The story begins from the place where Naira enters the room and sees the decorations.
She came to their bedroom emotionally and physically drained. Naksh and Keerthi were now united and her happiness knew no bounds for they being together. Two people who were hurt previously had now given their love a second chance. Though the starting to their marriage was rocky, she was glad that they were together now.
As she entered the room, she was once again overwhelmed with pain. Tears stung her eyes as Karthik's words washed over her yet again. His accusation of she being a cheat, of betraying his sister, him and their entire family, he calling her a liar over and over again, asking her to leave him and telling her that he does not want to see her face ever.
As she switched on the light, rose petals fell all over her and then she saw Karthik walking towards her slowly. Their eyes met each other directly after what she felt was eternity. He walked towards her slowly and stood in front of her.
Taking her hands in his, he looked at her and said " I know, me saying sorry will not change things. But still I want to say. I am really sorry. I cannot take back my words, but please know that I am sorry and I mean it with all my heart"
It pained her to look at his eyes. She was not able to comprehend the depth of his words. Taking back her hand away she took a few steps back and turned away from him.
"Naira?" he called out, his voice still strong " Don't do this. Scream at me, but please dont go away. Just listen to me for two minutes" he said catching her hand attempting to make her face him.
She turned back now and he could not see her, her eyes full of pain.
"Did you ever listen to me when I asked you for two minutes? Why should I now ? Why do you even want to talk to me? I am a liar, a betrayer. Why should you even talk to me? What am to you? Does it even make any difference ?" she lashed out at him tears falling from her eyes, and her body shivering from the strain she had been going through
"Naira, please.." Karthik attempted yet again his voice on the verge of breaking anytime
"You killed me from the inside Karthik. I was there, waiting at my father's house hoping that you would come back and take me. But no, you did not come. Despite meeting on the road, I once again begged you not to go away from me.But no, you left me in tears in the middle of the road. But still I came back, I came back for the sake of the family. There I was trying to be strong in front of the family and breaking down when I was alone" she sobbed looking down to the floor.
"Jaan, please don't cry. I am not able to see you like this" he said now, with his voice choking with tears.
"Why, why are you upset now? You dont want to see my face right? Please leave me alone" she said folding her hands.
Karthik looked at her through his own tears while she turned away and wiped her tears " No, you dont leave the room.This is your room and your house. I was the one who came. I'll leave the room" she said and rushed out of the room wiping her tears away.
Karthik sat down on the bed dazed. The weight of his guilt burdened his chest. He looked around the room which he had decorated for her, in an attempt to make things alright. He felt suffocated. Unable to bear it anymore; he grabbed his car keys and rushed.
xxx
"Dadi; can I sleep with you today" Naira asked, standing outside Dadi's room. Dadi looked up at her with a smile on her face.
"Come beta" she said lovingly. Naira went and sat beside her . Dadi caressed her forehead lovingly. Naira could not bear it anymore and rested her head on Dadi's lap bursting into tears.
"I am sorry Dadi. Everyone in this house has to go through so much because of me. I am tired of trying to be a good wife and daughter in law. You were right Dadi. When you came to know of Karthik loving me, you said I am not fit to be a Goenka bahu. You were right Dadi. I am a failure" she said gasping between her sobs.
"Naira beta What are you talking?" Dadi panicked." I was wrong at that time. Today if my family is together it is because of you. If I see my son smiling genuinely it was because you took pains to unite Karthik and him together. If my grand daughter is in safe hands today; it was because of you" Dadi said as she cupped Naira's face with her hands.
"But what I shared with Karthik is broken now Dadi. He accused me of terrible things. He asked me to leave him. I have decided to Dadi. Tomorrow I shall go to Rishikesh Ashram, where I came from and leave Karthik to be happy."
"Naira, are you mad? Do you think Karthik can be happy without you? He will go crazy without you." Dadi chided her.
"Naira, no relationship exists without fights. You cannot give up on a relationship just like that. I should not be saying this, but you have also misunderstood Karthik so many times beta, Its natural. Remember the situation during your mom's accident? Neither of you were wrong. That time when Karthik was hurt, did you both separate? Did you not try to make him understand? Did he not understand you though he was angry later?"
Naira looked up at her realization dawning on her. " Dadi" she whispered.
Dadi kissed her forehead and smiled " Sleep beta. Sleep with me today. Yesterday night you told that today would be a fine day. And it turned out to be a good day for Keerthi and Naksh. Today I am telling you. Tomorrow shall be a good day. Sleep peacefully." Dadi made Naira lie down on her lap again and patted her forehead.
xxx
'Nani? " Karthik whispered. Yes he had gone directly to the home which was initially his house in Udaipur. The Maheshwaris
Rajshri Nani looked up from the sofa which she was resting on
"Karthik?" she called out as he ran towards her and hugged her tight
"Karthik, what happened my bacha?" she asked as they drew apart and she saw his teary eyes.
"I have wronged Naira Nani. I have said things to her that broke her heart. I cannot take back those words or mend my actions. During the reception, I pushed away her hands, the impact due to which she fell down. I have been as bad as Aditya had been to my sister. If Aditya had hurt her physically, I have hurt her emotionally. These 5 days after the wedding, I have turned a blind eye to her feelings, her tears and her hurt." he wept as he held Nani's hands close to his eyes"
"I promised Naitik Papa that I shall never let her cry. But today, I have been the reason for her tears. I even lashed out at her during the Teej function and made her cry. I have failed in all relations. I never understood my father, I did not think of my sister's happiness with Naksh and I killed my wife's feelings. I have failed as a son, a brother and a husband.She is not even able to see my face now. I do not deserve a gem of a person like her. I shall go away to Delhi tomorrow." Karthik said wiping his tears.
