Part 5 Marble Doll

At first, I could not understand why my family members looked nervous. Their nervousness shifted into me when I thought of Khushi running away from RM. Was not it a big insult to a man if his wife run away the next day of his marriage? But when I got to know the reason, I wanted to laugh. My family thought I ran away from my marriage.

As usual, my Di rushed to me and asked,

"Chotte, what the hell is this? Does anyone go for a jog on the next day of their own wedding?"

"Why Di? Is it wrong?" I frowned.

My Di rolled her eyes.

My father strode to me,

"Do you want people to know your wedding status?" he sneered.

"Dad, what's there to think about my wedding status?"

He too rolled his eyes.

"This is too much, Chotte, don't make me feel like, I have forced you into this marriage"

I said nothing but gazed at him. My mother came there.

"All of you go..." she said.

Clutching my hand, my mother dragged me to the kitchen. Without saying anything, she joined her hands, making me shocked.

"Chotte, we are sorry for forcing you into this relationship. But, please don't make us embarrassed like this. This is a matter of your sister's life and our family's happiness. We had no choice than do this"

I was looking at my mother perplexed. What did I do that made my mother talk so emotionally?

"Mom, why are you saying all this?"

"She is a Royal heir. What will she think if you are not at home after the first night? What would have happened if Shashiji had called her and got to know you got vanished from the house on the first day of your wedding? You didn't even let us know that you went jogging. What do we think of not finding you at home?"

"Mom, this is my regular routine..."

"Do you want everyone to know NOTHING has started between you two?"

I was taken aback.

"Who will go jogging after finishing the first night?" My mother asked me straight.

That was when I understood the depth of the issue. Yes, I had done a blunder.

"Arvindji asked me whether you are interested in this marriage or not"

Did my father ask the million-dollar question? I wanted to laugh. The great Arvind Singh Raizada intended to think of my wish after my marriage. I wanted to know the answer my mother gave to the question.

"What did you say?"

My mother was stuck.

"When is he asking that? Is this the time to think about it? I chided him to mind his tongue. Our daughter went to their house to live with their son. Even our single word can ruin her happiness" My mother said not looking at me.

I knew it was not an answer only to my father but also to me.

"Chotte, this is your life. Knowingly or unknowingly, we pushed you into it. Please don't make us uncomfortable with your action. Please, try to mend things"

Mend things? With whom? Khushi? I didn't know what to say. Could I say Khushi was also not interested in the marriage? My mother was already distraught because I was not interested in the marriage. Then what would be her condition if I told her the truth?

"I'm sorry, Mom... It was not intentional" I tried to pacify my mother.

My mother gulped down.

"It won't happen again..." I added.

"I'm really sorry Chotte... I'm such a mother who could not stand for her son"

My mother hugged me weeping. I felt so weak. I pulled her from me.

"Mom, you are such a mother who gave strength to her son. You are my strength, Mom. Don't feel bad. Trust your son. He will make everything all right"

My mother smiled and I felt blessed for changing her tears into a smile.

"What do you want me to do now? Tell me" I asked to cheer her up.

"You have to shift with Khushi to the new house"

"You told me... then?"

"She is a Princess. She will be a little high-handed..." she stopped with hesitation.

I nodded yes. Our phone talks echoed in my ears.

"I know you are self-esteemed. You are her husband now. Her life depends on you. I know it will be hard for you to fix yourself into a life that was completely opposite to ours..."

"I will try to do it... ok?"

She nodded ok and kissed my forehead. To make her happy, I could do anything... I supposed.

"Go... finish your bath and come fast"

"Mmm"

I came out of the kitchen.

"Nananv, we thought you were absconded" NK pulled my leg.

"Don't think I will give you such a chance to be happy" I countered while heading to my room. That made everyone relaxed.

I came to my room and saw its door closed from inside. I knocked on the door. After a few minutes, Khushi opened the door. She looked at my jogging form plainly.

But my state was something...!

I was stunned, seeing her. She was wearing a sleeveless turquoise blue Cinderella gown with neon blue stonework. A blue diamond necklace with matching eardrops made her extremely gorgeous. She clipped her hip-length hair with a blue stone clip. I wonder, was that also a gemstone? There was a blue stone bracelet on her right hand that shined more than the bracelet. Rolex flaunted on her left hand. With all this blue, her white face looked so much brighter. Was she the lifetime project of Lord Bramah? (God of creation) he should have sculptured her taking enough time, not showing hurry, I thought. She looked like a Marble doll anyone could admire.

She shrank her blue-shaded eyes, seeing me studying her. Why won't she if the man who was not interested in her gawked at her? She again went to the dressing table and dressed her forehead with a Bindi... of course, a blue bindi.

I should make myself ready not to gape at her in the mere future. I took an oath.

I opened my closet and got stuck. What should I wear? Whatever I wore, I was not going to be matching Khushi. Then why the confusion? I made sure my suit was not BLUE. I didn't want her to think I was trying to match her. Taking my light gray suit, I went to the washroom to take a bath.

When I came back, Khushi was arranging her wedding jewels and lehanga in her suitcase. She didn't even spare a glance at me.

That was when Di and Lavanya came to our room and knocked on the door even though the door was open.

"Chotte..."

"Come in, Di..." I said.

They came in and got stuck, seeing Khushi just like me. But they brought their excitement in words unlike me.

"Wow.... Khushi, you look exactly like a Princess" Lavanya said.

Khushi stretched her lips to the left side a little. I could not understand what was that because it was definitely not a SMILE.

Taking a kohl, Di kept it behind her ear.

"No bad eye should affect you"

Khushi smiled at her softly.

"I wonder how Arnav didn't faint, seeing you" Lavanya chucked.

Khushi didn't look at me but at her bracelet. I know why Lavanya said that. She knew my taste. I admired beautiful things openly.

"You know Khushi, Arnav is an artist. These paintings are his dexterity only"

Khushi raised her head with raised brows. She looked at me, like, IS THAT YOU? The next second she changed her expression and became normal but her eyes were on my paintings.

"Are you hungry, Khushi?" Di asked.

"NO" came from Khushi.

That was the first word she spoke after coming to RM I suppose. Her voice sounded sweet yet, there was titivation in her tone.

"We didn't know what you have at your house and about your family custom..."

"You don't have to... you could not follow them," she said in the same accent.

Di got stuck... of course, me too. I could not understand what mean she said that. Di smiled and nodded her head.

"Shall we go?" Di asked us.

Khushi nodded yes. We followed her.

When we came downstairs, my family members looked at Khushi with their mouths open. There was an immense exhilaration on my mother's face. Why not if her daughter-in-law was so stunning? I could say she liked Khushi very much. I walked to the dining even though I was not hungry. NK pulled me close to him and said,

"You are so lucky to have such a beautiful wife, Nannav" She grinned like an idiot as usual.

"She is your Bhabi, don't forget that," I said sitting on my chair. Actually, I said that to tease him to see his flushed face but he turned the table.

"Oh... Possessive of your wife, haan?"

He said that not because I was a possessive guy but only to tease me because I had never shown my possessive side... I had not had a chance to do that. They didn't even know I could be possessive. But the wife stuff was something.

I looked at Khushi with mixed feelings. Something I had not thought about yet kicked into my mind. She was my wife. Being a husband, being possessive of my wife was natural but I didn't know I could be a possessive husband to an uninterested wife. Damn...!

To be continued...