इक परदेसी मेरा दिल ले गया

जाते-जाते मीठा-मीठा ग़म दे गया..

Author's POV.

She opened the door of her room, only to be welcomed by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

She went inside with her slow steps and bent down to touch her mother-in-law's feet but as soon as she bent down, she felt a strong grip holding her arm tightly.

She stood up straight and saw the hand was of her mother-in-law.

She gulped.

"Your family cheated with us."

She stated directly.

Priya shook her head slowly, unable to understand what does she mean.

"Yes, you girl. Your family lied."

"Maa-ji-", Priya was cut off by Surekha.

"Don't call me that. Your family cheated. You don't deserve to stay here."

She yelled on her.

Priya was confused. So confused.

She asked in a low voice,

"But what happened Maa-ji?".

Surekha jerked her by her arm and spoke,

"What happened? What happened?".

Priya's eyebrows thinned.

"Maa- leave her na," Sunaina interrupted but her mother stopped her immediately,

"Don't speak. She is impure. She doesn't deserve all this," Surekha yelled and Priya flinched.

Impure?

Nothing was hitting her brain.

She felt numb. She didn't knew what exactly was happening.

Surekha gripped her arm more tightly and started dragging her outside.

"What have I done maaji?"

"Please.. please maa-ji-."

"Ah- it's hurting me. Leave me."

"STOP TALKING GIRL. STOP." Surekha warned her showing her dangerous eyes to her.

She was scared, afraid.

Her eyes were searching her husband who wasn't around.

She was praying to God again and again to send him.

But her prayers were failing.

Surekha reached the entrance of the gate and jerked her arm towards outside.

She was almost going to fall when two hands gripped her tightly, trying to balance her.

She raised her eyes to look at the owner of those hands.

Abhisar - her devar.

"What happened maa? Why are you pushing bhabhi like this?", he spoke still holding her arms.

"Leave her, Abhisar. Don't touch her."

She yelled on his son.

"No, why will I leave her? I'll not. She is my bhabhi."

He argued and Priya just looked at his face, who was trying to defend her.

She didn't knew what grave mistake had she done.

"Let her go. She doesn't deserve to live here."

Surekha shouted.

Abhisar left Priya's arms and moved towards his mother, holding her arm lightly.

"Calm down, maa. Calm down. You're sick. Calm down."

She yelled again,

"Tell her to leave, otherwise I'll push her off from here."

Tears formed in Priya's eyes. It started rolling down.

The voice near her faded as she got lost in her own world.

She was feeling so alone.

So alone.

She turned back on her heels, not knowing what she was doing.

Not knowing what was her mistake.

But as she turned back, she crashed against a manly body behind her, who held her arms gently and caressed it.

She knew who it was, because she had memorised his touch within one night.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?".

He asked in a loud voice which made her flinch.

"Tell her to go, leave this home Abhigyan. She doesn't deserve to live here."

Abhigyan felt surprised.

What would have happened that his mother was speaking so?

He bent a little down and spoke to Priya,

"Andar chaliye. Andar baat hogi."

Her mother shouted again,

"I'll not let her in."

"BUT WHY? WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?", he shouted back.

Her mother silenced.

Seeing his mother silent, he moved along with his wife, inside the house, towards their room.

"Come inside my room. I don't want to create scene here."

He ordered, not as a son, but as the head of the house, in a serious tone.

Surekha nodded, knowing that her son will not move from his words.

They moved inside the newly wedded couple's room.

But his mother stopped Abhisar from coming in.

They stood inside. A respectable distance between Priya and Abhigyan.

"What happened maa?".

Surekha clenched her jaw and spoke in a rough tone,

"She is impure."

"Impure.. as in?", Abhigyan asked.

She stated directly,

"She isn't a virgin."

Abhigyan was taken aback while Priya felt confused.

Abhigyan fisted his fingers, his knuckles turned white and he asked in his deep voice,

"How do you know?".

She hesitated at first and then spoke,

"There's no blood stain on your bedsheet."

