two stories of marriage

chapter 22

Flashback:

While purvi was with her mother in the sabji mandi that day, ishita was preparing for dinner. Dushyant was waiting for a client's message in ishita's room when his gaze fell on the book sense and sensibility, resting on the bookshelf. A temptation came in the spur of the moment that he couldn't resist, he wanted to know what was it that ishita was hiding so badly, as he got up to pick up the book and opened the page with the sheet that fell off the last.

He was about to unfold it, when he stopped himself as he couldn't go through with it. If she didn't want him to know, he should respect that. He was about to keep the book back, when he saw something white where he was about to keep the book. He touched to realise it was actually a sheet, he pulled it out as he noticed something written on it, he unfolded to find, a painting. A painting of the sunset over a beach, and the shadows of a guy and a girl kissing. A smile came on his face, surprisingly, ishita is very romantic. He flipped the page backwards to read what she had written in a very rather unflattering handwriting.

'so, since keeping a diary will bring countless nightmares of purvi or mom finding it, i have decided that i will basically make a painting of all the memories i want to remember. I have always felt that colours will always help me express something more than words would. But when i look back at these, i will be needing context, so i guess i'll just write behind the painting, itne saalon se toh ache se chuppi hui hai, let's hope it's the same for the future. *fingers crossed*

Mom and dad just got divorced, he's in love with someone else. I don't know if mom ever loved him or he ever loved her, but what if i too never know what love looks like...

ironically, i was reading a romance novel at the same time. This painting is actually the ending of the novel, where the guy brings her to this beach where they first met, and they have a great time watching the sunset with long walks by the beach and then he stops and says i love you and then they kiss... i mean, it's a much better picture of love to have...

although it would be pretty unrealistic because i live in delhi, ab kya koi goa jaayega i love you bolne ke liye! Actually, goa mein hi dad mile the usse, so...anyways, par jab kabhi bhi dekhogi tum isse, toh remember your stupid and very vivid imagination of romance, you'll have a good laugh...that's still worth it...'

He finished reading it when he heard footsteps approaching, so he hid it quickly as he sat down pretending to be busy with his phone. Even though the message he had been waiting for arrived, his thoughts were diverted somewhere else.

                                                           ***

After resting for a while in the hotel room and having a breakfast, ishyant were getting ready to go out. Dushyant scrolled through his phone as he waited for ishita, who was changing in the bathroom. She came out as dushyant looked up to find her in a knee length, blue dress and well he couldn't take his eyes off her, it was the first time he saw her in a dress.

'aise kya dekh rahe hain?' asked ishita as she placed her hair on her shoulder, in front of the mirror. Unfortunately, her hair got tangled on a button on the back. she tried to untangle them but all in vain, when her gaze fell on dushyant's reflection, standing just behind her.

'may i?' he asked, with his hands almost on the button, as she nodded in agreement. He gently untangled them, as he placed her hair on her shoulder, with his one hand, the other was running through her back as she shivered with his touch.

He pulled her towards him such that her face was facing his. He cupped her face, as he rubbed his thumb on her lips as she closed her eyes, feeling him. His hand moved her cheek as he signalled with his eyes, 'i love you', and she did too. He leaned in for a kiss when he stopped himself, remembering he had a certain plan in his mind, and well a knock on the door was just the additional help. They both had shy smiles on their faces as he walked to open the door,

'sir woh aapka driver aa gaya hai.' Informed a hotel staff person, who immediately left after that, because well, he's busy.

'chale?' he asked as he moved back to let her go first as she nodded and walked out.

                                                         ***

They were walking around cellular jail among the many tourists present there. Surprisingly, a lot of honeymoon couples were the tourists. Ishyant, were in fact, walking behind one, a rather mushy and gushy one. They looked at each other uncomfortably a lot, but then the guy said this,

'pata hai, agar humari shaadi jail hai, toh main saari mar tumhara kaidi banne ko taiyaar hoon...' while dushyant just had a wide-eyed gaze for the guy, ishita got double-shocked on the fact that the girl was blushing on that...yikes.

'ab agar iski biwi kabhi naraaz ho gayi, toh seedha phasi...' whispered dushyant to ishita, who just chuckled as she replied,

'aur agar yeh jail hai toh phir...' she pointed to the statue of a prisoner, laid on his stomach, to get hit by a hunter. At this moment they both were trying really hard to hold their laughter.

(that statue is actually to make you think of the daily torture our freedom fighters beared, but  well, look the population who got the independence.)

                                                                    ***

It was evening, the sun was setting and ishyant were in the taxi, on the way to the hotel after a long day. Suddenly, the driver stopped the car in the middle, the hotel was still far. Ishita looked at dushyant, completely perplexed, who very calmly just asked her to come with him. She got out of the car, as he offered her his hand which she accepted as they walked to the beach.

Ishita felt like a child again, she ran to find the perfect spot to sit and watch the sunset. A smile crept on dushyant's face, happy to see her like this, as he simply followed her and sat next to her.

'you know the best part about sunset? The perfect combination that the purple and pink forms with yellow background, just before it sets...' she explained with such excitement and joy, that he just gazed at her admiringly, realising that he had fallen in love and very madly..

She just looked at the sunset with her head rested on his shoulder, when he called her name and she looked up in response. She looked at his eyes, full of love blossoming in them as he slipped his hand into hers and with complete earnestness confessed,

'i love you.'

His hands were now on her back as he leaned in for a kiss, his hands moved up to her hair, and his fingers were now tangled with them. She grabbed onto the collar of his shirt as she responded, her fingers slowly brushing his hair. She leaned in more closer, now there was no space between their chests, they could feel each other's heartbeat onto theirs, and it was only when they really ran out of air that they separated. As they opened their eyes to each other's, they could clearly see the love in them, as she responded,

'i love you too.' She said with her gaze still fixed onto his, as a big smile came on his face, which she reciprocated.

It was a moment of blossoming love with just them under a beautiful sunset.