Jeevansathi (RTMC ff) Pt 12 in Pg 54 - Page 9

Siddharth was amazed to witness the change in the ambience of the room, his room which was at the moment had the appearance of a honeymoon suit. There were scented candles lit almost everywhere in the room, at every nook n corner. The carpeted marble floor of the room was enveloped with a thick layer of red rose petals. Siddharth's gaze then fall on the centre of his room where the king sized bed was situated. It was covered with a milky white bedsheet which too was enveloped with rose petals n a canopy of flower garlands. Siddharth gulped seeing the extremely romantic ambience of the room n felt his resolution fading in the aroma n light n the rapturous ambience that prevailed in the room. He found his courage ebbing away n the nervousness n anxiety once again overpowering his mind with an all consuming strength. Only God knows beside his own heart how desperately he yearned to run away from the room. But alas he knew he couldnt n that he had to talk to the girl who had left the key of her life to him. He was going through a turmoil between his heart n mind.

Avantika,on the other hand, was unaware of the tempest raging within Siddharth. She too was nervous but her nervousness was the one that every girl would go through on the first night of her wedding, especially when it was an arranged marriage. She was sitting with her face covered with the veil n knees were folded in front of her chest n her hands were placed on them. Her nervousness increased as she felt Siddhant's presence in the room n with each step that he took towards her. However, instead of coming nearer to Avantika, he came to an abrupt halt at a distance. Standing in front of the bed he cleared his throat making his presence felt. Avantika lifted her head up.

Siddharth :"Uh...woh...mujhe aapse kuch baat karni hain. Maine yeh aapse pehle bhi kehne ki koshish kiya tha. Lekin shayad waqt aur haalat dono hi mere khilaf the."

Avantika was hell confused as she was clueless about what he was going to say n why was he hesitating so much. Hence she decided to speak up. She lifted up her veil revealing her beautiful face n a pair of enchantingly beautiful eyes which were at the moment filled with inquisitiveness. Avantika was about to say something when she was interrupted by Siddhant.

Siddharth : "Dekhiye please mujhe keh lene dijiye. Kyunki agar abhi maine nehi kaha toh pata nehin fir kab aisa mauka milega."

He looked at her with anticipation, as if waiting for her permission to continue. Avantika sighed n nodded, gesturing him to continue.

Siddharth : "Jaise ki aap janti hi hain humari shaadi ek arranged marriage hain aur hum dono hi ek dusre ke liye bilkul ajnabi hain. Lekin jo main ab aap se kehne ja raha hu wo aap nehi janti. Agar ho sake toh jo main aap se kehne jaa raha hu uske liye mujhe maaf kar dijiyega. Main'.main aapse'..main aapse pyar nehi karta. Aur pata nehi kabhie kar paonga bhi ya nehi. Isliye main koi jhootha waada nehi karunga aapse. Main kisi aur se pyar karta tha, aur aaj bhi karta hu. Isliye filhaal aapse pyar kar paana mumkin nehi hain mere liye. Main aajtak usko bhoola nehi paaya aur nahi apni jindagi mein apne ateet ko bhulakar aagey bar paya hu. Main yeh sab aapko pehle batane ki koshish kar chuka hu lekin us waqt haalat ne mera saath nehi diya. Main janta hu aapke liye yeh sab bardasht kar paana asan nehi hain lekin main'.main majboor hu."

He said it all in one go and then took a deep breath before looking up to her. But when he did looked up he was shocked to see the sight in front him.

Avantika was clutching her lehenga tightly in an attempt to prevent herself from breaking down into loud sobs. She was patially successful as she wasn't making a single noise but still tears were streaming down her rosy cheeks. Little did Siddharth knew what he had done, what damage his words had caused. His words successfully shattered all her dreams as well as her heart into pieces. Little did he know that she had given her heart to him in their very first meeting and now becoming aware of the fact that perhaps he could never be able to love her, her heart shatteed into innumerable pieces. She felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her. She felt as someone had strangled. Siddharth, on the other hand, was feeling extremely guilty seeing her tear stained face. He didn't know what to do. He was about to speak up when she lifted her face up and looked at him straight in his eyes. Her eyes were red. She yearned to ask him a single question.

Avantika : "Fir aapne mujhse shaadi hi kyun ki?"

Siddharth lowered down his head, he knew this questin was about to pop up. And he decided to tell her the truth.

Siddharth : "Main nehi karna chahta tha yeh shaadi. Lekin mujhe karni pari kyunki mom bimar par gayi thi aur unhone koi bhi dawai lene se mana kar diya tha tabtak jab tak main tumse shaadi ke liye haan nehi karta. Kaise koi bhi beta aapni maa ko apne aankhon ke samne marta hua dekh sakta hain? Maine unhe samjhane ki koshish kiya tha ke main aaj bhi apne ateet se bahar nehi nikal paaya hu. Lekin unhone meri ek nehi suni. Unka yeh kehna tha ki agar main shaadi kar lunga toh hi aagey bar paunga. Lekin main janta tha yeh mumkin nehi hain. Fir bhi mom ki jaan bachane ke khatir mujhe yeh faisla lena hi para. Ho sakey toh mujhe maaf kar dena."

