Love Me Tonight
Chapter 13: State of Bliss

An early bird chirped at the windowsill, tilting its head to avoid the sun’s reflection unsuccessfully and then pecked the glass impatiently. The woman stirred at the sound, tried to turn over but found herself trapped in warmth. Opening her eyes, she blearily blinked at the figure next to her, a smile automatically curving her lips at the sight of her husband.

Husband… Such a new word for her… Just thinking about it caused something to stir in her belly. She still couldn’t believe she was married… Correction… Newly married. Just yesterday… What a day it had been? Emotional roller coaster… From happiness to anger to romance to peace… She had experienced a myriad of emotions in a single day. And she was looking forward to more… But first… She needed something urgently…

“Sameer”, she rasped in sleep heavy voice, “utho… abhi…”

He took a deep breath and mumbled, “do ghante aur…”

She scrunched her nose in annoyance, her mind driven by an impulse, and she sunk her teeth on his shoulder. “Ouch!”, he yelped, his entire body jerking and his eyes snapped open, “what the… mmm…”

A hand covered his mouth, muffling the curse word, and she admonished, “subah subah gaali nahi…”

He glared at her, removing her palm from his lips, “kaata kyun?”

She fluttered her eye-lashes, “bhuk lagi hai…”

A smile almost tempted to curve his lips, but he controlled and asked, “toh main kya khane ki cheez hun?”

She pouted, “biscuit tumhare side pe hai… jaldi do… warna ab tak toh sirf kaata, iske baad ulti bhi kar dungi.”

He snagged the packet from his side and offered her a saltine, grumbling, “kahan shaadi ke baad wale din subah ko kiss milna chahiye… And here I am being bitten by my wife…”

She licked some more salt from the biscuit, and nibbled at a corner, all the while looking up guilelessly at him, “biting is better.”

He quirked a brow, turning to his side and lifting on his elbow to hover over her. His voice was low and suggestive as he spoke, “yaad rakhunga jab sahi waqt aayega…”

Her cheeks tinged with color, part of her still unable to believe that this was her… that she was having such a flirtatious moment… that too with a man who was solely hers… who loved her… Silly dreams of her adolescence were turning into a beautiful reality right in-front of her eyes, and all she wanted was to hold on to that moment for a little longer. And so, she finished her biscuit, and nuzzled closer to him, rubbing her nose on his chest. He chuckled, running his fingers through her hair as his head dropped down on the pillow once more, “uthna nahi hai?”

“Chutti hai na aaj”, she countered, “thodi der aur…”

He hummed, closing his eyes, reveling in the feel of having her so close to him. Last night he had thought their wedding day would end on a quarrel, but thankfully they had been able to resolve the misunderstanding. He hoped every morning from now onwards was like this. After thirty more minutes Naina reluctantly rolled over and sat up, rubbing her eyes. He yawned, checking the time, “ab toh uthna hi padega… tumhe itna late nahi karna chahiye breakfast me.”

She hummed, “brunch karte hai… Phir toh raat ke liye sab taiyari karni hogi.”

He tilted his head, thinking about the proposition, “good idea. Par abhi at least chai aur biscuits toh khana hi hai tumko.”

“Okay”, she smiled dreamily, enjoying the way he pampered her. For the first time she was consciously allowing herself to enjoy his attention and care, instead of it being an automated response when stressed. He stared at her, wondering if she was fully awake or still in a sleepy daze. He had never seen her so relaxed around him. Even when she relied on him there was a certain level of caution in her eyes, but today everything about her was soft… her gaze, her smile, her expressions, her demeanor… If it was going to be just a temporary thing then he hoped he got to experience it for some more time.

Her brows furrowed in confusion, “aise dekh kya rahe ho? Utho bhi…”

He shook his head to bring himself out of his thoughts, and gracefully stood up from the mattress on the floor. Without thinking much, he offered his hand to her, and was pleasantly surprised when she accepted his help as a reflex action. All the while as he made tea, took a bath, and helped her prepare their brunch, a smile lingered on his lips. His efforts to show Naina that he loved her seemed to be finally yielding results. He knew there was still much more to share with her, especially about his mother, Shaili, and of course about his business, but for now they had reached a basic level of understanding… tremulous balance yet soothing to his heart.

