Wedded: From Strangers to Soulmates . . .

By Fe-en-Dios

Wedded is based on a true story and depicts the tale of a couple who begin their journey as strangers, bound in holy matrimony through an arranged marriage. The book takes you through the lives of the protagonists, who despite being caught amidst the entangled web of relationships, wither all storms, as their blossoming love reaches its culmination and they find their happily-ever-after, eventually.

Fuelled with sibling rivalry,misplaced affections, chanced upon encounters and scorching desires, Wedded makes up for a compelling read for anyone and everyone who believes in the ability of true love and the sanctity of marriage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Feb 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546288107

Fe-en-Dios

A decade long experience in various cantons of writing spanning over mainstream journalism, contemporary write-ups, abstract articles, non-fiction genre and host of blogs and public forums, has given me an edge over my competitors and also helped me in understanding as to what makes up for a good read. Branching out in the genre of fiction was a well thought out decision to further suffice my long standing dream of writing a book, which I had cherished ever since I was a young girl and it cemented further as I grew up to become a voracious reader and an avid writer. Writing happened by chance, but penning down a romantic novel was always on my mind. Having grown up while reading Mills & Boons and being a dreamer, only fuelled my passion to write romantic novel which encompasses not just love but also brings forth the coming of age story of the protagonists, that delves into the human mind and traces the journey of flawed individuals, who find true love eventually. I have published two English novels previously, Beyond The Skies and Wedded! and both the stories have me satisfied as an author because of the way they enthralled the readers. Wretched Affections! is the latest addition to series of fictional stories that I have envisaged and encompassed with all my heart. And I hope that the novel leaves you all spellbound. Do check out the Facebook page of my stories and feel free to touch base with me via Facebook or on my blog. Regards Fe-en-Dios

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© 2018 Fe-en-Dios. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   01/27/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-8809-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-8810-7 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Epilogue

About The Author

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Prologue

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‘I take you to be my lawfully wedded partner. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my life, until death do us part.’

He looked at his palms that were slightly sweaty, slightly. Of course the weather was to be blamed for that and not the fact that he was nervous today. No scratch that Arnav Singh was a bundle of nerves today. With his left hand over the right one, he entwined his fingers with each other, closing and opening them again and again. A bead of sweat made its way down his forehead as he lifted his one elbow and wiped it off with the sleeve of his dress. With his head bowed down and his posture bent, he traced the pattern on the floor with his foot. He raised his index finger and pushed his spectacles back on the nose and raised his head to look at his cousin brother, Nitin Kapoor aka NK, who was calling out to him.

Arnav’s hands shivered slightly at the information. This was going to be his journey ahead, of course with his better half, but the very thought of it made his stomach clot up in knots. How was he supposed to handle this, this wedding? Of course his family was there to support him but he felt uncannily lost. Arnav, the younger brother and the trusted confidante of his elder cousin, ‘the mighty business tycoon’, Akash Singh, had no one to guide him today. Unlike the years gone by he had no one to follow from now on. From the very beginning of his life all he knew was that he had followed in the foot steps of his Brother, be it education, work or business or even the most mundane things like the games they used to play as kids. But one thing was constant that in everything and anything they did Akash had led and Arnav had followed. But he had stood right behind his brother, in his shadow and had silently observed him and had learnt all the traits, from him. Obviously as opposed to his bespectacled look, Arnav was a sharp and astute man just like Akash. Both brothers even though cousins had similar character traits too, after all they were both well bred as winners to be in the renowned family of the ‘Singh’s’. And while Akash was a slave to his temper, Arnav was a calm and smooth player, which many a times had won him the vote of confidence over his elder cousin at work and even in the family. But more or less, it was always Akash who was the initiator or the leader and Arnav was the steadfast completer or follower, keeping up the name of the Singh family, lo and behold.

So when Akash had decided to study at the prestigious Harvard Business School, Arnav had blindly closed his eyes and followed in his footsteps. And similarly Arnav had joined and assisted his Brother in his business, AS Designs and then lived upto the expectations and carved a niche for himself in his brother’s business, winning Akash’s trust in him and his able work aptitude.

However, there was something where Akash had beat him fair and square and Arnav had no intention of following or competing with him. Akash even though broody and silent had his fair share of trysts with the opposite sex. Starting from his B-school days to until recently, the hot, intelligent Akash who was also an able sportsman was any day the fairer sex’s pick over a bespectacled and reticent Arnav. And Arnav was happy just the way he was. Where his brother’s scandalous love life including his link-ups and the very recent ‘live-in’ with his colleague and supermodel Lavanya Kashyap had grabbed eyeballs, Arnav had been leading the life of a saint, practically. Of course today Akash was happily married to the very bubbly and vivacious, Payal Jain now Payal Singh, after humongous battles. But there was one thing which had changed all the equations in Arnav’s life and that was the walking-in of the demure, practical, level-headed and a beauty to reckon, the elder sister of Payal, the very charming, Khushi Jain.

Arnav’s monologue came to an abrupt end as he bumped into his cousin NK. He had smiled from ear to ear making Arnav all the more nervous. His brothers had wished him luck and left him alone waiting at the threshold of a new life and his room, which now belonged to his better half too. But the question was, was he ready for life anew?

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Chapter 1

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You didn’t learn how to play an instrument well in one night. It will take time to learn how to "make music" with your spouse too.