His every word perforated Avantika's heart like thousand needles. Only she knew what torment was being inflicted on her. Only her heart knew what affliction it was undergoing. However, though a tempest was raging in her heart n mind yet she couldn't utter a single word. She just looked down and more fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.

Siddharth was feeling way too guilty to even look at her and hence he decided to go away from there and leave her alone for the time being in order to provide her the time to grasp the harsh reality of life. And hence he took the keys of his car and walked out of the room through the backdoor that led to the backyard of the mansion, connecting the backyard through a spiral staircase. As soon as he went out of sight and she was the solitary being in the room, Avantika stood up and walked to the backdoor which was left slightly ajar after Siddharth's departure. She closed it but didn't lock it. With heavy steps she walked to the bed. Finally all her strength, all her courage gave away and she collapsed on the floor. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she finally the dam of her tolerance, her pain and affliction shattered and her pain came out in the form of tears.

Is dil pe lagte hain jo

Wo jakhm dikhtey nehi

(She recalled the heartbreaking moment when her husband at the very first night of their wedding confessed to her that he loved someone else and that he could never love her, thus giving her the wound which couldn't be seen from outside but the pain of which she would have to bear forever possibly)

Apno se milte hain jo

(She remembered the first time she had seen his photo and instantly felt as if he was the one for her, her prince charming and then when she saw him at the day of their engagement, she realized that she had fallen already head over heels for him)

(She thought as fresh tears streamed down her face that even she wasn't aware of the moment when he became dearer to her than the Almighty)

[The scene shifted to a deserted road. A car was seen darting down the road in a high speed. It came to an abrupt halt in the midst of the isolated road. The front door opened and a man stepped out of the car. It was none else than Siddharth himself. He walked to the front of the car and bent down on his back on the bonnet of the car in a half lying position with his lower back resting on the bonnet whie his upper back on the windscreen of the car. He rummaged his pocket and took out his wallet. He opened he wallet and there she was. Her eyes were shining as earlier and there was that same charming smile on her face. Yes it was her photo that he had preserved so securedly in his wallet. ]

(He recalled the good old days, the moments that he had spent with her. He thought to himself that though he knew that it would be better if they got seperated but still he couldn't refrain himself from thinking about her.)

[Again the scene sifted to Siddharth's bedroom in Singhania Mansion]

Avantika kept sobbing for what seemed like hours, letting the pain flow out of her heart in the form of tears. But did it aleviated the pain, the affliction? Well not really. Instead it just helped in increasing the ache. However after crying at her atrocious destiny, she felt way too fatigued to even cry. Every single bit of energy seemed to drain out of her. First the wedding with all its nervousness n excitement, then the pain of leaving behind her family n friends n now the harsh reality of life that shattered her heart n all her dreams into pieces had finally started to take toll on her. She was sitting on the floor in front of the bed. She herself didnt know when she rested her head on the edge of the bed n cried herself to sleep.

****************************************************************************************************

As the first rays of dawn illuminated his face, Siddharth stirred n finally woke up with a start n realized that he fall asleep in his car last night. For a moment he was bemused as he couldnt recall exactly why was he there on his car in the desolated road instead of his own bedroom. However soon he recalled the incidents from last night. He thought it better to return to his room before everyone woke up inorder to save himself as well as Avantika from questions as he was well aware of the fact that if the women folk among his relatives came to know that he was missing on the very next day of his own wedding than they would leave no stone unturned to make Avantika's life hell and that all blame would be placed on her shoulders. For some unknown reasons he didn't even like the thought of it. She was so innocent that he somehow didn't want her to get in trouble due to him. He put his car into reverse gear and made his way to home.

****************************************************************************************************

Siddharth stealthily entered the room through the same backdoor through which he left which was closed but not locked from inside. As he entered his room the first sight over which his gaze fall made his him wince. He felt something pierced his heart as he saw Avantika on the floor in front of the bed. She was still clad in her bridal attire and was in a slumber with her head resting on the bed. Siddharth felt extremely guilty seeing her tear stained face and her swollen eyes. He realized that she had been crying perhaps for most of the night.

Avantika, on the other hand, being a light sleeper woke up with the slightest movements in the room and opened her eyes only to meet a mesmerizing pair of eyes which were looking at her with all the guilt of the world. As soon as she opened her eyes and looked at him, Siddharth's guilt only increased seeing her bloodshot eyes. Avantika quickly got up from the floor and straightened up her dress and turned away her face to wipe off the stains of dries tears from her cheeks.

Seeing her wretched condition, Siddharth made up his mind o what to do next. He knew that he had already done enough damage to her life and it would only wise not to ruin her life further by keeping her binded by the shackles of this unwanted relationship. Hence he cleared his throat to grab her attention. He needed to talk to her then and there. Avantika turned back to look at him.

P.S - So sorry for late buddies. I know after reading the update you all will be so willing to kill me then and there. 😆 ThanK God you all hvnt seen me or else I was gone. 😆 Well I just wanna say that dont b dissapointed friends, just enjoy the story. this story will show how two complete strangers will become friends n then eventually fall in love. 😉