She looked towards him only to find him sitting with his eyes closed and fists clenched. It seemed like he was controlling himself with great difficulty. Her heart broke seeing him like that because she understood how and why he was such. Her hands gently grazed her nuptial chain even as she let a few tears fall down her eyes.
He on the other hand was drowned in utter turmoil. The priest's words, the dhaba owner's wife's words, their marriage, promises given to Malini, flashes of his family - everything ran in his head like a movie, attacking him all at once. He could feel his emotions and thoughts splattering all over the place as his being was in chaos. His eyes moved towards her only to see her clutching the nuptial chain and crying softly. Something shifted within him at that sight and he couldn't help but burst out!
"This marriage means nothing to me!" he spat startling her. Her eyes snapped open even as she looked at him. It took her a moment to compose herself after which she looked at him, her face devoid of anything.
"I know" she calmly said.
She knew yet some part of her hoped he wouldn't say that. She dint know why she had such an absurd hope even. And now it was crushed! She controlled her tears from pooling her eyes. Instead, she put her effort to hold up to hear his words for she knew, it wasn't his fault that he loved somebody else, that he had to go through what he did!
He stilled for a moment for he dint know what to make of that. Her face devoid of anything, her tone calm - this disturbed him more than her tears. Irritated by where his thoughts were leading, he put his entire attention to the outrage and anger he felt. He let his mind overpower him acting oblivious to his heart.
"You know very well I love Malini and there cannot be anybody else for me! Nobody else can take her place. NOBODY!" he thundered while she just sat the same way. She dint let her inner feelings reflect on her face because she needed him to get out all that he had stored within himself from the time they exited the forest.
"I don't and cannot believe or accept this marriage which is illegal! So I cannot take you with me to my house. If Malini would come to know, she would completely shatter. I had promised her I'll never leave her and that we'll marry once I return. She'd be distraught. I can't do that to her! " he said his voice shaking.
"What about me then? What should I do Babusaheb? Please let me know!" she said politely, bringing in a lot of effort for preventing her voice from shaking.
"I'll arrange for something when we reach there. Just forget this marriage! Just assume everything was just a bad dream! Just don't cling on due to what you'd get by this" he said callously and sharply, his words piercing her heart. She understood what his words meant and that hurt her more. Did he think she was so cheap? Despite whatever happened, isn't he aware of her character? How could he even assume such things? But she was too drained out in all aspects. She was in pain, in disbelief, in confusion. She dint know what to do or whom to turn to. So she just nodded and settled her head against the pillow, closing her eyes.
___________________________________________
Bidding goodbye to the Dhaba owner and his wife and thanking them for their help, the two set out to Delhi, this time sitting at the roof of the bus considering people were less there. She was dressed in a plain yellow churidar, her hairs left open. Her hands had the alta still and now instead of the red-green bangles, there were the silver bangles he had gifted considering she had nothing else with her. Her ears were adorned with silver jhumkis. Her nuptial chain, toe rings and casket of sindoor along with her bridal attire had been placed in her potli. She had changed over at the house because she knew there was no point of wearing it when he dint believe in it and was leaving her as well. Also, she had clearly seen they reminded him again and again of their forced marriage and so she had removed them, much to his astonishment because had believed he would have to tell her specifically that she had to remove them.
The two sat facing the opposite side since they dint want to look at each other, lost in their own pains and thoughts. When they reached Delhi, he got off immediately, not even looking back towards her. She swallowed painfully and got down clutching her potli to her chest in a tight grip. Her forlorn eyes couldn't help but look around considering she was new to the city but they dint have the awe or excitement she thought would be evident in them whenever she would dream of visiting the city.
"Get into the taxi" he said already getting into the front seat. She nodded even though he wasn't looking and got into the backseat. As the cab travelled into the city, she looked out of the window trying to distract herself from this monotonous state she has been in since the jungle happenings while he just made a few calls to arrange for her.
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When she had dreamt of coming to the city to fulfil her dreams, she had dreamt of different colours. Each colour signified a certain emotion according to her. Red signified anger, blue signified sadness, yellow signified joy, green signified envy, purple signified pride, black signified moroseness or darkness and white signified fear. Different colours signified different human emotions which were present in every human and which shaded every situation. These were what, she believed, shaped us. And so even when she had dreamt of her life in the city, she had dreamt of her struggles and implication of these shades in life and circumstances as well. Her life wasn't anyway a path of roses and hence her dreams too did not imbibe them. But she felt she would brave all of it like she had done all these years.
But never even in her wild dreams had she expected this kind of situation or this kind of entry to the city!
Love,
Pratyusha
YOU ARE READING
Lakeerein - Ties That Bind Us
Fanfiction------ Can Be Read As General Fiction ------ One night. One event. Lives of two people altered completely. When Aditya Kumar Tripathi, Chief Executive Reporter at Bhaskar times stepped into Pagdandiya and met Imlie, he did not know how his life woul...