J & G Murphy

He stumbled his way inside thanks to the half open door, looking back at the door he closed it shut, pushing his spectacles back in place and latched the door properly. Turning around he noticed the change in the room. It was lit up with candles, the ones with fragrance, and surreptitiously he acknowledged that the room felt and looked different.

‘Umm hmm.’, he cleared his throat as loudly as possible, the minute he entered the den, err his room, NO, their room, he corrected himself mentally. Unfortunately the noise did nothing to catch the attention of the said bride. His new bride. He looked at her form, she sat still, her head covered with a veil which effectively hid her pretty face from him. Arnav tried to peer through and catch her attention but there seemed to be no way to do so. She had looked absolutely ethereal in the red and gold bridal dress tonight. Infact, he had found it difficult to not eye her from time to time and steal glances, secretly. He so wanted to look at her but she was hidden away, from him. The only thing he could hear was the soft tinkling of her bangles. He could figure out that she had her head bowed down, she was probably too busy avoiding him Arnav concluded and looked away, clenching and unclenching his fists, not knowing what to do or what to say. Heck! he didn’t know what was expected out of him, he thought stiff with tension.

As the anxiety for the said night mounted up, Arnav wished that his life was a flow chart, like it had always been and he knew exactly what to do and how to go about it. Hadn’t it been the ‘flow chart way’ throughout earlier, he thought. His father, mother, Brother or his family members had decided everything for him, mostly. And now all of a sudden he was left to himself, to figure out what was to be done. To fend for himself and not only to take his own decisions from now on but also was he expected to be responsible for the lady who would now be the ‘centre of attraction’ in his life, his wife, his better half. No matter how much Arnav hated to be in command, he accepted begrudgingly that unfortunately life doesn’t always come easy at all times and this was Arnav’s first lesson right on the day he married a certain Khushi Jain, now Khushi Singh, who sat solemnly in his room, unmoved.

Silence stretched in the room like a fenile, while there were faint noises coming from the floor below, the floor that currently housed thousands, nope, hundreds of guests who had come to witness the wedding, their wedding. Arnav looked around at the furnishings of the room including the curtains, not really knowing what to do. He realised that his room was rather too loud for his liking. But then he did like loud colors? Not really. The color combination of the room was not his choice, really. He looked at the satin bedspread and noticed the rose petals strewn all over the sheet and suddenly he realised why was he actually in the room, tonight. He took in a sharp breath to calm himself down and averted his gaze away from the other person in the room, avoiding looking at her.

Yet, the simmering attraction compelled him to follow what his heart wanted, as he took an unintended step towards her, drawn towards the picture she created, as her head doled in sleep.

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Chapter 2

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And then my soul saw you and I went, ‘OH there you are.’

He bent down a little, just a little, to place himself better, over her. He looked down at her besotted. Exquisite, that is what she was. ‘His beauteous bride’. His, the word added so much more meaning to this relationship that they shared. It gave a sense of belonging and a rightful place for her in his life. He smiled to himself and bent a little lower, too low for his own good. He was lost in the moment. His eyes wide and his lips stretched into a smile, he could feel the hammering of his heart in his ears. How much had he longed to see her, like this. She looked all the more prettier, up and close, he concluded. Her big eyes that had captivated him and he knew that they will hold him captive for an entire lifetime and more, looked all the more beautiful now. He ran his eyes over her small and sharp nose. He smiled at how expressive her nose was. It turned into a hue of red when she was unhappy and he recalled how runny her nose was during the Bidaai. He sighed thinking about how she had left behind her family to be with him, his family. A surge of gratitude made its way through his heart, he had to take care of her, no matter what. It was decided then and there.

She sat still, or at least tried to as waves of sleep made her feel drowsy. The heavy clothing and jewellery, along with the air conditioning did nothing, absolutely nothing to keep her sleep at bay. She was just a mortal who had been put through days, no weeks, of exhaustive preparation and the gusto had added to her excited energy and here she was sitting in his room, as his wife, while he was shut off in the washroom. Her eyes were dropping shut now even though she had been wide awake earlier. She was finding it hard to fight away the tiredness and her sleep driven mind only registered the time on the wall clock to a 3:40 am before her eyes gave in to the sleep. But the humming disturbance around her jolted her back to reality, as she sat upright, awkwardly getting up from her sleep and stared into the confused eyes of her new husband.

I…I am sorry…so sorry. I didnt want to wake you up. I .…I mean I did want to wake you up, Arnav tried explaining through his hands, blinking his eyes a number of times, taking in her shocked expressions. Khushi’s fogged mind only registered the fact that he had been calling out to her, which is true because she did wake up due to the incessant calling out of her name and the little commotion. She blinked her eyes a few times to keep the sleep at bay and to open her eyes wider, looking at her husband.

"I …you, why dont you sleep, I mean, are you tired?’, he asked her unsure. Khushi kept staring at the man in front of him, not really understanding what to say. Nevertheless on an impulse she moved aside a little and made place for him to sit, next to her, out of courtesy, purely. Arnav stared at the place next to her before he took it, willingly. He crossed and uncrossed his thumbs on his entwined hands and peered at her through the corner of his eyes, she was busy adjusting her dress properly while she sat by his side, but not too close. They sat in amicable silence for a while not really saying anything but absorbing the moment and the comforting silence after weeks of hoopla that had surrounded them due to the continuous wedding rituals.

