OS: My Better Half

OS: My Better Half

Ahem stopped the car in the driveway and breathed a sigh of relief as he turned the car off then got out to walk towards the front door. He had been looking forward to some pampering from his sweet Gopi. She had finally talked to him that morning and even smiled her special smile as he left for work. All day he had looked forward to talking to her. He promised himself that he will do so when she comes in the room with his green tea.

Ahem pressed the doorbell button and waited for someone to open the door and hoped it was Gopi who greeted him first. To his disappointment it was Meethi but the disappointment turned into surprise. He saw a party atmosphere in his home. The whole area was decorated and lots of people were milling around. His eyes immediately searched for Gopi but did not spot her any where he looked.

To his horror it was Anita who stood in front of him, like she had on his birthday. He clenched his jaw in irritation to keep from brushing her off. She grabbed his arm to propel him towards his friends.

"Ahem isn't this a pleasant surprise? Look who is here to say hello and to celebrate your recent success in getting the new contract."

Ahem was dumbstruck to see all his and Anita's friends from student days.

Ahem had no choice but to greet some of his friends including Pinakin and Deepak. He absently thanked his friends as they congratulated him on his success but his eyes were searching for the one person he wanted to see the most. When he couldn't see her anywhere he made his excuses and quickly went to where his mom was standing with this kakiji.

"Jai shree Krishna mom, kakiji," he greeted them with folded hands and looked around again.

"Mom, where is Gopi?" Koki had not missed her son's eyes roaming the main hall as soon as he came in and she knew exactly whom he had been looking for and why.

"Ahem dikra Gopi has gone to the mandir to do puja for your success in achieving the contract," Kokila said as she pulled her pallu on her shoulder proudly.

Before he could do or say anything Anita once again dragged him away from his mom and kakiji. Ahem couldn't stand Anita's high handedness and decided to put a stop to it abruptly.

"Enough!" he exclaimed.

Instantly a hush fell over the room. Ahem took a deep breath to calm down.

"Thank you so much for coming here today everyone. I am sorry friends something urgent has come up and we have to cut the party short."

As soon as Ahem made the announcement his friends started making their way towards the door.

"Wait no, Ahem why are you doing this?" Anita protested by pulling on his arm to make him look at her.

"Leave me alone Anita," he stressed the word 'alone' as he loudly whispered to her while snatching his arm away from her and turned to his mom.

"Mom I am going to go get Gopi," Ahem left without giving anyone a second thought.

As Ahem drove toward the mandir his mind flashed back to the events of that morning.

FB.

Ahem woke up abruptly and rubbed his eyes. He had slept peacefully after two nights and the credit went to his wife who had finally decided to grace him with her rare smile and had bid him goodnight before going to sleep.

He got up from the sofa quickly and went into the bathroom to wash up. When he came out twenty minutes later he was expecting to see Gopi coming in with his green tea but to his utter shock Anita came in with it.

"Good morning Ahem, here is your green tea. I am going to get your clothes ready while you drink your tea then you need to get ready and come down for breakfast I prepared for you," Ahem blinked as he processed what she said.

Ahem thought this couldn't be real, he was still sleeping and this was all a dream or he has landed in an alternate universe. He came out of his thoughts quickly when he saw Anita open his wardrobe and reach for his clothes. Now she was crossing limits by touching and doing things that he only allowed Gopi to touch, and only preferred Gopi to do.

"Anita stop," he said loudly.

Ahem went to the door and shouted as loud as he could, "Gopi!.. Gopi!.. Come here?"

Ahem saw his mom come towards his room quickly.

"Ahem why are you shouting for Gopi vahu?" Kokila said stopping in front of him.

"Mom I need her to get my clothes out for office. Why is she not here to do this like she does every morning?" Ahem knew he was being bit childish but Anita was taking too much liberty with his kindness.

He needed to make her understand that he did not like her taking over things that he only wanted Gopi to do. Anita would never understand how he felt when he wore something that Gopi picks out for him. Always when he wears the things that Gopi picks out for him he feels loved because he knew that whatever Gopi does for him comes from her heart and with lots of love.

"Calm down Ahem, Gopi vahu had to go to the nearby market for something. I will send her up as soon as she comes back," Kokila said.

Ahem looked up sharply. "Mom why didn't you ask me I could have taken her."

His mom looked at Anita in triumph and he frowned, why did it feel like there was something going on with his mom and Anita that he was not privy to? Before he could ask he heard the familiar sound of payals and clinking of her bangles and he relaxed.

"Gopi vahu get Ahem's clothes out for work, he has been shouting for you impatiently then come down and make him another cup of tea," Ahem once again frowned when his mom put her hand on Gopi's head and smile proudly.