Abhigyan closed his eyes hearing his mother's words. And Priya thought how the blood and her impurity is related.

"Really maa? Really?".

He asked in a serious tone to his mother.

"Beta, you don't know these gi-", he cut her off and spoke,

"Please maa. Stop. Enough. I didn't knew you'll invade our privacy."

"Beta but, she isn't-".

"Not a word maa. It's going out of my control now. And I don't want to talk rudely with you."

"BUT I WILL NOT LET HER STAY IN THIS HOUSE."

Surekha yelled trying to grab Priya's wrist again but Abhigyan came and stood infront of her as a protective shield.

"Maa. Enough. Just enough. We didn't do any such things last night. For God's sake. Enough."

Surekha was taken aback.

She gulped upon hearing her son's words.

Abhigyan stated directly motioning his hands towards the door,

"Leave. I do not want to talk now."

"I'm-" he cut his mother off and spoke,

"Please. Leave. I'm. Clearly. Very. Angry. You know me, maa. Leave."

His mother knew what his anger meant.

She turned to her heels and left outside the room.

"Close the door."

Abhigyan spoke in a loud voice and Priya moved towards the door to shut it.

She moved towards him, although she knew he was angry.

But she quietly, snaked her hands around his body and hugged him without thinking twice.

He closed his eyes feeling her warmth and felt his anger melting down like ice melting with warmth.

He held Priya's arms and made her sit on the edge of the bed.

He sat down, on his knees, infront of her and Priya immediately stood up seeing him like this.

He held her forearm and made her sit again.

"Aap kya kar rahe hai. Upar baithiye na."

He shook his head and held her hands, kissing one by one on the back of them.

"Hume maaf kar do, humare rehte tumhare saath yeh sab hogaya."

She held his shoulder and tried to pull him up which seemed quite impossible as he didn't even budge.

"Aap uthiye pehle. Hume acha nahi lag raha."

He smiled softly and stood up only to sit beside her and pulling her for a hug.

They remained still for minutes, his lips placed on the crown of her head.

She decided to clear her query, which she knew he would clear without judging her.

In a low voice, she muttered against his chest,

"Maa ji yeh kyu keh rahi thi ki hum kunwari nahi hai. Humari toh shadi ho chuki hai na. Unhe toh pata hi hai ki ab hum kunwari nahi."

He gulped silently and caressed her head.

He didn't knew exactly what to answer her.

He was so confused.

He licked his lips and tried to answer her slowly,

"She meant something else, babu. Don't pressurize your mind. Forget everything. Okay?".

She nodded her head, trusting him.

She muttered in a low voice,

"It was my first rasoi today, everything got spoiled because of me."

He lifted her chin up and muttered,

"Nothing got spoiled. Especially not because of you. Let's go outside."

She feared.

He stood up but she remained seated in the same position.

He noticed her action and bent a little infront of her, muttering,

"Hum hai na tumhare saath. Kuch nahi hoga ab. Aao. Chalo mere sath."

She nodded her head. He forwarded his hand and she took it.

Standing up, they moved towards the door, but Priya stopped immediately.

Abhigyan looked at her and raised her brows.

She replied timidly,

"Gehne nahi pehna hai humne, baal bhi uljhe hue hai. Sindoor bhi nahi pehna. Aap chaliye, hum aate hai."

Saying this she moved towards the dressing table, and he followed behind her quietly.

She combed her hairs perfectly into a braid. Her hairs were long, silky and black as well as attractive as Abhigyan found them.

She wore light jewelleries.

But when she was about to fill her hairline with the vermillion, Abhigyan turned her back, holding her shoulders.

"Hum pehna de?".

She nodded her head, hesitantly.

Abhigyan took the box of vermillion in his hand and took a pinch of it between his fingers.

Priya closed hi

s eyes and felt him filling her hairline with the vermillion of his name. Marking his territory.

He placed the box back on the dressing table and muttered,

"Bahut khubsurat ho tum. Nazar na Lage."

She felt shy all of a sudden.

He held her hand and moved out along with her.