Khushi stared at the wall clock once again, lost in her own thoughts, partly sleep driven. She tried to recollect the times where she had sat undisturbed in the last few days and the only thing she could remember from those days were the numerous functions, a host of visitors coupled with never-ending work that had kept her busy and on her toes. It was unimaginable for her to be sitting here and not doing anything right now, well not quite literally. However, she welcomed the few minutes that came her way to put her feet up and rest her aching back, even if it was only for tonight, or for a little while. Tomorrow will be a new day, she was supposed to be up early tomorrow, she knew and had been categorically told before hand as well.

Stealthily she took in a quick glance of her groom, he was nervous, just like her, if not more. And she could tell that because he was busy fidgeting with his fingers at the moment. She turned away, surprised at how much she had noticed him and his habits, even without really knowing him. She waited for him to say something or take the lead, initiating a conversation, maybe. She realised that he was sailing in the same boat as her, atleast tonight, nervous and a little edgy. On a side note, she also noticed that he looked rather handsome in his wedding attire. He was a handsome man, as opposed to what she had heard of him in comparison to his elder cousin, that is. And he was charming in his own way, very charming. Her attention shifted to her bridal dress, she touched the dress lovingly. She found the dress to be too high-fidelity but as she traced the pattern on it with her eyes, she realised that it wasn’t too loud or overly heavy. She looked down at her hennaed hands and acknowledged that the colour of her ‘mehndi’ matched the design on his dress. She smiled to herself recollecting how her friends and family had teased her that her groom would love her a lot because the colour of her mehndi was very dark. Fated to be, she mused, now tracing the diamonds on her engagement ring. She realised that she had liked the ring too, a lot. Was it his choice? She had no idea who bought it for her but it was beautiful and simple, just like she had wanted it to be. Maybe she could let him know that she liked the ring, to begin with. But she decided against it not really sure of what was expected out of her or what should she be saying or not saying, to be specific.

She looked around the room, she realised that the candles that were lit up when she had been got to the room had now melted. Suddenly becoming conscious and aware of his presence in the room or her presence in his room, she looked down at her hands again, closing her eyes for a minute. Of course, she knew what couples did on their wedding night but realising that they were already through with the night, almost, she let that thought pass. They would not do it now? Would they, she thought unsure, her brows furrowed as she tried to come up with an answer for the question in her mind.

The clearing of his throat broke her train of thoughts. Would you like to change and umm… sleep?, he asked her, trailing off in the end and leaving her to decide what she wanted to do next. He kept looking at her, absorbing the change of expressions in her eyes. Her eyes were a mirror to her soul and he felt like he could drown in her eyes, forever, and look into them for an eternity and beyond.

She didn’t know what to tell him. A part of her was exhausted and wanted to rest and another part of her just wanted to live in the moment, capturing it in her memory to cherish it for her entire life, probably. There may not be anything special that she was doing now but the fact that it was her first night, with him, in his life and as his wife, made her feel special. She knew that she had very little time to rest before the day began and she had to make the most of it, for sure. As she looked into his caramel depths she realised that he had been awaiting a reply from her, I have to get up early tomorrow, she stated as a matter of fact. Something changed in his eyes but she could not really tell what it was. Was he disappointed? Did he want to make love, to her, now? She tried to figure out. But he looked away from her before she could gauge what was on his mind. Oh, he looked towards her bags, pointing towards them, ‘would you want to change maybe?". He looked back at her for a brief second before looking away and getting up from the bed.

Khushi felt like she had upset him, or maybe she was over-thinking. She didn’t know what else she could have told him? Maybe she could have just asked him what he wanted to do? She sighed pushing her feet deeper into the soft mattress and realising that her feet had been hurting too much for the last few days. She was not used to wearing the high-heeled footwear, like she had been doing these last few days. She was always happy in a pair of flats that would let her move around freely, unbidden. But she also knew that she would now be wearing the uncomfortable heels, too often, much against her choice. And maybe doing things that she had not done earlier or would not like doing too. But she immediately pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to dwell on it any further.

Her thoughts came to an end as she saw her husband setting her bags on the recliner, adjusting them for her, making her job easy. Khushi shook her head, there was no denying that she and he belonged to two different worlds, categorically. And if he could take a step closer for her, trying to bridge the jarring gap between them and making this work for her, then so would she. Wasn’t it decided long back, when she had decided to marry this man, at a time when her life had been convoluted. As she saw him step aside, making a place for her near the recliner, looking at her expectantly, she smiled to herself satisfied, she knew that her choice was perfect. After all Khushi wasn’t known to be quick-witted for nothing. She believed that her decision to marry Arnav was far more appropriate than her sister’s decision to marry Akash, which came later on, after she had chosen to marry Arnav over his elder cousin. She had gauged it long back that the quite man who stood by his brother and his family like a silent pillar of support for them all was both sharp and intelligent, much more than what he led people to believe of him. He was the underdog who had not been given ample scope to prove himself, so far. And she could say that because her mother had once told her that a man’s strength doesnt lie in his temper or his attitude or power and wealth, it lay in his calm demeanour and tranquil behaviour to tackle life with a peaceful mind and emerge a winner, in the long run. And as Khushi Jain, now Singh stepped down from the bed towards her said groom, stepping close to him, standing by his side, she decided that she would never give up, on him…..or them, come what may.

