FF: New York times Thread 5 Completed 10/03 - Page 34

Originally posted by: pushpi

Ruk jaa raat theher jaa re chanda

I don't want this to end

Naini walked into the kitchen, dressed in her salwar kameez, swirling the dupatta in the air. "What a joke? A bad one at that…Yash's mom is asking Maan bhaiya, who the Dulhan is? Can you believe it?" Daadima and Geet exchanged glances, but remained calm.

"I mean they could have hundred objections before the marriage, but not on the day before marriage you see...So I drag Meera from the nearby chair and thrust her in front of them and added my touch by sarcastically introducing them to each other. You should have seen the horrified look on her face. It was quite hilarious" Taking a jalebi from the stack of sweets arranged on the plate, she took a tiny bite. She made a face and looked at Geet "Do you have something Khatta bhabhi?" She smacked her lips as her taste buds tingled and she vicariously imagined a tart, sweet something entering her mouth.

"You can eat your hidden stash of Imli chutney if you want…We don't mind…" Daadima said with a chuckle and shook Geet let Naini pass.

"Oops!" Naini instantly colored, with guilt written all over her face. Geet and Daadima left the kitchen as more women came in and filled the space they had just left.

"Thank god, she still thinks Yash's mom was talking about Meera" Geet paused, handing the plate in her hand to Daadima "That reminds me I have to go find Maan…Don't know what he was doing being so careless" She walked back the hallway and into the living room to find Maan, still talking with Yash's mom. She heaved a sigh of breath and strode towards him, to tell him it was time for the main event of the day.

***

Naini busied herself playing with the most active of all the guests arrived for the Sangeet that evening: the toddlers. Maan's penthouse was a beehive of activities with a few teenagers practicing song and dance items for the night's entertainment.

As she sat in the center, trying to reason why Tanvi and Piyush should share their candies equally, Vinay, the three year old son of Yash's sister came running to her with a chit in hand. The kid had wobbled its way to her and had been quite eager to hand the note to her until he'd seen the candies that she was dividing between the other two kids. Vinay scratched his head for a second and then threw the small folded paper at her and ran crying to his mom…"Mama…I want candy…"

Naini unfolded the paper and read the message neatly typed in what seemed like an old typewriter style font. It read "If life gave you one chance to change something in all the days you have lived on earth, which one would it be?" and was underneath his name was signed 'Your Abhi…PS You better have the right answer".

She smiled and tucked the paper back into the potli she was carrying. Her husband had to grow up, she thought. He was being impossible sending love puzzles to her through kids, when the entire house had half a load of the Indian continent cramped into their apartment. What if it fell into the wrong hands? Oh! lord, she wouldn't let anyone tease her. If only he knew, how conveniently he was serving her up on a plate to be butchered by taunts from humor drained aunties.

It hadn't been half hour since she'd had her quota of a big swirl of Imli chutney and she was once again ready for something hot and spicy now; particularly a hot pav vada with a barrage of hot sauce would do her good. Her mouth watered at that thought and she quickly argued her way into diving 4 candies for Tanvi and only 3 for Piyush for having eaten one already before she could be done with the distribution. She got to her feet and shot to the kitchen directly.

When she was busy arranging the pav with layers of chutneys to her liking, another cute little girl in pigtails yanked her dupatta. She kneeled on the floor to get to her height.

"Aunty…that uncle asked me to gave you this" She said putting the tense in the sentence in her own kindergarten level English she was being taught.

"Thank you beta" She took the paper from her hands and kissed her forehead. Suddenly her heart warmed at the image of her own baby girl in pigtails. She gave her another kiss as the small girl's ponytails bobbed by the side of her head and she gave Naini a cherub smile before she ran away.

This one was a yellow colored jeweled paper and read "If you had one chance to relive something in life…what and how would it be?". Again this was signed same as the other note she'd received and her husband's sudden interest to send her love notes on an eventful day, piqued her own. She abandoned the case of the half done pav preparation in the kitchen and set out in search for her husband. She saw him walking into the hallway and then disappearing into her bedroom. She followed him without missing a beat.

