Suhagraat Ke Baad✔

Part 3

He came in, threw his coat and laptop bag on the bed and sat beside her. He placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him.

"Khushi, what happened? Is everything fine?"

She replied to him just with a slight nod that made him more curious and worried as he already was.

"Did someone say anything? Daadi?" He asked with gritted teeth.

"No Arnav ji, Daadi ji didn't say anything to me. Everything is fine."

"If everything is fine, why did you deny then?"

Now, her lips started trembling as he asked her directly. She wanted to tell him about her worries but was afraid of his anger. On the other side, it couldn't go on like that. How will this marriage ever complete if she doesn't discuss with him about that.

Overtaking her fear, she finally called him out who was anyways waiting for her reply.

"Arnavji..."

He looked at her raising his brows, gesturing her to continue. But she was not able to meet his gaze at the moment and stood up, facing her back to him.

"I'I, I can't come with you." She said hesitantly.

"Why?" He stood up reflecting a confusion on his face. "Is there any problem?"

So finally it was time to let it out, she thought. But her tongue or was it her heart, just wasn't ready to slip that out.

"I don't...I mean'I...I don't have a passport..." She felt like hitting herself hard for this. Why was she having so much difficulties to tell him what's in her heart.

And there she saw a smile creeping on his lips and he grasped her shoulders.

"That's the big deal? Khushi, you're so silly." While he chuckled, her mouth took a rounded shape and she smacked him slightly on his chest.

"Okay. I'm sorry. But wait a minute."

He went to the wardrobe, opened the drawer and brought a small blue copy out of it to hand it her.

"Here is it!"

She was surprised to see her passport. Just before some seconds, she really didn't have one or just believed not to have it.

"But...this...how...did you do this?"

"Yes, after the kidnapping, I was scared to lose you. So I let our marriage being registered on the very first day and also your passport-" Before he could continue, she interrupted.

"So we are married legally?"

"Yes and-" He answered casually and again she took the word without letting him complete his sentence.

"But Arnavji, our marriage is incomplete." As soon as she let it out, he looked at her with a 'what da' expression. Where did this came from now again, he thought.

"What do you mean Khushi? We married in front of your Devi Maiya and now even legally we're husband-wife, so where's the problem?"

He was serene yet and that gave her the courage to speak up finally.

"Arnavji, the problem is that without the nuptial rounds, a relation isn't considered marriage." She turned her back to him for the next line she was going to utter. Somewhere her heart knew, it will hurt him.

"The rituals, elder's blessings, everything means a lot. And Suhagraat and Honeymoon...this'...without marriage is a sin."

He needed to replay her words in his mind to be sure he heard right. She really tagged their love making as sin. Something that was pure love for him was considered a sin by her. His tenderness and feelings were called sin. His fondness and affection were viewed deplorable, as offense and violation from her. From her!