A little treat for the birthday Girl
Happy Birthday Busi. I wish you much blessings. Keep entertaining us with your humour's take on Aarya.
You are the sweetest sweetie pie ever.
Hope you enjoyed your day
Free to love
She had just come out of the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror drying her hair when she heard the door open. She looked at him in the mirror and he had that look. She closed her eyes and felt him move towards her silently. She didn't want this. She couldn't handle this. Why did he always have to do this? She felt him come to a standstill behind her. She felt his fingers gently caress her lips, making her part them. He nuzzled in her neck and his hand went inside her towel and she gasped. He yanked the towel and it fell down. She opened her eyes and looked at him in the mirror. He was waiting for her to look at him as usual. His finger moved sensually from her lips, down her throat to the centre of her breasts making her quiver. She wanted to move out of her grasp but she couldn't.
He then cupped her breasts and started gently tugging at her nipples and rubbing them. She threw her head back in ecstasy. Then he moved his flat hands down her stomach and I came to rest just above the centre of her need. He lifted her one unsteady leg onto the chair that was in front of the dresser. His finger penetrated her and she squirmed and whimpered. She could not support herself any longer for pleasure. And then he started rubbing her in the most sensitive intimate area. She closed her eyes again and moved against his hand moaning and begging until she finally shuddered in pure bliss.
He held onto her until she came to her senses. He picked up the towel and put it back around her. She looked down, embarrassed.
"Look at me Aarti. I am your husband. There is nothing wrong with this. I have a right to your body as you have to mine. When will you come to terms with it?"
She didn't say anything. She didn't look at him. He quietly left to go to the bathroom. She rushed to get her pyjamas and got into bed and put off the bedside lamp. The tears ran down her cheeks. How could she. Why did she enjoy it so? Why couldn't she resist him when she didn't want to be here and didn't want to be married to him? There was only one man for her. She loved him and would love him forever. She wasn't forced into this but she knew it would make them happy. Her family and the family of the love of her life.
Her husband was a decent man. He was always patient with her. He never made any demands on her for the longest time. He knew what she was going through and was empathetic at first and still was. But slowly but surely he needed more. He too had needs. Yet in the year they had been married her had never forced her to do more than what had just happened. He gave her pleasure and took none for himself.
She was in this home as the bahu. She did everything that was expected of her. She was the perfect bahu. She worked hard. Whether they were pleased or displeased didn't really matter as she was no longer alive she was just surviving. At least she didn't experience the pain anymore. She was just numb.
Yash came out of the bathroom to the darkened room. It was her usual reaction. If she never had to look at him she never would. From the first time he saw her at the temple he was mesmerised. He had gone to his mother's village to visit with his grand-parents and great grandmother. He took them to the temple. She had come to give offering. She wore a plain white sari, like someone that was mourning. She was absolutely beautiful but had the saddest eyes he had ever seen. When she left the temple he followed her. She walked through the market and some people greeted her and he could see the pity in their eyes for her. Finally after walking about 20 minutes away, she went into a house. There were kids playing in the street. He had not even given his offering. He still had the plate of sweets with him. He called the kids and offered them the sweets.
"Tell me, who is that girl that just went in there." he asked.
"That is Aarti-di di."
"Does she live there?"
"Yes."
"For a long time?"
"Yes.
"She was supposed to get married to Prashant-bhayia that lived next to them. But on the day of the wedding he was knocked over by a car so they never got married. And she is sad ever since."
"Does she work?"
"Yes, she is a pre-school teacher. And she takes care of Prashant-bhayia's parents since he passed away."
"I see.Thanks. You can go play again."
He walked back, as fast as he could having forgotten about his grandparents.
"Where were you?"
"I just took a walk." he said.
"And the offering?"
"I gave it to some kids."
"You young people. Really" said his grandmother.
Later that same evening her asked one of the servants about her. Apparently she was to get married to her neighbour and childhood sweetheart 2 years ago. While she was getting ready for the wedding, he had run out to get the special flowers that she loved so much and in his haste did not see the oncoming car. The accident was fatal.
They said that she didn't cry for the longest time. They had to force her to eat and she didn't talk to anyone. Till one day his mother came to talk to her. Finally she broke down. She now felt responsible for them as Prashant was the only breadwinner in the family. He was the only child and his parents had already gave up on having children when he was born. So they were already advanced in years. So she took care of them financially as well as cooked for them and did all the household chores when she came from work.