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Chapter 3

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"Sticking to one person for a lifetime is not a waste of time or lack of better ones, it means you’ve found your place of eternity."

Michael Bassey Johnson

She looked at the red satin in her hand, a night gown to be precise, elegant and simple, something that she had picked up for herself amongst the host of excessively short and err, provocative clothes that she had been shown at the time of purchasing this piece. Khushi had never been in favor of trading her simple night suits with the sexy ones. But her friends and mother had told her that she would be required to wear something different post wedding. She knew that. Infact she had been well aware of why it was important to dress appropriately after marriage but somehow she had found the thing too uncomfortable for her liking. And so she had coupled the sexy red night dress with a modest and matching gown to wear over it. She sighed in relief, anyway she had been on the edge about this night, not really knowing how she would react or rather he would, to this whole idea of a ‘wedding night’. But somehow as she thought about him taking her gown off and staring at her dressed in this piece of flimsy cloth which was currently in her hand, her heartbeats picked up pace and her white cheeks turned into a beautiful hue of red. She closed her eyes to do away with the intimate images that had conjectured in her mind, of him and her.

She knew his favourite color was red. Of course she did. Her sister and his elder cousin sister, Anjali, had pointed it out. There were other things too that she had been categorically told about him, like he hated too much noise, he was bashful and he loved sweets. The last bit brought a smile to her face. She didn’t really have a sweet tooth but there were times where she loved to indulge in her fragmented ‘sweet obsession’ and now that she could share that with him was flattering. She shuddered to think what would she do if she had been married to Akash, alternately. He was a diabetic and even though she knew she shouldn’t, she could not help but pity her baby sister Payal and her choices. As opposed to Khushi, Payal had a sweet tooth, a big one at that and yet she had gone ahead and married an exact opposite to her. Khushi didn’t believe in the idea of ‘opposites attract.’ Eventually how opposite could two people be? So it is always better to find someone whose is sensible enough to understand you and your choices better.

She didn’t feel that Akash did not understand her sister at all or was not keeping her happy. If her sister’s smile is anything to go by then she did feel that Akash was keeping her reasonably happy. But somehow she felt ‘safer’ when she thought of a life with Arnav, than with Akash. And she also understood that Arnav and she would have their differences, over time. Unknowingly her thoughts drifted to what Anjali had told her about him and she could not help but frown at the memory. She recollected how Anjali had warned her that Arnav although quite and submissive on the surface, can be very fierce and possessive when he wants to be. Khushi recalled the exact words that Anjali had told her sarcastically, while pulling Arnav’s leg after their sangeet function. You know Khushi, Arnav is not what he looks like. He seems to be quite docile but the fact is he is far more complicated than Akash. Infact, its easier to gauge what is going on in Akash’s mind because he gives into his anger and talks or expresses himself. However Arnav here is difficult to comprehend. He is like a swan, beautiful and quite from outside but he is ferocious and combatant from within. You cant blame him now, he is a Singh after all and much like his mother, she had finished satisfied, that she had warned the new bride-to-be in time. Khushi had no idea what to make out of that one sentence but it had been stuck to her memory, unknown to her. She sighed, this wasn’t the time to think of it, she passed it off as a joke that happens every now and then between siblings and cousins, pushing the thought far away from her mind. There were other thing to think about now.

She licked her dry lips and looked around the huge bathroom, huge as compared to her modest one back home, and then she looked at herself in the mirror. She was devoid of the heavy jewellery and wore just her bridal dress now. She was amazed at how different and yet pretty she looked right now, even after lack of sleep and the numerous functions and ceremonies that she had been a part off the last few days, which had exhausted her, literally. Probably there was a bridal glow on her face. She knew she was beautiful but what she was seeing in the mirror now was a different person altogether. She shook her head and slapped her forehead with her free hand. Of course she was a different person now, she was Khushi Singh from now on. Khushi felt the black and golden beads of the wedding chain with her fingertips. The feeling of being married and being his seeped through every fibre of her being and she felt anew, much like her mother had told her. She let her hand drop down and stared at the night dress again, conscious of the fact that on the other side of the door her new husband was waiting for her, she decided to change in the dress quickly, finally. Once dressed she looked at her refection in the mirror, and looked down while her cheeks burned with something akin to coyness.

But as she stepped out, she felt overwhelmed and welcomed. Khushi didn’t know what to think of this man who was her husband now. She was amazed at how effortlessly he had been doing things for her, trying to make her feel comfortable in his alien world. She looked at the bed and then at the room and realised that she could not have got luckier than this. It was as if she had pegged her hopes on him and heavens had conspired for their union, successfully. She looked up at the ceiling and thanked her stars for getting the ball rolling and giving a ‘start’, a good start, she corrected herself mentally to this relationship. And as she played with a few strands of her hair, waiting for her husband to catch a glimpse of her, she nevertheless could not deny the thrill of being with him, tonight and forever.

He had laid the beds properly for them both. The extra stuff had been removed diligently and placed on the recliner, neatly in a paper bag. Arnav had taken the opportunity to clear up the room and make things comfortable for her, as soon as Khushi had slipped away into the washroom. He had thought that the awkwardness between them would be too much tonight. But to his surprise when she had spoken to him, albeit a sentence or two and when she had handed over his specs to him, he had found it strangely comforting and very motivating for him to take the initiative and break the ice between them and he took it upon himself to make her feel at home. Arnav smiled to himself, this was going to be her home too from now on and as weird as it sounded to him, he was over the moon to have her by his side, literally and figuratively.

