Dono Jud Ke Judaa (Slow Updates)

Vishwas

***Shravni***

We're standing in front of the room besides our bedroom and I look at Hriday putting in the keys nervously. Hriday is hardly ever nervous.

I remember his words from the first day that I had come very distinctly.

Aur ek important baat - that room outside beside this one is completely off limits. Uske aas paas bhi mat bhatakna, andar jaana dur ki baat hai.

Tab se leke aaj tak I was curious about this room. I'd even ask Devika but she said that nobody knows what's in there. He doesn't let anybody enter and even cleans it himself.

My mind immediately starts forming scenarios. Is this some dark place where he hides dead bodies? Hriday karte rahenge murder, he knows all the laws so he can even get away with it. But mujhe kabhi koi rotten smell toh nahi aaya..

Or maybe it's a lab where he experiments on little animals. Nahi nahi.. he is a good person. Ye toh nahi ho sakta.

Oh shit! Worst case scenario.. is this the playroom? The red room of pain like in Fifty Shades movie? Waise dekha jaaye toh he is very dominant.

I place my hand on his just when he's about to twist the knob and open the door. "Hriday are you sure? You seem nervous. Aapko nahi dikhana toh it's fine" I tell him even though a little part of me is dying to see what's inside.

"No" he places his other hand on mine "I want to show you. Come".

He opens the door and makes me go in first. It's pitch dark. I hear the familiar click of the switch and then the room is flooded with light.

Mai aur hazaar chize assume kar leti fir bhi ye bilkul expect nahi karti. A soft gasp leaves my mouth as I look around the room.

The walls are white washed and the room is filled with hundreds of paintings. Some small and some really huge. They're all mostly abstract and modern.

If not the big table placed at the centre with so many brushes and bottles of paints, I would've thought that they're all bought.

I stop by one which is a beautiful painting of a beach at night with the moon on the horizon. There's another one of a peacock with beautiful, vivid and bright colours. There's one of a hot air balloon where in the balloon he's painted the galaxy. A lighthouse, a lion with a butterfly on his nose, a field of sunflowers, a colourful jellyfish in deep sea..

And all of it.. literally all of it is mesmerizing. It's bright and brilliant and bold. It's vibrant and intense and so so beautiful.

I look at Hriday and he's carefully assessing my reaction. "This is.. I'm speechless Hriday. All of this is so so beautiful, stunning. I mean I don't know much about art but the details and the way you've blended it all. It's.. I'm in awe" I whisper, again turning to look at more of his paintings.

"I've been painting since forever. My mom, birthmom, was an artist. She used to paint a lot and a lot better than what you're seeing here. I guess I got it from her" he says pushing his hands in his pant pockets.

"She must've been a wonderful woman" I say sincerely.

"She was. Tumhe achhi lagti vo" he says looking deep into my eyes. "Aur unhe bhi tum achhi lagti".

I gulp and look away from his intense gaze. It's heating me up. I focus my eyes on more of his artwork. Although the best artwork in this room is of course him.

The last two weeks, Hriday has not left my side at all. He's not even going to office.

Raat ko jab mai nahi soti thi tab vo bhi jaagte the. Bina kuch bole hi, ye kept me company. Roz try karte the ke mai khana khaau, jab ke I know vo bhi mushkil se hi kha rahe the. Every morning after my bath, he dutifully changed the bandage on my hand because of my habit of nail digging. He helped me with all the rites. He helped me clear my old house and sell it. He's helped me with everything.