The next day he went to the temple the same time and she was there again. He deliberately walked into her. She said sorry but hardly lifted her head to look at him. Then she walked back home again. And he followed. This happened for a few days. Till finally he tried to talk to her. But she just smiled at his greeting and walked off again.
Then he approached his parents about the proposal. They were not too happy initially. She was not of their status and they were convinced that she was a bad omen. But he convinced them that she was a good person, since she still looked after the parents of the man that she didn't even get married to.
Her parents were very happy with the proposal but she was totally opposed to it. She wanted to stay and look after what she considered her in laws. And this was what he used to get her to agree. And a little pressure from her "parents in law".
He agreed to get the two families a much bigger home and a generous allowance every month. As well as servants. It was on this basis that she agreed to the marriage and that she could come home regularly.
The first time at their house when they made the proposal, once again she sat with head down. The elders spoke while he observed her. Her parents reluctantly advised that she would not agree to the match.
"Mr and Mrs Sharma, can I please speak to Aartiji alone."
She looked up like a frightened gazelle with big eyes.
"Yes, certainly Yashji."
She led him to their back garden. They said nothing for a while. She spoke first.
"Yashji, you don't want to marry me."
"Why, he asked."
"I am in love with someone else."
"Prashant Dubey, your deceased fiance. I know."
"Then why?"
"I really don't know. All I know is that I can't get you out of my mind and that I want to be the one that makes you happy again."
"Prashant was my happiness and he is no longer, so I can never be happy again. I can never love again."
"Can you let someone love you?"
"I don't want to be with anyone but Prashant. I only wanted him to love me. And I have to stay to look after his parents. They only have me"
"Aartiji, if that is your concern then I can make sure that they are well cared for. I will get them a bigger house, servants, the best medical care. Whatever you want for them I will get. Even for your parents. I will give you as much time and space that you need. Please consider it. Please marry me."
"I can't. I really really[MB1] can't" she said and she ran inside crying.
He never thought he could feel so much envy for a dead man. He wanted her to love him like that. He knew that he wanted her but till that very moment he did not realise that he loved her. He went back inside.
"Yash?" his mother said.
"She refused."
"I am so sorry SP-ji, G3ji. We tried to talk to her and tell her she would never get such a proposal again but she is still grieving for her fiance."
"We understand."
But he did not give up. He appealed to the very people that she wanted to stay behind for, her in laws.
"Mr and Mrs Dubey, I am in love with Aarti. She refused to marry me because she wants to take care of you. And of course she still loves your son. I am appealing to you, if you love her too, speak to her and convince that she has a future to look forward to. I can give her a good life and even look after you. I want to make her happy."
The elderly couple looked at each other sadly.
"Nothing will make me happier than seeing that beautiful smile on my Aarti's face again. Not the kind that she does now, but the one that reaches her eyes. That beautiful laughter that filled our whole house. We lost more than just our son that day you know. We lost her too. She lives but she is not alive. If you can promise me that you will make her happy. Then I will promise to convince her to marry you." said Shoba
"I promise to do everything in my power to make her happy."
"I can tell you are sincere in this. We will speak to her."
"Thank you" said Yash.
"No, Ma. No. How can you ask this of me?"
"Beta, it's what Prashant would have wanted. Do you think he would be happy knowing how sad and unhappy you are now? What was his name for you? Twinkle eyes. Because you always had a sparkle in your eyes and a smile on your lips. You owe it to him to be happy again. To live again."
"Ma, do you think I can love anyone like I loved Prashant. I always loved him. I can't remember a time that I didn't love him. From childhood I knew he was to be my husband. There is no one else for me."
"Aarti, are you questioning the Almighty? He knows what's best for everyone. Whatever happens is destined to be. If you were meant to marry Prashant then you would have been married today."
"Ma, how can you say that? And yes, what kind of God takes away the only son of such special people. What kind of God takes away your very heart?"
"Maybe Aarti, you loved him too much. Maybe you were too absorbed in Prashant and God wanted to get your attention. Your devotion should be to God first and foremost and then to man."
She was quiet but looked at them in utter disbelief. How could they be saying these things? Didn't they love him as much as she did? Didn't they miss him every single minute of every day like she did?"
"Yes we loved him. He was our only child. We could not have loved him more. We struggled to have him, but beta, life if for the living. You are young and you have a future. You have a good proposal. Take it beta."