"What are you upto Abhiii….." She drawled as she entered her room to find her entire family assembled there. For a moment she thought something had terribly gone wrong and she began imagining the worst, like Meera or Yash getting cold feet one day before the wedding. But the cheer and smiling faces of her family promised something else. Her stomach oddly felt a knot growing there and her heart begun beating against her ribs as though it was a ping-pong ball.

Geet came forward and took her arms to seat her by the edge of the bed. The silence killed her, until Abhi came from the corner of the room and went down on one foot in front of her. She drew a loud mouthful of breath in and gasped.

"Naini Oberoi…" He took her hand into his that was limp and gone chill in her lap, giving her a nervous smile that reflected her own state of being.

"I don't know if you have had the time to think of answers for the chits I sent you. But I have…" A shattering silence covered the room and she thought her teeth might chatter from the fact her blood was going cold.

"The truth is I wouldn't change a thing in my life ever since the day I saw you in Ms. Sheeba's class. Not the days I chased you on my bicycle or the one where I got beaten by that rascal Kaushik. Hadn't that not happened, you would have never come to see me in the hospital and I wouldn't be kneeling here…Every day has been perfect ever since…from the time you avoided me…till the moment you were ready to give up everything for me. I never grew up with a woman Naini…and your crazed unconditional love has been the only kind I have ever gotten from the opposite sex…" It was only natural tears were pouring down her eyes uncontrollably and he extended his other hand, to wipe them.

"Hush baby…" He covered her hand with his and the warmth from his fingers, deeply comforted her.

"And when I say perfect, I'm not just talking of our cuddles, hugs and intimate moments, but also every one of our misunderstandings, angry phone calls, fights and the separation…" He ended on a glum note. Pausing for a bit, he looked up to her once again.

"Had it not been for that, I wouldn't have come here and wouldn't have gotten lucky to get a family in return. And you of course…Ever since I came here, I have seen you in different light and it has only made me love you entirely, with your strengths and your shortcomings…pluses and minuses…"

He took a small box out of his Kurta pocket and placed it on her clammy palms as everyone craned their neck to catch sight of the ring. To everyone's disappointment the box still remained shut on her palm.

"From a boy to a man…you have been my perfect partner in this journey of mine. And now you are giving me a chance at fatherhood and I want to do it right by you Naini…" He smiled even as he steeped in anxiety. Perhaps it was normal to lose one's cool over such proposals for they were indeed promises of a lifetime.

"Despite everything you have given me…if I ever get a chance to change anything, I would only change the day I eloped with you…and instead marry you with your family's blessings and your acceptance…and if I ever do get to relive the time we signed the papers, then I would only replace it with rituals and the whole nine yards of a wedding you so dearly want…So baby, will you take my hand and wed me again only to make your dream come true…to see the world through my eyes and for me through yours, for today and the rest of eternity?" He asked her solemnly.

She shook her head with the same shock still coursing her body and had her stiffened like sheet rock. The hoots and shouts of joy, did nothing as she continued to gaze her husband as he took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her ring finger. The beams from the diamond scattered a rainbow of colors in her tear filled eyes and before she knew, he had her on her feet, squeezing her into his chest. Beyond his words, it only mattered that he'd read her through her smiles and cheerful laughter. How could have she ever doubted him to dismiss her desires as silly or foolish? Of course she was everything to him and today she was as well grasping a new sense of understanding of what she meant to him.

She promised that instant to love him for the man he'd become…and cast out permanently any remnant images of that man who had left her in a lone hallway, from the cold dungeons of her heart. They were friends once, lovers later, and partners in crime even thick as thieves sometimes. Now they would be an agreeing couple and loving parents to a new life…and she couldn't think anyone but him in sharing her life while being so. It occurred to her that what she had for him was beyond elemental love, something more profound, exceedingly irrational, certainly absolute and explicable beyond words…The realization brought a fresh course of tears to her eyes and she kissed him in response.

