Touch Her And... (Completed)

Chapter 53

"Didn't you say she is Mangalik and can't get married until she's twenty five? Then why looking for a groom suddenly baba?" Asked Ashok while walking through the woods one day.

"She can't, but I should at least give my word to someone reliable before everything goes out of hand. I don't want her to ruin our reputation like that again." Pandit ji said nonchalantly.

"But baba, she didn't do anything, she was only standing there. If someone draws my painting without me knowing will you blame me for that? This is absurd!" He added and received a murderous glare in response.

"Sometimes you both make me feel like I failed to teach you any manners at all." Pandit ji said and moved towards the temple.

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"You still cooking for him? Do I take that as a positive gesture, as in, should I dare to think that you forgave him?" Ashok asked looking at his sister hopefully. It was Aditya's Twenty ninth birthday, a day she always cherished and celebrated with her heart.

From her childhood she had grown to see him lonely, a father who never really cared whether he lived or died, a brother who never got along and an aunt who did everything for him with a huge burden of guilt for not being able to do the same to the other son. She was his only escape. He relied on her, looked at her with hope and lots of expectations. She tried to fulfill each one of  them.

Making "Polao" and "Alur dom" had been one such. She cooked it specifically for him every year on his birthday. He got habituated starting his day with that platter every year. During the time everyone of her family kept busy cooking the main birthday meal at Savitri aunty's kitchen or arranging the Puja that's to take place, she silently cooked this gift for him and brought it to him herself, waking him up and wishing him all the good things on his birthday.

But this year everything was not the same anymore. Although she couldn't ruin his birthday entirely, she needed to remind him that he was not yet forgiven.

"No, I didn't. But it's his birthday after all, he is used to with this. I can't deliberately start his day like that. However, this year you will take the thaali to him instead of me. Do this much at least." Ambika said while arranging the thaali.

"Fine. But you know what, he won't be happy to see my boring face. It's been two months Amu, why can't you forgive  him yet? He is getting insane. Have you seen his face and the stubble? He doesn't even come out of that God forsaken room. Doesn't eat properly, doesn't even sleep enough! Please talk to him. Like, tell me what can I do to change your mind?" Ashok said desperately.

"Nothing dada." She said without even sparing him a look. "He needs to understand what he did wrong and that he can never do that again." She added.

"He does Amu. I have seen it. He is trying really hard to keep his calm even around Pratap. Give him another chance, please." Ashok pleaded.

"I'll think about it. For now, you take this to his room before he wakes up, I'll be there, outside his room." She said handing him the thaali.

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"She made this?" Aditya asked looking at the thaali. He was sitting on his bed wearing an almost transparent white Kurta, while his lower body was still covered under the blanket. His hair messy, his eyes had dark circles around them, overall he looked devastated.

Ambika couldn't help herself from peaking in. Her heart ached seeing him like this. She knew how he lost his sanity every time they had a fight and finally came back to her like a lost puppy. But this was the biggest of all.

He stood up from the bed and went inside the washroom then came out after a few minutes. He slowly opened the cover from over the thaali to reveal the usual platter. His eyes flickered back to Ashok and then again to the thaali.

"She won't come, will she?" He asked, more like whispered to himself.

"Give her time buddy. Her anger is melting and she'll come to you only, nothing can change it. Trust me." Ashok consoled.

He didn't respond while taking his seat and picked some rice in his hand. Hand, that was shaking like nothing. He kept on looking at the rice in his hand and his eyes teared up. The memories came flooding back. His birthdays were of more importance to her than him. The way she used to get excited, the way she seemed so busy, the way she fed him the food herself always wearing a smile. He couldn't take it anymore, tears stung his eyes. The knot in his throat made it even more difficult for him to look at the food. The pain was unbearable. He lowered his hand, placing the food back to the plate as he stood up.

He stood there with both of his hands placed on the edge of the table. He hung his head and clenched his eyes.

"I can't! I can't.." His deep voice uttered. "What have I done!" He said through gritted teeth, as if too angry on his own self. "Take this back Ashok. Take the food back, I can't eat...." But he couldn't complete his words before the most unexpected voice echoed through the room.

"Sit down and eat!" Ambika's voice echoed surprising both Ashok and Aditya. While Ashok turned his face smilingly to look at the source of the voice, the other man seemed way too nervous to even turn his face. He kept on looking down at the thaali, too alert, as if, if he turned, his assumption would turn out to be false. But the voice echoed again, this time a little closer to where he was standing.

"I said, sit down right now. Are you deaf !?" She said with a hint of dominance that he had to turn around and look at her face. There she was, standing right beside him with both of her arms crossed over her chest, looking directly into his eyes. How he craved for her these past days, now standing right infront of him, he so wanted to kiss her then and there but then he collected himself and sat back into the chair without uttering a single word.

She took her usual chair and dragged the thaali towards her. He kept on looking at her intently when someone deliberately cleared his throat.

"As you know, I know my rank in the priority list. So I think it's my time to leave?" Ashok asked with a dull look on his face but got no response at all. Aditya was way too invested in Ambika. "Damn you, Adi." He left with that.

She took some rice in her hand and raised to his mouth without sparing a glance. But to her dismay he didn't take the food and she was forced to look back at his face. The honey brown eyes were fixed to her face. The pain they displayed was hard to digest. The way he was nervously biting his lower lip obligated her to get out of her strict stance.

"What?" She asked lowering her voice but he didn't say anything. "Open your mouth." She added politely again and finally he decided to open it.

When she was about to feed him for the fourth time he suddenly gripped her wrist and pulled her into his arms and she knew she wanted to be there. The awkward position enforced her to stand up as she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and he in turn buried his face into her stomach, pulling her even closer to him with his hands on her waist. Her eyes filled with tears as he felt him shaking in her arms, she knew he was stifling a cry, so she let him be as she slowly whispered,

"Happy birthday Aditya."