Chapter 1 - The Art of Deception.
"When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one's self, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance."
Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
He waits patiently for his wife in their room sitting on the bed as he kills time playing a game of solitaire on his Mac. Try as he might he cannot concentrate on getting any work done as it is; he knows she would be coming in any moment now for sure.
The past month has been nothing less of a roller coaster ride for him, for her, for them and their relationship. He doesn't know when it began but at some point she started being more than Ruhi' mother to him; something has changed between them for sure, something he is trying to understand, still learn what it is.
The words he said outside the court that rainy day might have been a proclamation made in anger to shut her up but he was as thunderstruck as she was for having uttered them in the first place. When he yelled at her about not letting her go since she is his wife... the words resonated from somewhere within his heart, they were more than a fact he was stating...they were his acceptance of their relationship, one which began as a compromise from both their ends.
Somewhere along the way though her kindness, her patience, her dignity, everything about her changed his opinion of her, made him change his ways, himself. Something about her makes him want to be a better man he realizes, a man she would be proud of... why her opinions matter to him though he is yet to understand or more importantly acknowledge... a corner of his heart whispers to him sometimes an answer he brushes aside as foolishness, baffled at the sheer idiocy of it.
No he definitely is not falling in love with her... he merely likes her company; yes that is all there is to them, their relationship. He missed her because she has become such a good friend of his over these past few months.
One can miss friends too, he reasons with himself.
She is sweet and caring, kind and patient, loving and understanding and it doesn't hurt that she is easy on the eyes, though he would definitely say it's her spunk, her chutzpah and the ability to spar with him, give it back as good as she gets that makes her appealing to him. Not many women can take on humor in their stride as she does... and boy, that tongue of hers sure as hell knows how to keep up with him.
There is something ridiculously attractive about a woman who has the gall to speak her mind, have a wicked sense of humor and be so lady-like while at it too; he muses with a smile on his face.
The things he says to her at times... a lesser woman would have started crying like a watering pot and went running for the hills, he knows his ex would have sulked and pouted and made him beg for forgiveness and promise to never speak such things to her... but she, she never does that and that is so refreshing.
He enjoys that he can be so himself with her... that he can speak his mind out and she won't mind, not in the slightest and if she is offended, she would have a quick retort ready to throw at him and not resort to breaking into tears which is so off-putting.
It is her heart though, that giving, magnanimous heart that makes her so beautiful he thinks. She did understand his plight the moment she learned the truth about Adi being the culprit as he had felt she would, he regrets paying heed to Shagun' words all those days that he did. He caused her so much undue pain for no fault of hers just because he was too much of a coward, an emotional fool.
He has been trying to think of a way to thank her for the gesture ever since and it has been ten days now since the truth has been out.
He planned that picnic... but that went down the drain. Instead of being quality time they spend together with each other, to catch up it became a family thing. Not to mention the fact that stupid Mihir has been on his case ever since, he won't spare a chance to have that impish smile, that look that he has to tease him if he so much as mentions Ishita' name... as if just by saying her name he is confessing his undying love to her, idiot.
The moron even had the nerve to say his eyes light up, his face becomes softer at the mere mention of her, about there being a remarkable difference in the way he utters even her name now. As if, he is supposed to be grumpy all the time.
He really wonders how he ends up surrounded by so many idiots sometimes.
He has to roll his eyes at the silliness of the woman now that he thinks about it. Okay fine, he did enjoy the weekend away with everyone; it was good to see everyone smile and have a good time after days of tension. He has to admit there was also the slight problem of him not disclosing it to her that he wanted to spend the weekend only with her for her to have known it but it totally ruined his plans.
He wants to let her know what she did for him, by supporting him, being there for him, his son means a lot to him. He wants to make up for all the tears he made her shed and put on the biggest smile on her face for that.
Tonight he would do just that, he knows it.
He has the perfect gift planned out for her.
Edited by EkPaheli - 11 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
7