Vardaan 1...The Ultimate Boon

Chapter 23: The Real Reason (Part 3)

There was a little bit of happiness and surprise on Batuk's face.

"Was...was, what do you mean by this? Is she no longer your neighbor? Dev asked.

"No...when I had come to Gurukul as a child, they had moved to the city only a few years later." Batuk replied with a slight sadness.

"How does she look?" Jagdeesh asked.

"Don't know, I told you, we never met after childhood," Batuk replied remembering Swaraa's face.

"Hey Batuk, tell me by seeing with the eyes of the memories, whether you believe it or not, a smile comes on your face as fast as Swaraagini's name is mentioned." When Jagdeesh told, Batuk was shy.

"Your eyes are seeing just an illusion," Batuk said.

"It is your illusion that I am seeing the illusion, you cannot see yourself, but I can see you and also see the happiness on your face because of Swaraagini," Jagdeesh said while teasing Batuk.

Batuk immediately stroked his face with his hands as if he trying to clear his expression of happiness.

"Then it must be a coincidence and nothing else," Batuk spoke nervously.

Batuk wanted to stop talking about Swaraagini, whereas the reality was that he was enjoying Jagdeesh's sweet talk very much. Just as the rain on the mound had filled their fields with happiness, the mention of Swaraagini brought relief to Batuk's mind which troubled him for so many months.

But Batuk could not understand that.

"They even make coincidences happen; write a letter to your pitaashiri to send the offer to Swaraagini Bhabhi's house, Batuk is getting very impatient." Rasik ran away after teasing.

Batuk got angry and ran after Rasik. Jagdeesh and Dev laughed a lot seeing both of them.

A few days later, Swaraa's father was distributing laddoos (an Indian sweetish) in the locality. He had confirmed the relationship between Swaraa and Batuk. Batuk was unaware and Swaraagini was beaming with happiness.

Swaraa secretly kisses doll Batuk and shyly runs away.

About forty days later, when the news of the miraculous youth reached the streets of the city, the sakhis (friends) harassed Swaraa a lot by taking the name of 'Batukeshwara'.

Swaraa was running after them to beat everyone but inside she was very proud.

Batuk's father sent a man to Uttarasaadhaka Gurukul and asked the pradhanaacharya to inform him about the program.

Batuk's father reached a Pundit ji with the information and the Pundit ji talked about the very auspicious time coming in a few days. After obtaining consent from both families, the Pundit ji fixed the date of marriage on the same auspicious time.

Here Batuk reached home and there only two days were left before his marriage. He felt that everyone was so happy in the happiness of his arrival. But he came to know from the elder sisters that everyone is happier about the arrival of the bridegroom.

Batuk got scared on hearing so. Who would be his bride, what would she look like, those questions scared him. When the elder sister told the bride's name 'Swaraagini', a smile automatically appeared on his face, which he saw in the mirror in front of him.

"Perhaps friend Jagdeesh was talking about this smile," Batuk said happily in his mind.

Now Batuk was not worried about the nature or appearance of his bride. One name was enough to give him true inner happiness...Swaraa's name.

Batuk and Swaraa got married with great fanfare. Both childhood companions had become life partners. When Swaraa secretly removed the veil and saw Batuk, she kept looking. That Batuk was looking more adorable than doll Batuk.

"Swaraa...Swaraa...Swaraagini!"

Batuk's words reached the ears of Swaraa sitting in the hut but did not reach her consciousness.

Batuk got up and went to Swaraa. He tapped lightly on Swaraa's cheeks and only then did Swaraa's consciousness return.

"I'm sorry, I'm... I'm..."

"...you were dreaming while you were awake, it must have been a beautiful dream?" Batuk said lovingly.

"Yes, beautiful...so it was," Swaraa said while looking at Batuk with immense love.

Batuk was shocked to see that because Batuk had not seen that style of Swaraa in so many years. Batuk could clearly see that the person who said so was not the wife, but the lover. Such a lover who was deeply immersed in the love of her love.

"But how did you know?" Swaraa asked, stopping herself from getting emotional.

"A...a...a lovely smile...constantly graced your lips." Seeing the lover's kind of love by his wife, Batuk spoke in a flurry.

"Really?" Surprised, Swaraa asked innocently.

Seeing his innocent wife, Batuk could not stop his love.

"Absolutely true," Batuk said softly like a lover while straightening Swaraa's hair.

Swaraa blushed to see her husband's loving demeanor and a very lively smile appeared on her face.

"Yeah, that's exactly what it was," Batuk said enjoying her smile.

Swaraa blushed even more and hid her face hugging Batuk's chest. Contrary to usual, at that time Batuk did not deprive his wife of her rights. He kept his Swaraa close to his chest.

Both of them sat like that for some time. Not a word came out of both's mouths. Still, don't know how much both of them said and heard. Pure love was at its peak.

After some time, when their feet started hurting while sitting, the lovers felt that they should return from the world of love to the real world. Both parted laughing at each other.

Batuk served the food with great joy. Swaraa was not even allowed to move. Seeing that form of her husband, Swaraa's happiness kept on increasing.

Then both of them had a meal with a lot of fun.

Batuk was happy to know that his wife liked the food he had prepared. Batuk was also happy that Swaraa looked much calmer now. Now he could ask Swaraa about the pain in her conscience.

After finishing the meal, when both of them sat comfortably in the Vajrasana position, Batuk asked his question. Batuk, like a friend, asked Swaraa to tell her the state of her mind.