"Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one's life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps . . . perhaps . . . love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath."
― Lucy Maud Montgomery.
As she sat all decked up within the confines of her new room in their new house Mishti couldn’t believe that they had come this far. When she had met Abir all those months ago on the bus she had scoffed at his antics not knowing that this Ajeeb man would one day be her husband. The thought of Abir finally being her husband made her blush even though they had gotten married a few hours ago it still felt surreal. She looked around the room although it wasn’t as lavish as his previous room in the Rajvansh household, yet she still loved it. Abir had lived up to his end of the bargain and managed to get a small house near the NGO before their engagement. She had helped him in choosing the furniture and setting up the kitchen, the living area & the patio but their room had been off limits to her. Abir said he wanted to surprise her, and she could see why. Instead of setting up the room solely based on his own tastes & preferences he had incorporated her sense of style as well. The room was painted in hues of blue her favorite color his attention to detail & love for her made her tear up once again. She quickly wiped her tera she already had done a lot of crying during Bidai and now she wanted to start her new life with Abir with a smile. Mishti looked at her wrist watch that Abir had gifted her “So, after sending me to our room this Ajeeb Adami had already made me wait an hour. I am not going to spare him today “ she mused. Right on cue Abir walked in.
“About time, it feels like I have been waiting since forever” Mish told him in an annoyed tone
“Relax Angry Chorni I was seeing of all the guests. Nidhi Mami was insisting that she wants to stay over so I had to bribe both Ketki & Atul to take her away. Par abb hum dono bilkul akelay hain ” he leaned over and whispered huskily in her ear. His proximity was doing things to her and the only word she could get out of her mouth was “Dhood” .
“Dhood?”
“Yeah you forgot the dhood ka glass na” she reminded him
“No I didn’t give me a minute” he said and went to the kitchen and returned with one cup of coffee.
“Coffee”
“Yeah I mean its strong and dark and contains caffeine & I don’t plan on sleeping tonight” he winked at her.
A tinge of red appeared on her cheeks and she couldn’t help but look away. He couldn’t help but chuckle
“See I was right Angry bold chorni is Nareal Mishti” he teased her. “Oh really” she said and pulled him towards her. “Misthi careful please the coffee might spill”. He pointed towards the cup in his other hand.
“Ssh…” she placed her finger on his lips. “ Bohot boltay ho tum Mr Abir Ajeeb Rajvansh aik toh mai kab say wait kar rahi hu & you haven’t even given me my gift” she huffed in annoyance.
“Main hu na tuhmara gift. Silky smooth, hair deep voice athletic body…” she interrupted him again with her finger on his lips. “Before you say anything further meri niyat aaj prem chopra types ho rahi hain” she smiled and gazed at his lips. Still clad in her pink and red wedding dress his wife was a sight for sore eyes and right now her face was just inches apart from her . He had plans on how he wanted this night to shape up but if she kept on looking at him like this those plans might never materialize. Abir suddenly felt his throat going dry. “Umm your gift, let me give you your gift” He hurried of their bed leaving behind his lovely wife who at the moment was very much pissed at her ajeeb husband. She glanced at the corner of their room where Abir had set up a mini studio with his artwork & supplies. Currently, her dear husband who looked delectable was putting a painting on the easel. Mishti was confused now of all the things she had imagined she hadn’t thought that this will happen on their first night. As Abir moved towards the side in order to dip the brush in paint she could finally see the painting clearly. It was her painting the one he had painted long ago. A memory resurfaced in her brain.
M:“Tumnay painting bana li? Kitini pretty hain?
A) chaand jitni
B) phool jitni c
C) Ya katrina jeetni
A:Ghar jitni simple sa seeha sada sa bohot khoobsurat
M:Wow phir toh bohot pretty ho gi dikho na Abir mujhay abhi dekhni hain
A:Nahi Mishti aaj nahi
M: Aaj nahi toh kal main iss painting ko dekh hi lun gi
Abir talked about the painting with such veneration that it had piqued her interest to see it. Not to mention that ever since Abir had made the painting he had been acting a little distant. It seemed like something was going on in his mind something unsettling and that bothered Mishti. She couldn’t see her always confident and chirpy friend so lost and gloomy. What was it in that painting that was affecting him this much? She remembered how visibly stressed Abir was at the day of the exhibition. Away from the hustle and bustle of the main hall she had found him in his office wrapping up the painting.
