Teri choti choti baat teri har ek mulaqat

Tadpaye mujhko lamha lamha tera saath

Behke behke mere din mehki mehki meri shaam

Koi aanchal te saza main to likho tera naam

~

The way her husband was sleeping in her arms was mesmerizing.

Sunrays falling on his face, shining it more brighter. Thick eyelashes fanning his cheeks. His beards which makes him look hot. His face that had utter relaxation in her arms.

She placed a kiss on his hair and he moved feeling her touch.

She caressed his back and muttered,

"Uthiye Abhigyan. Subhe ho gayi."

["Wake up Abhigyan. It's morning."]

He grunted, which sounded sort of sensual to her.

He spoke in a lazy, sleepy voice,

"Humara naam leti ho..toh Hume acha lagta hai."

["I like it when you..call me by my name."]

"Hm? Aur kya acha lagta hai humare Abhigyan ko?"

["Hm? What else does my Abhigyan likes?"]

He rubbed his lips on her neck and pressed a long kiss there before replying,

"A..aapki har adaa, har muskurahat, har baat, aapse Judi har baat pasand hai aapke Abhigyan ko, humari Priya."

["Every gesture, every smile, every word of yours, your Abhigyan loves everything about you, my Priya."]

She smiled widely and palmed his cheek,

"Uth jaiye ab, der hojaegi aapko. Fir Hume daant lagaenge."

["Get up now, because if you get late, then you'll scold me."]

He laughed mutely, his eyes still closed,

"Aapko daant lagana toh humne kab ka chor diya, Priya."

["I've stopped scolding you long ago, Priya."]

She scoffed,

"Haan, tab beemar the na hum. Ab toh theek ho gaye hai. Wapas lagana shuru kar denge."

["Yes, I was ill back then. Now I'm fine. You will start scolding me again."]

He opened his eyes, only to raise his face up and look into her eyes,

"Kabhi nahi lagaenge ab. Aapko daant lagane ke baad Hume hi bura lagta hai."

["I won't scold you ever again. I feel bad myself after scolding you."]

She replied like a child,

"Fir toh hum aur badmaashi karenge."

[Then I'll misbehave even more.]

He laughed, and pulled her more closer by her waist,

"Kar lijiye. Humari pyaari biwi hai aap. Haq hai aapka."

["Go ahead. You're my dear wife. It's your right."]

She sat up slowly and he shifted his head on her lap.

She folded her hair into a loose bun.

She saw his eyes still closed, she patted his head slowly and spoke,

"So jaiye kuch der aur. Hum naha lete hai. Fir aapko utha denge."

["Go ahead and sleep for a while longer. I'll take a shower. Then I'll wake you up."]

He nodded.

She moved a little and placed a pillow below his head. In sleep, he muttered,

"Jaldi aana."

["Come soon."]

She hummed and moved towards the cupboard.

Taking out an orange saree from the cupboard, she walked outside towards the bathroom.

She took a quick bath and wrapped her saree loosely around her body.

When she came out, she saw her mother-in-law sitting in the Aangan.

She went towards her and touched her feet. She blessed her.

And then spoke,

"Bahu, humare paon dukh rahe hai. Daba do."

["Bahu, my legs are hurting. Massage them."]

She nodded her head and replied respectfully,

"Daba dete hai maa ji. Bas inhe utha kar aate hai, der hojaegi inhe."

["I'll massage them, maa-ji. I'll just wake him up and return, he'll get late otherwise."]

Surekha nodded her head and Priya walked towards her room.

She moved towards the bed and caressed his back with her palm, palm which was cold, as she had just taken the bath.

He shivered and flinched at her touch.

She laughed mutely and spoke,

"Uth jaiye, patidev."

While he sat up slowly on the bed, she moved towards the dressing table first, to wear her jewels and apply vermillion along with bindi.

He grunted,

"Bahut pyaari lag rahi ho."

["You're looking very lovely."]

She passed him a smile. Taking out clothes for him from the cupboard, she kept it on the chair and spoke,

"Hum Jaa rahe hai. Taiyaar ho jaiye."

["I'm going now. Get ready."]

He replied in a low tone,

"I'll not have breakfast today, so no need to exert yourself. I'll come directly on lunch, with Abhisar."

She nodded and moved out.

***

She was sitting along with her mother-in-law and pressing her legs, when Nupur passed by, after taking a bath.

She heard her mother-in-law speaking under her breathe,

"Koi sanskar nahi diye."

She gulped and called her name,

"Nupur..".

She turned back, to look at both of them.

"Aao idhar."

["Come here."]

