ABHISAR

The bullock cart rattled to a halt, the gentle sound of hooves and the creaking of wood finally fading as we arrived at Nupur’s village.

The familiar sights greeted us—mud-brick houses, vibrant greenery, and the bustling energy of life that filled the air.

When I glanced around, my heart raced with a mix of apprehension and reluctance.

I had planned to drop her off and leave, to retreat back to the familiarity of my own world, away from the unknowns that lingered here.

When she stepped down from the cart, her eyes sparkling with excitement, I felt a tug of anxiety at the thought of leaving her alone in this place.

But I was determined to stick to my plan, to keep a safe distance.

Just as I turned to step away after giving her a nod, Nupur reached out and grasped my hand, her grip firm yet tender.

“Abhisar, aaiye na humare sath.”

“Abhisar, come with me,” she urged, her voice soft but filled with a quiet strength that pulled at my resolve.

I hesitated, looking into her eyes. There was a pleading look there, hope and vulnerability that made it hard to refuse.

"Nupur, acha rahega agar hum —"

“Nupur, I think it’s best if I—”

“Kuch der ke liye.. hum chahte hai aap humare parivaar se mile.”

“Just for a little while,” she interrupted, her eyes earnest. “I want you to see my family.”

She was inviting me into a part of her life I had been hesitant to embrace. I wanted to support her, to show her that I cared, but the thought of facing her family—my fears swirling in the back of my mind—made me falter.

But the determination in her eyes melted my defenses.

“Theek hai,”

“Alright,” I finally said, squeezing her hand gently.

“Sirf kuch der ke liye.”

“Just for a little while.”

I could feel the eyes of fellow villagers  upon us.

She opened the door and stepped inside, pulling me along with her.

The home was decorated, as if they knew that Nupur would surely visit.

The familiar scent of spices wafted through the air, and I was greeted by the warmth of her family’s home, which I once visited, only to marry her and take her along with me as my wife.

Bitter taste filled my tongue.

Her mother looked up from the hearth, her face lighting up with a smile.

“Nupur, beta.” she exclaimed, rushing over to embrace her daughter.

Nupur bent down to touch her feet and she blessed her, but then her mother's eyes followed to me.

Nupur held my hand,

“Ji, yeh maa hai humari.”

"Ji, this is my mother."

Ofcourse, I recognised.

But the sudden switch of her referring me by my name all this time, and switching suddenly to refer me as "Ji" hits me hard. It's the significance that she is at a place where she cannot be herself.

I bent down and touched her mother's feet. Her mother didn't utter a word, but she placed a trembling hand upon my head.

“Babu-ji kaha hai, Maa? Badi-Bhabhi? Choti-Bhabhi? Bacche?”

I wanted to smile, looking at the happiness spread upon Nupur's face.

“Vikas ke babu-ji ! Nupur aayi hai.” Her mother called out, upon which, Nupur's father, Santosh Choudhary immediately walked out of one of the rooms.

I don't know why I feel the smile is fake, but her father immediately comes over to us and Nupur hugs him.

I watch them both sharing a hug, as if they're the best father-daughter duo in the world.

Nupur turned around slightly and looked at me.

I raised my eyebrows in question.

She widened her eyes a little, looked at my face, then pointed towards her father's feet from her eyes.

I sighed.

But still, wife's order.

I walked towards him and we bent together to touch his feet. He placed a hand on both of our head.

“Damad ji.”

I swear it sounded so bitter to me, still I smiled— fake smiled, JUST FOR NUPUR.

“Hume laga nahi tha aap aaenge. Hume bahut khushi hui ki aap yahan humare ghar padhare.”

I faked my smile again with a nod.

Just then, two other women came out and I recognised them, Nupur's Bhabhis.

Nupur literally lunged towards her elder Bhabhi to hug her, and she hugged her back, tightly. The tightest. And that seemed real. The realest thing I've seen since I entered this house.

But the hug breaks off just after, as her younger bhabhi almost taunts, “Hum bhi hai, Nupur ji.”

Nupur walks towards her and shares a loose hug with her, breaking it right within a second.

“Aaiye damad-ji. Andar aaiye.”

I shook my head immediately, pointing towards the door,

“Nahi... Hum sirf Nupur ko chhorne aae the. Chalte hai ab hum.”

“Aise kaise?” He interrupts, “Kal Teej hai. Aapko toh rukna hoga. Warna humari Nupur apna vrat kaise kholegi.”

I look up to Nupur who is now standing beside Badi Bhabhi, side hugging her.

“Woh.. hume apne vyapaar se sambandhit kaam hai, zaroori. Nupur ko bata Diya hai humne.”

His father's eyes moves from me to Nupur, who first looks at me with something like sad expression, and then nods her head to her father.

“Theek hai. Hum samajhte hai kaam hoga. Chai toh pi lijiye. Ab sasural se aise hi thodi jaane denge aapko.”

