Mai toh bas Teri chahat mein,

Chahun rehna sada,

Mai toh bas Teri qurbat mein,

Chahun rehna sada,

Saaya bhi Tera Mai, hone naa du juda,

Maine tay kar liya.

Author's POV.

Priya had gained consciousness. But she was not in senses to hear anyone.

When Abhisar went to her room, she was shouting on his brother. He tried to stop, but she stopped him too.

And when she took the next step, she fell off. Fainted again.

His brother immediately picked her up and placed her on the bed, but he asked him to leave. To leave them alone.

He walked away. His heart was feeling mix of emotions.

Guilt, sadness, anger, revengeful.

All at once. But it also felt another emotion.

For her.

He wanted to care for her. But also wanted to take revenge through her. He didn't knew what he actually wanted.

The mere thought that he had used her body last night was haunting him.

He was thinking that he had taken her virginity, which wasn't true.

Use of words, messed it up for him.

Without thinking much, he moved towards his room and opened the door. He saw her wearing a simple saree, as she had to take a bath.

He signalled her to follow him.

She did.

He left her till the bathroom and then moved outside the house to calm his mind down.

***

He returned back after almost forty minutes.

Without speaking, his steps moved towards his brother's room to ask him if his bhabhi needed to eat something.

But he unknowingly interrupted at the wrong time.

"Bhabhi, uth gayi aap?".

Priya saw him and called his name in a loud voice,

"Abhisar- idhar aaiye."

He licked his lips in fear, his bhabhi's voice was different. Very different.

He walked in, standing infront of Abhigyan and Priya. His hands back.

Priya asked strictly,

"Kya hua hai.. aapki tabiyat theek nahi hai, kisi ne kuch kaha aapse? Kya hua hai aapko?"

His body shivered a little by her tone. Although they were of same age group, but in relation, she had a much elder position in his life.

"Abhisar- jawab dijiye."

He looked at Abhigyan. In confusion about what should he do. Priya looked at both of them.

Abhigyan saw Priya once and then spoke to Abhisar,

"Le kar aao."

He nodded and left from there.

***

He entered inside his room, Nupur was standing infront of the dressing table, combing her hair.

His eyes gazed her body. Curvy. She was wearing a royal blue saree which was perfectly hugging her curves. A light jewellery. And was looking exactly like a newly wedded bride, which she was.

Her hair wet and open. She applied vermillion in her hairline and he inhaled deeply, the vermillion of his name.

He walked towards her. Standing just behind her and her eyes followed his through the reflection in the mirror.

She turned back.

He looked into her eyes for an entire minute. And then, he broke the eye contact and spoke,

"Bhabhi milna chah rahi, tumse."

She nodded her head.

He showed his hand, signalling her to follow him. But before he could move a step, he heard her angelic voice,

"Theek lag rahe hai na hum?".

He turned back. She raised her eyebrows. He looked at her again, from head to toe, through his soft glare and replied,

"Hn. Bas pallu le lo. Bhaiya rahenge kamre me."

She pulled her veil, upto her chin, covering her face completely.

He turned back to walk but within the very next second, he felt her stumbling on her feet and stopped immediately as her hands held his arms for support. He held her shoulders and balanced her back,

"Dhyan se. Gir jaogi."

She nodded, "Woh.. woh galti se."

And his next step, left her surprised.

He stepped forward and held the hem of her veil, pulling it up, to cover her face till her eyes and spoke,

"Bas. Itna kafi hai."

She hesitated, "Par hu-".

He cut her off immediately, "Hume nahi matlab koi kya kehta, chalo ab."

She remained silent.

He turned back, and started walking towards the door. She followed him obediently. Before entering Priya's room, he spoke to her,

"Jitna puche, utna jawab Dena bas."

With this, they walked inside.

***

He entered inside and spoke,

"Aa jao andar."

Priya thinned her eyebrows, focussing on the door.

They both walked in. Abhisar stood infront of the bed, on his previous spot and Nupur, walked towards Priya's feet, to touch it. Nupur was left broken again as Priya immediately pulled her legs back.

With her gazes lowered down, her eyes searched for Abhisar, whose lips were pursed into a thin line too.

She heard her sister-in-law's voice,

"Who is she?".

