OS: Story of a Suhaag Raat
Sanjay and Ashwin Bhaiya pushed Bihaan into his bedroom laughing bawdily as they locked the door from outside. Bihaan could still hear their laughter from the other side of the closed door. The crude jokes they shared was still staining Bihaan's ears red. He just wanted few minutes more to compose himself before he entered his room...he meant their room. How did his brothers realise Bihaan was feeling nervous about tonight?? The suggestions and motivational speech they had given him was not working at all.
"Mard ban Mard!"
"Show her who is the sher of the jungle "
"If you get scared today then understand you have to live forever scared of your wife, under her feet. She will be the hunter and you the hunted."
Bihaan was still standing facing the door his brothers had closed from outside. They are right Bihaan, Mard ban mard! Be a man! Bihaan self talked, trying to calm himself down. It was only Thapki, he had spend months after months with her in the same room, heck in the same bed. So what was so different today? Bihaan huffed at himself and gulped involuntarily. Perspiration trickled down his temples.
Bihaan punched the air, and tried to pump himself up. There is nothing to be nervous about. You can do it!
"What are you doing B-Bihaan? Are you talking to the closed door? Is someone standing outside? "
Bihaan froze at her voice...and turned to her with a big fat fake smile and his heartbeat stopped.
Thapki was sitting like a doll in the middle of the decorated bed, her knees bent in front of her. Her red lehenga was arranged around her and a long ghoonghat was draped over her head. But she was peeping from beneath it holding her ghoonghat up with one of her hands and looking worriedly at Bihaan. And she was looking drop-dead gorgeous. Looking at her unreal beauty...Bihaan forgot to breath.
She looked like a regal queen draped in finest jewellery and adornments. Her bangles were continuously tinkling and she looked more beautiful than ever like a dream.. He got the world's most beautiful wife ever, how could he be so lucky...Mine..all mine. His mind screamed smugly.
"B-Bihaan ?? What's wrong? Why are you l-looking like that?"
Bihaan realised he had been staring at Thapki with his fake excuse of a smile plastered in his face. He must be looking pathetic. He shook his head and started to come closer to the bed.
Thapki impatiently removed the long ghoonghat from over her head and moved a bit to give space to Bihaan so he could sit beside her.
NO, NO don't do that Thapki, that should be my privilege...I should be removing anything that needs to be removed from you tonight. Bihaan thought with a grimace and sat beside her.
Thapki took hold of his hand, "Bihaan tell me truthfully, are you okay? W-what happened? Did anyone say anything to you?" Did Sapola say or do something to Bihaan to make him behave so distant and awkward? Thapki thought in panic. She and Shraddha had done their damnedest to keep Dhruv at bay so that the marriage could take place tonight. But did the snake do something? Shraddha was supposed to be on look out while Thapki had to resume her role as a nayi naveli Dulhan.
Bihaan's hands were cold. He shook his head again and gave a weak smile to Thapki. "No , I am quite okay Thapki...it is just that...just that... you are not looking normal..." What did I just say?f**k!
The concerned expression with which Thapki was looking at him changed to hurt.
"Oh!" Thapki looked self conscious and made to remove her hand from Bihaan's. Bihaan gripped her hand hard at that and said,
"No No Thapki...I meant...you are looking good, better...not like how you look everyday!" f**k! What the hell is wrong with me?? Bihaan felt like slapping himself.
"O-okay" Thapki said looking more hurt.
"Not that you don't look good...you do...sometimes you look pretty...but not today...what I meant is...what I am trying to say is..." Bihaan seemed to put his foot more into his mouth more with whatever was coming out of his mouth. Thapki was looking at him shockingly like she couldn't believe what Bihaan was saying.
Bihaan cleared his throat and took a big breath, "What I meant Thapki, is, that you are the most beautiful, stunning girl I have ever seen in my life and today looking at you, I can't believe my fortune that God has blessed me with such a gorgeous wife. You take my breath away."
"Oh" Thapki said again. But this time she blushed and looked away shyly.
Bihaan couldn't stop a smile seeing his bride blush so adorably at his compliment. He took both her hands in his own. "You are everything I ever wanted Thapki, everything I couldn't even dare to hope for in life. You are the meaning to my life, the reason I exist. You breathe, that is why I breathe. And I don't deserve you, but you are mine and I will never let you go I am selfish like that."
If it was possible Thapki blushed more and kept looking at their joined hands not looking at Bihaan.
"Thapki, look at me". Thapki didn't. She shook her head instead.
Bihaan placed his hand below her jaw and made her raise her head gently. Thapki closed her eyes quickly.
God! She was beautiful! Like a Goddess! And he is going to worship his goddess tonight. Bihaan thought with satisfaction. Deviantly, more his wife was blushing and becoming shy, more courage he was gaining. His nervousness was now almost nonexistent. It was his wife who seemed nervous now.
"I love how the sindoor of my name and mangalsutra look on you Thapki. It pleases me immensely to let the whole world know that you belong to me only." Thapki began to breathe in short quick breaths. Her heart was pounding so much it felt like it wanted to come out of her chest. Bihaan was still holding her hands. He gently pushed something into one of her fingers.
Thapki opened her eyes at the feeling of a cold metal on her skin. It was a very battered, old ring turned almost black with age. Thapki looked at Bihaan inquiringly.