He'd had his reason to live...the only reason he'd sought to justify pushing day after day without her being by his side…And he would finally have her, accepting him for who he was. If he'd had to sell his soul to the devil to get her back in his life, he would have done it. And here he was willingly handing it to his angel…Did he want to describe the ecstasy he was flying in?

Once everyone had exchanged hugs, all of them except Geet left the room. She stayed back to help Naini change into the wedding clothes. Everything was - if not exact - only more than what she had expected. Her beautifully embroidered lehenga and choli dazzled with sequins and crystals over wine red silk. Her jewelry was bordering on heavy to elegant crafty and intricate pieces. What did she expect for being the only female heir of Khurana Khandan and being Oberoi's only bahu?

Without losing much time, the wedding ceremony started on the 17floor deck. Brocades of red satin and elaborate arrangements of red flowers covered a row of white pillars arranged into an arch, around a small mandap set on a raised platform. A small group of family and friends from Meera's wedding were gathered there and the rituals began with the exchange of the garlands. He looked nothing short of a prince and didn't look a day older than the convenient age of 28 she'd once wished they could have gotten married at instead of 18. She didn't cry as they went through extensive and detailed rituals, just as she'd dreamt of and instead beamed and glowed with the radiance of a joyful new bride. When the time came for the Kanyadan, Maan filled in for their father and handed over his baby sister with nearly tearstained eyes and an ache in his being - as he experienced their moment of separation in its truest sense for the first time.

The pandit went on with the chanting and the havan, finally making his way to the key ceremony of the wedding. He handed over the mangal sutra over to Rishabh and began the appropriate chanting as everyone began showering their blessings in a rain of thousands of flower petals. His arms went around and under her ghoonghat to hook the black chain to her neck. She closed her eyes momentarily and the world stilled in her mind as the thud of the pendant onto her chest resounded in her ears. She was living a hundred dreams from wistful nights then, while a lone tear escaped the corner of her eye. The sound of the music and the people slowly entered her ears and she slowly opened her eyes to see him intently gaze at her as he placed the sindhoor over her maang. "I'm all yours Abhi…have been and will always be forever" She whispered amidst the noisy crowds, speaking to him for the first time ever since she'd walked into the room.

He was a content man then. He could never have asked for a better vow from her and the joy of receiving a whole hearted one from his wife, had him hugging her to the amusement of every guest present there. How were they to know, everything else was inconsequential in front of his life…his wife?

She looked her heart fill in the mirror, moving and twirling to see the garment bulge from the air that filled her lehenga. Turning her hand with bands of bracelets and chooda's she memorized every jingle that came as they clanged against each other.

When she heard someone move towards her, she gasped in embarrassment and turned to see him approaching her.

While she had been lost adoring herself in the mirror, he'd watched her the entire time from the door silently without her knowledge.

Although she had a sheepish look on her face, he wouldn't know what she looked underneath the veil of embroidered ghoonghat that covered her up to her lips. She'd refused to remove or raise it even for dinner, openly telling Geet and Daadima that she only wanted her husband to take it off of her. They'd laughed from how uncharacteristic it was for her to act so orthodox in her own marriage. She'd cared less and had waited for this exact moment for four long hours, sitting through pictures and greeting guests. Meera's sangeet had followed their wedding and she'd had to painfully however happily watch others dance through whatever hazy vision her ghoonghat had offered.

And then the moment of anticipation arrived, almost to her disbelief. Once he lifted the heavy veil off her face, she drew in a shaky breath. He held her face in the curve of his hands and kissed her deep for all the nights he'd missed her…

She barely managed a 'Thank you' with moist eyes. There was so much she wanted to tell him then, but little did she know he'd had other plans in his mind. She opened her lips to start with the first thing that came to her mind, but long before the words could escape her lips, he'd her surrender to him…hands laced with his, her lips gathered over his...onto another journey to boundless infinity.