Naina felt as if she was in a happy bubble as she dusted the meagre shelves and furnishings, washed clothes – including Sameer’s clothes even though he resisted – and hung them out, prepared daliya khichdi for their brunch, and then ate together with her husband. The dinner menu that they had finalized included matar-paneer, jeera aloo, paratha, rice and dal fry. It wasn’t anything elaborate, but Sameer refused to put any more load on Naina. His idea was to get some chaat from outside so that it can serve as starters, and while she initially disagreed the lure of tangy chaat ultimately had her convinced of the idea. She finished the vegetable dishes, and then he insisted that she take a nap while he prepared the dal and rice. To her pleasant surprise when she woke up at 4:30pm, Sameer was there, right beside her dozing with an open file on his chest. Her heartbeats skittered at the way his hair fell on his forehead, the slight pout making his upper lip plump out, the dark lashes resting on his smooth cheeks… And that jawline… God… On that one night they were together she had wished to trail that line with her nose and tongue, but somehow had chickened out every time she had the chance to do so. Her gaze flittered over his entire face, he looked so much at peace – something she had not seen before ever. She had seen him joking, angry, hurt, aroused and even blank of any expressions when he had tried to control himself from saying something he didn’t want to. But this was the first time she was seeing him like this, peacefully sleeping… A thought at the back of her head niggled… Was it because now they were married, and he had the assurance of having her in his life? Did she mean so much to him? Could she ever mean everything to someone?

A shrill ring made her jerk… His eyes snapped open, but to her incredible surprise even as his right hand grabbed the ringing mobile, his left hand came up to where she was lying, caressing her head as if to make sure she wasn’t startled awake from her nap. He didn’t even notice that her eyes were open and that she was watching him as he blinked sleep from his eyes and pressed a button to receive the call.

“Aman”, he yawned by way of greeting. This close to him she could hear Aman’s voice as he talked about some meetings he wanted to schedule, seeking his boss’s permission. Sameer mumbled, “sure… it’s not like I am going anywhere.”

She noticed Aman pause for a moment, and then softly query, “aap madam ko honeymoon pe nahi le jayenge?”

Sameer chuckled softly, “pehle apne ghar toh le jaau, uske baad honeymoon ka dekhenge.”

There was another moment of silence, and then a soft apology, “sorry SJM.”

“It’s alright”, Sameer assured, “tum meetings fix karne lago kal se, I am okay with that. Aur haan kal mujhe year-end event ka bhi brief chahiye, so get someone to handle that.”

Aman conveyed that everything would be done, and that he would see him tomorrow. After disconnecting the call, Sameer dropped the mobile beside him, and turned to check on Naina… His eyes widened in surprise on seeing her awake, and he stammered, “uh… tum… uh… tum uth gai?”

Naina smiled, “kabse…”

He bit his lower lip, “uhh… woh phone pe Aman…”

She could understand that the topic of honeymoon was making him feel awkward, and so she redirected the conversation, “uthe? Parathe banene hai ab tak… Aur tumhe chaat bhi toh laana hai…”

He let out a small smile of relief, “haan… tumhari tabiyat theek hai na?”

She nodded, sitting up, “bilkul… bas chai pila do.”

It was 7pm when one by one all their guests started trickling in. Naina was dressed in a pink salwar-kameez, happily greeting each one of them, while Sameer was in the kitchen preparing tea to serve. Ever since her childhood whenever she had been made to sit with a large number of people around her, she had found herself to be able to, for lack of better word, split her mind into two different parts… One part focused vaguely on the conversation around her, attuned only when someone was talking to her directly or asking some question to her… And the other major part would drift into a world of her own, usually it would be the books she had read, but today the subject she focused on was Sameer. She had noticed how happy he was since morning, but that was not the point… He loved her, and so it was fairly obvious that he was happy to be married to her… What struck her as significant was that he kept his promise to her and didn’t try to change anything even after they were married. He was rich, but he didn’t rush to bring expensive clothes for her so that she could look and play the part of Mrs. Maheshwari. He hadn’t even brought up the topic that they had far more guests than they had chairs, instead he had asked if he should buy some mat to spread on floor for people to sit. He hadn’t proposed the idea of throwing a party in a restaurant but rather had helped her prepare every item for their dinner. Now that she understood the scale of his business, it struck her that SJM being dressed in jeans and shirt, spreading out jute mat on the floor, and counting the disposable dishes in which they would serve dinner was such a poignant gesture of love… much more significant than his words could ever convey.