Ahem stopped the car at the red light and realized that something must have happened the night before after he stormed out of the house. He hadn't been able to look his mom in the eye after what he said to her as a reason for denying Anita's marriage. The lights changed and he moved the car forward.

He had felt Gopi's gaze on him but didn't have the courage to look her way and stormed out without a second thought. He had gone for a long drive to think things through in his mind.

Ahem had been happy to know his mom was actively looking for a groom for Anita. He just wanted Anita to get on with her life so he could get on with his life with Gopi. He had been dejected at her continued silence and her refusal to listen to his apology. Things went from bad to worse when he once again came to Anita's rescue. He had been unable to answer the many unvoiced questions in his mom's eyes so he left.

Once he was calm he realized that he needed put distance between him and Anita because his misplaced guilt for her was creating more distance between him and Gopi. He had gone home to face more of Gopi's silence but had been surprised by her smile and her goodnight to him.

Now he wanted to know what had taken place since last evening and why Anita had invited his friends over to celebrate his success. Ahem stopped the car in front of the mandir and quickly got out and climbed up the steps.

He didn't have to look far to find Gopi. She was sitting by the water pool gazing into the depth of the water. Ahem slowly walked towards her and stood a few feet away from her and just gazed at her. She looked to be in deep thoughts and there was invisible sadness surrounding her.

She was wearing her red and green sari and his lips automatically quirked at that. She managed to snag his attention easily when she wore that color. His mind flashed back to the time he had seen her in his favorite green for the first time. She had looked like an angel. He hadn't been able to stop himself from following her.

"Gopi, your puja is done already?" he asked as he stepped closer to her.

Gopi looked up, startled at hearing her husband's voice.

"Ahemji aap, what are you doing here? Why are you not at the party?" Gopi said pulling up her pallu on her head as she stood up.

Ahem did not answer her but just watched her intently. Gopi could not hold his gaze and lowered her eyes to the ground.

"Gopi what is happening?" Ahem waited for her to look up at him but she didn't look up nor answer his question. Finally he took her hand and sat down by the water pool. He did not release her hand.

"Now you won't even tell me what is happening?" Ahem asked softly.

Gopi could never resist when her Ahemji asked her something in that tone. She finally looked up at him.

"Ahemji last night a short while after you left maji took me to Anitaben's room and she told me that Anitaben thinks she would make a better daughter-in-law to the family than me. Maji then gave us two hours to earn the most amount of nek in the form of a blessing from the elders of the family and said whoever was the best will get the most nek," Gopi paused to gauge is reaction.

Ahem frowned and wondered what lead to his mom throwing this kind of challenge at the two girls, and why?

Gopi continued, "Anitaben was given rupees 501 for making the dinner but Baa gave me a silver coin as a blessing for remembering to give her medicine after dinner."

Gopi felt Ahem's hand tighten around hers and looked up at him but she could not read what he was thinking.

"Later I heard Anitaben say to maji that I may be a good vahu but she was still better for you so maji gave her a task to get your things ready the next morning and see who you prefer to take care of your things. I was not asked to do anything." Gopi paused after this to see if he would say anything.

Ahem was appalled to hear what has happened since he denied Anita's marriage to Arvind and he did not like the fact that his Gopi was dragged into some kind of a competition because of him and his lingering guilt.

"Gopi I am sorry that you were put through this kind of competition because of me and what happened last night," he finally said to Gopi.

"Nahi Ahemji, don't be sorry. I trust you and know that you must have had good reasons to say no to the alliance of Anitaben to Arvindji. I did not want to do this but for maji's sake I took part in it., Gopi paused and gathered courage to say what she needed to say next.

"Ahemji you should go back and join the party I will come home soon," she said in a low voice.

Ahem stood up making her stand with him.

"I am not going home without you. I only came to pick you up so we are going home together."

He didn't give her a chance to protest and walked towards the steps.

Gopi didn't have a choice but to walk alongside him since he was holding her hand. As he drove toward home all she could think was it is all over now.

Ahem on the other hand was thinking about all that Gopi told him and wondered what had brought out all that has happened and thought he needed to speak to his mom as soon as he got home.

When they arrived at Modi Bhavan, Meethi opened the door. Gopi was surprised to see that all the guests were gone and the family was sitting in the main hall having tea.

"I am going to give Baa prasad," she said then walked towards Baa's room and left Ahem to join the family.

Ahem watched her for few moments then went straight to where his mom was sitting.

"Mom what was the need to have a party?" Ahem asked without delay.

Kokila glanced at Anita. "It was Anita's idea to have a party."

"Mom, you know I don't like to have parties unnecessarily," Ahem's irritation was increasing by the moment.

His mom glanced at Anita then back at him. "Ahem, both Gopi vahu and I told Anita this but she insists she knows you better than us."

