NUPUR

“Dekho Abhisar, hum nahi rokenge, tumhara sasural hai. Tumhe sochna hai rukne hai ya nahi. Humare kehne ka matlab bas itna hai ki, koi bhi pareshani aaye, kuch bhi ho, hum tak khabar zaroor pahucha dena.”

“Nahi bhaiya. Naubat hi nahi aaegi. Hum Ghar laut aaenge.”

“Aur tumhari biwi?”

He sighed.

“Uska Ghar hai woh. Hume lakh nuksaan pahuchane ka soch le, magar usey kuch nahi karenge, hume pata hai. Itna toh nahi gir sakte woh log ki apni hi beti ko taklif pahuchane ki soche.”

“Hn.”

“Khoon khaulta hai humara woh gaon Jane ke naam se. Nupur ki baat nahi hoti toh hum dobara uss gaon me kadam bhi nahi rakhte.”

“Damad ho tum.”

“Firbhi. Uss gaon ke har ek vyakti se nafrat hai hume. Har ek vyakti se. Sab ke sab do muhe hai. Mu pe pyaar se baat karenge, peeth piche khanjar bhokne ko taiyaar.”

[“Listen, Abhisar, I won’t stop you; it's your in-laws’ place. You need to decide whether to stay or not. What I mean is, if any trouble arises, whatever happens, make sure to inform me.”

“No, bhaiya. It won’t come to that. I’ll come back home.”

“And what about your wife?”

He sighed.

“That's her home. They can think of harming me, but they won't do anything to her; I know that. They can't stoop so low as to harm their own daughter.”

“Hmm.”

“My blood boils at the mere mention of that village. If it weren’t for Nupur, I wouldn’t step foot in that place again.”

“You’re their son-in-law now.”

“Still, I hate every single person in that village. Each and every one. They’re all two-faced. They’ll speak sweetly to my face, but behind my back, they’re always ready to stab me.”]

Bhaiya laughed and slapped his shoulder.

“Tumhari biwi bhi ussi gaon se hai. Jyada burai karoge toh jaan le legi tumhari.”

His expressions remained the same. Still, and full of disgust and anger.

“Farq nahi padta. Humare khyal koi nahi badal sakta waha ke logon ke liye.”

I hadn't realized he had such hatred for my family, my village, my maternal people.

How could he?

“Aate hai hum, Priya ko dekh kar, pata nahi kaha reh gayi.”

“Ji.”

Bhaiya moved inside, while he stood right there.

I walked slowly towards him and cleared my throat, grabbing his attention.

He turned around and our eyes met.

My heart, my body — it was raging with fury, but the only thing was, I didn't wanted to fight now. Not at all.

“Aa gayi?”

I gave him a nod.

He slowly touched my face, and smiled, the earlier look of disgust washing away,

“Pata nahi kitne dinon baad dekhne milega yeh khubsurat chehra hume, dobara.”

Bhaiya and Priya Didi approached us, and he moved away slightly from me.

“Aao,” Didi held me, and we walked outside while the men behind us, followed us.

“Khyaal rakhna, Nupur. Kisi aur baat ki chinta mat karna. Samjhi?”

I gave her a nod,

“Aapbhi khyal rakhiyega, Didi.”

“Nupur, gussana mat, isliye keh rahe hai, kyuki hum sab ko tumhari fikr hai. Ho sake toh khat likhte rehna Abhisar ji ko, har do din me. Unka Mann shaant rahega. Yeh keh rahe the, kuch ghabraye se hai, Abhisar ji, tumko le kar.”

“Nupur, don’t be angry; I'm saying this because we all care about you. If possible, keep writing letters to Abhisar every couple of days. It will keep his mind at ease. Abhigyan mentioned that he’s a bit worried about you, Abhisar ji.”

My eyes softened a little, but it didn't mean at all that my rage flew away all at once. I still had anger inside me.

I took her blessings, and then Abhisar came forward and help me climb up to sit on the cart.

He bid his bye to Bhaiya and his bhabhi, then sat beside me.

We finally left for my parents' home.

✿✿✿✿✿

The rhythmic creaking of the bullock cart accompanied the gentle sway of the wooden seat beneath us as we made our way to my maternal home.

The sun hung high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the fields, the vibrant greens and golds dancing in the light.