The dinner was merry… That truly was the only word for it. Everyone had brought gifts, and once again they were so thoughtful. Ujwala Atya had brought homemade sweets and mathris, saying that it was usually a ritual of muh-dikhai where the girl’s in-laws would welcome her with sweets and snacks, but since Naina couldn’t have that she had brought it as gift. It was touching… Anmol had got them movie tickets for the next weekend in one of the newly opened premium cinema theatre… Poonam had bought couple watches… Suraj gifted Sameer a bottle of whiskey, and to Naina he handed over a bottle of kokum sherbet concentrate that he knew she loved as well as handmade scrapbook wherein she could document moments of her pregnancy and motherhood… Kashish came with a jewelry box for each of them, causing Sameer to raise one perfect brow at her, his voice full of amusement, “I hope it’s not earrings Kashish… It won’t go with the image of SJM.”

The quip made everyone laugh, and Kashish flushed a bit in mortification as she had never had such personal interactions with her boss. To relieve her of the situation, Naina opened her box and gasped in delight at the sight of the thin silver chain with an sheer pink crystal teardrop pendant, accompanied with matching earrings. “It’s beautiful”, she breathed, and hugged Kashish to thank her. Sameer’s box contained a pair of silver cufflinks and he smiled in approval, conveying his own thanks.

Aman walked in next followed by Dr. Suchitra, both of them chatting in low voices about something. But as soon as Naina greeted them they fell silent for a moment, before smiling at her. Suchitra asked about her health and handed over a bamboo basked wrapped in a pretty, transparent golden material. Inside it there were assorted crackers and cookies, some chocolates, snacks, fruits and in the center, right in middle of a fully bloomed pink lotus was a small silver Balgopal idol, that brought tears of joy to her eyes.

Sameer tilted his head holding onto the huge rectangular box Aman handed him and watched with ample curiosity as another smaller box was given to Naina. Even she didn’t know what to say or how to react, and looked for guidance towards her husband. Sameer nodded, gesturing her to accept it, and then asked, “Aman… isme kya hai?”

His assistant grinned, “open it sir… I am sure you will love it.”

Rolling his eyes, Sameer set the box on the floor, opened the cardboard lid from one side, and pulled out a thermocol mould inside which rested a big photoframe. A framed picture of himself and Naina, when they had been holding hands, facing each other with wide smiles on their faces just after signing the documents… His breath hitched at the expressions he saw on Naina’s face, the open smile, the glow… It was everything he could have wished for in that moment. It wasn’t a traditional wedding photo, but he loved it anyways.

Naina was also looking at the photo, but her eyes were trained on the almost euphoric expression on Sameer’s face. She had been there, in that moment, but right now looking at the frame she could see truly how happy Sameer had been with the marriage. Even with all the conditions she had put forth, even when they had lacked all customs, he was still happy just to be with her.

Aman’s voice cut through her thoughts, “bhabhi apna gift bhi toh dekhiye.”

Naina jolted a bit at being addressed that way, but recovered soon enough, opening the box in her hand with a soft smile. It was another frame. Smaller in size… A different moment captured… But the impact on her heart was the same…

A sharp intake of breath from behind her made her tilt her head back, and she watched Sameer stare at the picture with wide eyes. The emotions swirling inside those chocolaty orbs made her heart thud in a wild erratic pattern. It was a frame of when Sameer had been on his knees, promising her a world of love. The registrar was in the frame and so were her colleagues. But the way the photo had been edited was something she had never expected. The surroundings, the registrar, the other people were all a grey blur, Sameer was a stark prominent figure in classic black and white, while in-front of him she was resplendent in bridal red, the only spot of color in the whole landscape. It was quite clear what the picture depicted – she had brought color in Sameer’s life. While she didn’t know how much true that was, it seemed Sameer was quite taken in with the photo, and when he looked up at Aman, he didn’t have words enough to convey his thanks.