Ahem turned to Anita in disbelief.

"Ahem you do enjoy this so much and lots of your friends came over to catch up with you. You seem to have lost contact with them," Anita said continuing to be oblivious to Ahem's irritation.

"Anita I am very busy these days with office work and I have no time to meet," Ahem said absently trying to figure out how things could have gone so wrong.

Anita smiles at him dreamily and replies, "Don't worry Ahem I will see to it that you do so."

Ahem was baffled by Anita. Why does she not understand what he is trying to tell her?

"Anita I like my life just the way it is and I am very lucky to have Gopi. I have no intentions to change it now or in the future," Ahem spoke with finality then turned to his mom.

"Mom I want you to stop this challenge thing, Gopi told me what has been going on since last night and I want you to put a stop to it now."

Kokila looked at Anita with a triumph and spoke with clarity in her voice, "Ahem, Anita is the one who insisted that she can prove she is right for you and not Gopi."

"Mom please, you know who is better for me so please stop this challenge," he scoffed.

Hearing this Anita grinned widely. She knew Ahem would choose her this time.

"Ahem I knew you still love me, I didn't doubt it for a second," Anita spoke with over confidence and before Ahem could speak further.

"You are mistaken Anita. I love my family very much and I am very lucky to have their unshakable trust in me still after having bore through what they did. They did not need to go through this," Ahem said bringing Anita's dream of being with Ahem to halt.

Anita was not willing to give up easily.

"Ahem you yourself told me that Gopi is the wrong girl for you and if you're mother had not forced you to marry Gopi you would have married me. You also told me you will always be with me. Now that you are beginning to express your thoughts to your mom tell her that Gopi is the wrong choice for you," Anita insisted, basing her confidence on what Ahem said to her when he was trying to calm her down.

"Anita, I told you I am very lucky to have married Gopi," Ahem said with confidence turning fully towards Anita and not noticing Gopi walking out with Baa. Jigar went towards Baa and Gopi to escort Baa to sit on the sofa. Gopi stood behind the other sofa facing Ahem's back.

"One, her calm disposition balances me. Two, my family is her family. Her motto is to help my family first then herself, this is what makes her selfless. Three, she is very perceptive. She knows what I want without even asking. Four, her love for my mother, that is reciprocated so much that even I feel less loved by my mom when I see them together." Ahem paused and looked at his family then turned back to Anita.

"The most important reason I consider myself lucky to have married Gopi is her devotion to her kanaji which mirrors her devotion to me, her husband," Ahem felt Gopi's gaze on him and turned to see her standing behind him.

He turned towards her, locked his gaze with her then walked up to her to stand beside her to place his arm around her shoulder only to continue, "And this is why Gopi means the world to me."

Ahem was rewarded with Gopi's smile that he has not seen in days and he smiled back at her.

His whole family was looking at him in awe. Ahem watched his mom pull her pallu over her shoulder in her usual style and smiled at him and Gopi with pride.

Chirag was first to break the silence. "Ahem beta come sit with us. Gopi dikra I want to drink your delicious tea in celebration."

Gopi blushed and smiled. "Ji kakaji." Gopi turned toward the kitchen but stopped when her kakiji called out her name.

"Gopi dikra wait I will also join you." Hetal said as she stood up. Seeing this Koki also decided to join them leaving the rest of the family looking on happily.

No one paid attention to Anita who was standing by herself, upset at the chain of events that just took right in front of her eyes.

When the ladies came back with the tea Anita and Ahem were not present with rest of the family.

Koki looked at her Gopi vahu and adjusted her pallu.

"Gopi vahu take Ahem's tea up to his room." She said handing the tray to Gopi after she finished handing out tea to everyone else.

Gopi took the tray and walked up the stairs with nervous anticipation. She saw the room door was closed so opened it gently to look inside. She looked around but Ahem was not present, she went in and closed the door behind her.

Ahem came out of the bathroom just as Gopi was placing the tea tray on the coffee table. He was dressed in his grey kurta and pyjama. Ahem wiped his chin with the towel as he looked at Gopi.

Gopi heard the bathroom door open and turned towards it to see Ahem watching her.

"Ahemji your green tea." She locked her hands together in front of her and gave him his favorite smile, the one that made her eyes sparkle with happiness and hint of shyness.

Ahem walked up to her put the towel on the table and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Gopi what I said downstairs I meant every word of it."

Gopi looked up at him.

Ahem continued, "Gopi I nearly lost you when you injured yourself and I really missed you when you went to your mama's house. I cannot live without you. You complete my life."

Ahem took a step forward and hugged her like he did on his birthday. Ahem felt her arms wrap him around his waist as Gopi hugged him back. This made Ahem tighten his arms around her.

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