Chhalak Gaye Naina, tune Mann bhar diya,

Mere Khali se Dil ko yun, tune Ghar kar diya.

Adhoori si raahein milayi,

Adhoori hawayein chalayi,

Adhoori si baatein banayi,

Ishq ke silsile ban gaye re,

Tere Dil se Dil tak mere, mere,

Tere Dil se Dil tak mere.

Author's POV.

He took her inside, holding her arms. Inside their room.

Nupur sat alone on the bed, her eyes red and swollen from tears, her heart heavy with grief and despair. The news of her brothers' deaths at the hands of Abhigyan, her own brother-in-law, echoed in her mind like a haunting refrain.

Abhisar stands nearby, his back turned to her, his expression stoic and unmoved. He makes no move to comfort her, his silence a painful reminder of the chasm that now separates them.

As Nupur's sobs fill the air, a sense of isolation settles over her, enveloping her in a suffocating embrace. She feels adrift, abandoned by the one person she had hoped would stand by her side in her darkest hour, who even had promised her that he'll remain her side, atleast to wipe off her tears. Only difference is, he wasn't sober then.

She longs for his touch, his reassurance, but he remains out of reach, his presence a silent barrier between them. And suddenly, she saw him walking away from her, towards outside.

She stood up in disbelief and shouted in a trembling voice,

"Aapne kyu ki shaadi humse?".

He stopped at the entrance and turned back, listening her voice. He moved towards her, his eyes filled with anger this time and replied in the same loud voice,

"Hume koi shauk nahi tha, tumhare bhaiyo ne karwaya."

Abhisar remained resolute in his indifference, his heart hardened by bitterness and resentment. He refused to acknowledge Nupur's pain, unwilling to let go of the anger that consumed him.

Her hands reached his collar as she shook him by his collar and spoke,

"Aap bilkul nahi chahte na Hume... Bilkul nahi chahte naa Hume apni zindagi me?".

He held her jaw tightly, seeing her audacity to hold his collar, which made him more angry. Looking into her eyes dangerously with his red eyes, he tightened his grip and yelled,

"Sapne me bhi nahi chahenge hum tum jaisi larki ko. Jiska khandan itna ghatiya hai. Kabhi nahi."

She whimpered and left his collar after hearing his words full of hatred.

He left her jaw and turned back to leave when he heard her voice,

"Toh chor dijiye na hume.. chor dijiye.. tod dijiye yeh shadi.. Hum chale jaenge kahi aur.. jee lenge kisi tarah.. ab toh humare Bhai bhi nahi rahein.. jo humare liye ladne aaenge aapse.. aazad hojaiye aap humse."

His breathe hitched. His heart ached. He stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock, as Nupur's words hung heavy in the air. The weight of her request pressed down on him, a suffocating force that threatened to crush his spirit.

He looked into her eyes, there was a quiet strength in her demeanor, a steely resolve born of pain and betrayal. For a moment, Abhisar struggled to comprehend the magnitude of what she's asking. His mind raced, searching for words that refused to come, his heart ached with the realization that she was asking him to leave her. to break their marriage.

Blood rushed his eyes and he pushed her on the bed immediately.

She didn't struggle.

He held her wrists in the same way as last night and the bangles broke down in her wrists. It didn't pain her this time. He was bleeding too, along with her.

She looked directly into his eyes and spoke with all her confidence, her gaze unwavering as she met his stunned stare,

"Kal raat ruk Gaye the aap," his brows thinned in confusion, she gulped and spoke again, "Aadhe me hi ruk Gaye the..".

He thought she was talking about her virginity but the very next moment she spoke,

"Gala daba chuke the humara, kuch der aur dabaye rakhte toh kal raat hi azaad ho jate humse."

He left her wrist immediately, coming back into his senses. His heart raced upon hearing her words. Mistake upon another mistake. God, why was he unconscious. Why?

He stuttered and asked,

"Humne... Humne.. tumhra.. gala .. dabaya?".

She loosened her jewellery a little. He saw the red marks of his fingers over her white skin of neck, which probably he had failed to notice before.

He moved away from her and sat on the edge of the bed.

Guilt hitting him again as he shut his eyes in frustration.

After a minute, he felt her sitting up slowly. Her hands touched his hand, as he held his wrist. He didn't stop her.

She saw the pieces of glass dug inside his palm. She carefully took them out one by one, he didn't even hiss.

She stood up from the bed and moved towards her trunk. Taking out a cotton handkerchief from it, she moved back towards him and stood infront of him. Placing her palm over his knees, she widened his legs and stood in between them. His eyes lowered down.

She tied the handkerchief on his hand. And slowly, her hand moved to feather his cheek.

Abhisar's eyes noticed her wrist, that had few pieces of glass dug inside it too. He held her hand and saw it.

He then looked in her eyes. She was staring him with soft eyes.

He opened her bangles one by one. But when he was about to open the last one, she stopped him. He looked questioningly and she replied in a low, soft voice,

"Suhaag ki nishani hai humari, mat kholiye."

