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All - thanks for the lovely comments! Part 3 is below...shorter than usual but Part 4 will be up soon!
Part 3
Sleep eluded Yash as well that night. He was lying on the sofa tossing and turning, still trying to get used to it. He never knew that part of the bargain for this Punar Vivah was sleeping on the sofa! But Aartiji had looked so fearful on their wedding night. He could still remember the fear in Aarti's eyes as he stepped into their room on the wedding night.
She was standing near the bed in her bridal wear. He saw she was alarmed when he took the steps towards her. She kept moving backwards, eventually colliding with the bed which landed her on the left edge of the king size bed.
As he approached her, it hit him that she was enthralling ' that was how he would remember her.
She was clutching the magalsutra with her right hand while eyeing him cautiously. Her lips were quivering and she was trembling. He could see that she holding back the tears that threaten to fall from her eyes. He was about to lower himself on the bed beside her when he thought he heard her whisper "Please, no'" It was barely audible. He was not even sure if she had said it. He turned to face her and saw her clutching her mangalsutra now with both hands and her eyes were shut tightly and the tears that she was holding back were streaming down her face. He was shocked and knelt down facing her.
"Aartiji, are you ok?" He broke the silence.
Her eyes opened and she shifted to her position to create more distance between them. She stared at him without saying a word. She bit her lower lip while tears continued streaming down her cheeks. He was tempted to wipe them away but something held him back'That something also prompted him to say:
"I will be sleeping on the sofa and you can have the bed."
He saw what he thought was momentary relief from her eyes. She continued staring at him with tears streaming down her cheeks silently.
"Aartiji, I only need you to be a mother for my children, Palak and Payal. Are you able to do that? I will try my best to be a father to your son, Ansh."
He wanted to say much more about how he tried to contact her but this was not the time. Again silence greeted him.
"I am going to change then."
He made his way to the bathroom. He was beginning to question his decision to marry her when he heard her hesitant voice.
"Yashji, I am sorry for crying as I am a little overwhelmed right now. But I will try to be a good mother to your daughters. Thank you for accepting me and Ansh."
And she had been a good mother to his daughters in the past one month as she promised.
Edited by akui1984 - 12 years ago