Abhisar replied after a pause,

"Bhabhi--," he inhaled deeply, "Humari shadi hogayi, biwi hai humari."

Nupur saw Priya's eyes widening, through the veil as she tried to stand up from the bed but Abhigyan, her brother-in-law stopped her by speaking in a soft, caring voice,

"Koi jarurat nahi hai, baithiye yahi par."

The way he spoke to her, in a caring way, she felt butterflies in her stomach too. Then a thought crossed her mind, Will her husband ever talk to her in that soft tone again?

Abhisar saw his brother, caressing his bhabhi's hand,

"Samjhane dijiye isey, bataega aapko khud."

Priya nodded.

Nupur saw Abhisar's eyes flickering towards her, just for a second, then he moved his gaze away again.

He spoke slowly,

"Aap-.. aapke badle.. Hume inse.. shaadi karni padi."

Her lips parted in shock. And even Nupur. She was shocked too. "In return?" Because she didn't knew that he was asked to marry her in exchange of Priya's freedom.

"Kya matlab, humare badle?".

He inhaled and spoke,

"Aapko le Gaye the.. wo log.. aap kahi mil nahi Rahi thi.. fir Hume pata chala .. aap wahan hai. Humne aapko wapas maanga. Toh unhone mana kar Diya. Maar-peet ke baad bhi, woh nahi maane."

She was hearing him and analysing his words in her mind.

"Humne koshish ki-- shaanti se baat rakhne ki-- unhone Kahan-- aap sahi salamat chahiye, toh inse shadi karni padegi."

Nupur's legs were shaking. She was finding it hard to gulp all these new information down.

"Aur aapne kar li? Abhisar? Aapne kar li shadi?".

Nupur saw him sitting infront of her sister-in-law, on his knees. Probably, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Aur koi rashta nahi tha bhabhi. Hum aapko kuch hone nahi de sakte the."

Tears rolled down her eyes, seeing her husband cry again after last night.

"Hume maaf kar dijiye bhabhi. Maaf kar dijiye ki aapki itni badi Khushi chinn gayi aapse aur hum kuch nahi kar pae. Maaf kar dijiye."

She wiped the tears of from the corner of his eyes as she heard the soft voice of Priya,

"Bas babu, uthiye ab. Nahi rote aise. Aapki koi galti nahi thi Abhisar. Bilkul nahi."

He remained in the same position, still crying silently, his hands joined.

Nupur was finding the state miserable, she wanted to hold him, to comfort him but how could she, in front of her in-laws.

"Aap boliye na uthne."

She heard Priya's voice, as she spoke to Abhigyan.

"Uth jao Abhisar. Humne bhi toh kaha tha tumhe ki tumhari koi galti nahi hai. Bilkul nahi hai."

Priya wiped off his tears again and he stood up slowly.

"Maa.. maa ji kaisi hai.. Kahan hai?". She heard her voice. Mother-in-law? No one asked her to meet her mother-in-law?

The two brothers looked at each other.

Then Abhigyan replied,

"Achi hai, so Rahi hai apne kamre me."

She was lost in her own thoughts when she heard Priya questioning Abhigyan,

"Aapne... Kisko.. maara?".

Now her legs shook. Her body shivered. She had a hint, but was still silently praying to God.

She heard her brother-in-law's confident voice,

"Tumhari biwi ke dono bhai ko maar Diya hai humne, bata dena usey aur sabhi ko bhi. Humari biwi ko jo buri nazar se dekhega, uska yahi haal karenge hum."

Nupur almost stumbled, upon hearing the truth. The ultimate truth. That her brother's were no more alive.

What about her bhabhi?

She found it hard to breathe and searched for something to hold on when her sister-in-law muttered instantly,

"Abhisar.. gir jaegi wo, sath dijiye uska."

She felt her husband moving towards her. His gazes fixed away from her, as he held her arms slowly. To balance her. And more tears rolled down her eyes when she saw he was looking away.

Will he now not even look at her?

When she needs his support, he will look away?

She wanted him to comfort her. She wanted him to speak warm words to her, just like yesterday. Atleast moral support.

But she got none.

"Kamre me le jaiye, baad me baat karenge hum."

Abhisar nodded.

He started moving and even unwantedly, but Nupur walked along with him, outside.