"Aarti-beta, if you don't take this opportunity to be happy, then I will never forgive myself. Shoba and I will leave this place and never come back here."
"I will go with you."
"No, I won't allow you. If you want to see us happy, marry Yashji"
"Bauji please ..."
"No, Aarti. This is our hearts desire. Would you hurt us further after losing our son? Would have us lose our daughter to grief?'
She cried bitterly and in the end she agreed.
Now it was a year later. Nothing had changed. She spent as much time in the village as she did at home. When she was there, he had to ask her to come back as she would stay indefinitely. They never consummated their marriage. But one night a couple of months ago she moved close to him in bed. He could not resist. He kissed her and she responded in her sleep. He pulled down the straps of her night gown and kissed her breast. She was awake at this time and she responded to his kisses and caresses. Finally he was ready to take the final step when she closed her eyes and said "Prashant."
It was like a bucket of cold water was thrown over him. He stopped immediately and got out of bed and left the house. He drove for hours till he his fuel light told him he needed to stop. He got some petrol and turned back home. She was sitting up in bed and looked at him with sad and remorseful eyes. But he knew what she was thinking, she had told him she couldn't be with him.
It hurt yes, but he did not let that deter him. He knew now she was passionate and he used that to win her over because the romantic gestures he made had no effect. He would get her anytime at any place in the house. He would kiss and touch her and he would always make her look at him. She had to know who was making love to her. But he never went all the way. For that he needed for her to come to him. He needed to be sure that she would not resent him afterwards. She always cried. He knew she felt she was being unfaithful to him as she could not deny her desire and curb her responses. That at least was a good thing.
"Yashji, can I go home for some time please."
It hurt that being with him was not home for her.
"You were there just there 2 weeks ago."
"I know but it's my Babu's birthday."
This angered him.
"No, your Babu won't know whether you there or not. You are not going."
"Please Yashji. Why not."
"Because this is your home. I am your husband and Prashant or your Babu, whatever you want to call him is dead. You are staying."
He had had enough. He had really tried but it was getting too much. He loved her and he wanted her. He was also getting frustrated with being so close to her and not being able to experience the love a married couple should. And he had tried everything. Flowers, dinner, movies, weekends away, the intimacy but there was still nothing from her side. So now he would limit her time in the village, forcing her to let go.
She ran away crying. As usual his heart broke and he wanted to go back and tell her she could go but he decided to be strong. He tried being patient and that didn't work. Now he would go the hard line route.
What happened was unexpected. A couple of days later he came home from work and his mother said she went to the village.
"What?"
"I thought you knew."
"No, Ma. I distinctly told her she couldn't go."
"And now."
"Well, we'll see. It is possibly the end of my marriage. I can't be in this relationship alone anymore, Ma."
His mother came to him and touched his cheek.
"I can see how much you love her and it breaks my heart every time she breaks yours. I can't tell you what to do. All I can say is do what you think is best for both of you."
"I will Ma."
She knew he would be angry but she had to be here now. She had never not been here for his birthday. She could not be so far away from him. She lied to her mother in law. And surprisingly for two days he did not call her. And now he was here. He greeted the elders and she took him up to the room that she had there. She stood waiting for him to talk.
"I told you that you couldn't come here."
"It's just till tomorrow. It's his birthday tomorrow."
"I want you to come home with me now."
"No, Yashji. It's just one day, I will come home tomorrow I promise and then I won't come here for a while, if you don't want me to."
"Aarti, you have to make a choice. I want you to come home with me now. If you don't, then you never have to come back home, I mean my home again."
She swallowed hard. She was shaking.
"You know I can't Yashji. Just one more day that is all I ask."
"It's more than one more day Aarti. You asking me to always live in the shadow of your love, your Babu. I stupidly thought that I could make you happy, make you love me. But now I have finally realised that you can't make somebody love you."
He left the room. She went to sit on the bed and cried. After a few minutes he came back with 2 suitcases. He put it down in the middle of the room.
"I brought most of your things." he took something out of the side of one of the suitcase.
"These are the divorce papers. Get a lawyer to look over them and let me know if you are not happy with the settlement. Good bye Aarti."
He left her shocked and confused. She never thought he would do that. Divorce her. He said he loved her and for just one day he wanted a divorce. When her mother came in she was still looking at the papers.
"Aarti, Yash said ..."
She held up the papers.
"Aarti, don't let him do this. Go after him."
