose and cheeks. Then, I rounded the nuptial chain around her neck while my eyes were pleased at her sight. She looked so appealing draped neatly in a red kanjeevaram saree and gold ornaments of her mother. Therefore, we were declared a legally wedded husband and wife.

She is mine now.

"It's already late so, let's retire to our rooms after dinner. Freshen up, Mr. and Mrs. Rawat. I'll will notify you when the dinner is served." Maa told mom and dad as she gestured to Manji Tai, our housemaid to care for their needs.

I was excited for the new chapter of our life and couldn't hold up my bubbling up feeling to have her to me and celebrate our marriage as Maa told her to retire to the guestroom and asked me to stay back.

I pouted at her as she sent me off to bring a few things from the market, which would take more than an hour. I knew, she was planning something big, seeing how calm she had been.

I drove leisurely to the market area to grab the said items and rode my car back home, which took me almost two hours. The crowd in the market and traffic of Delhi didn't help much.

Back home, the dinner was a silent affair as the elders of the both families eat their food quietly while, I stole glances at my wife, who shyly finished her food.

Upon the conclusion of our dinner, while we headed upstairs to our room, I heard Maa calling out to mom and dad.

"Do book a flight for your daughter too. She is going back with you to Mumbai." She informed us as Shruti  stared at her, gripping my fingers.

"Why, Mansi?" Mom gasped, rushing to Maa.

"A humiliation we got and a humiliation, we are gifting you. An eye for an eye, Kavita. There's no big humiliation to a bride's family than their married daughter staying at her parents' place after marriage alike for a groom's family when their son is stranded on the wedding day." Maa stated as Shruti's hold on me loosened and I rushed towards Maa to put some sense into her.

"Have you gone mad, Maa?" I hissed as I stood near her.

"You are mad to believe that girl and her family again. She didn't give a second thought before running away. She never thought of her Mansi aunty; who has seen her grow up to understand her. Leave it, she is even a child, but, her mother didn't find it necessary to tell me aka her best friend for thirty five years that this girl of hers wasn't willing to get married. Even after betraying our trust, they feel, a sorry can fix everything. Wow!" She exclaimed.

"Stop being that cruel, Maa. What's wrong-" I was cut off as my wife pulled me back from saying further.

"I'll go back to home with them, Mansi aunty. I'll do as you wish." She uttered looking at my mother, who turned her eyes from her. Before her mother could say anything, she gestured them to stop. And, Mom did stop.

Maa walked towards her room as Papa was already out of the country for some family business related meetings.

"Don't worry, Mom and Dad. She is just angry. I will try my best to make her understand as soon as she is back to her sane being. Your daughter's happiness is my responsibility and I'll do my best to safeguard it." I assured them as dad patted my back while, mom smiled saying, "We trust you."

"Have a great night." They wished us as they retired to the other allotted rooms.

Holding her palm in mine, I ushered her to my room.

"Welcome, wifey." I hugged her from behind as we stepped into my room together.

The room was beautifully decorated with candles and fragrance filled flowers of purple, pink, white and red adorned the vases as the floor we walked on was showered with white and red rose petals.

"Your room is beautiful." I heard her say as I rested my chin on her bare shoulder, uncovered by her blouse.

"Usually, it's nowhere close to beautiful. It's just that tonight is special." I murmured near her ears as I pecked her supple cheeks. She chuckled lowly, throwing her head back.

Holding the knot of my palms on her waist, she released it softly to turn back to face me as she cupped my face.

"Let's make this night special, husband. Make me yours." Her words fluttered out of her lips enticing me as I nodded at her request, kissing her forehead as she stayed still in my embrace.

"Are you sure?" I inquired her, to be sure that she wasn't taking the decision under any pressure.

"Yes" She whispered, determined as love swirled in her eyes for me.

"I love you, Sidharth Arunay Singh." She murmured, staring deep into my soul caressing all the scars, I never knew, I possessed deep in me.

"I love you more, Mrs. Shruti Rawat Singh."  I confessed my heart's intentions for her for the very first time as I saw her subtle smile grazing her lips.

I leaned in to taste the sweet smile on her lips. Unknown to us, when a subtle need for assurance morphed into fervent passion melting us in each other in the dawn of the night as we embarked on a new life, tangled and deeply engraved in each other's soul.

I smiled with content, kissing her forehead as I laid beside her in peace and fulfilment.

°°°

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