***

It wasn't even 7.00 AM the next morning and least did the two couples sleeping on either bedrooms expect the crashing of vessels on the floor. Naini quickly pushing aside the sheet dressed back in her lehenga and choli and rushed out of the door along with her husband, who hurried to button his sherwani down.

Geet was already standing in the hallway and holding an uncontrollably crying Meera.

"What happened?" Naini asked as panic filled her.

"Ask him yourself?" Meera lifted her head from Geet's shoulder and pointed an accusing finger at Yash who was cowering in the corner of the kitchen. Geet shot a cold stare at Maan and then at Rishabh. Rishabh blinked and eyed his brother-in-law with questioning eyes. Maan raised his brows and shook his head, gesturing him to be silent.

"Ask him who the hell is Candy and why she is calling at 7.00 AM to ask if the ring she has belongs to him?"

Rishabh gulped and his hand suddenly shook with horror. "Holy!..." He breathed the words out nearly in a whisper and yet still managed to catch his wife's attention. Naini's forehead furrowed.

"How the hell did everything change so fast? How could you? I trusted you…despite your past of truckload of women you candidly flirted in front of my eyes…" She sobbed as betrayal slashed her chest.

"Meera, I do want you to trust me…She does not have my ring" His voice quivered with uncertainty.

"How could I Yash? You are such an artless drunken fool, that you gave her my number instead of yours…" She countered and fell to the floor.

"If she doesn't have it…where is the ring Yash?" Geet asked, concerned for both her dear friends. She spoke a prayer in a hurry for their wedding that was to happen the same day. Why did her babaji play with the timing of the call to precisely happen on this day and not any other day?

"I swear Geet…it slipped inside the kitchen sink when I was washing hands…I told her it wasn't the right size the same day she bought me one"

"Oh! god…you liar" She didn't remember any such words and was unable to decipher what angered her more – the loss of the ring or the call from someone drunk who called herself 'Candy' – she stood up and madly dashed across the kitchen floor.

"Stop it Meera…" He held both her wrists and shook her up. He was red with mortification and from endless anger at her constant blaming of his ways of life, which he wanted her to accept – just as he had – as entirely a thing of his past. Strangely he wanted her entire trust right then. Else…He didn't dare think of the consequences as he feared their relationship lacked in more ways than one.

"You listen to me now…" She fought him to break free and that only had him get his grips firm on her wrists.

"With everyone in this room as my witness, all that I have to offer is the truth and nothing else. I love you Meera…and that is god honest truth. Yes I understand your fears of having seen me walk away with other woman in your presence, but those are my shadow days now…And I don't want you to dwell on those shadows. I'm here…now…in the present and I want you to believe me. Me…Meera" He ached as he put in every ounce of his effort to convince her on the morning of their marriage. This shouldn't be happening…He gave a resigned sigh. Meera was shocked at the sudden depth she found in his words and grew still in his hold.

"We met the day I first landed in New York and we have been friends ever since. Agreed you were invisible to me and I never approached you as a lover despite knowing well you loved me. I know the pain of unrequited love sweetheart…and perhaps I'm partly living it now without your trust" She looked up as his words hurt her like blazing coal grazing her skin.

"You are like those daily things that become so tightly interwoven into a part of life and remain in void until one day you wake up and find it…them gone only to understand late what place they held in your life to start with. For me it was never until I left to India and found you missing that I could discover it had been love all along…I have been slow at realizing my feelings for you…but my love is every bit true and trustworthy as yours. I have said everything in my heart and I'm leaving the rest for you to decide. Nor am I stopping the marriage preparations. You intend to insult my love or accept me with my demerits is all in your hands…All I know is that I will wait for you there…Remember Meera…I love you just as well…" He ended his long argument, which to everyone was nothing short of a passionate proposal and left without turning to see her crash to the floor. Daadima who had heard it all from the hallway, came to lift Meera to her feet. She wiped her tears and tipped her chin up to meet her eyes "Do you trust Daadima?" She asked and took Meera inside her room.

