Aakash Dhara: A Village Love Story

Chapter 3

It's been ten days since Dhara and Aakash's wedding. Nothing much has changed since then.

Aakash still remains absent from the house. He only comes home at night. They have not done anything since that night.

He comes home drunk and then sleeps keeping his head on Dhara's belly.

Dhara was making rotis in the kitchen. She wanted to talk to him know him. But he never really talked to her. It made her sad but at least he came home every night to her.

Her face bloomed with a smile when she remembered how he behaved the other night with her.

Flashback

Dhara was sitting on the bed waiting for her husband. It was their third night together. The night after he ate her out.

Aakash entered the room drunk, mumbling something under his breath.

"Tu phir nahi soyi?"

"Ji vo aap.."

"Dard hai tujhe?

Dhara's face heated up remembering what he did last night to relieve her pain. To hide her embarrassment she shook her head in a no.

"Thik hai phir batti band kar mujhe sona hai."

Aakash removed his shoes and then slumped down on the bed laying on his stomach.

Dhara got up and switched off the lights. She slowly moved towards the bed and laid down facing away from him.

"Apne pass nahi sulayegi mujhe?"

Dhara turned around with a jerk listening to his sudden demand.

"Ji mt..lb?"

Aakash pointed his finger towards her stomach and said with a groggy voice,

"Kal tune sulaya tha na apne pet pe sar rakh kar mujhe. Aaj nahi sulayegi?"

Dhara was badly flustered listening to his cute demands.
She laid down on the bed just like yesterday.

Aakash was staring at her all that while. There was a certain warmth and a feeling of peace that he found in Dhara. Despite his reluctance he always found himself going towards her.

When he saw that she had laid down, he sat up on the bed.

"Ye saree toh hta pet se."

Obeying him she slowly removed her saree. As soon as the cloth got removed Aakash jumped on her and placed his head on her belly.

Dhara threaded her fingers into his heart and patted his head lovingly.
Aakash hummed in response and soon they fell into a deep slumber.

Flashback ended

Wrapping up the work she had had in the kitchen she came out in the verandah. She saw her mother in law coming out of her room looking flushed and red.

She had always seen different men and women coming in the house. At first she thought they were relatives but no one introduced them to her.

Maybe they were just some helpers.

She was about to go towards her room when she spotted Richa and Aakash entering the house. Richa was telling Aakash something and he was listening to her.

Dhara became happy thinking that since he had come home in the afternoon they would finally be able to talk.

But all her hopes came crashing down when Aakash went towards his room without even looking at her for once.

Richa stopped in front of Dhara giving  her a crooked smile.

"Mere aur Aakash ke liye nashta le aana humare kamre mai."

Dhara was still standing there not able to comprehend what just happened.

Her throat clogged with unsaid emotions.
He could have at least looked at her.

Half-heartedly she moved towards the kitchen and arranged some snacks for them.

She went inside the room and places the snacks on the table. Richa and Aakash were sitting on the bed talking about something.

Dhara didn't wanted to intrude. But since she was a new bride she can't wander around just like that.

Both her sister and mother in law were out for buying groceries. So she decided to sit on the couch in the room till the time they talked.

As soon as she sat on the couch, her feet came to a abrupt halt listening to Richa's next words.

"Tum yaha kyu baith rahi ho. Bahar jao hum dono humesha akele mai hi baat karte hai."

All the colours drained away from Dhara's face. She wanted to cry and cry very badly.

Aakash didn't say anything and that hurted her even more.
She dashed outside the room and went straight towards the garden.

She sat there in a corner and kept on crying. She didn't release when she slept.

When her eyes opened it was evening. She hurriedly went inside the house. Thankfully no one was there in the living room.

Not wanting to go inside the room she went to the kitchen and saw that her mother in law was preparing tea.

"Uth gayi beta? Mujhe lga tu so rhi hogi isliye jagaya nahi.

Dhara nodded in response not wanting to talk to anyone at the moment.

She arranged tea in the cups and went outside. Aakash, his father and Richa were already sitting there. Shruti was there in her room.

She touched the feet of her father in law and then served the tea to everyone.
Dhara could feel someone staring at her but she was too tired to acknowledge anything.

Usha came outside the kitchen and sat on the sofa.

"Aa Dhara tu bhi baith jaa."

Richa was already sitting next to Aakash on the two seater sofa. So, Dhara came and sat down next to Usha.

"Aakash beta meri baat sun. Kal Maine satyanarayan ji ki katha rakhi hai. Pooja mai tu aur bahu sath baithenge. Isliye tu kal ghar par hi rhega."

"Jii maa, jaisa aap kahe." Usha smiled listening to him.

Soon the dinner was done. Everyone retired to their rooms. Dhara did not want to go to her room.

Today she was missing her home way too much. Her elder brother, Parag could not even come to the wedding since he had just started a new job abroad.

She wanted to go back to her parents. For the first time she not feeling good here. But nothing can be done now.
Sighing she got up and went inside her room.

Aakash was not there. Maybe gone out to drink again she thought. She decided to lay down and sleep without wanting to face him today.

She twisted and turned on the bed but still couldn't sleep maybe she had become too habitual of sleeping with him.

The door opened and Aakash entered the room. He was not drunk today.
Dhara looked at him and their eyes met for a second.

Aakash broke the eye contact and went towards the bed. He quietly laid down on his side facing away from her.

Dhara starred at his back for sometime.
She decided to break the silence. Maybe he was too shy or proud to initiate a conversation.

"Suniye, aapne khana kha liya?"

Aakash remained quiet. He did not even turn to look at her. This broke the little hope that was there in Dhara's heart.

She too faced the opposite side. She cried silently. Her heart was heavy, she couldn't even breathe properly.

She couldn't believe that he was the same man who cuddled with her everyday like a baby. After sometime she eventually fell asleep thinking about her falling marriage.

________

You all will get Aakash's thoughts in the next chapter.

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