He spoke softly,

"Dard hoga tumhe."

She unknowingly moved her hands to cup his cheeks and replied,

"Sabse jyada dard toh hume ye sacchai jaan kar ho rahi hai ki aapko kuch yaad hi nahi hai. Kal raat ke baad hum aapko iss tarah nahi dekh sakte, jaise aap hume jaante hi nahi hai."

His chest heaved as he looked away.

Her palm that was cupping his cheek, turned his face to make him look at her again as she spoke,

"Humari aankhon me bhi dekhna gawara nahi hai ab aapko? Aisi kya galti kardi humne?".

He didn't reply, his gazes was lowered down.

"Mat kahiyega kuch, ek baar Nazar bhar ke Hume dekh toh lijiye."

He moved his eyes up, to look at her, with guilt in his eyes, and a pinch of softness too.

She placed her one palm over his chest and spoke,

"Aapne kal raat Hume bataya tha," he looked at her in confusion.

She spoke softly,

"Bataya tha.. ki bhaiya.. humare bhaiyon ko jaan se mar denge."

He felt shocked. She already knew. And he had told her.

Fuck, why doesn't he remember anything?

"Hum kal hi bahut ro chuke hai aapke seene par sirr rakh kar."

She caressed his chest with her palm.

"Aapne Hume shaant karaya... Bina tang hue aapne Hume poori raat chup karaya.. Hume pakar kar soye rahe.. aapne humse kaha bhi tha.. ki aap humari aansu pochne ke alawa aur kuch nahi kar sakte.. humne aapse ek sawal nahi pucha tha Abhisar."

His heart fluttered, on how she called him by his name. For the first time. Only his name.

He wanted to hear it again and again. His heart raced at the sound of his name on her lips, a fluttering sensation stirred deep within him.

Without thinking twice, he held her by her waist. He held her and pulled her up, only to make her sit on his thigh.

She didn't hesitate. She placed her head on his shoulder and he spoke,

"Ab shikayat kijiye.. sab sunege hum."

She whimpered a little. He caressed her arm and spoke,

"Sun rahe hai hum."

She held his hand, intertwining their fingers and muttered,

"Aapne Hume seene se laga liya, Hume koi shikayat nahi ab aapse."

He smiled. After what seemed like ages, he smiled finally.

He asked in a low voice, very low,

"Kya keh kar pukaare aapko hum?".

He turned his face to look into her eyes. She hid her face in the crook of his neck and whispered in his ear,

"Nupur naam hai humara. Aap pyar se kuch bhi pukaare Hume acha lagega."

He called in a low voice,

"Nupur."

She felt shy.

His hand reached her neck, where the marks of his fingers where. She held his hand and stopped him by shaking her head.

He asked, his jaw tensed,

"Dard ho raha abhi bhi?".

She shook her head.

He gulped and asked,

"Aur kya kya kiya humne raat me aapke saath?".

The moment when was he was kissing her core, came infront of her eyes. What a feeling it was for her, out of world, pleasuring.

"Bataiye," her chains of thought broke.

She cupped his cheek and muttered,

"Aap.. aap ro rahe the.. raat me."

"Hn?", he asked, shocked, he could cry infront of someone else?

She nodded.

"Kyun?", he questioned surprisingly.

She paused. Not wanting him to tell that he was talking about his father.

She thought for a minute and replied,

"Bhabhi aur bhaiya.. dard me the na .. isliye."

He stroked her hairs as he spoke softly,

"Bahut pyaar karte hai hum humare bhaiya se. Bhabhi se bhi."

She nodded, "Hume pata hai."

He gripped her loosened bun and opened it slowly while he asked,

"Aap kyu keh rahi thi ki hum aazad karde aapko iss shadi se?".

She replied, confidently,

"Aap khush nahi hai, Abhisar ji. Hume dikhta hai."

He played with her hair strands, entangling it around his fingers and spoke,

"Sirf humara naam lo..yeh 'ji' Hume pasand nahi.. samjhi?".

She opened her mouth to retaliate but he gave her a glare and she stopped.

Then after a minute, he asked in a low voice,

"Kal...humne... Tumhare saath... Jabardasti ki thi kya?".

She shook her head, shyly.

"Aapne.. aapne Hume pyaar... Pyaar kiya.. Hume kisi ne.. aise nahi dekha pehle.."

He held the nape of her neck tightly and replied in a hoarse voice,

"Humare alawa kisi ko haq bhi nahi, koi dekhne ka sapne mein bhi soche toh uski aankhein nikaal lenge hum. Samjhi aap?".

She nodded. Although his tone was rough, but butterflies erupted in her stomach.

He feathered his fingers over her cheek and whispered in her ear,

"Humari hai aap. Sirf humari."

She held his hand and asked,

"Aur aap?".

His lips parted.

In a millisecond, she was off his lap and he walked away from the door, leaving her confused, alone and broken yet again.

****

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