"Tell her the truth?"
"Yes, Guru, I think it's getting to the point where you cannot move forward while leaving Suhani bhabhi in the dark. Soon she will return to her parents. It will be the same situation again--what if someone sometime tells her something about her marriage, asks about you? How long can we all keep her in cotton wool? We did that once, remember, and we know what happened. I think she cares about you. Take the risk, tell her the truth."
"She may care about me, but she also 'cares' about Gautam. And there's Sandip--sometimes I think Sandip would be Suhani's choice if she were still the old Suhani. He seems like a good guy, steady, even-tempered, decent. No," he said, seeing the look on Sharad's face, "I'm not handing her over to anyone. Just thinking aloud."
"But, Guru, why do you think Gautam. . .? You said that at the party too, about his being her boyfriend, that swayamvar nonsense. She was very friendly with him, but I didn't see anything more."
Yuvraj shook his head. He hadn't forgotten how she'd left him standing there like a fool and run into Gautam's embrace. All dolled up for him. Their comfort level, mental and physical. Did he have any edge over Gautam? He tried not to think of anyone else touching her or being important to her or comforting her or her looking at anyone as she sometimes looked at him, but he did think. He did imagine, and it killed him.
Yes, Suhani had to be told about their marriage, including all the hurtful details he rather keep from her. But it wasn't just up to him, Yuvraj. He had to talk to her family, maybe ask her doctor.
He called Bhavna later that morning to ask how she was and tell her about his and Sharad's conversation. Surprisingly, Bhavna was also of the same opinion. She said she would talk to Suhani's doctor and convince her parents if they were reluctant, and they would then decide how to do it, assuming the doctor gave the go-ahead.
At breakfast Suhani was still a bit subdued after her embarrassment that morning, but Sharad and Yuvraj joked around and eased the situation. They had to take Pratima to the doctor that morning, and Suhani was going to see Bhavna and then meet some friends. Saurabh and Anuj were coming to the doctor too, and would return here for lunch. Yuvraj suggested they go out for dinner that evening, all of them, including Saurabh and Anuj, if they would come.
Yuvraj was rather hoping than the others would back out so he and Suhani could have dinner alone, but Saurabh and Anuj were more than happy to come, and while Pratima cried off, Sharad decided to go too, seeing as Guru and bhabhi weren't going to be alone anyway. That evening, before they left for the restaurant, Saurabh and Anuj were relating stories of Birla House and the hellhole it was becoming. Even Rags and Menka weren't happy. Ramesh had defected and come here, the new servant was useless, Rags and Menka had to do work they'd not done for years, and even hiring another servant hadn't helped. Dadi seemed to be getting worse and worse in her frustration at Yuvraj leaving and taking away two of her whipping boys, Pratima and Sharad, with him.
"I think we should move out too," Saurabh said. "At least I want to."
Anuj nodded his agreement. "Rags bhabhi and Menka can either grow up and leave dadi's coven, or we leave them."
Pratima was a bit upset at this talk, but she knew that it would probably be best for her sons to break away from her mother-in-law and Birla House. It was not fair that she, Yuvraj, and Sharad had gotten away, but they were still stuck. But in spite of everything, she felt sorry for maaji. To be left alone in one's old age, no matter how much you pretended you weren't old at all, that was one of the saddest things in life. But she had faith in her sons. If maaji needed them, they wouldn't fail her.
Dinner was a wonderful occasion, talk, laughter, fun, with each of the brothers (excepting Sharad, who felt too shy) dancing with Suhani, who said she felt like the luckiest girl in the room, what with everyone eyeing them all and these handsome guys all escorting her. While Saurabh was dancing with Suhani, Anuj asked Yuvraj, "Does she still not remember anything?"
"Uh-huh, nothing," Yuvraj said. "But we're thinking it's time we told her--that is, her parents need to agree, and the doctor should say it's okay. Bhavna too thinks it's time."
******
The next morning Suhani said she was going to meet Gautam, which put a downer on Yuvraj's good mood, especially as it was a Sunday and he had thought of taking her out somewhere. But he tried to behave with good grace, and comforted himself that soon she would know everything, and if his being her husband didn't weigh with her, as he rather feared would be the case, it was anyway up to her to decide; and if she decided against him, he could still try to change her mind.
When Suhani returned that afternoon, Yuvraj was alone at home. His mother had gone with Sharad (and Rachnabai) to visit some relative, and Ramesh had taken a half day off. She saw Yuvraj in the living room, listening to music or whatever through his earphones. She crept up behind him, patted his head, and quickly hid behind the sofa. He looked around, then dismissed the touch. She touched his head again, and this time he swung around too fast for her to hide. He flung away his earphones and jumped over the sofa, saying, "Wait, you want to play? I'll teach you to play!"
She ran, him close behind her, and went to her room and tried to close her door. He pushed it open and cornered her near the cupboard. "Ab bolo, Suhani devi. Think you're too smart?"
They were both panting, laughing. "Of course I'm smart," she said. "Those earphones have been sucking out your brain, so I'm definitely smarter than you. You're just Mr Halki Dari, Bikhre Baal." She ducked out from under his arm and ran across the room as she said the words.
He chased her, caught her again, held her hands in a tight grip, and said, "Do you remember what happened the last time you teased me like that?" She stared at him, half frightened, half excited. "You slapped me after that. Well, slap me again, but if you will do that, I'm going to do this."
This time it was a proper kiss. All his desire, all his longing, all his months of suppression were in that kiss. He was breathless when he lifted his head and looked at her. Her eyes were closed, and he could not gauge her reaction. He let go of her hands. "Get it over with. Slap me again."
She opened her eyes and looked at him. "What do you want from me?"
"What do you want, Suhani? I can tell you what I want, but what do you want? What do you feel for me?"
"I, I. . . I like you, I guess, but this isn't going much further. It's already gone too far. I have my values, and I'm not going to be your fling, forgotten tomorrow."
"You're not a fling. I won't forget you tomorrow. Or beyond tomorrow. Or beyond all the tomorrows we can have. I love you."
Okay, I want your opinions now. I can end this here, or we can have a couple more parts, which will be a little tedious, because we have to have the whole revelation thing and all. I'll do whatever most of you suggest.
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