A NEW MORNING

PART 1

"and then the prince and princess lived happily ever after" she said as the little 3 year old snuggled deeper into his blanket and yawned as she tucked him in and laid a loving kiss on his cherubic cheek "but mamma...do all prince find their princesses when they grow up?" the child asked in his sweet voice full of sleep as his mother chuckled and brushed his hair away from his forehead "yes sweetheart...every prince finds his princess when he grows up..you will too" she said with a smile as the child closed his eyes before mumbling "just like papa found you.."

Sanyukta felt her heart stop for a second as her son's words registered in her mind...she took a deep breath and got up to to switch on the night-lamp near the bed...then she closed the curtains and picked up all the toys and books lying on the floor...she collected the mass of crayons and put them in a box before tidying up the rest of the room...what she did not see was a pair of eyes silently watching her doing her everyday chore from outside the room.

As she finally turned around to switch off the lights in the room, the person watching her walked away before she could sight him...she turned around as his presence lingered around wondering if she imagined him there...with a small smile she switched off the lights and kept the door slightly ajar before leaving for her room across the corridor.

As she walked into the room, she saw him sitting outside in the small garden beyond their bedroom...he always sat there working while she put their son to bed...he looked up and smiled at her as she returned his smile and laid down on the bed...after a few minutes he came inside and switched everything off before taking his side of the bed "good night Sanyu" he said as she looked over her shoulder briefly and replied "good night Randhir" before he switched off the last lamp near his side of the bed...this is how every night was...with her husband, but not really...since the time she had married him...it all happened on that fateful day...one and half year ago...

One & a Half Years ago from present time...

"Papa, i'm soo excited to finally meet Di and jijaji...and I truly cannot wait to see my sweety-pie nephew! Can't believe they are finally coming to India!!" Sanyukta squealed as her father and mother joined in her joyous mood...it had been 3 years since she had last seen her sister...and that was when she was leaving for the US right after her wedding...it was an arranged marriage, with her jijaji's family being close friends of theirs...it was meant to be when the rishta had come from the Shekhawats's for the hand of their elder daughter Sanaya for their son Randhir

[Flashback to three years ago from present time...]

Randhir Singh Shekhawat...he was everything a girl dreamed of in a husband; smart, good looking...highly educated with a Harvard degree to boast and a top position in a very well known US based software company...every mother's dream choice for her daughter...and it was the same in the Agarwal house as well...when the Shekhawats's had proposed the match, Sanaya had been very apprehensive of leaving for another country...but after a lot of persuasion and brain washing by her parent's she had finally agreed to meet him before taking any decision

Sanyu still remembered the day when Randhir had come along with his parents, his sister and her husband to their house...she had gone to get sweets from the market after making sure her Di was well dressed and perfectly groomed...she had spent hours straightening Sanaya's hair and ironing her sari and matching accessories that she hardly had time to do anything else

She had rushed off to the market in hopes of coming back soon before the guests arrived...after all it was imperative that she tease her sister about her to-be groom before she sees him...so she had quickly bought all the stuff that her mother had asked her to get and was on her way back in her small Wagonr when she found a huge white AUDI parked right in front of their gate