"No Ma, its Prashant's birthday tomorrow. I can't go."
"Aarti, enough is enough. Prashant is dead, dead you hear me. Are you going to let that good man walk out of your life for a ghost?"
"I love him Ma."
"I don't think you love him anymore. I think you are clinging to your grief as security. You are too afraid to love again. You better hope that when you realise what you have in Yash, it won't be too late." she walked out of the room.
She felt isolated and alone. No one understood what she was going through. Was her mother right. Surely not. She loved Prashant. How can they expect her to just forget him? She couldn't. She wouldn't.
He had known he wouldn't win. He had known he stood no chance against her unwavering loyalty to her past but it was getting too painful. So he let her go. His lawyers followed up with her about the divorce proceedings and it was uncontested. For days after her received the confirmation of the divorce her stayed on his own in a hotel in Goa. He needed to get away from everything for a while. And when he came back he was different person. He put everything he had into his work. 6 months after the divorce, he instructed his mother to find a wife for him. He had waited to long for his wife to come around. He needed a companion and he needed sexual release. And not just casually. After a month they all agreed the most suitable would be Arpita Singh. She was just right. Educated, beautiful and a genuinely nice person. They moved in the same circles so he knew her and also always knew of her interest in him. In fact before he met Aarti, he had considered her as a bride.
"He is getting married."
She didn't have to ask who. She went about peeling the vegetables.
"Did you hear me Aarti, he is getting married"
"I heard you, Ma. What do you want me to say?"
"I want you to go to that man and admit you made a mistake."
"Do you think he will take me back now?"
"He shouldn't, but after all he had done for you, you can work for him this time."
"The marriage is over a long time ago, Ma."
"So the fact that he is getting married does not bother you at all."
Aarti slammed the vegetables and the knife down on the table
"It's over, Ma. He has moved on. So should we."
She left the kitchen and went to her room. She had stayed for Prashant's birthday but all she could think of was Yash. But it was too late. He had told her she needn't come home. He had given her divorce papers. All of a sudden her bed felt empty. She missed the way he touched and kissed her. But his lawyers kept asking for the divorce papers so eventually she signed it. And now he was getting married. What did her mother expect of her? After everything, he would never take her back.
When he got the call he wanted to rush to her and make sure she was ok. He knew she would be distraught. But he stopped himself in time. She was not his responsibility anymore. He was getting married again soon. But he had to pay his respects to Dubeyji. He was quite fond of the Dubey's. She was sitting right in front with Dubeyji at the funeral, holding him as they cried together. He just wanted to go to her and hold her, but he couldn't. She wouldn't want him to either.
She saw him but had been with Dubeyji so could not talk to him. He greeted her parents and was about to leave. She walked to him quickly. He was already outside when she got to him.
"Yashji, thank you for coming."
He nodded.
"I hear are getting married."
He nodded again.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"Yashji, can we at least be friends."
"Aarti, we were never friends. Why now. The way it is now is best."
"But ..."
"But what?"
She shook her head and he walked to his car and drove off.
"You promised to be with me for 7 lifetimes and now you have left me too." she said to herself.
He was so angry at her. He was pacing up and down the room of his grandparents' home. He was so glad that they were not here right now to answer any questions as he had been banging doors since he had been banging doors since he got back from the funeral. What was the need to come and talk to him? Why did she suggest they be friends? What was wrong with that woman? She wanted to be out of his life. In fact she never wanted to be in his life now she wants to be friends. No, he was happy with Arpita. They saw each other regularly and he really enjoyed her company. She was lovely person and she was committed to him. They even made out a couple of times and he knew she would have been ok to go all the way, but he stopped himself always. He had to get that woman out of his mind. He was not going to do to Arpita what she did to him. He was not going to pine for her while he is married to Arpita. There was a knock on the door.
"What!" he shouted.
"Sorry to disturb sir. There is someone here for you."
"Who is it Ramsingh?" he could not contain his general annoyance.
"Your wife. I mean Aarti Bhabhi."
He was stunned. What did she want?
"I am coming." He first had to calm down.