The door to the washroom opened and Khushi stepped out dressed in a gorgeous red night gown and stood by the door looking at the him hesitantly while she coiled and uncoiled her fingers in anticipation, maybe, and played with her hair. Arnav however could not take his eyes off his new bride and eyed her from head to toe. If she had looked ethereal in the bridal dress, she was ‘ready to kill’ now. A surge of excitement passed through his body, especially down south and he felt himself hardening instantly. Shit, here he was trying to make her feel comfortable so that they could sleep peacefully, as peacefully as possible and here she was hell bent on making it tough for him to control himself from holding her and kissing her without a care in the world. Arnav looked away immediately, scandalised at his own thoughts. He would not want to pounce on her, not yet.

He saw her looking at the bed, lost in her own world. Did she know that she looked absolutely gorgeous right now? Arnav shook his head to clear his mind and not to think about venturing into ‘unchartered boundaries’ for now. Aren’t you tired?, he asked her. She nodded in affirmation and looked down at her feet. You can choose which side of the bed would you want and I will be back after changing, he left her to her thoughts, giving her some space to settle in for the night, and walked away from there for a much needed cold shower to calm himself down.

She turned from side to side, sometimes pushing the comforter away from her or sometimes dragging it up to her neck, covering herself up but sleep eluded her tonight. Damn, tonight of all the nights when she had been totally exhausted and had wanted to rest for a while all she could do was, feel tired and yet not be able to sleep. And the reason was simple, it was because of him. She gulped and buried her nose more into the soft pillow as she tried to push away the fact that she was lying inches away from her very cute and handsome new husband whose ‘tang’ was messing up with her already overactive senses.

Khushi had debated several times about her decision to marry him but every time the voice in her head and heart had told her that he would be the perfect life partner for her. And that he was, giving her space and due importance, at least now. And so even though Khushi was tired after she had stepped out of the washroom, she had decided to wait for him. She had thought that it would be rude for her to lie down and sleep off, especially when he had laid the bed for them, both. However, ever since he had stepped out of the washroom all she had been doing was curbing her crazy hormones. She wondered if it was a good idea for her to wait for him, after all. She sighed, the man had stepped into the room, freshly showered and had been looking absolutely adorable in his black night pants and white sweatshirt. She was so aware of his presence and his aura that it had become difficult for her to handle the tension now. He looked rather dashing in his casual clothes, she noted. She had seen him in traditional outfits and even in his three-piece suits, thanks to the few chanced upon meetings and numerous functions that they had attended before the wedding, which gave her a glimpse of him. But she knew the exploring bit was going to happen now, post the wedding, in all the sense of the world.

Truth be told she had never been in the close proximity of a man and frankly she had never missed being with one too, until tonight. She had noticed everything about him, from his stubble to the profile of his nose and jaw bones accentuating on his handsome face and features. She closed her eyes to block out the images, his images, and turned away from him. She didn’t know why but she was too conscious of his physical presence around her, and she was liking everything about him, everything she mused. Unlike her sister Payal who had found his specs to be a distraction on his otherwise handsome face, Khushi believed that it added to his charm and brought about a more sensitive and serious appeal to his personality, especially given his height. At 6 feet and 2 inches, bespectacled and blessed with a lean body, Arnav Singh may not be the typical M&B heroes she had read about all her life, but he was her man, the one for her, her choice, the one for keeps. And she liked him like that.

She had also noticed how he had gulped the water down right from the bottle and how his throat had bobbed up and down while he was quenching his thirst. She felt her lips turning dry at the memory. Darn, she had been noticing a lot about him, even the mark right above his left eye. She wondered what it was but whatever it was she had found it to be uncannily attractive. She had found everything about him very desirable. She felt a rather dull ache in between her legs and her breasts felt heavy. She opened the palm of her hand which was lying on her chest and cupped her one breast softly, fingering her nipple, wondering how his hand would feel on her aroused tips. Her lips parted on their own accord and she felt her stomach knotting up in the process. She immediately let go of her breast and pulled her joined legs up to her stomach, trying to make herself feel better and tried diverting her attention. But it looked like an impossible task tonight. She pouted sullen and closed her eyes shut, blocking out the fact that he was around her and tried to catch up on some sleep. Tomorrow will be a new day, she chanted to herself as the exhaustion finally took over and she fell into a deep slumber.

The man in question however could not sleep at all on his first night after wedding with his said beautiful wife around him, on his bed, sleeping rather peacefully after giving him a sleepless night. Arnav had tried to act brave and nonchalant at her presence when he had stepped out after the shower and had been pleasantly surprised to see her waiting for him, checking him out, rather blatantly. He had never felt so glad in his entire life with the said female attention, ever. He was a decent looking man, he knew that but two things had kept him away from seeking out female company. One was his focus on his career and carving a niche for himself in the business-world. And two, whenever his Brother was around, Akash had been the obvious pick, not because of his looks alone, but because Brother had retuned the favor of giving the due attention to those women who eyed the brothers, subtly and sometimes openly. While Arnav had always brushed them off with a polite smile and a cold shoulder.

