Rakshaas - A demon

PART 10 (The first night)

"Vivaah sampann hua. Aaj se aap dono pati patni hue," the pandit declared, making the whole environment of the previously calm hall jump up in excitement.

The wedding is finally done. Now they both were wife and husband.

Everyone present in the hall clapped their hands in happiness, wishing for a successful and fruitful marriage of the young couple .

The witnesses and family began to hug each other and congratulate each other though there was not much people from groom's side. Riddhima wondered why only few people attending the wedding from Vansh's side. She wanted to ask about his family but her own nervousness had her already on edge so she decided totally opposite to it.

'Calm down Riddhu you can do this,' Riddhima chanted, the same line again and again in her mind but it couldn't calm her wrecked nerves and erratic heart that was on the verge of bursting.

The moment she was fearing is finally here, her wedding night. Will he consummate the marriage was the major question wondering in her mind.

She is a married woman now.

It made her anxious. She looked on to see her father's face, that had happiness and he was giving out his brightest smile. It made her happy to see him smile. Tears spluttered out from her eyes upon the smile that she waited for almost 20 years to have a glimpse of.

She had last seen it when she was five years old. Maybe she was not that worthy to see his smile. That was the reason only her marriage had the strength to bring it out. She looked at Vansh, thankful to him for giving her her life's biggest happiness, her father's precious smile.

As happy tears flowed down from her eyes, she felt someone wipe them away. As his cold fingers touched her skin, she instantly knew it was him, her husband.

"Thank you," she whispered slightly as he wiped her tears with the pad of his thumb.

"Is everything okay?" he questioned upon seeing her tears, that were flowing down.

She just looked at him with gratitude. A graceful smile adorns over her lips too as she sees her father's unwavering smile. It gave her a different sense of satisfaction. A happiness, that she would always remember for life.

However, she felt herself being turned away by someone, making the smile move away from her eyes. She turned to see Vansh, who had his arm secured around her shoulder and was leading her outside.

No. She didn't want to go. Her father.

She turned back to see her father smiling sadly this time at her. His otherwise masked eyes this time had some sadness in them which she could read. She was going away from him forever. The mere thought brings more tears into her eyes.

Leaving Vansh's hand, she hugged her father with all she had. Maybe they were not like the normal father and daughter, that had regular conversations and all but still, she loved him, maybe for no reason. The reason that he was her father was just enough to love him.

She could no longer see him daily, coming into her room at nights, no longer feed him food with care, and there would be no one whose presence would make her feel the rigid security and protection that her father did.

Tears flow down her eyes that convert into cries. Burring her face into his shoulder, she cries her heart out. It was the toughest phase of her life. Why did girl have to face this?

She felt her father's hand wrap around her. Rubbing her back, as he comforted her, Riddhima only broke into more tears. She felt a tear or two hit her shoulder too, making her realise that it was her father's tears.