She was sitting in the lounge, biting her inner lip. Her heart was hammering. Her anxiety level was at its max. She still didn't know what she was going to say. She needed to do this. For herself more than anyone. The last couple of months she went through a period of self-discovery. She had to face her demons. She went through so much guilt and pain and then a fresh heart ache when she realised that she had given up the best thing that had happened to her after Prashant. She had given up her husband and the man that she had fallen in love with in spite of herself. But he wanted a divorce and she didn't know how to get him back. Prashant had always been in her life. They had never had issues or fights. Their relationship was just perfect. Or so she thought. She had never felt the desire and passion for him as she did for Yash. She missed his touch. She often woke in the middle of the night hot and sweaty from dreams of him. At first she thought that was it, that it was only a sexual need but she soon had to admit to herself that it was so much more. She could not even see Prashant in her mind's eye anymore. She had to look at pictures of him to remind herself of him. She could only see Yash. She only wanted him. She loved Prashant so much, but she was in love with Yash. And now it was too late.
"Aartiji"
She was startled out of her reverie.
"Yashji. Hello."
"What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted ... I wanted to say ... "
He sighed loudly.
"What is it Aarti."
"I'm sorry"
"Sorry? For what."
"For never appreciating what you did for me, for how you cared for me. For always putting Prashant ahead of you. For not being able to see you through my grief and pain. And for not leaving with you that day. I am really truly sorry."
"It's fine. It's over now."
"And also I want to thank you for everything that you have done for me. You gave so much of yourself to me. You really did everything to show your love for me and I couldn't give anything back to you."
She walked to him and came to stand in front of him.
"Yash, I wish you all the happiness in the world. I hope your wife to be loves you as much as you deserve to be loved. I hope she makes you her very first priority and never makes you feel that have to compete with anything or anyone. I hope you are blessed with the happiness you deserve and that all your dreams come true."
She stood on her tippy toes and gave him a kiss on her cheek. And she wanted to walk away. He grabbed her arm.
"What are you doing Aarti? Why now?"
"I ... I just needed to apologise that's all."
"So do you feel better now? You want absolution right? Well you know what? It's too late!" he was clearly angry,
"Yash, I ..."
"You are right. I loved you. I was a fool to think you could love me back. After all Prashant was a god in your eyes. How could a mere mortal like me live up to that? And you're right, I didn't give you just so much. I gave you everything and you rejected me time and time again. I am surprised that you didn't kill yourself to be with you dead lover. Or was it better to just martyr yourself for him. To make his memory a shrine in your heart."
She was crying and was trying to pull her arm away from him. She wanted to go. This was a mistake.
"You must be happy now, to have me out of your life. Now you can spend each and every moment living in your memories. Dedicating yourself to your love. Tell me Aarti, can a ghost touch you like I touched you. Can he kiss you and give you the pleasure that I did. You can deny it to yourself, but your desire was obvious. Tell me did you fantasize about him when I touched you, was that why you responded to my touch with so much passion?"
"Let me go, Yashji." she was pulling away from him. Suddenly he let her go and she fell. He just looked at her.
"I have."
He said and walked off.
"It's not only my fault." She shouted. "I told you I didn't want to marry you. You insisted."
"Don't remind me."
"I would have been fine now if you didn't force me to marry you. You said you loved me. You said you would love me forever. You said that you would never give up on me. You would give me the time and space I needed. You promised me 7 lifetimes and you couldn't even give me 2 years."
"What? I gave you your space. And every two minutes you were here in the village. You didn't want to be with me in my home. I grew tired of having my heart ripped out on a daily basis. You blame me for giving up?"
"I do. I did. Just as I started believing in what you told me, you left."
"You left Aarti. When I told you not to go. I came after you, but you showed me again that you allegiance is not to me and that you were not committed to our marriage. How long was I supposed to fight for you?"
"I shouldn't have come. I'm sorry."
"Yes, so you keep saying. But it's too little too late."
"What do you want me to say?" She shouted. "That I regret not going home with you that day. That I used Prashant's memory as a buffer to keep you at a distance because I was afraid of the feelings I was developing for you. That those feelings scared the life out of me. That I had to be home that time because I was forgetting him and when I closed my eyes I could only see your face and not his anymore. That I realised after you left that I had made the biggest mistake of my life in letting you go. That I was totally and completely in love with you."
He was completely flabbergasted.
"But as you said it's too late. Good bye, Yashji."
She walked out the door, leaving a shocked Yash behind. He was not sure if what she said was what she thought he wanted to hear or if it was what she wanted to say.
He turned around and went back to the bedroom to start packing. He needed to go home.