"Thapki, I don't know when I was born, I don't have any idea about my real parents, I don't have any patriarchy or identity to offer to you, this ring is the only thing I have of my birth parents. I was wearing this on my thumb when Bauji found me. I don't wear it because I have accepted Bauji as my father and don't need my real parents. But this ring is an integral part of me that I don't even remember and I want you to have it. I know it is old and not pretty, doesn't go with your other pretty rings ---"
"Oh--Shut up!" Thapki said and hugged Bihaan tight. "This is the most beautiful thing you or anyone has ever given me in my life and I would wear it with pride--"Thapki said between sobs into his chest.
"No Thapki , you don't have to wear this ugly--"
"Shut up B-Bihaan" Thapki said and looked at him accusingly. "This ring is beautiful and I love it. More so because what it means to you."
"You love it, really?"
"Yes"
"So, where is mine?"
"Where is what's yours?"
"My return gift?"
Thapki blushed again. "Okay what do you want?"
Bihaan dimpled prettily. "You know what I want" .
For a moment she looked undecided, "Okay" Thapki said after a while. She puckered up her lips and nervously moved closer to kiss Bihaan's cheek closing her eyes.
Bihaan shifted his face subtlety after she closed her eyes. So when her lips reached its destination it was not Bihaan's stubbled cheek but his lips. Thapki opened her eyes wide realising but before she could protest or take away her lips, Bihaan snaked his arms around her and deepened the kiss. He gently pushed Thapki down to the rose petal perfumed pillow and continued to devour her. Thapki lost her senses after that. She wound up her arms around him too and let him kiss her the way he wanted, do anything he wanted.
After ages Bihaan raised his head from her face. They both looked at each other and gasped in fright. Both of them looked like vampires, red smeared into their mouths like blood.
"It's my lipstick" Thapki said in a small voice, shyly. Bihaan licked his own lips as if trying to figure out the amount of colour smeared in his mouth. Thapki's mouth looked as if someone mauled her...the smeared red colour making it look worse.
"Here let me clean it up" Thapki moved her hand to take edge of her dupatta so that she can clean him up but encountered her bare waist. She looked down at herself from her lying position and almost squealed. Her dupatta was nowhere near her; she spied it hanging in the swing. How did it go there?? She was wearing it. Her blouse was almost undone dangerously hanging loose, one of her shoulders bare. Thapki squeaked and tried to right herself but Bihaan held her arms pinned with his own. He was still lying over her. Thapki tried to request him to let her go free with her eyes but Bihaan kept looking at her with a naughty smug smirk.
"Don't worry Thapki, let me clean it up for you." he said with a grin and bend lower to lick it off her face.
"Bihaan d-don't, don't lick it off." Thapki squirmed.
"Why not? I have probably eaten most of it anyways."
"Still, the chemicals in it is not good for health, I didn't realise my lipstick was not smear-proof. The girl from the parlour used too much of it, I didn't realise, sorry."
"Worried about my health Misez Bihaan Pandey?" Bihaan asked in a teasing note.
"As a matter of fact yes I a-am" Thapki tried to answer flippantly hiding her never ending embarrassment.
"Don't worry about my health Thapki I will be fine, and I will take care of you too, don't you worry." Bihaan's teasing note suddenly changed into serious and his gaze intense. Thapki forgot what she was about to say. Bihaan started kissing her again and this time he started from the spot behind her ear. Thapki felt like dissolving into her pillow, her mind turned into mush and she started to make soft mewling sounds urging Bihaan on.
A loud crash and bang jerked them up and they both sat to see what happened. At the new sitting position Thapki's blouse almost slipped from her body and she squealed and crisscrossed her hands around her holding her blouse on place. Bihaan disbelievingly looked at Dhruv who seemed frozen at the door which he had just kicked open and staring at them insolently . Bihaan hurriedly tied one string behind Thapki's blouse and moved to stand up.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU DHRUV? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ?? DO YOU HAVE NO DECENCY OR WHAT??" Bihaan quickly moved to the swing snatched the dupatta from there and threw at Thapki who was still shivering like a kitten crisscrossing her arms around her.
Dhruv began to move forward with wavering steps. He seemed drunk and totally wasted.
"HOW DARE YOU ARE TO ENTER OUR ROOM LIKE THIS" Bihaan said angrily and stood in front of Dhruv not letting him proceed any further.
"How dare am I?" Dhruv said with a leer. "YOU BAS***D, THIEF, LOWLIFE , you dare to steal the love of my life, ruin my whole life and then dare to question me about my daring?"
Bihaan looked at Dhruv as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Dhruv what the hell are you saying man? You are happy for me, remember?What got into you all of a sudden?" Bihaan made to touch Dhruv in his shoulder but Dhruv pushed his hand away before it could touch him.
"HAPPY??? Every second I faked a smile at you I wished you were DEAD. I WISH YOU DIE YOU BAS***D AND I NEVER HAVE TO SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN."
"Dhruv--"
"And I am about to get my wish" Dhruv said with a maniacal gleam in his eyes. Bihaan saw the knife too late to stop Dhruv from swinging at him. But before the knife could hit him, Thapki bashed the glass lamp at Dhruv's head with all her might which broke into pieces at the impact.
Dhruv dropped to the ground with a thud, still holding the knife in his hand.
" I H-HOPE YOU DIE, YOU C-COCKROACH AND I NEVER HAVE TO SEE YOUR F-FACE AGAIN." Thapki screamed at the unmoving body.
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