Marriage In Echo

5

Chapter 5

The dim glow of the lamp cast soft shadows across the room as Karan sat at his desk, poring over a file with furrowed brows. The weight of the day's responsibilities hung heavy on his shoulders, but he remained focused, determined to finish his work before retiring for the night.

"Karan, are you free tomorrow?" Tiya's voice broke the silence, her words pulling him from his thoughts. Karan looked up to see his wife standing in the doorway, her eyes shining with anticipation.

He nodded in response to her question, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Let's go to that new cafe tomorrow," Tiya suggested.

Karan paused for a moment, considering her proposal before finally nodding his agreement. "Okay," he replied, his voice soft but filled with warmth.

Later that night, as they lay in bed together, Tiya moved closer to her husband, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. Karan felt her warmth seep into his skin, her presence a comforting balm to his weary soul.

In that moment, he sensed the weight of her silent tears, the unspoken sorrow of losing their unborn that hung heavy in the air between them. He longed to ease her pain, to chase away the shadows that haunted her heart, but he knew that some wounds ran too deep to be healed with mere words.

As they lay entwined in each other's arms, the minutes stretched into hours, the silence broken only by the steady rhythm of their breathing. And then, in the hush of the night, Tiya whispered those three simple words, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I love you," she murmured, her words a tender confession. Karan lay still, pretending to be asleep, his heart overflowing with emotion as he felt her lips press against his forehead in a gentle kiss.

As the first light of dawn filtered through the curtains, Tiya stirred from her slumber, her body heavy with exhaustion and her mind still clouded with sleep. With a weary sigh, she dragged herself out of bed and made her way to the kitchen, the scent of freshly brewed tea wafting through the air.

As she moved about the kitchen, the rhythmic clatter of utensils mingling with the soft hum of the morning, Tiya couldn't shake the feeling of lethargy that clung to her like a heavy cloak.

Eventually, breakfast was ready, and Tiya joined her mother-in-law Rekha at the table, the warmth of their morning tea offering a welcome reprieve from the chill of the early morning air. Rekha smiled warmly at her daughter-in-law, her eyes filled with affection and understanding.

"Maa, do you know," Tiya began, her voice soft with emotion as she looked at Rekha, "I never thought I would ever have someone to call maa. But life blessed me with you."

Rekha's smile widened at Tiya's words, her heart swelling with love and gratitude for the woman who had become like a daughter to her. "And I never thought I would have a daughter as wonderful as you," she replied, her voice filled with warmth and affection.

As they sat together in the quiet serenity of the morning, surrounded by the comforting embrace of family, Tiya felt a sense of gratitude wash over her like a wave. In that moment, she realised just how blessed she was to have Rekha by her side, a constant source of love, support, and unwavering strength.

Tiya couldn't resist a playful jab at her sister-in-law. "So, you love me more than Meera didi?" she quipped, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Rekha chuckled heartily at Tiya's jest, her laughter filling the room with warmth. "Of course," she replied with a grin. "That one is a troublemaker, always getting into mischief. I'm surprised Neha (Meera's mother-in-law) hasn't sent her back already."

The two women shared a moment of shared amusement, their laughter echoing off the walls of the kitchen.

As their laughter subsided, Tiya couldn't help but feel grateful for the lightness that Rekha brought into her life. And as they continued to share stories and jokes over their morning tea, Tiya knew that she was truly blessed to have Rekha as her mother-in-law.

As Tiya walked through the familiar halls of her home, her heart heavy with emotion, she made a conscious effort to imprint every detail in her memory. Tears glistened in her eyes as she traced her fingertips along the walls, the echoes of laughter and love that had filled these rooms echoing in her mind.

Her gaze lingered on the wall adorned with her handprints, each mark a symbol of the beginning of her married life. It was a beginning that had brought her a sense of belonging she had never known before, a reminder that she was no longer alone in the world.

"Tiya, I'm ready. Chalo," she heard Karan's voice from the doorway, snapping her out of her reverie. With a soft sigh, she nodded and made her way towards him.

Karan was tying his shoelaces when he looked up and his gaze fell upon his wife, dressed in a lemon-colored chikankari kurti and flared jeans. But what caught his attention was the absence of the vermillion and mangalsutra that Tiya had worn every day since their marriage.

A pang of unease gripped Karan's heart as he struggled to comprehend the significance of this deviation from their routine. He wanted to ask Tiya why, but the words caught in his throat, the fear of imposing on her privacy holding him back. Yet, deep down, a sense of foreboding gnawed at him, a feeling that something significant was about to unfold.

"Let's go," Karan said finally, his voice tinged with uncertainty. Tiya nodded in response, her own smile faltering slightly as she turned to bid farewell to her mother-in-law.

She touched her feet. Kissed her cheeks and said, 'Maa chalti hu. Khayal rakhna. Bye,'" Tiya whispered softly, her voice thick with unshed tears. Rekha smiled warmly in return, her words filled with reassurance.

"Arey, you will be back in two or three hours. Enjoy. I will be fine till then," Rekha said, her tone light and cheerful. But despite her outward bravado, Tiya sensed the underlying sadness in her mother-in-law's words, as if a silent acknowledgment of the impending separation.

With a heavy heart, Tiya forced a smile and turned away, her footsteps echoing hollowly in the empty hallway as she made her way towards the door. As she stepped outside into the cool morning air, she couldn't shake the feeling of impending change that hung heavy in the air, a silent portent of the challenges that lay ahead.
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What do you Tiya is thinking?

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Hare Krishna