She ran all the way from his grandparents' home to her house, straight to her room and locked the door. She cried for hours. They never spoke like that before. She hardly spoke to him at all. Except for that last day he was always kind, gentle and loving towards her. She had no right to have expected more. To accuse him of what she did. She had no idea when the words came out of her mouth that she even felt that way. She knew she loved him but the resentment about his broken promise was something she only realised when she said it. And it wasn't fair but it was how she felt. And now finally it was over. After this he would be married and she would have to start grieving for another lost love all over again.
"I am sorry Arpita, I am so sorry. I can't marry you."
"It's your ex-wife isn't it?"
"Yes, I don't know why, but I am still in love with her."
"Are you getting back together?'
"I don't know. All I know, I can't let you go through what I went through. Being in a relationship where you know your partner is in love with someone else. It hurts beyond belief."
"What if I say I can live with it? That I can wait."
"You can say that now, because you don't know. But trust me it is the most painful thing under the sun. It breaks you down systematically till there is nothing left and you have to fight to have a semblance of self-worth left."
"Yet, you want her back?"
"I love her. I always will."
"Yash, you are making a mistake. I know I can make you happy. She is not worth it." She came to him and started to kiss him. She started unbuttoning his shirt but he stopped her hands and took her hands away. He shook his head at her.
She got angry.
"Don't think I will be waiting for you to come around Yash. When you come back it might be too late. She took her bag and left.
A few weeks later he was waiting for a client for a lunch appointment at the restaurant of a prestigious hotel. He was having a drink when he saw someone walk past that looked like Aarti. But yet not like her. She was wearing a short, fitting wrap dress with sexy high heeled pumps and her hair was loose. He had never seen her in anything but traditional wear. It could not be her, but yet he felt compelled to follow. She went to the lift and got in before he could reach there. He was walking to the lift and as it closed she looked up and those eyes were unmistakable. He looked at the floor where the lift stopped and he went that floor. When he came to the floor he had no idea what he would do. He walked up the corridor until he came to a room where the door was open and he instinctively went in. She was standing at the dresser, applying lip stick.
He closed the door. She looked at him in the mirror and could see the confusion in his eyes.
"What are you doing Aarti?"
"Fighting for you." she said and she undid the tie to her wrap dress and slid it off her shoulders. She turned around only wearing her stilettos."
He shook his head.
"No, Aarti"
She walked to him sensually.
"Yes, Yash. You can't marry her. You put so much into this relationship, Please don't give up on me now. I love you and I want to show you how much."
"Sex is not the answer." he said hoarsely.
"You're right. But this is not sex. I want to give you all of me. Heart, body and soul. I don't want sex. I want to make love to you. I want a chance to be a real wife to you."
"It's too late."
"No, it's not too late. You are not married yet. I refuse to believe that you have stopped loving me after everything you put in to winning my love. And even if you don't love me anymore, I want to have at least one opportunity to be one with you, to love you."
She kissed him and he was lost. The she took his tie and led him to the bed and he followed her. She turned around when they got to the bed and she undid his tie and started unbuttoning his shirt.
"I have a meeting he said weakly."
"No you don't."
"It was you?'
"Yes." she said as she continued to undress him.
He was now nearly naked when he picked her up and put her down on the bed. They could hardly wait to be joined. Even the pain that she felt at first entry was nothing compared to how much she wanted to be his and how much she wanted this. She knew that it would be wonderful. And it was. Because she knew she was his now and would be forever.
She held onto him afterward.
"I love you Yash."
"Aarti, it's not that easy. We can't just pretend that the past never happened."
"I know. But I promise, I will do better this time. I want to be with you, I want to make a home with you. Have children with you."
"Children? We can't even think of that now."
"I know but just tell me you won't marry her. Please don't marry her, she won't make you happy. I will. I promise." she started kissing him again.
"Stop it." he said weakly pushing her away.
"Then say you won't marry her. Please. Give me another chance. You won't be sorry."
He looked at her and rolled his eyes.
"I don't know about that, but just so you know. I have already called off the wedding."
"What? You have? Why?'
But she didn't wait for him to answer as she got on top of him and started to kiss him again and before he could answer the question she was making love to him with a passion that he could not help but respond to.
"So are you going to answer my questions?"
"Do you expect me to remember anything after that?"
"Why did you break the engagement?"
"Why do you think?"
"Because you love me."
"Yes."
"I am so happy."
"So what happens now?'
"I hope that we can get married again someday, but I can wait till you are ready." she got up and went to the shower and he followed and embraced her from the back.
