रहे कोई सौ पर्दों में डरे शरम से नज़र,

अजी लाख चुराए कोई सनम से ,

आही जाता है जिसपे दिल आना होता है ,

हर ख़ुशी से हर गम से बेगाना होता है ,

प्यार दीवाना होता है मस्ताना होता है ,

हर ख़ुशी से हर गम से बेगाना होता है

Author's POV.

Four days passed by, waiting for her to return home, although he knew according to ritual he will have to go to her house to escort her.

But he waited, for entire four days.

Atleast for a letter, which never came.

Drunk nights.

Restless sleeps.

And finally, he decided to visit her.

Sitting beside his mother, he muttered,

"I'll have to leave for Gauri Nagar maa. According to ritual, I'll have to visit her, to bring her back here."

Surekha nodded, allowing her son to leave.

He touched his mother's feet and sat on the cart in order to leave.

Noon turned into night when he reached infront of their house.

Rajeev, who was sitting on the chair, on the entrance of the gate, immediately stood up and went towards him,

"Damad-ji, welcome welcome."

Abhigyan bent down to touch his feet and Rajeev blessed him.

They moved inside together.

Touching the feet of his mother-in-law and father-in-law along with Rajeev's wife, he sat on the chair inside.

He moved his eyes to get a view of Priya, but she wasn't around.

"Hume nahi pata tha ki aap aane Wale hai damad-ji. Pehle pata hota toh ache se swagat ka intezam karke rakhte hum."

Abhigyan shook his head,

"No problem, babuji. I'm a member of this family only."

"Wash your hands and feet, Ahilya will serve the dinner, you must be hungry and tired after a long journey."

He stood up and moved towards the bathroom.

Returning back, he had the dinner along with the family, gossiping along with them while his heart was searching for his wife.

After washing his hands, in a low voice, he asked to Rajeev's wife,

"Priya?".

She gave him a smile and muttered,

"She is in her room... She is.. not well."

Abhigyan was shocked. What would have happened?

"Um- fever, she has fever, she is sleeping."

Rajeev's voice came from the background,

"Bhavnaa, Priya ke kamre me le jaiye damad-ji ko, aaram karenge, thakk Gaye honge."

Bhavna nodded and made her way towards Priya's room, while Abhigyan followed her.

Entering inside the room, he saw her sleeping figure on the bed, a candle lightening at a distance, dimly-lit room.

Bhavna left.

He shut the door behind him and moved towards the bed.

Her eyes were closed.

Taking out his kurta and placing it aside,

He laid down on the bed and snaked her waist from behind.

As Priya felt his touch, she immediately opened her eyes and turned back to look at him.

Her eyes welled up.

She pushed him lightly and spoke out of mix feeling of anger and sadness,

"Why are you here? Why? I didn't call you here? You didn't wanted to visit here? Then why?".

Abhigyan's eyes immediately reached her wet eyes. He hovered over her body slightly and caressed her cheek.

"Itna gussa, babu?"

Tears rolled down her eyes. More and more.

He, without thinking twice, pulled her in his arms. Tightly.

"Shhh.. humara bachha, maaf kar dijiye na Hume. Aap janti hai na hum kitna chahte hai aapko, sirf aapke liye aaye hai yahan."

She shook her head, trying to push him away but he didn't budge, his grip was tight.

"Nahi chodenge aapko Aaj. Aise hi rahenge hum. Jab Tak aap maaf nahi kar deti Hume."

She sobbed, holding his biceps tightly, she sobbed badly.

"Aapko nahi pata humne kaise apni raatein kaati hai aapke Bina. Aapko ek baar humara khyal bhi nahi aaya na?".

Abhigyan shook his head, placing his lips on her hairs,

"Aise mat kahiye, babu. Hume maaf kar dijiye, dobara kabhi aisi bhool nahi hogi humse, kabhi aapko khud se door nahi jaane denge."

She encircled her hands around her body and hugged him tightly.

Tighter than ever.

Loosing herself within him.

She just kept on hugging him.

Silence surrounded them.

For minutes.

Until Abhigyan broke the hug.

He touched her forehead, her cheeks and her neck by the back of his hand and asked,

"Bukhaar hai aapko? Bhabhi ne bataya."

