His feet refused to move further from the parking lot. He wondered, how he managed to come here with his head held high. It's not easy for him to shrug his parents just like that. His parents who nurtured him with lot of love, who pampered him like he's the only source for them to live, true that being a single child to them he's still a kid for his parents. His heart throbbed in pain. One side his loving parents and on the other side his
'It's not time to dwell in sorrow. Act fast Arnav!' He vowed mentally.
Holding her hands, he dragged her to a corner where his bike had been parked. Stuffing his palm on his pant pocket, he took his mobile and punched his friend contact. Informing a day leave, he arranged a temporary stay for them. His bike roared as he punched the auto start button and the bike was ready to take them to their destination. He gestured her to sit behind him. He frowned at her as she stood fiddling with the hem of her dupatta.
"Sit behind me Khushi." He said softly.
She opened her mouth and closed it again, reluctant to voice out her thoughts and doubts. Her whole frame is still not over the new truth. The truth of her marital status. And the truth of her in-laws rejection.
"Khushi. You want to say something?" He asked in an encouraging manner trying to ease the tension between them. A thick layer of tension occupied them especially Arnav felt it more from khushi side. Who can behave normal after going through a plethora of emotions in small time and certainly it's not easy to digest his/her new partner which turns inevitable in an most unexpected way.
Khushi gained some courage by his soft caring voice and decided to speak with him for very first time "Woh.. Where are we going? Your parents..?"
Arnav smiled at her concern "We're going to stay in one of my friend's house until we get a place for ourselves." He replied patiently and found it necessary to let her know where they are going. He probably cannot expect her to trust him just like that.
"No... I'll go away. Plea.. please don't hurt your parents. I... I'll go... I don't want to burden your family. Thank you for saving me." She stammered through her quivering lips. She felt awful for separating a son from his parents.
His hold on accelerator got tighten. Her tears which threatened to fell down churned his insides instilling a raw anger inside him. He didn't think twice before slipping his index finger behind her new mangalsutra and pulling it outside from her blouse. A shiver run down her spine when his finger grazed her skin on her neck involuntarily. Due to the pull she step forward a little and balanced herself by placing her hand on his shoulder. Tears long forgotten.
"What is this?" He questioned calming his nerves seeing her innocent form.
"This..." She shivered at the his proximity. Her heart rushed like anything galloping vigorously against her rib cage.
Her shivering form caught his attention, but he didn't leave his hold "I believe you know what does it mean." He said gesturing the mangalsutra.
"Mangalsutra." She answered in a bare audible voice.
"Do you know what it implies? This is not some black designer chain. It was a connector, which connects two different persons, you and me in a soul pure relationship called husband and wife. Does it ring any bells? Leave aside, do you know me? Have you seen me earlier?"
She nodded briskly as a result of his speech "I saw you few times at Aakash bhai home."
"So you know me. I am not some unknown stranger for you. I agree, we're standing in one of the cynical circumstances in our life. It's beyond one could fathom earlier. But can I request you to have little faith on me? You know akash right, he isn't bad person so nor I am. I assure you, you'll be safe with me. And everything was new for me too." He explained like he's explaining to a small child and finished his talk with a small smile which stole her heart unknowingly. He inwardly laughed at his talk. He himself was shocked to know the amount of maturity seeped in his system in a small period of time. Wondered he, what magic the small girl did to him.
Her face which has been skeptical, turned firm. His little talk did earn good effect on her small heart. She nodded her head and took her hand back from his shoulder.
Arnav noticed the little distance she made and a bell rang on his mind. He bit his tongue at his stupidness. Ever slowly he left the hold of mangalsutra which has been on his finger's hold till now.
She averted her eyes and her fingers automatically went down to the hem of her pallu to fiddle with it again. Letting the uneasiness to fill between them, he roared his bike engine indirectly telling her to sit back. Grasping his gesture, she sit behind him in an awkward position leaving an arm distance between them. She gripped the small handle at his side for her support.
As the bike begin to rode on the road, her girly instinct also started to examine his actions. The way he rode the bike in normal speed, the way he avoided the roads which has speed breakers and the way he rode it ever slowly if ever an obstacle come on their way to avoid any collision between their bodies has raised her respect on him. She has always seen men searching for an opportunity to touch and rub themselves on women. Not that she has never seen a gentleman but the probability and number of peoples like those were very few in her circle or say she never got the opportunity to explore the world more.
She further remembered about his fight with his parents. He stood for her! Why? Just because he tied the nuptial thread on her neck. Is she his responsibility? Why did he tied it on the first place? He could've easily thrown the nuptial thread away and helped her or easily he could've handed her safely to police. They would've done best for her life abiding to laws. Why did he accepted her as his wife? Why? Isn't she a mere maid comparing to their status?
Cupid smiled at the couple. As if their heart and mind was synced, her husband thoughts also revolving around the same.
Why the hell did I fight with my parents? How could I leave my parents just like that? And why did I not feel that gesture wrong? Which urged and instigated me to tie that nuptial beads on her neck? How the hell can I tie it without asking about her wish? What is between us that attracts me towards her? Why I feel so protective around her? Why? Why? Like any other girls why my heart didn't saw her as my sister?
His brain bombarded him with questions and the bike stopped with a jerk by the mere thought of her as his sister. He cursed himself badly for coming up with such stupid thought.
Khushi's monologue also came to end and she averted her eyes infront of the building. All her questions vanished in thin air. Her face borrowed a smile. A giggle escaped from her mouth without her notice. Why not, when her first wish is going to fulfill? They're just few feet from a big glass building which was nothing but a shopping mall.
Her giggles attracted her husband who forget his surroundings and immersed himself in admiring his child like wife through the rear mirror. Unaware of themselves they trusted eachother and begin to care for eachother taking a step forward in their relationship.
NEXT PART
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