The dinner was fun, conversations flowed, and by the time ice-creams were served, she didn’t feel any reluctance in leaning her head on Sameer’s shoulder as her eyes kept fluttering with exhaustion. She didn’t recall much of what they talked about over dessert, or even if she had contributed anything. She felt as if she was in a daze, smiling dreamily as everyone chattered, clinging to Sameer’s arm as people filed out of her apartment, yawning and rubbing her eyes as Sameer locked the door. He chuckled, moving a few strands of her hair behind her ear, “jao change kar lo.”

That night when she finally fell asleep, she truly felt as if she had stepped into an utterly new phase of life. Everything seemed to be good, she had more reasons to smile and laugh… If a part of her mind kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, she tried to ignore it. And when she felt Sameer’s arm wrap around her, cocooning her against his chest, she sighed pushing the fear and insecurity away from her mind, and let herself be happy.

Two weeks passed in a similar state of bliss… Every morning seemed like something to look forward to… Every evening a tale of companionship… They had fallen into a pattern that was achingly comfortable in its mundaneness. She didn’t mind… After the past of her life, she wanted to have normal days… Each morning Sameer would help her clean up the house or do so himself whenever she cooked breakfast & lunch, he would drop her to the library, go to his own office, and then come back to pick her up in evening when he would devote some time to talk to Anmol who still had stars in his eyes whenever he looked at SJM. After reaching the apartment, Sameer would once again help her cook dinner, or sometimes they would take up the task individually. They would go for a short walk every night after dinner, though Naina did give up on the temptation of having ice-cream everyday – she was worried she could gain too much weight quickly at the way her eating habits had changed, and also concerned that eating ice-cream every night might make fer catch cold & cough which could be risky for the child.

On the other hand, Sameer was also pretty much comfortable with the way they were leading the days since getting married. It seemed that the big argument they had on the wedding day had broken a dam and suddenly the woman he had married had started to trust him way more than before. The fact that Naina didn’t shy away or stop the brief gestures of affection from him also lifted his spirits significantly. He still refrained from springing sudden signs like an impromptu hug or a kiss on forehead, but he had managed to set a routine of sorts. Kiss her on forehead first thing in morning when he got up, and again do the same when he went to sleep at night… Sometimes she would be sleeping when he did those, but he felt as if she recognized those gestures even in sleep because a soft sigh would always roll out of her… He had started offering his hand to guide her up and down the stairs, or when they would cross the road, and felt delighted every time she accepted the gesture by placing her small hands on his broad palms. He accompanied her to all her sessions, but dutifully stayed outside during the counseling ones. And then there were those moments when she would be dizzy or tired, and would let him wrap his arms around her, support her, hold her to his chest. It was probably selfish of him to enjoy those moments given Naina was in distress at those times, but still he couldn’t stop the leap of his heart and tingling sensation in his veins when he felt her soft body flushed against his hard one. All in all, life was good!

However, life’s reality did breakthrough after those two weeks of bliss… It was a sunny Friday and Naina had decided to walk with Anmol to a small nearby restaurant to get some noodles. She had thought the sunshine would feel nice after the couple of days of gloomy grey weather, but she hadn’t accounted that the heat would make her so uncomfortable. The cotton fabric of her kurti seemed to itch her skin, the ray of sun bearing down on her led to a headache.

She tried to adjust her dupatta, pulling it down from around her neck to soothe the sweaty skin, “kitni dur hai?”

“Bas 5-minute aur”, Anmol replied, and then looked concerned as he queried, “tum theek ho?”

She nodded, “haan… bas… garmi hai bahot.”

Anmol frowned, “itni bhi…” But even before he could complete the statement, Naina suddenly heaved, retching as she knelt and emptied all the contents of her stomach on the side of the road. “Ew”, Anmol wrinkled his nose, but was quickly at her side, holding her arm gently, rubbing at her shoulders bit awkwardly. When she straightened, he guided her to a nearby shop, making her sit on the wooden bench outside, “ruko yahan… main paani leke aata hun.”

