Amor Fati - Our Love, Our Fates [COMPLETE]

Part 62 - Inception

One and Half Months Later, The Day After

Rohini woke up to the chirping of the birds. Faint light of the dawn managed an entry into the room through a gap; heavy curtains covered the floor length window panes of their bedroom.

Their bedroom? Our bedroom? She couldn't still believe that they were finally married. She was finally Nikhil's and he was her's. Yesterday seemed like a dream to her, as she gently removed Nikhil's hand from her waist and stepped down from the bed. She looked all around as she proceeded to the mirror. The mirror showed her a different of herself. She was still in her bridal reception finery, the mangalsutra around her neck and her hair parting filled with vermillion, which was now partially smeared along her hairline. The red of the vermillion had added a deep glow to her face and she radiated positively, thrumming with excitement and happiness.

She turned towards the bed. Nikhil was sleeping peacefully, half turned to her side, but fully encroaching her side of the bed. Rohini smiled. 

The temple marriage had been divine and everything had gone on smoothly. Only a few people from either side had been invited. Both Sadashiv Shastri and Madhukar Nayak had not been able to control their smiles once all rituals had been completed. In fact, Madhukar Nayak had  beamed positively when he had placed Rohini's hand on Nikhil's during the ceremony, and had then wept at the implication of the ritual. It had taken Deepti sometime to console her Father and get him back to his usual jovial mood.

Rohini stepped out of the bedroom into the hall, closing the door behind her. She had been to this apartment a thousand times, but today everything felt so different, so new.

"A new beginning" she whispered to herself as she lingered by the massive flower vase on its pedestal in the centre of the room. She gently touched the petals of the flower bouquets kept on the tables by the wall, smelling in their essence. Walking over to the windows in the hall, she pulled back the curtains one by one, letting the soft warmth of the first sun rays in. It was quiet all around them, just the way they preferred.

She sat down on the single sofa facing the window, looking down to the lawn all around the building, as she ruminated over the happenings of the previous day.

Post marriage, they had gone to the Shastri Mansion where a married aunt from Nikhil's side and an exuberant Poorvi had welcomed the newly married couple into the house. The first entry into the house as a bride, as the daughter-in-law had been soul stirring for Rohini and she had been glad of Nikhil's continuous presence beside her.

In the evening, a reception party had been organised jointly by the two families, again for select family and friends, post which Rohini and Nikhil had come back to the penthouse, to be welcomed by Roshan this time who had transformed the penthouse into a magical paradise - eloquent and simple. Sadashiv Shastri had in fact encouraged the couple to return to their own apartment. Customarily he would have preferred the newlywed to spend their first night at the family mansion, but he knew that the place did not hold good memories and experiences for either of them; he did not want the past to affect their present and the future and had wanted them to be happy together, wherever they were.

Both Nikhil and Rohini had tried to reason but Sadashiv Shastri's decision had remained unchanged. 

The entire evening had been hectic and once everybody had left, then only the realisation had sunk in for both of them - that they were finally married.

Nikhil had stared at Rohini for long making her feel coy and nervous after a point of time.

"You make for such a beautiful bride. I am so lucky you chose to be a part of my life..." he had said before removing her nose ring and then kissing her. She looked resplendent in a red and gold bordered saree.