"She is probably by the poolside." Anjali looked up towards the stairs, eyes tired from days of waiting. As he walked up she thrust a little pot of sindhoor in his hands. He looked at her questioningly but she walked off without giving an explanation.
He walked towards the poolside. A place he had begun to associate with her. These last two months he had spent in captivity had changed everything. Shyam Jha had been spectacularly revealed his true colours. He now understood that the beautiful, young, innocent girl he had so savagely sentenced was just that, completely innocent.
He crossed the threshold of their bedroom, closing his eyes momentarily, how desparately he wished that he had carried her over the threshold, yet in every reality had dragged her across the threshold. Yet she had always remained dignified. Dignified through ever disgusting taunt and every despicable pain he had hurled at her.
He walked towards the pool and towards the only woman who his heart beat for. The sight that greeted him would bring him to his knees.
The poolside bathed in soft moonlight, the water creating a prism of reflections all around him. She lay still on the very chair that he had laid her down on holi. Her face turned away from him, towards the skies, searching. For what, he had no idea.
His heart lurched as he took in her attire. She wore a simple white saree. His eyes roved her body, gone were the payals from her feet, gone were his mothers kangans from her wrist along with the silver rings on her slender fingers. His eyes travelled to the juncture of her throat and he gulped down hard as he realise she wasn't wearing the mangalsutr he had so brutally thrust upon her. His eyes automatically went to her forehead, searching for the smidgeon of blood red sindhoor, but there was none.
He fell to his knees as realisation dawned upon him. This was his Khushi, the same Khushi he had turned his back on at the airport close to two months ago. She was as beautiful, if not more than he remembered, for gone now was all the hate he had harvested for her. He had opened his heart to feel everything he should have felt for her all those months ago. The entire journey back to his family he had wanted to see his bride, a bride who had never been given the opportunity to glow in blissful happiness and he had come prepared to give her all that and more, yet in front of him in all her simplicity lay his own widow.
"Arnavji," she whispered
His head jerked up and was about to answer when he realise she was not talking to him. She was talking to the stars above.
He got up and walked around towards her, she smiled softly at him, her face glowing in the soft moonlight.
"Khushi'" he whispered, his voice hoarse and throat constricted with emotion.
"Aap hi ko bularahi thi. Aap kho kyu jate? Mein kabse bularahi hoon," Arnav was a little confused and then realised that she was in a trance of sorts. Her eyes glassed over although he was still captivated by the luminosity of the hazel saucers. [I was just calling you. Why do I keep losing you. I have been calling out to you for ages]
"Kyu, kuch kehena tha kya?" [Why, did you have something to tell me?]
She smiled and he held his hand out for her to take. She shook her head in the negative indicating she didn't want to take his hand. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Hum jante hai, aapko chuteyhi aap gayab ho jayenge." She thought of him as an illusion, one that would disappear at a touch. He gulped down, isn't that what he had been to her before? An illusion of happiness that would disappear at a single touch?
"acha, to kya kehna chahti thi?" [So what did you have to say?]
Her eyes welled up and her voice choked up. "Aap chale kyu gaye hume chor ker? Humari amma babuji ki tarah? Woh bhi humse roothkar chale gaye. Aur aap bhi gussa hokar chale gaye." [Why did you leave? My parents left me too and you got mad at me left] She resumed her search gazing towards the skies,
"Kya dhoond rahi ho?" [what are you searching for]
"Aap ka tara." [your star]
He had no words to answer her. He had left her, not in the way she concluded but he had walked out on her. She broke the silence, "Arnavji, aisa kyu hota hai ke jinse hum pyar karte hai woh humesha humko chor kar chale jate hai?" [Arnavji, why is it that whovever I love always leaves me]
His heart soared at her confession but his stomach sunk at the pain expressed in that one sentence.
"Tum pyaar karti ho mujhse?" [You love me?]
"Humesha se." [Always]
He reached into his pocket, understanding dawning upon him. His took out the small point of sindhoor his sister had handed to him and pinched the red powder between his forefinger and thumb. He walked towards her filling the barren parting of her hair. He lifted her in his arms and kissed the red smudge.
"Main bhi," he whispered against her forehead. ["me too"]
Khushi stirred to life, he felt her heart race as a million questions flooded her and the reality of his presence filled her searching eyes. She was about to speak when he silenced her by placing his finger on her soft lips. "Ssshhh, abhi nahi Khushi. Sawal jawab ki liye puri zindagi baaki hai. Aaj raat nahi."
With that he lifted her up and carried her over the threshold, the way he should have done all those months ago and placed her on his bed. On their bed and proceeded to express just how much he loved her and just how sorry he was. His body taking over where his words stopped.
Real Estate