Naina closed her eyes, nodding, her entire body drenched in perspiration. All she wanted in that moment was Sameer… It was odd, she thought… Even after puking her guts out, drenched in sweat, and obviously dizzy, she was thinking of Sameer and not of a cold bottle of water. She almost giggled, but resisted the urge because she was sure she would puke again if she even opened her mouth. The head was oppressive… A cold something touched her hand, and she jerked, blinking her eyes open to find Anmol’s concerned face hovering in-front of her as he held out a bottle of water.

She nodded in gratitude as he opened the cap and handed it to her… She rinsed her mouth and gratefully sipped some of the ice cold water, soothing her abused throat. After a few sips, she croaked, “Sameer…”

Anmol frowned, opening his mouth as if to correct her about the name, but then realization dawned quickly and he looked around for a phone booth. There were none, but the shop in-front of which they were sitting had a telephone. After just a couple of minutes he was talking to Aman, who informed that SJM was in meeting, but when he told about Naina’s condition, he was told that a car was being sent immediately to pick her from the library and that SJM would be home in an hour or so.

Naina had lost her appetite, and so Anmol slowly guided her back to the library. Poonam helped get her purse and bag, and within the next fifteen minutes a sleek silver car screeched to a halt. The driver came around to open the door for her; and pointed to a disposable to-go glass in the cup holder, telling her that it was iced lemon water with honey. She sighed in relief, relaxing into the plush leather seat, the sweet-sour concoction working its magic on her burning throat and stomach.

She trudged up the stairs slowly, thankfully not dizzy anymore but simply tired. All she wanted to do was lie down on her mattress and take a nap. Maybe Sameer would bring some snacks, or maybe she could ask him to make a tomato sandwich for her… Was this another stage of pregnancy? Her third month was about to start… No books mentioned mid-day sickness… Maybe she should ask Dr. Suchitra about it. Or maybe this was just a one-off incident. A flurry of sounds broke through he thoughts and she looked up, frowning in confusion to see a bunch of people standing outside her door… She recognized most of them as residents of the apartment, though there were few she had never noticed before. Her landlord was there too, with his wife… She couldn’t understand why everyone was standing there… A sudden thought made per panic… Was there some kind of theft? Oh God… Did Sameer leave anything important? She quickly ran through a mental list, sighing in relief that all he ever left at home were his clothes, spare shoes, an extra watch and maybe some files. His wallet, sunglasses, mobile – everything of value was with him. And she… well… she didn’t have anything a self-respecting thief would take.

Deciding to inspect the matter she slowly walked to the gathered group, and addressed her landlord, “uncleji, kya baat hai? Sab log yahan kyun khade hai?”

A hush fell over the group, and for some reason Naina felt her stomach drop… A sense of unease crawled up her spine… Something telling her that this was going to be a very bad news… Her landlord cleared his throat, “ah… Naina bitiya… woh kya hai na…”

Someone, a woman, snapped, “betiya? आमच्या घरच्या मुली अशा गोष्टी करत नाहीत”

Another man nodded enthusiastically, “haan… bilkul theek… aisi harkate… chee-chee…”

Naina became more and more puzzled with each statement. Ultimately, she couldn’t help but ask, “kya bol rahe hai aap sab… baat kya hai?”

The apartment’s secretary, or as they used to call in their language, ‘pramukh’, spoke up, “tum ek jawan ladke ko apne ghar me rakh rahi ho… Aur humse puch rahi ho kya baat hai?”

She blinked, “Sameer…”

A woman dressed in deep green saree fumed, “aree… hume kya karna hai ladke ka naam jaanke… Avaidh sambandha rakhne wali ladki hamare society me nahi reh sakti.”

Naina flinched in shock, her mind scrambling in every direction as several angry insults hurled in the air… She couldn’t fathom what to say or how to explain… She barely registered a few statements but those were enough to shatter her…

“dekho toh… roz gaadi leke aa jaata hai aur raat bhar yahi rukta hai.”

“aise ghumti hai uske saath… koi sharam hi nahi hai…”

“pata nahi log paiso ke liye kya kya karte hai…”

“najayas sambandh… aurat hoke aisa kaam…”

“aaj hi nikal do yahan se isko…”

That last sentence she heard jerked her back into present and she reached out to hold onto the parapet to keep herself stable… Blinking back her tears, she tried to put as much conviction in her voice as she could, “aisi bakwaas baate sunne ki mujhe koi zaroorat nahi hai… Maine koi galat kaam nahi kiya… hatiye aap log, mujhe andar jaane dijiye.”