Since there were no baraath and their wedding was to take place in the same 17^th floor deck as Naini and Rishabh's wedding with a different decoration, he waited outside by the elevator doors. One by one he watched Geet and her family come in, shaking their heads at once before he could enquire on her decision. His heart raced thinking of all that he might lose if she chose not to believe him. In spite of what his heart told him, he forced himself to be prepared for the worst. He wondered what had pushed him to deliver such shocking ultimatum to her and decidedly convinced himself saying he needed that much trust in the relationship before they could start a chapter in their lives as husband and wife.

He paced the corridor impatiently waiting for the elevator door to open as his parents stood just on the other side confused at their son's anxiety. Except the people in Maan's home, everybody else remained clueless to the antsy situation he was simmering in.

When he thought he couldn't wait one minute more and pressed the elevator button to go hear for himself what her decision was, the doors opened and she stepped in full wedding attire, with Daadima to her side. He was relieved to see her in the formal clothes, but his tension was yet to come down. He couldn't begin to explain how badly he needed to hear her acceptance.

"We will give you a few minutes…" Daadima said taking Yash's parents along with her.

When it was just the two of them at the corridor, she spoke to him first, before he could question her.

"I'm sorry Yash…I know I doubted you..." She said raising her eyes to him "But I couldn't help the doubts I harbored given the kind of phone call I received…Khair chodo…I have waited so long to have you in my life Yash. If it wasn't trust of some kind I had in your inner good and sense of self, then what else do you call it…And you should know it too…that…I always believed in you…always" She stressed enough on the last word for his purpose.

"I was caught in a moment of doubt given the circumstance…you sure did…" Before she could finish the thought, she caught sight of his bandaged fingers and heavy scrapes on the back of his hands. She was startled to find the sudden appearance of the wounds on his hand which hadn't been there the last time she'd seen him.

"Yash…What happened? What is all this…" He winced as she grabbed her hand and tenderly ran her fingers over the reddened gashes. He shoved his other hand into his pocket and took a gold ring, which looked exactly like the one she'd given him, except this one was beaten, looked old and indented with ridges in irregular patches.

"I got it from the sink…only it was the most painful rescuing I have had to do in a long time" He said with a smug smile. Her eyes wide, in alarm, she gaped at him speechless and cried silently.

"Oh! common…no crying...not on our wedding day. I told you I had dropped it in the sink right…and of course Mom had run the garbage disposal. The ring was stuck in it and when the machine stopped mom forgot to turn the switch off. This morning when I tried to get it back…once the ring was removed, that thing started running again and…" He scratched his head with a guilty look on his face "Either ways I think I paid for my drunken adventure in Vegas…"

She couldn't smile, even as he did. It was too much for her to stomach what he'd done just to prove himself to her…all because she mattered to him. She threw herself into a hug and held him tightly.

"I'm so sorry Yash…" She sobbed wildly.

"Now we don't want to mess my bride's make-up" He patted her and soothed her back.

"I trust you…you idiot…you didn't have to" She kept repeating the same words for a while, until she was satisfied it had sunk into him.

He pulled her away and lowered his head to her eyelevel. "Let's get married…before my parents change their minds, what say?"

"Ok…" She finally managed to smile and moved ahead of him, when he tugged her arm and dragged her to the side of the wall, away from the view of everyone sitting in the chairs facing the mandap.

"But first give me a kiss…" He said, banding his arms around her and lifting her up to his lips.

"Yash…behave…everyone is waiting"

"Oh! if you are scared this will get you pregnant…it doesn't and we can always work on that later" He winked at her and she whacked him on the shoulder.

"I can't…Yash…forget it" She sniveled.

"You would if you trust me…" God! She groaned as she reckoned he was going to use those words as his arsenal every chance he was going to get.

She didn't say another word and he took that as his cue to meet her lips, making him revel in the bliss of her acceptance that he was wrapped in. She kissed him back, just as passionate as he did…with nothing to hold her back. After all, she'd come to realize for eternity, she was no longer the back bench girl for the man of her dreams.