She gulped and shook her head lightly.

"Toh fir kya hua hai humare bacche ko. Bataiye Hume."

She shook her head, "Nothing."

He looked into her eyes and asked,

"I know something is wrong, I'm your husband, I should know na babu? Hn? Tell me?".

She remembered her bhabhi's words.

Share everything with him. Pain, pleasure everything.

She nodded her head timidly.

"Bataiye Hume. Hum hai na aapke paas."

He took her in his arms and laid on the bed on his back while her head was snuggled inside the crook of his neck.

Her breathe fanning over his neck.

She spoke slowly, shyly,

"Humare.. woh din..chal rahe hai."

He looked down at her, cupping her cheek and rubbing his thumb over it.

"Dard me hai aap?".

She nodded her head.

His palm reached her waist and he, without speaking a word, lowered her saree and underskirt down from her belly.

He placed his palm on her lower belly and started caressing it. Lightly. Lovingly.

"Aapko kaise pata- Hume wahan dard ho raha tha?".

Priya asked in a low voice.

"Padhaya Gaya tha hume, humari kaksha mein."

She felt weird. She had never went to school.

"Ladkon ko bhi parhate hai?".

She asked timidly.

He nodded his head and replied,

"Taaki issi tarah apni patni ka khyal rakh paye hum ladke."

She felt happy. Loved.

"I thought you were angry from me."

He shook his head,

"I was, but it all melted down the very day you left me alone at my house."

She smiled and replied,

"You ordered me to leave. Remember?".

He closed his eyes and replied,

"Yes, I shouldn't had."

After a pause he asked,

"Kisi ne tumhe kuch kaha yahan pe? Humare Kaaran?"

She shook her head,

"Humne sab ko keh diya ki aap apne kaam me vyasth hai."

He kissed on her hairs.

He asked in a low voice,

"Kaunsa din hai aapka?".

She replied timidly,

"Teesra."

"Parso niklenge hum apne Ghar ke liye.. theek hai na?".

She nodded her head.

He caressed her head until she slipped into a deep sleep.

***

She was sleeping, he thought of not disturbing her. Getting up from the bed quietly and placing her head on the pillow, he moved out of the room.

Finishing his morning business and taking a bath, he came back inside the room, only to find out his wife still sleeping peacefully.

Combing his hairs perfectly and pecking his wife's head for once, he moved out.

He saw Rajeev sitting outside in the aangan of the house.

As Rajeev's eyes fell on him, he asked,

"Itni jaldi uth Gaye aap?".

Abhigyan smiled and replied,

"Ji, gaon me jaldi hi uth jate hai hum, aadat hai."

Rajeev nodded,

"Hume bhi, ek mukhiya ko dusra mukhiya hi samajh sakta hai."

They laughed.

"Aaiye aapko gaon ki shair karaye Aaj."

Abhigyan nodded his head and followed behind Rajeev.

They chatted along the way, meeting different peoples, while Rajeev showed him different lands, trees that were under him. They discussed some cases with each other related to village and inter-village relationships.

At last when they were moving back towards their home, Rajeev gained a little courage and spoke,

"Bade Bhai hone ke naate kuch kehna chahte hai aapse."

Abhigyan nodded his head,

"Ji Bhaiya. Kahiye na."

They sat under a tree on the stone and Rajeev spoke,

"Humari behen parhi-likhi nahi hai. Aapse viprit swabhav ki hai. Hum nahi jaante woh aapke Ghar me kis tarah dhal Rahi hai, lekin aapse bas itni vinti thi ki uska sath dijiyega hamesha."

Abhigyan passed him a smile.

"Thodi na-samajh bhi hai. Parantu Dil ki kaafi achi hai. Hume pata hai woh aapki aur aapke parivaar ka poora khyal rakhegi. Bas aap bhi kabhi kabhi uska khyal rakh lijiyega."

"Aap chinta mat kijiye bhaiya. Hume pata hai hum thode shakht hai, par aapki behen ke saath nahi, aap puch sakte hai unse."

Rajeev laughed softly.

"I've no right to interfere between your relationship with her. I was speaking just as an elder brother, I hope you understand."

Abhigyan nodded his head, "I understand."

With this, they stood up and moved towards their house.