As she tried to move, a woman grabbed her arm, “aree aise kaise… jao yahan se, tumhara samaan bahar phenk denge hum log.”

She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could a stronger, definitely more authoritative voice joined the fray, “haath chodiye uska… warna achcha nahi hoga…”

The woman dropped her arm in shock, and Naina whirled around, her eyes widening at the sight of Sameer Maheshwari standing there looking like a murderous thundercloud. His jaw was clamped so hard they she thought it might hurt, his eyes glittered with anger, and his fists clenched at his sides… Threat flashed from each part of his body… Yet she didn’t feel any fear… All she felt on seeing him was relief, so strong that her legs wobbled.

His gaze darted to her, and he reached out with one hand, snagging her deftly away from the crowd and tucking her to his chest. She sighed, her body going slightly limp as she leaned on him… He looked down at her, smoothing some of her hair out of her face, and his voice was still tight, but soft as he asked, “tum theek ho?”

She nodded against his chest, keeping her eyes closed. It should have grated on her nerves, the way she was being so dependent on him, but ever since meeting him again, this was the first time she was ready to place her full trust on him and let him fight her battle for her. Sameer kept a firm grip on her as he turned his gaze back to the crowd when he heard a comment about how shameless Naina was.

“Enough”, he thundered, “bandh karo yeh bakwaas… Naina ko yahan se koi nahi nikaal sakta… She pays the damn rent… Kiraay pe ghar liya hai usne.”

The secretary stepped at the front to address him, “kiraay pe ghar dete waqt pata nahi tha ke ladki ke lakshan aise honge… Yahan pe sab parivaar wale rehte hai… bachche, budhe maa-baap… aisi badchalan ladki yahan rahegi toh hamare bachcho pe bura asar hoga… Aaj tum aaye ho kal koi aur mard aayega, raat bitayega… naa… hume yeh sab kachra hamare society me nahi chahiye…”

Sameer’s eyes flashed dangerously, “agar umar ka lihaaz nahi hota toh aapki badtameezi ka jawaab mera haath deta…” Several people opened their mouth to respond to the threat, but Sameer overrode them, loudly claiming, “puri baat jaane bina kuch bhi ulta seedha bol rahe hai aap log… Agar sawaal yahi tha ke main kaun hun toh shanti se Naina se puch sakte the… Bewajah ke ilzaam lagane ki zaroorat nahi hai.”

Some woman snapped, “toh ab bata do… तू कोण आहेस?”

“Naina ka pati”, he stated in crystal clear tone, “Sameer Maheshwari.”

A shocked silence fell on the group… Few moments later, a man he knew as Naina’s landlord spoke up, “par… Kiraay pe ghar lete waqt toh Naina bitiya ne kaha tha woh akeli hai.”

Sameer softened a bit at the way the man addressed Naina, clearly understanding that if someone in the group had any objection to the way she was being treated, it was him… Possibly the only voice of reason amid the viciousness. He gave a short nod, “Naina yahan shift hui uske baad hamari shaadi hui.”

“Kitna asaan sa bahana hai na”, a man scoffed, “pakde gaye toh bol do shaadi-shuda ho… Aree saboot kahan hai? Agar iss ladki ki shaadi ho gai hai toh mangalsutra aur sindur kahan hai?”

Sameer’s eyes narrowed once more, “pehli baat… yeh ladki nahi hai, inka naam hai… Mrs. Naina Maheshwari… Aur dusri baat, India me shaadi ka saboot marriage certificate hota hai, sindur aur mangalsutra nahi… Hamare paas court ka approved marriage registration certificate hai, iske aage mujhe nahi lagta ke kisi aur ko kuch jaanne ki zaroorat hai.”

The secretary crossed his arms, “theek hai… pehle hume certificate dikhao, phir hum sochenge ke tum dono ko yahan rehne dena chahiye ke nahi.”