However, it wasn’t that Arnav had not enjoyed female attention at all. Coming from a renowned family and being successful does draw attention from the opposite sex, sometimes from the same sex too. But Arnav had turned a blind eye to it all. Anyway the swing of women who preferred a ‘good boy’ over ‘a socially active bad boy’ were lesser. And he was thankful for that because Arnav for one hated the plastic, unnatural beauties who had flocked around Brother and him on numerous occasions. And the repercussions were dire. Since the Singh’s were a talked about name in social circuits and Page 3 of the leading national and international newspapers, it hadn’t come as a surprise when he had been termed as an impotent or even a gay at times, especially because his Brother was active in dating circles while he had kept his distance. And although his family, especially his mother, had freaked out at the ‘tags’ being given to him from the speculating media networks and socialites, Arnav had ignored it as one of the media’s yet another cooked-up gossip stories. Arnav knew what and who he was, after all, better than anyone else. He preferred to believe in himself and his instincts rather than going all out and proving a bunch of socialites and journos something. He was not an alpha-male but definitely a male who was made of sterner stuff, a one-woman’s man, highly dedicated and loyal to the core and he preferred to be just that. That is why he had never bothered to rubbish the false news or talk about clearing his image, at all, because at the end of the day it didn’t matter to him. What mattered to him was that he had earned a name for himself and would marry as and when he liked, with someone he could connect with.

No matter how much a guy seeks affection or pleasure outside, he does want to come back to a loving family home, eventually. And if Brother’s life is anything to go by then he knew that his thoughts were true. So similar to his grandmother’s thinking and much to his mother’s chagrin, Arnav’s choice was someone who was beautiful ‘inside-out’, a caring and loving girl who would accept him and his family with open arms. And Khushi was just that. The one made for him. The one he would cherish for an entire lifetime.

He turned on his side to face his new bride now. She was lying on her back and he could make out that she was fast asleep due to the rhythmic falling and rising of her chest. He looked at her pretty face and then her neck. He eyed the Mangalsutra and his heart swelled with inexplicable happiness. She belonged to him. The thought was overwhelming. He perched himself on his elbow and looked at her half open palms lying closer to his side. He acknowledged that her hennaed hands were beautiful. He bent a little further towards her hands for a better look in the dim light of the room and tried to figure out the ‘A’ of his name in her small palms. He smiled to see the letter imprinted right in the middle of her left palm inside a small heart. For a second he thought that his heart would burst with unlimited joy of having her as his wife. Uninhibited he inched closer to her hand and let his lips drop a little closer to her palm and kissed the little heart with his letter on it. He moved back and looked at her, she was sleeping peacefully. Would she know that he had kissed her hand? Not that there was anything wrong with it since she was his legally wedded wife. But somehow it felt like an intrusion of her privacy. Arnav wanted to move back but something stopped him from doing that, the sight of her parted and pink lips. He felt his gut tightening as he stared unmoved at her plump lips. He didn’t know what got into him but he bent towards her face and placed his lips on the corner of her mouth, closing his eyes and savouring the feel of her soft skin under his craggy one. Lifting his lips a little, he set them on her again, this time on her inviting lips.

For a few seconds he didnt breathe at all, scared that he would wake her up, but when she didnt move, he gently relaxed and pecked her soft petal like lips again. He could feel his heart hammering against his chest and he didn’t know if it was because of the kiss or because he was kissing her, stealthily, but he knew that he enjoyed the moment. He felt his member hardening some more, if it was possible. But all he acknowledged was that he would never forget this moment, ever. He bent back slowly, looking at her while she shifted a little in her sleep. Arnav immediately went back to his side, turning away from her. He closed his eyes frustrated. What was wrong with him tonight. He knew he had to let her rest and he was okay with ‘taking it slow’ but somehow the idea of sleeping beside her and watching her in the red night dress was giving him a hard time, literally and absolutely. He wanted to run his hands over her curves and press her mounds to his hearts content. His hands itched to reach her and rub a fingertip on her supple breasts or kiss her lightly on her little cleavage visible through the red night gown. But he knew he wont do it, not now. He inhaled sharply trying to soothe the growing hardening of his member. "All in good time,’ he told himself as he turned away from her once again, trying to sleep and yet not getting any, not tonight, at least.

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Chapter 4

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I think togetherness is a very important ingredient to a happy family life.

Barbara Bush

She felt like she was flying in the air, on a cloud of white cotton. Everything around her was surreal and it looked like she was in ‘heavens abode’. She looked around, trying to figure out where was she but all she could see was a pair of caramel brown eyes, that had the power to move her, looking at her intently. The eyes kept staring at her until she blushed profusely and looked down, shy of the attention that she was being showered with. And then there was a hand that was extended for her to take. She looked at the hand, it looked familiar, very familiar. It was his hand. The same hand that had held her’s firmly in a ‘never to let go’ grip after the "Kanyadaan’ that her parents had performed during her wedding with him. She remembered how her hennaed and small hand had been given into his manly one. And she had looked into his eyes, that held nothing but a ‘promise of a wonderful life ahead’ with him, by her side, always.

She kept staring into his eyes, captivated, until his face came closer to her’s. Her eyes widened and her lips quivered in anticipation as he came closer and closer and closer, until his lips were just on her’s. And that is when everything blanked out and she opened her eyes surprised.

