Bairi Sanam: The hate of a lover

Chapter XXXV: Shaitani

Tejasvin

We walked down the stairs together and found everyone sitting at the breakfast table. They all looked up as we descended the stairs. Aunty was looking at us with much joy while Smriti's excitement was evident on her face. However, dad's eyes communicated anger and I held Ketaki's hand to give her some moral support. Dad stood up from his chair in anger watching this and her hold on my hand tightened.

As we neared them, I bent down to touch auntie's feet, and she gave me her blessing while she refused Ketaki to do so and took her in a hug instead. I watched Ketaki move towards dad and bend down to touch his feet, but he moved back.

"You do not deserve my blessings," he said, and his comment made me angry for the first time against my own dad.

"She is the daughter in law of this family. Either you accept it happily or keep denying it, it won't change anything," I said, and he left from there after looking angrily at me and then her.

"At least have breakfast Raj," aunty yelled from behind, but he left the house without looking back. My eyes moved to Ketaki who had some tears in her eyes now making my heart pierce. I rushed to her and wrapped my arm around her that made her look up at me.

"Don't worry about him. I'm by your side. Always," I said, and she nodded letting some tears out. I cleaned them off immediately but soon heard coughing sounds that made us both look in the direction of it.

"Dau, it has not even been a day to your wedding and you've already forgotten us?" She said teasingly. "And you didn't even invite us to the wedding. Itni bhi kya jaldi thi Ketaki jiji se shaadi karne ki ki apne parivaar ko hi bulana bhool gaye?"

(What was the rush to get married to Ketaki that you forgot to invite your own family?)

She neared us and gave Ketaki a hug. "I don't blame you though for rushing into a marriage with her," she said and Ketaki blushed hard at her words.

"Bhabhi bol, ye kya jiji jiji laga rakha hai," I asserted and all three women looked at me with wide eyes.

(Call her bhabhi now. Why are you still calling her sister?)

"What?" I asked looking back at each one of them. Aunty neared me and began caressing my back lightly.

"Hota hai hota hai, shaadi ke baad aksar aisa hi hota hai," she said giving me pity looks.

(It happens it happens. It often happens after marriage.)

"Dau to gaye kaam se," Smriti said, and they both broke into laughter. Taking Ketaki's hand she made her sit on the breakfast table.

(He's a gone case.)

"This is your seat now jiji, I mean bhauji." She said that way intentionally looking at me as she made her sit at my place. I rolled my eyes at them but soon let out a chuckle realising what place she holds in this house now.

When she owns every part of me now, this seat is nothing.

Ketaki

I was dreading even standing in front of Rajwant, but I had to show some respect towards him. When he refused to give me his blessings, my heart ached but finding him by my side made me forget that pain. Everyone else showered much love towards me and I couldn't help but be thankful for having them around me.

As Smriti made me sit in the chair, something clicked in. "You were home all this time?" I asked her and watched him settle in the seat next to me.

"Yes, maa and I have been home since morning," she said casually, and I looked at him who was diverting his gaze from me. "Why bhauji what happened?"