Sameer was about to give the insolent man a piece of his mind, when suddenly Naina straightened, stepping out from under his arm and facing the crowd once more. She kept her hand in his, keeping them linked, but her expressions had transformed from distress to stubborn determination. Meeting the glare of the secretary, she raised her chin up defiantly and declared, “nahi dikhayenge… Aap iss society ke secretary hai, koi police ya judge nahi jo faisla karenge. Mere paas legal contract hai ke iss ghar ko maine rent pe liya hai ek saal ke liye. Agar aap logo ko iske alawa koi aur saboot chahiye toh jaiye police ko le aaiye… Phir dekhte hai kon kya saboot dikhata hai.”

A woman demanded, “par shaadi ka saboot toh dena padega na…”

Naina tilted her head, “aapne diya tha kya?” She paused, raising her brow and then continued, “jab aapki shaadi hui thi toh society ke secretary ko aapne saboot diya tha? Jab aapke bachche paida hue the tab unka birth certificate jama karwaya tha saabit karne ke liye ke woh aap hi ke bachche hai?” The woman gasped in outrage, but Naina didn’t stop, “Sameer mere pati hai… Aur yeh baat pe agar aap logo ko sawaal tha toh ilzaam lagane ke pehle puchna chahiye tha… Ab hatiye mere ghar ke saamne se.”

Tightening her hold on Sameer, she walked forward, tugging him along, and in-front of her determination the crowd parted, still grumbling, but allowing her to move. She unlocked the door, walked inside and turned, her eyes finding her landlord, acknowledging him with a nod, and then slammed the door shut at the astounded faces. Her entire being vibrated in anger over the injustice of the accusations, and when Sameer pulled her into a hug, she let him…

How dare they? How could someone raise such accusations without any thought? If they had a problem they should have talked to her civilly. Only her landlord and his wife seemed to be in support of her, but the remaining people… God… Such imbeciles… Just because a woman who seemed to be unmarried had a man in the house, that made her a prostitute. What kind of thinking that was? It wasn’t lost on her that Sameer had lived with her before they were married… Today when the insults were hurled at her, both she and Sameer had been able to confidently state that they were married. But what if this had happened before they were married? Would she have been able to argue outside with such confidence? Or would her eyes have lowered in shame? Sameer would have stood up for her or even he would have been at a loss of words? And worst of all, what would they have said had they known about her child? If they used such insultingly gross words for her, what would they have called her unborn baby?

No… She couldn’t stay here… She didn’t want to bring her child to this atmosphere, a place where these kinds of people lived… People who held their own moral compass and were quick to judge without thinking of the consequences or implications of their actions and words. Her child deserved better… Hell, maybe for once even she deserved better… She didn’t just have lie down and accept whatever was dished out to her…

Pulling back from Sameer’s arms, she looked up at him, “Vedanta Villas, Number 12, right?”

He blinked, “huh?”

“Tumhare ghar ka address”, she clarified, “yahi tha na?”

Unable to comprehend her thoughts, he nodded, “haan.”

She pursed her lips, “good… hum ek aur hafta yahin rukenge… just to rub their faces in dirt… Aur phir hum shift kar lenge.”

His mouth fell open. “tum… tum… tum ghar chalogi?”

She nodded with a firm determination, “haan… mujhe mere bachche ko aise jagah pe nahi laana jahan logo ki soch inti ghatiya ho… aaj mujhe bola, theek hai… kal jab pata chalega ke main pregnant hun toh yeh log naa sirf hamari shaadi ke baare me baate banayenge, balki iss bachche ke baare me ulti-seedhi cheeze bolenge… mujhe yahan nahi rehna…”

Sameer bit his lower lip in consideration, “ek hafta kyun rukna hai?”

She dragged in a deep breath, “humne kuch galat nahi kiya… Aur kiya bhi ho toh inn logo ka koi haq nahi banta aise behave karneka… Isiliye ek hafta rukna hai… Roz dekhenge yeh sab log hum dono ko aur sochenge ke unn logo ne sahi kiya ya galat… Unn logo ki aankhon me apni hi baato pe sawaal uthenge aur hamari aankho me confidence hoga…”

He couldn’t help a small smirk from curving his lips at his wife’s vindictive nature, and he agreed, “okay… ek hafta… uske baad, we will go home…”