Constant knocking, no banging, on the door broke her reverie. She rubbed her tired eyes to see daylight filtering in through the windows. She had been fast asleep she realised. Taking in her surroundings, her mind jolted back to the reality and it hit her, hard, that she was married and in her new home, his home. Immediately her eyes moved to his side, across the bed and connected with his sleep laden brown ones. Both of them stared at each other for a minute and then she opened her mouth to say something but the knocking on the door, this time much louder than the previous times, caught her attention, their’s actually. She saw him getting up to open the door but he stopped midway and as she furrowed her brows, trying to understand what had stopped him, she saw that his hand was caught in her’s. She didn’t know who was holding whose hand but his hand was on top of her’s while her fingers held his large, warm palm tightly in her grip. Conscious of the fact, she let go of his hand and sat up, straightening her clothes while she saw him step away, opening the door and welcoming a very eager looking Payal inside.

Khushi didn’t know if she should laugh or reprimand her sister for her childish behaviour, but for now she did nothing, waiting to see what her baby sister had to say or do. Payal had been on a teasing spree ever since the wedding rituals had started off. And that hadn’t seemed to end even now. She shook her head looking at her sister who was busy lifting her eyebrows at her husband and asking him if he had a good sleep. Of course the innuendo was evident, as her eyes roamed around the room. Kyun Jijaji, did my Jiji let you sleep well last night? Or were you unable to sleep at all, as I can see from your red eyes, and she had giggled to her heart’s content while her poor husband had looked down, not knowing what to say. Khushi was about to intervene when she saw her sister look at her and smile widely.

Payal came running across the room to her and engulfed her in a bear hug. Jiji, you look so lovely you know, in these clothes, she said in her ears loud enough for her husband to hear her. Khushi just smacked her forehead and pushed her away, shaking her head in negation and eyeing Arnav in the process, attempting to tell her baby sister to shut up. Her sister however, laughed some more and thrust a packet in her hand, instructing her to wear the clothes in it. She reminded Khushi as to how Khushi was now the younger daughter-in-law of the family while she was the elder one, ideally because she was married to the elder brother. And so Khushi will have to listen to her now. Her sister pulled her non-existent collar up and tried to mock intimidate Khushi and bully her a little. Khushi pursued her lips together, not giving her any reaction, fully aware of her childish antics. Satisfied that she had done the needful and handed over the packet to her sister, Payal picked some of the flowers from the paper bag that was lying on the recliner and threw them on her, and then on Arnav. This time Khushi’s stern and reprimanding voice stopped her antics midway. Payal, stop it, she hissed. Payal narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips and stated giggling, its not Payal, Jiji, call me Jethaniji and I am no longer scared of your anger, ok. She stuck her tongue out and threw her hands in the air, waving a quick bye to them both and scurried off while Arnav closed the door and latched it behind her.

Khushi stared at the closed door for a few seconds and then shook her head in dismay. She knew her sister was a kind soul, caring and giving, always. Infact there were times when Khushi had found it tough to connect with Payal’s selflessness. She had believed that a person should be magnanimous and kind-hearted to all. However, there was ‘nothing’ wrong in keeping one’s interest ahead of others. Wasn’t it what most people did? She felt it was wrong to harm or use people to fulfil self-seeking motives but being a little selfish is not bad, at times. And selfish she was, alright, in her own twisted way.

Selflessness aside, there were more qualities of Payal that she disapproved off. Payal was exasperatingly childish at times and mostly didn’t know when she stepped a line or two. Yes her intentions were never bad, given that too she needed to learn to back off, at times. And this wasn’t referred to in context of her husband or what had happened now. Not at all, that was purely harmless but Payal had pissed people off many a times due to her juvenile behaviour, especially the ones who didn’t give her innocence any due importance. She sighed and wondered when her sister would grow up, in the true sense. Payal needed to grow up for herself, if not for anyone else, she concluded.

The clearing of a throat cut through her monologue. She realised that she had been too lost in the moment. She looked at her husband who was facing her now and she realised that his eyes were way too red for someone who had just got up from sleep. Dont like the saree?, he questioned sitting on the bed, afar from her. Khushi blinked a few times to focus on what he was saying and then looked down at the packet in her hands. She looked up to see him looking at her expectantly and then averting his gaze. Probably he wanted to ask her something she thought. Its nice and I love the color, she added as an afterthought to see him shake his head in affirmation. She then placed the packet neatly on the bed, got up and started clearing the bed. I will do this, why dont you go and freshen up?, he immediately stopped her and took the comforter away from her hands, looking at her with hopeful eyes. She mildly felt guilty because she had thought that he would probably be a spoilt brat, much like his elder cousin. But the man was a gem of a person. Gratitude filled her being as she saw him folding the comforter and placing it on the bed. You laid the bed so technically I should be the one clearing it up, she tried interjecting. He smiled at her warmly, from tomorrow, for now you better get ready and go down, he said pointing at the packet. How did she get so lucky, she wondered as she picked up the packet and stepped in the washroom, smiling to herself.