Abhisar sat beside me, his strong presence a comfort, yet a weight of uncertainty hung in the air between us.

I watched the landscape blur by, my mind replaying the conversation I had overheard between Abhisar and Bhaiya, this mornin.

I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but their voices had drifted into my ears, and I just stood still and listened.

The tension in Abhisar’s voice when he spoke about my village had pierced through me like a cold breeze, leaving a knot of worry in my stomach.

Did he truly distrust my family?

Did he question my upbringing, my values?

The thought unsettled me. My heart raced as I turned my gaze to the passing fields, trying to push away the doubts that threatened to consume me.

I had always believed in the strength of our love, but now I wondered, did he even trust me?

While we bounced along, I stole a glance at him. He seemed lost in thought, his brows furrowed slightly as he stared into the distance.

Did he see me as a reflection of my family? Would my roots always overshadow my worth in his eyes? A wave of insecurity washed over me.

Would he ever truly embrace my past, my village, the people who had shaped me into the woman he loved?

Or would he always see them through a lens of suspicion?

“Abhisar…” I ventured hesitantly, my voice barely breaking the soft sounds of the cart.

He turned to me, his expression shifting to one of curiosity.

“Haan.”

I hesitated, searching for the right words, grappling with the tightness in my chest.

“Aap...aapko humare parivaarwalon pe bharosa hai?”

“Do you… do you trust my family?” The question hung heavy in the air, and I felt a flutter of anxiety at the vulnerability of my inquiry.

He opened his mouth to respond, but I could see the gears turning in his mind.

Did he need to think about it? The silence stretched, and I felt my heart sink.

“Hum-hum bas Janna chahte the...aap kya sochte hai.. humare gaon ke baare me.” I added, my voice wavering.  “Jahan se hum aate hai, jahan hum pale bade hai.”

“I—I just want to know how you feel about my village,” “About where I come from, and where I was raised.”

He studied my face, and for a moment, I feared he would deflect, that he might brush my concerns aside.

But instead, he leaned closer, his expression softening.

“Nupur, it’s not that I don’t trust your family. I just worry about whatever happened between our families. The past. The way they forced you to marry me. It's not that I'm not happy with you, I really am, but that doesn't mean that it had to go this way...by force... It’s… complicated.”

I nodded, understanding but still feeling the weight of doubt.

“But I’m still me, Abhisar. I love you. Does that not matter?”

He took my hand in his, squeezing it gently.

“Of course it matters. You are my everything. But fear what others might think, what they might say, how they might act, how they might treat you. I just want to protect you.”

I wanted to believe him, but the shadows of doubt lingered.

Did he think I needed protection from my own family?

Did he see me as someone who couldn’t navigate my own roots?

I looked away, my heart heavy with uncertainty.

The distance between us felt palpable, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to prove my worth to him—not just as his wife, but as a woman shaped by my village, my family, my past. Prove that, my family is worth trusting. At any cost.

The cart jolted slightly as it turned down a rougher path, and I leaned into him instinctively.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, but even in his embrace, I felt the unease lingering.

Would we ever bridge this gap?

Would he ever truly trust my family, my village?

He gently cupped my cheek,

“Jyada mat sochiye, Nupur. Mayeke Jaa rahin hain. Khushi Khushi jaiye.”

I gave him a nod.

“Koi bhi pareshani ho toh hum tak kisi bhi tarah khabar pahucha dijiyega.. aap jaanti hai na, bhaage  chale aayenge hum aapke paas.”

I gulped and leaned in to hug him.

But he cupped my jaw and lifted my face up, aligning his lips with mine.

I immediately tried to push him away,

“Kya kar rahe hai? Kaka dekh lenge, kya sochenge?”

He looked deeply and didn't let me move away,

“Kya sochenge? Parayi aurat thodi hai, vyah kar laye hai aapko, biwi hai humari. Chuum bhi nahi sakte hum?”

My cheeks turned pink.

“Aise? Sab ke samne?”

He didn't reply me, instead he leaned down and claimed my lips into a gentle and soft kiss, telling me exactly how much he loves me.

He licked my tongue, chewed on my bottom lip wildly, and told me that he'll rip apart any one who tries to hurt me.

And just like that, we continued the rest of our journey.