Nupur approached them with slow steps, draping her pallu over her head, her saree was tied loosely around her waist.

She bent down to touch Surekha's feet and then Priya's feet. Both of them blessed her.

Nupur spoke timidly,

"Maaf kijiyega maa ji, humne.. dekha nahi tha aap dono ko."

["Forgive me, maa-ji, I... didn't see both of you."]

Surekha nodded her head.

Priya muttered palming her cheek,

"Jao taiyaar ho jao..".

["Go get ready."]

She nodded her head and walked away.

After she left, Surekha asked to Priya,out of blue,

"Tabiyat theek hai tumhari?".

["Is your health good?"]

Priya was shocked, her mother-in-law was asking about her well-being for the first time.

She nodded, "Ji, maa ji."

Surekha spoke while sitting up,

"Kaam Kam Karna kuch din. Jyada uth baith mat karna."

["Do less work for a few days. Don't strain yourself too much."]

She nodded, her eyes glistening with happiness, "Ji, maa ji."

Surekha placed her palm over Priya's head and muttered in a low, caring voice, which probably she was hearing for the very first time,

"Tumhari bhi nayi shaadi hai, bhulna mat apne devar-devrani ke chakkar me.

Itna kuch itni Kam samay me bhale hi hogaya par asliyat me do mehna bhi nahi hua mushkil se tumhari shadi ko."

["You also have a new marriage, don't forget in the midst of your brother-in-law and sister-in-law's affairs.

So much has happened in such a short time, but in reality, even two months haven't passed since your marriage."]

She nodded while Surekha continued,

"Hota hai, garbhapat, aisa nahi hai ki woh Khushi wapas nahi aati dobara. Mann chota mat karna, Bahu. Tum bahut achi maa banogi aage chal kar aur uss din sabse adhik khushi Hume aur humare baad tumhare pati ko hogi."

["It happens, miscarriage, it's not like that happiness doesn't return again. Don't lose heart, Bahu. You will be a very good mother in the future, and on that day, the greatest happiness will be for me, and after me, for your husband."]

Priya felt her eyes watery. A lone tear dropped her eye.

Surekha smiled and spoke quietly,

"Humara beta humse kehta nahi hai, lekin Hume pata hai humari zindagi ke kuch din hi bache hai humare paas. Maana hum kathor hai, humara beta jaanta hai, hum aise kyu hai. Bahut pyaar karta hai humse, agar Hume kuch ho gaya toh uska khyal rakhna Priya."

["My son doesn't say it to me, but I know I only have a few days left in my life. I may be harsh, my son knows why I am like this. He loves me a lot. If something happens to me, take care of him, Priya."]

Priya shook her head, tears rolling down, "aisi baatein mat kijiye maa ji."

["Don't talk like that, maa-ji."]

Surekha laughed mutely,

"Beta ho ya beti ho aage chal kar, usey kehna ki dadi maa bahut pyar Karti thi unse. Aur idhar dekho,"

["Whether it's a son or a daughter in the future, tell them that grandma loved them very much. And look here,"]

Priya looked up.

"Hume pata hai tum iss Ghar ki badi Bahu ki jimmedariyan bakhubi nibhaogi. Sab ka khyal rakhna Ghar par. Hum Abhisar se nafrat nahi karte, woh bhi Ghar ka beta hai, uska bhi khyal rakhna, khyal rakhna ki uska yaa uske bacche ka haq nahi Cheena jae kabhi iss Ghar me.

Par khash taur par humare bete ka rakhna, hum dekh sakte hai, bahut maanta hai tumhe."

["I know you will fulfill the responsibilities of being the eldest daughter-in-law of this household very well. Take care of everyone at home. I don't hate Abhisar, he's also the son of this household, take care of him too, make sure that neither he nor his children's rights are ever snatched away in this house.

But especially take care of my son, I can see, he respects and loves you a lot."]

She gulped and nodded her head, wiping tears from her eyes.

Surekha stood up and moved inside slowly by holding the wall.

Her first interaction with her mother-in-law, and that too this emotional. Abhigyan was right, she too has a good heart, only that it has a thick layer of coating of anger upon it.

She also felt a little scared, thinking that why she was speaking so softly, and this, that she has less time left now.

Is it really so less?

How will she share it with Abhigyan? He'll surely end up crying just like she did. She knows that he loves his mother a lot. Afterall, she is his only parent, whom he respected and loved with all his heart.

His mother has single-handedly raised him into a responsible man. She has showered her love upon him.

How will he live without her?

She just prayed to God to keep her mother-in-law healthy. As long as he could.

***