Abhigya FF:Night To Remember LAST ch PG 75 NEW FF LINK pg 1 - Page 29

I glanced at my hand one more time, the hand that had taken away so many lives, how could that hand lessen somebody's pain. Curling my fingers in a fist I dug them in my skin or should I say in that cut and clenched my jaws firmly. My mind couldn't stop thinking closely as to how she behaved with me, we kept our distance and didn't share meals together and for that I should be blamed but what she'd done the other night on the dining table after returning from hostel now disturbed me. She'd forcefully and hurriedly put everything down her throat that it had surprised me and also everybody around. I guess tanu was right once again, not only my touch even my presence repulsed her.

Blood was creeping out of the cut when I opened up my palm, something else was also bleeding inside me and that something was more hurtful and painful than anything else in the world.

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He was sitting on the couch when I came in with the breakfast tray, keeping it on the table my eyes noticed his bandage soaked in blood. I looked up at him, he was lost in his thoughts, shaking my head I took out the first aid kit and held his hand. He took it back, I frowned at him and grabbed his wrist firmly. Pressing the cotton on his cut gently I heard him ask," it hurts doesn't it on holding a hand stained with blood?"

My eyes and hands stilled for a moment on hearing him before quietly wrapping the bandage around his palm. Raising my head I stared at his face and nodded a yes," Of course it hurts. After all seeing blood is not a pleasant sight. However it hurts more to see someone punishing himself for someone else's mistakes." It pained me more to see him still getting hurt at her hands, someone who had left him. Someone who'd never loved him still managed to cast an effect on him.

Standing up, I said in disappointment ," but leave it , you won't understand." Sarcasm dripped from every word of mine as I left before keeping the glass of lemon juice in front of him. The brief encounters that he had with tanu had a greater and more deeper impact on him than the close to six months which we had spent together. He was looking at the world through her eyes, perceiving things the way she wanted him to and drowning in self pity which was annoying me the most because in reality he was a far better person than he himself thought to be

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Coming down for lunch I found her missing in the hall and at the dining table, I dialed her number, the phone was ringing in the room, she'd left it there. Turning my neck I asked daadi," pragya?"

She too looked around and said," She was here a while back." I gave her a reassuring look suggesting don't worry she'll be back then told bulbul," if you are free then could come to the market with me?" She nodded then popped her head up suddenly and asked before going to get ready," why didn't you tell pragya bhabhi about her results?"

I simply shrugged my shoulders, yesterday I'd went to the garden to tell her that she'd come third, I was really happy for her but that happiness didn't last for long when I saw tanu talking to her, telling what a big mistake she'd made by marrying me and how disgusted my touch and presence must be for her.

Gulping a cold glass of water down my throat I thought back at what she'd said in the morning, her point of view seemed different from tanu's . Staring at the untouched plate before me I heard daadi ask worriedly," abhi, what happened to your hand?" shaking my head I indicated , it was nothing but she asked further," did you apply something on it?" I nodded a yes and replied," hmm pragya had bandaged it."

She gave out a relaxed smile and said," under the circumstances this marriage took place, I thought I had taken an unwise decision." I glanced at her as she continued," however slowly pragya won our hearts." Yeah she' made a place for herself in this house, in everybody's life but did I occupy any place in her life? I didn't know.

Dropping my gaze I fiddled with the glass of water when daadi kept her hand on mine to gain my attention," and yesterday the way she spoke about you in front of tanu made me believe that I couldn't have found you a better life partner."

I frowned at her in confusion, what was she saying, when and what did pragya say to tanu? Seeing my bewildered expression she narrated the whole scene that happened when I'd left and she'd come to pluck some flowers for the puja, how pragya defended me, my profession our relationship everything so strongly.

I was totally flabbergasted after hearing the other part of the story where I was the hero and not the villain, for the first time someone stood up for me and that too not out of my fear or to impress me. The relationship that was based on compromise meant so much to her? Her words whether bitter or sweet always managed to touch my heart but what she said yesterday stirred something strongly in my heart. I didn't know that she thought so highly of me, on our wedding day she'd saved our families honor and her sister's life but yesterday in front of that same sister she'd fought for me, amazing truly amazing and shameful on my part to have reacted like that.

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I was in the hall talking to someone over the phone when she came back in the evening. She looked around in surprise seeing the whole house getting decorated, not bothering to ask me, she instead asked daadi," what is going on, daadi ji?" who smiled and replied," you've passed with flying colors so today there is a small party for you." Then glanced at me, she too gazed at me briefly before protesting," honestly daadi ji there is no need for all this."