M:Kab tak chupaon gay? Kabi na kabi toh sach samany aha hi jayay ga. She had told him that one day the truth would surface so there was no point of hiding it any further. He turned back to look at her trying to plaster a smile on his face but his eyes betrayed him. It was apparent that something was bothering him.
A:Tum sach janti ho he had asked her earnestly probably trying to gauge if she knew something he was still figuring out
M:Main bas itna jaanti hu kay iss painting main jo bhi hain who tum kisi kay saath share nahi karna chatay. Pehaly painting chupa rahay thay abb chera chupa rahay ho dosto say kuch nahi chuptay Abir. Aisa kiya hain iss painting main jo tum , tum nahi rahay. Mujay dekhna hain kay tumhari smile kis nay chura li. At this point Mishti just wanted to see that why was that damn painting inflicting so much pain on his friend. What was in it or rather who was in it that had such a profound impact on Abir. She had moved forward to remove the cloth covering the painting
A:Mishti.. mujh par bharosa hain He however, called her from behind and asked her a question that made her dumbfounded for a moment. She stopped what she was doing and turned back to look at him.
M:Sab say zyada She looked right into his eyes and said it without any doubt that she trusted him beyond measure
A:Toh meri baat maan lo. Yay painting mat dekhna. Main jaanta hu yay painting meri zarorat hain lakin yay meri zarorat kyun hain yay main nahi jaanta main itna jaanta hu kay mera iss kay saath bohot gehra ristha hain lakin who Ristha kiya hain kyun hain main nahi jaanta aur jab tak main in sawalon kay jawab main khud nahi dhoond layata main yay kisi kay sath share nahi kar sakta. He had asked her to trust him and to not look at the painting. He knew that the painting was his need and that he had a deep connection with the person in the painting but he didn’t know why. His honest declaration and request made Mishti back off. Right now he was not ready to tell her and she respected his wish
M:Abir main samaj nahi paa rahi yay Ristha tumhari strength hain ya weakness main kuch samaj nahi paa rahi. Was the painting a boon or a bane for her friend Mishti couldn’t decide so she asked him.
A: Honestly speaking main bhi nahi samaj par raha
M: Abir mujay tum par pura bharosa hain mujay bharosa hain kay tum apany sawaalon ka jawaab dhoond lo gay. Agar tumay yay sab figure out karnay main meri help chaiyay ho kia tum mujay baton gay. She didn’t know why but she realized that right now Abir needed reassurance. He had always been her sounding board it was now time to return the favor.
A:Main sab say pehlay help kay liay tumharay paas aahon ga
His answer had satisfied her a part of her was very happy that he still prioritized her before anyone else even more then the muse of his mysterious painting. Hence, Mishti had decided to drop the subject. Later when fire broke out in the exhibition hall, she knew she must save the painting. Abir was deeply attached to it so there was no way she would let the fire destroy something that was so precious to him. So, she had stepped in to a room full of fire without caring for her life and had managed to save the painting. The mess that followed afterwards that eventual description had made her forget the painting but she hadn’t forgotten the affect it had on Abir. Days later after she rejected Kunal and was busy helping Abir set-up Kuku the painting had made a reappearance. Abir had started referring to the muse in his painting and called her his painting wali with so much adoration that it made Mishti jealous.
M:Tum uss kay saath ho?
A:Uss kay saath toh main hamesha rehta hu
M:Acha toh uss din who kahan thi mujay tum say baat hi nahi karni.
She continued to be agitated until one fateful night she stumbled upon the painting by chanve and suddenly everything made sense.
Yay painting yay exhibition ka center piece jis say Abir sab say chupa kar rakhna chaata tha jisay uss nay muja say chupa kar rakha hain. Woh meri baat kar raha tha. Lakin yay paitningtoh uss nay bohot pehlay banai thi. Abir….
