In the prestigious Air Force Academy, love takes flight in the unlikeliest of circumstances. Sahasra, a determined widow with dreams of becoming an Air Force pilot, finds herself bound to Nikhil, a widower, in an arranged marriage. As they navigate...
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“What is your problem Nikhil? Don't you have better work than disturbing me? I’m adding sugar to the halwa I made and you—” Sahasra shouted back, annoyed that Nikhil had stopped her.
“You were going to add salt, that’s why I stopped you,” Nikhil interrupted, “and for your kind information, I do have better work than nagging you. I just don’t want my Maa and Dadi’s tongues to be damaged by your ‘salty’ halwa!”
Sahasra scoffed, “Whatever!” and then served the dishes to the family with the help of the servants.
“Come, Nikhil,” Dadi beckoned him, “it’s time for breakfast.”
“I don’t want to eat, Dadi,” Nikhil complained but he was forced to eat.
Maa and Dadi blessed Sahasra as they loved the taste of the sweet halwa, while Nikhil just scoffed, “The halwa is ok-ok, nothing special.”
“Nikhil! Talk properly!” his mother scolded him.
Sahasra smirked and commented, “Let it be, Maa. Some people are bitter, so no matter what they eat, it will taste bitter for them too. You enjoy the halwa.”
Saying that, she took her seat and starting eating her breakfast.
“Have you packed everything for the flight? You’re going in the evening right?” Dadi asked.
“Yes, Dadi. We’ll do the packing after eating,” Nikhil smiled. He loved his Dadi — she always supported him. Except for the marriage with Sahasra, though — she was the one who had emotionally blackmailed him the most.
✰✰✰
Sahasra and Nikhil packed their essentials. Both didn’t talk with each other, not even in the flight, nor when they reached the hotel.
“Should we book two rooms?” Sahasra asked.
“Yeah, that'll be better,” Nikhil agreed.
But it turned out that the hotel was based on reservations, and only one room had been booked for them. They had no other choice but to stay in the same room.
“My luck is cursed! Even during a vacation I need to sleep with a gadha,” Sahasra commented.
“So is mine! I need to sleep next to a chudail,” Nikhil retorted back.
After eating dinner at a restaurant, Sahasra decided to go to the hotel pool. She sat there, thinking about what to do next with her life. She wanted to work, but she didn’t know what career should she take.
Nikhil entered the area and sat beside her, clearing this throat. “Your husband’s name was Tanmay, right?”
Sahasra frowned at him for suddenly making conversation. That too about her past husband.
“Love marriage?” he asked.
“No, it was arranged. In fact, I didn’t even know him at all. Same day as the marriage he left and never returned back.” Sahasra replied, staring at the water in th pool.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know—”
“Don’t be. I couldn’t even cry for real because I didn’t know him nor had feelings for him. I know it sounds ridiculous, but that’s the truth," Sahasra shrugged, not knowing why she was sharing all this. Probably because they’re both in the army, she said to herself.
“Yours? Love marriage?” She turned towards Nikhil.
“Yes, she was in the Air Force too. Six months after the marriage I lost her due to a car accident,” Nikhil replied sadly.
“I’m so sorry,” Sahasra genuinely meant it, because Nikhil had lost someone he actually loved and cared for. And, she knew the pain of losing a dear one. Her father had died when she was in college and it was devastating for her — her father was the only one who supported her in her life.
“So....do you work?” Nikhil continued the conversation.
“No, but I want to,” Sahasra replied. “I want to do something unique.”
“Hmm,” he said and stared at the water.
“Do you think I can be in the army?” Sashasra asked suddenly, and Nikhil immediately jerked up. He started laughing and wouldn’t stop.
“What’s so funny?” Sahasra asked, confused at his behavior.
“You? In the army??” Nikhil stood up, unable to control his laughter, and got a dirty look from his wife. “A chudail will be in the army! The terrorists will definitely get scared!”
Sahasra was pissed. “You think I can’t do it?”
Nikhil chuckled, “To be an army officer, you need to be resilient, disciplined, courageous and focused; and knowing you since school, you have zero of that. Besides, it’s a lot of hard work. Tumse nahi ho payega.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN MUJHSE NAHI HO PAYEGA??” Sahasra said while getting up and pushed him into the pool.
See, as I said, you have no patience and self control," Nikhil was wiping his face in the pool, still laughing.
“Go to hell!” Sahasra made a face and went back to their hotel room. Initially, she was actually liking the fact that they were making at least minimal conversation. But now she didn't even want to see his face.
Nikhil came back to their room as well after a while. He was serious, but when he saw Sahasra glaring at him, he laughed again.
Controlling his laughter, he went and sat beside Sahasra. “I’m sorry.”
"For what?” she asked, turning her head in the opposite direction.
“For calling you a chudail,” he said in a low voice. “You won’t be a chudail on the battlefield, you’ll be a hippo!”
Sahasra got up and pulled his hair saying, “WHAT DID YOU SAY??”
“Ouchhh!” Nikhil shouted, trying to get rid of her. “Stop pulling my hair Sahasra! We’re not kids anymore!!”
“If you say something like that next time, I’ll do something worse,” Sahasra warned and let go of his hair.
“Who cares? The fact is that hippos and chudails like you can’t wear the army uniform,” said Nikhil. “For that, you need discipline, intelligence and patience — and you have none of that.”
“I don’t need you to tell me,” Sahasra retorted and climbed on the bed. “Bad night. I hope you have a nightmare.”
“Nothing can be a bigger nightmare than having a hippo to sleep beside you,” Nikhil said and laid down on the bed as well.
Sahasra turned off the lights and pulled up the blanket, while Nikhil placed the extra pillows between them that he had ordered from the housekeeping.
――“💌”――
Ah, if you believe that chudails/hippos will scare away terrorists, please do vote and comment!<3
