MALANG

6. The world is a better place

Holding the diamond ring on my ring finger, Kabir looked deep into my eyes and asked- "You are engaged?"

I couldn't say anything. Before my eyes was sitting that person who had been my husband, six years ago. I was engaged to him. The ring on my finger was given by him on a very, very special day.

It was a bright sunday morning. The sun was up and the deadly temperature never ceased to rise. Mumma switched on the air cooler to prevent my sweat beads. I was dressed in a baby pink saree and traditional jewelleries and she didn't want my makeup to go wasted anytime soon.

Besides that it was my engagement that day and me being the bride, was ought to look good at all fucking cost.

Kabir and his family had arrived late. Yet, one look at Kabir and every second of my waiting seemed worthy all of a sudden. He was dressed in a black bandgala, black trousers and a pink jawahar coat. His long hairs were gelled and neatly arranged near his neck. His cheeks were clean shaven and his eyes were dark and broody. The air around him bore a typical Kabir smell that made me feel weak in my knees.

My husband is soooo handsome! And just like that, I couldn't stop gushing over him for the rest of the roka ceremony.

"Nitya?"

Kabir's voice broke my reverie. I shook my head and watched myself in his chocolate orbs. Six years ago, a girl was looking at him in the same way. She hoped that her fiance raised his eyelashes and looked at her for once. She had dressed up only for him. She deserved his compliment. She deserved his admiring gaze. She deserved his attention as if she was the most important thing that had ever happened to him.

But did he really look back? No. Infact she remembered how he had ignored her with all his might. She had slipped a diamond stud gold ring on his finger and he being her fianće had treated her like some contagious disease.

She remembered. She remembered it all.

"I was married and divorced." I took a deep breath. The interiors of my throat seemed burning at this sudden exposure of truth.

"What?" Kabir gasped with surprise. I felt like laughing at his pathetic acting skills.

Did he seriously not remember anything?

"You think I am lying?"

"Heck! Noooo..." he protested fiercely. "All I meant to say is that.. why would anyone divorce you?"

"Maybe because he didn't like me enough." I shrugged casually. Kabir rolled his eyes.

"Not like you? Are you kidding me, Nitya?"

"Is there something to like about me?"

"What if I say you have everything to like about you?" He breathed in my fragrance, causing some hundred of butterflies flap their wings inside my tummy.

Oh my.

"Everything?"

"Everything" he mimicked throatily. "Right from your mysterious soul to the greenery of your eyes... you are such an awe-worthy woman, Nitya!"

If you are so much fascinated with my eyes then why didn't you look into them on our wedding night? Who knows, perhaps that could be the turning point of our entire story!

"You are sounding like you can spend hours looking into my eyes."

"Which I actually can." He ran his careless thumb over my upper eyelids. "These eyeballs of yours... green like moss.. embedded in pools of tranquility.... just like two fireflies burried in frozen dew... so beautiful... so, so, so beautiful."