She had never in her wildest dreams imagined that Abir had made a painting of her. Her of all people the one who was tossed away to the side by her own parents and relatives. An artist and his muse have a special connection because the artist spends innumerable hours in order to give life to his or her thoughts on a blank canvas. The fact that he had immortalized her in his painting was astounding. Why had he considered her so worthy of his love and attention. In her haste that day she had left one of her shoe behind not before lingering for a bit and gazing at the man who had managed to capture her essence so beautifully on paper. A man who was slowly traversing the crevices of her heart. The man who wanted to make her hope for love again. She couldn’t tell him that she had seen it for the time being she wanted to keep it to herself but at the night of his horrific accident she wished she had told him. When she had seen him lying motionless on the stretcher covered in blood . She had shouted at the top of her lungs “Main uss painting wali ko tumharay nazar say dekhna chaati hu Abir” how in that moment she had wished he would get up and dazzle her with his characteristic grin. He had woken up the next day but she didn’t let him tell her. Afterwards Kuku marriage was fixed and she did want her and Abir’s relationship to complicate things even further. He though had made it her mission to tell him. A loud sound brought her back to the present.
As Abir bent down to retrieve the paint bottle he had accidentally dropped she looked at the easel. Everything else about the painting was same as she remembered except that Abir had added her spectacles to the painting the ones he had gifted her. As her husband got up and rearranged his painting supplies, she grabbed him from behind and engulfed him in a back hug. He adjusted a bit and put his hands above hers.
“I Knew you were Ajeeb but I didn’t know you were Ajeeb to this extent” Mishti said while resting her head on his shoulder.
“What do you mean?” he asked her
“Mr Abir Ajeeb Rajvansh arts and crafts ka bhi time hota hain okay. I thought humrahi first night normal couples ki tarah ho gi but I should have known that I have married the most Ajeeb man on this planet. Aik toh pehaly itna wait karao phir painting karnay lag jaon” She hit him playfully.
“Oww, tumharay say achi toh tumhari painting hain na zyada angry hain na zyada violent or itna bolti bhi nahi hain. Waisay bhi Mrs Rajvansh the night is still young” He winked at her.
“Waisay why are you painting at this hour of the night woh bhi on our first night?” She asked him and turned towards the painting. Now Abir grabbed her from behind and nuzzled her hair.
“Mmhmm obviously because I wanted to give it to you as a gift. I always wanted to add the spectacles but never found the time after all they are a part of you ‘aik shezadi jis ka chasma hi uss ki nishaani hain’ can’t believe that shezadi is now mine forever” he turned her towards him and kissed her forehead.
“Remember I told you ‘Misthi yay meri zindagi ka sab say bada saach hain. Jo saach main tuhmaray saath share karna chaata hu. Tumhay baatna chaata hu,kay jab main ankhay baad karta hu toh mujay srf uss ka chera dikhay deta hain meray dil ki har dhakan sirf ussi ka naam layti hain meray kaanon ko sirf ussi ki awaaz sunayi dayti hain uss ka naam hain…” even before he could finish she had interrupted him and completed his sentences.
“Of course I remember tumhari kahin har baat main yahan record karti hu” she pointed towards her brain.
“I thought this was the perfect gift because even when I was unsure this painting had given a voice to my feelings. You wanted me to make some spectacular piece for the exhibition and as I set out to paint that day I was confused. Until Parul Maasi told me “Mann say niklai baat seedhi maan tak panchti hain. Aankhy band kar kay soch lo apnay aap samaj ahaya ga kia bana na hain and I followed her advice and closed my eyes and just painted. When I opened my eyes I was greeted with your stunning form that had now filled the empty canvas on the easel and of my heart. I couldn’t fathom that how my brain and my heart had managed to conjure up your image. I reminded myself of Bade Papa’s request to stay away from you and how you were promised to someone else and I decided to bury my feelings. Thinking that they will fade away. Knowing that you considered me to be just a friend I even tried to burn the painting but I guess faith in the form of the wind intervened and extinguished all the candles. In all the phases of our relationship this painting has been a constant fixture. When I am happy, sad, distressed I talk to your painting you have no idea what it means to me. Actually you do this painting is my zarorat, the first symbol of our pyara sa ghar. You did it angry chorni you managed to steal this banjara’s heart and now you make me want to stay in one place. My home is wherever you are” He said and kissed her cheeks, then her forehead , then her hands. Mishti let him kiss her right now she was too overwhelmed to do anything. Tears streamed down her cheeks as tried to come to terms with the depth of his love.
