Bairi Sanam: The hate of a lover

Epilogue

Ketaki

Lifting it up from the shoulders, I gave a good look to the black kurta that I had stitched with my own hands for my husband. I smiled looking at it as all the memories of the times I had ruined his kurtas resurfaced. Putting it down nicely on the bed to prevent any creases, I lifted another black kurta in my hands and moved my fingers over its surface with love. I had stitched another one for my son and it looked like a miniature version of his father's kurta.

In the atmosphere of love and our little banters, I did not realise how these five years went by. Putting my Shaurya's kurta down gently next to his father's, I went to go get ready myself. I took out a black suit with golden work on it from the closet and after wearing it, I sat in front of the dressing table. I took out the pair of gold kangan that Surbhi maa gave me as a blessing of Savitri maa. I wore it on both my hands and looked at it with much love. When both the mothers have given me their blessing what more could I have ask for?

I had just picked up my earring from the dresser to wear it when my husband walked in behind me wearing his black kurta and holding our son in his arms who was all dressed up in his kurta too. They both looked at me with a smile on their faces which was enough to bring tears to my eyes. My husband looked as handsome as he always does but after becoming a father he has a different glow on his face. And my son. He has his father's charm. His father's eagle chain was shining over his small black kurta that was tied around by Tejasvin himself around his neck. Tejas leaned in to leave a kiss on my crown and my Shaurya repeated it after him.

"Beautiful like always," they both said together looking at me in the mirror and I lowered my head as I blushed hard.

Tejasvin put Shaurya down on his feet and he came and sat on my lap. Taking the gold earring from my hand, my husband put it on my ear and did the same thing on the other side.

"Fireworks," my kid squealed hearing the sounds of fireworks go off outside on the occasion of Diwali. Getting off my lap, he ran out in excitement. Taking my dupatta from the dresser I put it over my shoulder. I hurriedly got up from my place to go behind him when my husband pulled me back into him as my back faced him.

"Where are you going sanam hmm?" He said moving my hair to one side over my shoulder and leaving a kiss there. "I haven't even gotten you properly ready yet."

"But I'm all ready," I said, and he turned me around to face him.

"No you're not," he said and went towards the closet. Taking out a golden waist chain, he came back to me. Sliding his hands underneath my suit, he tied it around my waist. Picking up the small vermillion box from the table, he took a pinch of the powder and added it to my partition. He took the dupatta off my shoulder and put it over my head, just like he did it for me the first time he got me ready.

"It looks better this way on you," he said turning me around to face the mirror.

"It really does," I said with a smile and turning around I put my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me as we stayed there like that for some time.

"Let's go see what my sher is up to," he said breaking the hug and began to move towards the door, but I held his hand to stop him, and he turned around to look at me.

(Lion)

"Forgetting something sanam?" I asked and he thinned his eyebrows looking at me in confusion.  

"I don't think s—" he was about to say but before he could finish his sentence, I slammed my lips on his pulling him in by his collars. He brought his one hand behind my head and slided the other underneath my suit to pull on my waist chain and bring me closer. He began to move his lips slowly over mine as I raked my fingers in his hair.

"I was forgetting something very important," he said detaching away and I giggled. Taking my hand, we went outside. I picked up the plate from the kitchen in which I had placed all the oil lamps on my way out. Leaving my hand, Tejas went towards our son who was moving sparklers in the air and appeared all excited.

I noticed rest of the villagers out on the streets too celebrating the festival joyously. Some were hugging each other while some were feeding each other sweets. The streets were shimmering in lights and oil lamps. The colours of rangoli had adorned the doorsteps of every house.

Kneeling down, I began putting oil lamps in a line at the front porch and lightened them up one by one. 

"Let me help you," I heard my husband's voice that made me look up. He kneeled down next to me and lit the diya that I was holding in my hand. He put his hands around the flame to prevent it from extinguishing due to the breeze that was blowing. I lowered it down on the ground and placed it next in line with the rest of them while he kept his hand around the flame this entire time. I looked up at him whose face was glowing under the warm light of all the lamps and his lips curled into a soft smile looking at me.

I remembered how I had once asked chacha ji if the person I'd marry would be able to love me just like bauji loved amma, enough to fight everyone and endure everyone's hatred just to be with her. Tejasvin answered that question with his actions and proved that he can. He endured the hatred of several villagers by marrying me in front of everyone. Not just them, but he took over his father's hatred too but stood by his wife. It takes courage to distinguish between right and wrong and he looked beyond blood relationships to do what is right. Maa was right, you do not need everyone to be on your side you just need that one person. And for me, it was him. Since he held my hand, everything else fell in place on its own.

Tejasvin

My wife looked ethereal today as the light of lamps was falling on her face. Not just today, she looks ethereal every day. We kept looking at each other for a long time as the fireworks lit up the sky, colouring the night with various colours. I remembered she had once asked me what is happiness for me and I didn't know the answer to it then. But today I have found my answer. Her joy is my happiness. Her strength is my happiness. Her existence is my happiness. She is the woman who has been courageous enough to bring our child into this world and I worship her with my very being. The more I worship her, the stronger I become. She enhances my strength. She is my shakti, my sherni. She has become the reason of many positive changes that took place in this village. It is truly said that your partner is supposed to be that half that completes you in every way and she did just that. Despite our banters, we come back to each other because we understand that love is above all that.

"Baba, maa" I heard my child's voice that was enough to give birth to fatherhood in me. It made us break eye contact and look in the direction of Shaurya who came towards us taking small steps. We stood up from our places and he ran in our direction, clinging to our legs. I picked him up in my arms and left a kiss on his cheek. He looked just like me in this black kurta that my wife had made for both of us. It made me chuckle too to see how she went from ruining all my kurtas to stitching one with her own hands.

"Maa, baba come with me," he said wiggling out of my hold. Holding both our hands, he pulled us to the open area in front of our house and pointed towards the sky. All of a sudden, the sky got covered in different colours that came out from the fireworks that someone had released in the air. My eyes moved to Ketaki who was enjoying this view with a huge smile on her face. She placed her head over my shoulder continuing looking up and I took her hand in mine.

"Your parents are watching us," I said kissing the back of her hand and looking at the two stars.

"They are," she said. "And they are happy to see us together."