When bulbul chipped in and said," Oh bhabhi, parties are thrown not out of need but happiness." Not seeming too convinced with her answer she shook her head and began walking up the stairs when bulbul asked hesitantly," daadi ji , should I invite her also ..i mean tanu?" before daadi could reply, she interrupted at once and said," no,she'll not be invited ."

Disconnecting the call I shifted my eyes from her to bulbul and announced ," everyone from pragya's family shall be invited. By everyone I mean everyone!" Looking at her from the corner of my eye I found her staring at me in annoyance. I turned my neck and stared back at her, she parted her lips to speak but stopped and went back to the room. Her footsteps made noise more than they normally did, already she was upset because of me and now I had only aggravated her anger. But I wanted her to practice what she preached, she always desired that I came out of my past and let bygones be bygones however she herself was forgetting , that tanu was a part of not only mine but her past as well. So somewhere even she needed to accept and move on.

She opened up her hair and took out a towel along with a suit to get ready for the party. My gaze fell on the bed where I'd kept some gifts for her, probably in her anger she didn't notice them.

"I've got some gifts for you. Will you wear them for the party?" she glanced at the bed then moved her eyes to my bandaged palm and replied," I got my gift from you last night itself."

Turning to my cupboard she opened it to take out my clothes," Which colored suit should I take out for you?" then without waiting for my answer replied herself," this blue one will look good." She pulled out the blue suit from the wardrobe as I stood behind her and said," pragya, you know me well. When I get angry I end up saying and doing something stupid. "

Not satisfied with my justification she banged the cupboard shut and dropped my suit on the bed. I knew one more time I'd acted like a jerk, I should have trusted her, trusted our relationship and not got affected by tanu's words but my anger and my insecurities were my biggest enemies they didn't allow me to think right.

Standing next to her I said earnestly," look, I have many flaws. And I'm working on them. But for that I need time...and I need you too."

I'd changed for the better thanks to her and was willing to change even more but such change in attitude didn't happen overnight, one had to work upon them constantly and she needed to understand that.

She looked at me, this time her eyes had softened a lot as she spoke," you're not imperfect. Flaw is in the eyes of those who see flaw in you."

Really, was I that perfect in her eyes? This time her words not only touched and stirred my heart but also captured it.

She picked up the two gift boxes and opened them slowly, one had a small and simple pendant chain and the other had a pink sari, I'd never seen her in a sari. She smiled softly and said," it's beautiful...but " she paused and glanced at me," suniye, I don't wear saris."

I wished she'd worn it, the color would have looked amazing on her but I shrugged my shoulders and thought, at least now she was not mad at me.

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I began combing my hair in front of the mirror as he too changed for the evening. Adjusting the small bindi on my forehead along with the dupatta of my suit I thought, he shouldn't have invited tanu here, I was sure he didn't wish to show off anything in front of her then why invite her unnecessarily especially after knowing what she thought of our relationship.

My thoughts got distracted when the bathroom door opened and he came out. Letting my hair remain open , I wore a pair of gold earrings and picked up the pendant chain that he had got. I struggled for the umpteenth time with the small hook of the chain, it was just not getting fixed, I let out an irritated sigh and held the chain in my hand, giving up the idea of wearing it when he asked from behind," may I?"

I looked at his reflection in the mirror and blinked my eyes slowly. He took the chain from my hand and gently lifted my hair and dropped it on my left shoulder. I pressed my dry lips together as he moved closer and brought his hands in front to tie the chain around my neck, his fingers brushed my cold skin making me shut my eyes and wonder, did he ever know what effect his proximity and touch had on me?

His fingers floundered with the hook for a few seconds before he lowered his head and brought his face down to pull the hook with his teeth, I guess that's what he intended to do but ended up creating a havoc inside me as his warm lips slightly touched my nape making the hair around rise instantly. Squeezing my eyes more tightly, I curled my fingers in a fist to control my totally out of control heart beat and gasped soundly which I was sure must not have gone unheard by him, no wonder he said immediately," it's done." And moved his hands back.

I opened my eyes and dared to look at myself in the mirror, the color of my cheeks perfectly matched with the color of the sari that he'd bought.

If tonight he'd wanted to see me in that color then he'd clearly succeeded in doing so.

Once again he'd managed to add a touch of color to my otherwise dull and colorless story.

Thanks for reading

Rose