Nupur was standing in front of the mirror, looking at herself. She slowly removed the earrings hanging on her ears. She unlocked the bun that tied her hairs. She was constantly looking at herself in the mirror as if she was pleading the Nupur in the mirror to come out and lead her life. Nupur unwrapped her sari and placed it on the bed. She picked up a rubberband and tied her hairs back into a tight ponytail. Hairs always depicted her state. Her hairs always remained either tightly pinned into a ponytail or tied into a bun not allowing even a single strand to touch her face.
A fine click on the door made her look backward and she found Mayank entering from the door. He was carrying a huge pile of gifts which were presented by their friends and realtives. Mayank placed the gifts on the table and then he looked up. He found Nupur standing there in a blouse and petticoat. Nupur promptly picked up the sari to cover herself but he turned himself away from her.
"I'I..am sorry. Actually I didn't knew that you were changing." Saying this Mayank left the room.
After about half an hour, Mayank returned and found Nupur standing infront of the cupboard arranging it. She was wearing a white coloured night suit and her hairs were clutched into a bun. Mayank went to the cupboard and took out his tracks and tshirt. He sat on the bed and started removing his shoes.
"I hope you didn't mind that dancing sequence. Actually, my friends'.they are just'mm" Mayank then looked at Nupur. "No'that was fine." Nupur said closing the cupboard and smiled looking at him.
Mayank picked up his clothes and went to the bathroom to change. After few minutes, he returned and found Nupur writing something in her file. Spectacles on her face made a barrier for Mayank to look into her eyes.
Mayank sat down on his side of the bed. Mayank was about to sleep when Nupur put down her spectacles and called his name. "Mayank, aaj aunty phir se wahi baat repeat kar rahi thi. I don't know in what way I have to reply to such question."
Mayank looked at her and smiled "Maine maa ko keh diya hai, hum kal orphanage chalenge."
"Par tumne aunty ko kya kaha? Wo ready ho gayi iss baat ke liye?" Nupur asked curiously.
"Maine unhein bata diya. I told her that the problem is with me and not you and the child thing cannot happen because of me."
Mayank said that and switched off the bed lamp and lied down facing his back to Nupur.
Nupur was dumbstruck by what he said right now. Mayank told his mother that he cannot give birth to a child and that's why they'll adopt a child, whereas the reality was that they never consummated their marriage and Mayank admitted the falsity which no men could even accept as it becomes a question on their sexuality. He really did that for me?
Mayank was lying down on the other side in hope of getting some sleep rather a sound sleep which he never got in the past one year.
Mayank came back in the room after spending the whole night on the terrace. The sun was not visible but the darkness was subsided by the morning breeze. Mayank opened the door and found Nupur sitting beside the window looking outside. Mayank went and sat infront of her.
"Are you fine now?" Mayank asked. He could see her dressed in the lehnga, her hairs messed up and a white line of dried tears on her cheeks. There was no reply from her. Mayank again called her "Nupur." This time she looked up.
"Can we talk Nupur?" Mayank asked
Nupur nodded her head slowly in 'Yes'.
"I am not here to ask you why you did that last night but one thing I'll surely want to know if the reason is our marriage."
"Main ye nahin poochunga ki kal raat jo tumne karne ki koshish kari wo kyun kari par itna zaroor jaanna chauhnga kya isski wajah humaari shaadi hai?" Mayank said that and looked in her eyes for an answer.
Nupur looked up. She was reluctant to answer that question whereas Mayank was constantly looking at her eagerly to find the answer of her question. Mayank again called her name "Nupur, please answer my question. Nupur, better late then never. Before the things get worst, please tell me. I still remember the vows that we took last night, I'll always stand by your side Nupur but atleast can we talk?"
"You want to talk, but there's nothing on which we can talk. Actually, you know what, God also want me to suffer on this planet of earth. He never takes my side. He always takes away my loved ones away from me. First of all, my mother whom he took away two years back and on the death bed I promised her that I'll never disobey my father."
Mayank was constantly looking at Nupur. She gulped the lump struck in her throat.
"And that promise is paying me. My father asked me to marry you."
Mayank was right in calculating the correct reason for Nupur's attempt to suicide. He was taken aback by those words of Nupur.
"I fulfilled my promise and then I wanted to leave this world but again you came to save me."
Mayank wanted to tell her that her life is the most precious thing in this world. How can I let you go from this world, Nupur. I love you like hell idiot. Everything will be fine Nupur, I will love you so much that you will forget everything else.
Mayank was looking at her. She was sobbing quietly. Mayank forwarded his hand but clenched his fingers to fist and pulled it back.
"Nupur, please don't cry. What do you think? Seeing your dead body, your father or your mother would have been happy. He married you expecting that you'll now live a happy life and not trying to kill yourself. Nupur, everyone wants you to be happy"
"But I'll always remain happy with Adi."
There was silence for about a minute.
Mayank took a deep breath and then asked her. "Adi?"
"I love Adi and want to marry him but'"
It was like a thorn piercing his heart. It was very difficult for him to control his emotions, to make himself at ease but he tried his best to console Nupur, to make her at ease.
Nupur closed the file, put off her specs and opened the side drawer to find the case. She took out the case and opened it. Then suddenly, her gaze stopped at a red coloured diary. She took it out and flipped its pages. She stopped when she found a photograph. A smile on the photograph looking at which she smiled. She felt him with her fingers.
She kissed Adi on his cheeks. "Bye dear."
Adi kissed her back "Bye Nupur sweety."
"I'll talk to dad about us. Ok, bye." Nupur said that and opened the door of the car and left the passenger seat.
Nupur entered her house. A man in his fifties was standing near the window talking to someone on the phone. Nupur picked up an apple from the table and started eating it. She checked herself in the mirror, peculiar about her hairs, her curls.
After he finished the conversation, Nupur said "Hi Dad!"
"Hello beta, how was the college."
"Excellent dad"
"Great."
"Dad'" Nupur placed the half eaten apple on the table "..I wanted to talk to you."
"Yes beta"
"Dad'actually it is about a guy"
He looked up and his expressions turned into a serious face. Nupur bit her lips between her teeth. Her father was constantly gazing her face. Nupur closed her eyes, took a deep breath and spoke further in one beath. "Dad, I love Adi and I want to marry him." She slowly opened her eyes and found her Dad smiling. She smiled back.
"So, when is Adi coming?" Her dad smiled. "I think tomorrow evening evening, we can meet and talk."
He got up and patted Nupur's head. After he left, Nupur shouted, screamed, danced and laughed.
She laughed and looked at her side. She found Mayank sleeping by her side. Her smile faded. She placed the photograph back into the diary and securely kept the diary back on its place. She closed the drawer. She checked her mobile and found a message, it was from Naina.
Nupur I will come tomorrow morning at 9. Good night.
Nupur smiled, she pulled up the comforter and went to sleep.
First of all hello to all my readers. I hope everything is doing fine. Quite short update from my side, I could manage to do only this much. Please press the like tab if you really liked it. As always waiting for your comments.
Anupamaa
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