"What if I am never ready? What if I can't trust you with my heart again? What if this is all I want from you?"
"I will give you what you want as long as you need me to."
"What are your plans now?"
"I have to go home. Or rather to my parents' home. I don't have a place to stay here yet. But I will move to Mumbai soon. My ex-husband gives me a generous allowance and finally I have a use for it."
"I've noticed from the account that you use very little money."
"I only used what I needed besides I worked."
"So you are going to move to Mumbai to be my lover on demand."
She turned around.
"I just want to be close to you."
He held her tightly.
"Is our home close enough?'
She smiled and looked at him with so much joy.
"Are you proposing to me in the shower?"
"Yes, I did the traditional thing and asked you to marry me and now I am doing things unconventionally maybe this time the marriage will have a different outcome."
"Well Mr. Scindiya. I have to think about this."
He wacked up her on her bottom.
"You have no choice Mrs. Scindiya, else I might just lock you up and only use you for my pleasure."
"Ooh that sounds like fun."
"Since when have you become so naughty?"
"Since I have decided to lay my heart on the line to win my man."
"And it worked so well. Maybe I should have held out longer?"
"Don't worry. I won't stop working to win your heart, my love. You mean everything to me."
"And Prashant?"
"I will always love him. He was part of my life since I could remember. But you are my future. The only man that I have ever been truly in love with. My husband."
"I love you Aarti. From the first moment I laid eyes on you. I wanted to take the sadness out of your eyes and have you look at me exactly like you are now. With love and happiness. You have no idea how happy I am right now."
"You're wrong. I know exactly how happy you are because I feel it too."
"Will you come home with me, baby?"
"We are not married. Your parents won't let me come back like this."
"Ok." he shut the water off. He got out of the shower, dried himself and got dressed.
"Wait for me, I won't be long."
"Where are you going?"
"Just stay here."
An hour later he came back with a bag. In it there was a red sari and jewellery.
"We don't have much time, get dressed."
She dressed in the sari and jewellery and then they left and went to Mandir that she knew to be the one that his family frequented.
"What is this?"
"We are getting married. You are coming home with me today. We have been apart too long."
She smiled.
"yes." she said.
The ceremony was quick. Her heart beat wildly when he placed the symbols of their marriage on her. She knew this time it would be forever.
"Yash, Aarti-habu? What is happening." asked his mother when they came home.
"I brought my wife back home, Ma. This time for good."
His mother looked at them uncertainly.
She walked to her mother in law and said.
"I am sorry for all the trouble I caused before. But this time it will be different. I will be a good wife to Yashji. I will treasure him as my husband. I know I didn't in the past but I have learnt from my mistakes. Please give me another chance." she bent down and touched her feet.
After a long while she blessed her.
"My son seems happy. That is enough for me."
"Thank you Ma." they both said.
Finally they were alone in their room. She looked around. Everything was the same except that her pictures were removed.
"I couldn't live with the constant reminders."
"That's ok" she said. "Those pictures were all of the old Aarti, the one that was always sad. We will make new memories and put new, happy pictures on the wall." she said as she lay her head on her chest as he embraced her.
"I have buried him, Yash and I have buried her too. The old Aarti. I have been reborn, all because of your love. I took a chance today, for your love. I am happy because you made me so. I will always treasure you and our love above all else. And if I don't, please don't leave me again, just help me work through it so that we can always be happy together. Let's never stop talking and let's never take our love for granted. I love you so much."
"I love you Aarti. You. Old, new, it doesn't matter. My heart chose you even then. But I know that this time around my love won't be so much effort and hard work. Now I can be free to love you and you can be free to love me. There are no more ghosts between us. From now on there is only two people in this relationship, like it was always meant to be. And I will never let you go again. I knew you were mine then, but my heart broke when I thought you couldn't love me. And now it is restored. I trust you with my heart baby and I am so excited for our future. For our family, our children. I love you."
She looked up at him and said.
"Forever"
"Forever." he confirmed. "Now let's start on those babies that we were talking about."
She giggled but it was soon cut off as his mouth came down on hers. They were lost in their love. Free of the past, free of the ghosts and free of their fear and insecurities. They had the freedom to love and express their love in the very truest form and could only build on it from here. He had promised to love her, to wait for her to return that love. And ultimately he did. And that gave her the courage to pursue his love, so that they could keep the promises they made the first time, for 7 lifetimes. Perfection. They were complete.
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