“Hey Mrs Rajvansh aka angry chorni tears don’t suit you okay but I know these are happy tears so I won’t stop you but at least I can make it up to you. Come here” He outstretched his arms and she enveloped him in a hug.
“I love you, Abir” she said and clutched him even tighter.
“I love you too, Mishti” he rested his head on her head.
“So did you like my gift” he moved his face away from her and asked her
“Like! I loved it Abir actually love is also a small word it cannot encapsulate what I am feeling at the moment but can I confess something” she looked up at him. He nodded his head and gestured her to go ahead.
“Pata hain Abir main yay painting already dekh chuki hun” She told him. He immediately moved away from her trying to act annoyed.
“Haww Misthi mera sara surprise kharab kar diya. Very bad so uss din this was your mission Cinderella chor” He asked in an annoyed tone without looking at her.
“You Ajeeb Rajvansh don’t turn your back towards me. Look at me come on Abir please” she pleaded with him. Not willing to risk raising his wife’s wrath Abir quickly turned back to look at her.
“I always wanted to see the painting from your eyes and today I did. Honestly, Abir there couldn’t have been a better gift then this” she cupped his face in her hands. A smile graced his lips. She smiled back and turn towards the painting.
“It’s nice but I still feel its incomplete” She pointed towards the painting. He looked at her with a puzzled expression ”But I did add the glasses what else is left?” He asked her. She pointed towards her forehead where a few hours ago Abir had put sindoor.
“You forgot to put in this and also my mangalsutar” she told him. He smiled at her and grabbed her hands in his. “It’s because I never want this Ristha to be a burden on you. I don’t want you to lose your identity just because you are married to me. I don’t ever want you to feel suffocated” he confessed. She mentally chided herself of course her Ajeeb Adami didn’t want her to feel stifled under some customary label. When did she get so lucky? She asked herself and looked at her husband whose ever penetrating gaze still managed to leave her breathless. Trying to curb her restlessness she finally managed to speak
“Abir you love has already made me feel liberated. I am Mishti Abir Rajvansh with all my heart and soul and I want everything associated with us to symbolize that I am yours”
“Okay sure let me grab the red paint. You want to help?” he asked her. She nodded in agreement and he gently made her hold the brush covering her hand with his. They both moved their hands in sync and added both the sindoor & mangalsutar. After finishing they looked at the painting. “Niceeee…” Abir said his sing song nice. “You know what would have been nicer if I was holding something else rather then a paint brush tonight” Mishti winked at her. Abir’s eyes shot up as he became aware of the innuendo in her statement .
“Rehany doh Abir you can’t do it. I will just go change” she tried to make her way towards the dressing room. He blocked her path. “Not so fast angry chorni raat abhi khatam nahi hui” he looked at her intensely and grabbed her waist. “Chodo Abir, I need to change and remove this heavy dress” she pointed at her bridal dress that she was still wearing.
“Let me help you with that” he smiled at her. Now it was Misthi’s turn to be surprised. She turned her backs towards him and he grabbed her from behind.
“Lagta hain aaj phir utahna padhay ga” he said and whisked her up in his arms and twirled her.
“You Ajeeb Rajvansh put me down” Mishti protested
“Nahi Mishti yay mera ghar hain yahan sirf meri chalay gi” he chuckled and laid her down on their bed. For a minute they just stared at each other until Abir flicked his fingers and rose petals fell from the ceiling until they were both covered in petals. After asking for her consent he slowly and gradually removed all barriers between them. As skin met skin two souls finally became one. The banjara who was left behind by his own father who used to wander from place to place chasing a feeling and the 13 year old girl who was abandoned by her own parents and loved ones who didn’t consider herself worthy of love were finally home.
Humay lagta tha Dil hain aik kashti
Jo khoyi kisi lehar main hain
Na gaon main hain Na shar main hain
Ghar Banjaray ka safar main hain
Aap say mila toh pata laga
Ghar Banjaray ka aap main hain.
A/N: Apologies for posting so late. Real life got in the way. Hope this was worth the wait and sorry if this isn't hot enough I never intended it to be a hot fic:/.
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