“Haan, pichli baar adh-mara karke bheja tha. Iss baar pata nahi kya kar de,” I thought to myself.

“Nahi... Samajhiye.. warna adhik raat hojaegi Hume Ghar wapas pahuchte pahuchte.”

I don't understand a thing, when he holds my hand and forces me to sit down on a chair, in the aangan of their house, right where my marriage took place with his daughter, some months ago.

“Vikas ki Maa, chai banao. Kadak. Damad ji aur humare liye.”

I've no words.

Just like her mother who obeys immediately and walks inside to make tea for us.

“Aur bataiye Damad-ji. Humari beti apka theek khyal toh rakhti hai na.”

My gaze immediately meets Nupur, who is sitting on the edge of cot.

“Ji. Kafi acha..khyal rakhti hai.” I said. “Poori raat Hume pyaar karne deti hai,” was silent.

“Hume pata tha. Humari beti ko sab kuch sikhaya hai iski Maa ne.”

I just smiled.

After a few seconds, my mother-in-law came with two cups to tea and some snacks, and placed the trays and plates on table.

I hesitated for a moment, but then her father said,

“Lijiye na, damad ji. Aap hi ke liye hai.”

I nodded and picked up a cup of tea from the tray.

As soon as I took the first sip, he began again,

“Asha hai, aap purani baatein bhul gaye honge. Teej hai, nayi shuruaat karte hai.”

His tone was soft, which made me think—

Maybe. He is right.

Maybe. Nupur was right.

Maybe. I was the wrong one, overthinking about her family.

Afterall, everything happened from both the side, and my father was honestly the first one to start this enmity.

If this person wouldn't have wanted to begin a fresh new and forget all the past, he would have never let me enter inside his home.

Maybe I should—

I moved on my chair, and straightened up a little.

“Um— Hume ...afsos hai, pehle Jo kuch bhi hua...humare parivaar ke bich, usko le kar.”

He shook his head,

“Jo ho gaya, so ho gaya, damad ji. Aap humari beti ko pasand karte hai—” he paused.

I gulped.

“Humari beti aapko pasand toh hai na. Mera matlab...”

My gazes flew to Nupur, who was standing in a corner, and was smiling.

Her gazes met mine, and her smile widened.

We had an eye to eye conversation, and she nodded her head.

“Bahut pyar karte hai aapki beti se hum. Inse achhi biwi hume mil nahi sakti thi.”

Her father suddenly chuckled, clapping his hand once, and smiled widely,

“Sone pe suhaaga.”

I frowned.

He cleared his throat,

“Humara matlab hai, jis haal me aapki shaadi hui thi, aur ab dekhiye. Saaf dikhai de raha hai aapki aankhon me ki kitna pyaar karte hai aap humari beti se.”

I smiled, just a bit.

Why do I feel like I shouldn't have confessed infront of him?

It ... Maybe I'm thinking a little too much.

When I finally kept the empty cup of tea, he said to Nupur, a little arrogantly which made my blood boil, but I ignored,

“Haath dhulwao damad ji ka, khadi kya ho?”

Nupur signalled me to come towards a corner where mug and bucket was kept.

I washed my hands, and instead of towel, she gave me the pallu of her saree to wipe her hands, and it really made me smile.

I whispered,

“Aapke kehne pe aa gaye na hum. Aapke ghar walon se baat bhi kar liya.”

She whispered back,

“Humne kaha tha na, humare ghar wale ache hai. Aap yuhi...”

I hummed. “Ache toh hai. Humari biwi ka khayal rakhenge.”

Her eyes softened, “Aap ruk jate na yahi, humara vrat kaun kholega.”

I gulped, but smiled a little,

“Aapke kehne par humne itna kiya na, Nupur. Aur hume sach me kaam hai...”

She jutted her bottom lip out, cutely, and scrunched her nose,

“Koi baat nahin. Aapko yaad kar ke khol lenge hum vrat. Apna khayal rakhiyega, theek hai?”

I nodded my head, and I seriously wanted to kiss her, but all the eyes from the aangan, were already upon us, as we entered inside, so I just whispered to her,

“Bahut pyar karte hai aapse. Aur aap bhi apna khyal rakhiyega. Koi bhi pareshani ho aap jaanti hai na kya karna hai?”

She clicked her tongue,

“Apne hi ghar me hume kya pareshani hogi, Abhisar. Aur hum bhi aapse bahut pyaar karte hai.”

We smiled looking at each other, and our ways diverged as soon as I reached infront of family members.

“Hum chalte hai ab.”

Her father stood up and patted my back,

“Aap chinta mat kijiye, Nupur ka bahut acche se khyal rakhenge hum.”

I swallowed hard, and bent down to touch his feet again.

Then, I joined my hands, infront of her other family members, and they just smiled.

With one final glance at my wife, I walked away from there. Okay— I tried to. But when I reached the main door, I turned around and again glanced her, to which she nodded her head and smiled.

Taking a deep breathe in, I finally walked out.