Bairi Sanam: The hate of a lover

Chapter XLVI: Bhoj

Tejasvin

It has been several months to our marriage now and Ketaki and I have cherished every single moment we got to spend together. Dhananjay and Sehaj stayed with us for some time until Raksha bhandhan as they would never miss getting a rakhi tied by Smriti. But this year, they had two rakhi on their wrists, one from Smriti and one from Ketaki. Not having any siblings, my wife missed on the love of brothers and sisters but now she had found a complete family.

"Rakhi nahi bandhogi bhabhi?" Sehaj said on the day of Raksha bhandhan when my wife was serving everyone sweets. Her eyes collected tears hearing this, but she couldn't refuse. She sat between both of them, and they took her in a hug while she let few tears out experiencing brothers' love for the first time. I watched all this taking place and how could I have not been happy? Smriti made Ketaki and I sit next to each other and after rotating pooja thaal in front of us, she tied a rakhi on my wrist.

(Won't you tie a Rakhi on me?)

A week after they left, I had decided that we both will live in a separate house. I did not want Ketaki to experience any sort of unease seeing my dad here and there. It only added to her agony and resurfaced the painful memories of her parents. Maa supported my decision fully but was obviously sad to have us go. We found a piece of land at some distance from our old house and within some time, we built our own home there.  

"Are you going to get up now? We haven't even had breakfast yet," she said as I had placed my head in her lap while sitting on a long swing in our garden early in the morning. I clicked my tongue refusing to leave my haven. I had my eyes closed feeling at utmost peace as she moved her fingers in my hair. "You know you are so stubborn," she said and pinched my nose playfully.

"I have learned it from you sanam," I said and turned to my side in her lap as my face touched her stomach. Circling my arm around her waist, I left a light kiss on her belly, and she continued playing with my hair.

"Suniye," she said softly, and I hummed in response. "I want to organize a bhoj for the village."

(A feast.)

"Why Ketaki? It is usually organized on a happy occasion," I said nudging my nose on her bare stomach.

"Khushi ki baat to hai na, ab humare jeevan mein ek nanha sa tohfa aane wala hai,"

(Isn't it a happy occasion that we're going to receive a little gift soon.)

I instantly took my face out hearing those words and laid back in her lap looking at her with tearful gaze. She had some tears too in her eyes and my heart began to flutter at this news. I pushed my face back on her stomach wrapping my arm tightly around her and letting few tears out that dampened her belly. I left a kiss there and moved my hand over it trying to feel something but then chuckled realising that it is too early for that.

"Sach bol rahi ho na? Mazaak to nahi kar rahi na mere saath hamesha ki tarah?" I said against her skin leaving another kiss there.

(Are you telling the truth or just joking with me like you always do?)

She pulled my face out making me lay back on her lap and moved her hand over my cheeks to remove my tears while nodding her head in a yes. I took her hand between my hands and kissed it deeply feeling immense happiness.

"We will organize the biggest bhoj the village has ever experienced," I said smiling widely still holding her hand as tears rolled down from her eyes.

Ketaki

It has been few weeks since I've revealed my pregnancy and Tejasvin has been jumping around since then. As soon as maa found out about that, she came to visit us without wasting a second along with Smriti. She made panjiri especially for me with her own hands to consume during my pregnancy. It is a sweet made with lots of ghee, nuts and other healthy ingredients and is a good source of fat and protein that is essential for pregnant women.