"Karthik beta, You are once again overcome by emotion. Any decision taken when you are emotional is wrong. You should not leave her. Running away from the problem is not the solution. You cannot leave her. Both of you cannot live without each other and you both know that too" Nani told holding his shoulders; her voice firm.
"You are right Nani" Karthik told smiling weakly. " I shall make her understand" he said with a determined voice.
"Sleep beta and go home tomorrow morning. It is very late. Sleep peacefully. I shall wake you up before anyone else wakes up. Go and convince your sherni" she said ruffling his hair.
xxx
Naira got up early. She turned back and saw Dadi's hands around her. She got up silently and tiptoed down to the hall. Her mind felt a lot lighter than what it was the previous night. She hated to accept it but she missed him. When he had tried to hug her the previous night, all she wanted was to hug him back tight. Somehow, her anger at his words blinded her temporarily.
Smiling to herself to make everything alright, she went to the kitchen and set to work. Tying up her hair in a bun, she set to work. To make his favourite kachoris and wake him up. She worked for an hour to make his favourite dish. Arranging it on a plate, she took out the ketchup bottle and decorated the kachoris with smileys and hearts.
Breathing deeply, she went to their bedroom and opened the door. She found it to be empty. Her heart sank as she remembered her telling him to leave her alone. She kept the kachoris on the bed stand and sat on the bed. The bathroom door was open and he was not there either. His car keys from the key holder were missing and he had left his mobile on the bed stand.
She ran her hands over the flower petals he had decorated the bed with. She lay down on the bed, looking to the other side of the bed where he would sleep. She smiled thinking how close he used to come to her in his sleep and hug her tight. He used to joke that half of the bed would be enough for both of them. Naira did not know when her eye lids became heavy and she drifted off to sleep again.
xxx
Sunlight fell on her eyes as she shielded her eyes from it with her hands. She opened her eyes only to see him sitting in front of her. His eyes were red and his face swollen. She could not see it anymore.
Then she remembered. He had left the house last night. Anger took over her senses yet again as she tried to get up from the bed and was about to walk out of the room when he pulled her back to face him
"What more tar tar should this mendak do? Tell me" he said with gritted teeth
"You left the house last night. You left me alone again. Do you know how much I got scared early morning seeing the room empty?" she screamed hitting her fists on his chests; trying to break out of his hold.
"Tell me what I want to hear. You know what I want to hear?" he whispered into her ear; his lips lingering around her ear lobes
She tried to wriggle out of his hold, her body trembling.
"Fine, don't say it. I know it though" he said whispering in her right ear now, sending shivers down her spine.
"Why do you do this to me. Why did you hurt me so much Karthik. Keerthi di is as important to me as Bhai is. How did you separate it as your sister and my brother? How could you tell me to go away from you" she said in a low voice.
"That was a stupid person speaking. Now your mendak is regretting each and every word" he said.
"Say it please" he said, his voice barely audible now.
"I wont" she said firmly
"Then why did you make those kachoris" he asked pointing to the plate on the bed stand
She stayed silent
"I am sorry Naira. Please I shall take whatever punishment you want to give me but not this. I cannot take this." he said in tears and caught her hand while she still turned away from him.
Memories of the past rushed into her mind. She accusing him of kidnapping her father, apologizing to him and he pulling her into a hug. She accusing him of her causing her mother's accident and he remaining angry at her; however when they were in the crisis of being kidnapped, he could not stay mad at her and held her in a bone crushing hug. She believing that Karthik purposefully hid that Mansi had caused the accident and the events that unfolded later.
"Naira, say it please. I cannot take this anymore" his voice cracked as he still held on to her hand with she facing the other way.
Naira also could not stand it any longer. Turning back, she threw herself on his chest hugging him tight as he brought his arms together around her. She sobbed on his chest and he let her do so while crying himself. She had missed this. The place where she belonged to, the place where she felt safe and secure, the place where she was at home. The place with him
"You have not said it yet" he told her and kissed her hair.
"I missed you" she said and giggled
"Thats it?" he said and they drew apart, his face clearly offended now and was about to turn back when she pulled him back again
"I LOVE YOU KARTHIK. I just love you so much. Don't ask me to go away." she said burrowing her head in his chest yet again.
" I am sorry Naira. I am ashamed of myself for having hurt you so much. Please do not stay angry at me" he said cupping her face tight.
"No Karthik, you were not wrong. It was just the situation and the love you had for your sister. I am sorry for not seeing it " she said and kissed his hands.
"I love you Naira. I am nothing about you. You gave me everything I had lost. My happiness, my family, my everything?" he said catching hold of her hands.
"And I love you too Karthik." she said.
He entwined her hands in hers and took her to the hall. The family was elated to see them together. Dadi shed tears of happiness.
Kaira knew that they were at home, finally, having settled in each other's hearts. They knew that their love and relationship was much stronger now and it would only help them in facing future challenges "TOGETHER"
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