He needed to tame his hormones, he decided. Ever since he had been up, up from the bed because he hadn’t slept a wink last night, so getting up from sleep was out of question. And all he could think off since he saw her this morning was how her lips had felt against his, soft and warm, inviting and luscious. He was mildly ashamed of his act last night. He had taken advantage of her sleep and she had no idea what he had been upto while she slept without a care in the world. He ran a hand through his hair and decided to come clean with her, later of course. He had no intentions of adding to her stress today because he knew what she would be going through right now. It was a new house and a new life for her and she would obviously take a while to adjust to this place, with him and his family. Which was partly the reason why he hadn’t initiated anything physical with her last night. He wanted her to know him and gel well with everyone and have mental peace before they took their relationship to the next level.

For now he was just eager to see her dressed in the saree he had chosen for her. It was his grandmother who had sought his choice while buying this saree for Khushi to wear on her first day in this new home. He smiled to himself happy that she had liked what he had picked up for her, unknown to her. As he heard her stepping out, he turned around to take his clothes and head for a shower but what he saw paralysed him, momentarily. She looked breathtaking in the emerald green blouse and underskirt, her front was covered with a towel which she was using to wipe her hair, her hair was wet and dark, spread around her face like a halo and she looked angelic. As she stepped further Arnav saw that her blouse was wet and her brassiere was clearly visible through the wet and thin material of the blouse. He could make out that the color of her undergarment was black and he could not help but think how her milky white skin would look encased in the black lingerie. He hardened instantly thinking about the contrasting color of the undergarment to her skin. Looking away he picked his towel up and hurried inside for a much needed shower once again. Damn the resolve, here he was having a tough time controlling himself and his new wife was busy testing his patience, unknowingly. He leaned against the washroom door breathing hard and closed his eyes, blocking out the images his overactive brain had conjectured, pictures of her in barely nothing.

Khushi found the room too hot for her liking and the surrounding air was thick with tension, at the moment, or maybe it was her hormones once again. She didn’t know if it was a figment of her imagination or had she really seen him look at her ‘that’ way. Her cheeks reddened some more as she thought to herself about his gaze that was fixed on her, brazen and unnerving. She flushed to the roots as she thought of him looking at her in her underskirt and an exposing, deep neck blouse. She had casually walked into the room after her bath, lost in her own world when his piercing gaze had made her self conscious. And yet she hadn’t felt the need to cover herself up. If she recalled correctly then before wedding she had never felt this way, ever. She wondered what had gotten into her all of a sudden in one night. Confused she decided to concentrate on wearing the saree now, lest she gets late, which she could not afford, not today atleast.

She had been trying to fix the front of her saree for a while now but the more she tried, the worse it got. She huffed in irritation and tucked the bundle of her dress, which she had been holding in her hand, inside the underskirt awkwardly. As she looked at herself in the mirror she realised that the saree looked clumsily tied. She sighed, Khushi was a pro at wearing Indian traditional clothes but today she just could not tie the darn thing properly, out of nervousness, she concluded. She was jittery and she knew it very well. It was her first day as the ‘daughter-in-law’ of the Singh family. Her breathe got caught in her throat as she realised the responsibility that she would be expected to fulfill as the daughter-in-law of this family. She wondered how the day would turn out to be? She knew from her sister that the family was more than welcoming and they had been enthusiastic about having her married to their son. But somehow she felt a bit uneasy about this day, maybe because it was her first day here and everything was new for her. She tried to calm her nerves down and put up a brave front and smile to herself in the mirror. However, the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Would she be able to make everyone happy? How would the members of the family be? Would they be accepting towards her mistakes, if at all there would be any or would they scrutinise her for everything she did? She had no idea what the day or this new life had in store for her but she hoped that in everything that she did, she had the support of her Deity and her husband, unknowingly giving him the special place in her mind and heart which till now belonged only to her parents.

She wondered if every girl who got married went through the same emotions, said or unsaid? Or was she being overly fretful about it? Khushi had been worrying too much about the impending morning with the family and it was taking a toll on her now. In hindsight, there was nothing to worry. They had finished with all the after wedding rituals last night, before the impending wedding night and now only a few of the rituals were left with her cooking something for the family today, followed by a reception tonight and maybe a ‘Muh Dikhayi’ which would happen only tomorrow, if she knew correctly. And yet she felt her hands getting cold at the thought of facing everyone.

She wished her mother was here to guide her, hold her hand and stand by her or just be there, for her. She could feel a lump in her throat and she blinked a few times to keep the tears at bay. All she wanted to do was to bury her face in her mother’s chest and cry her nervousness away. But alas, her mother was not there with her. She sniffed inaudibly and closed her eyes sending a quick prayer to the Almighty above to take care of her when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. And she turned around to look into his warm and comforting brown eyes. And she kept staring in his eyes untill she realised how his anxious and inquisitive brown eyes from last night had turned affectionate now. Khushi?, he questioned worried. She turned her face away from him lest he sees her perturbed and vulnerable. Not that she had anything to hide from him but she didn’t want to upset him with her anxiety.

He held her small, cold hand in his large, withered ones. Khushi stood unmoved, while he gently rubbed the pad of his thumb on the back of her hand. Her own eyes widened in surprise at the way the warmth spread through her pores, his warmth. Is everything alright?, he asked her. She turned around sharply and hugged him with all her might, closing her eyes tight and burying her nose into his homely chest. She let her hands go around him towards his back, holding onto his shirt tightly, crumpling the material in the process while she took in the strength from him. The strength to face the day and let it pass through without any unwanted hurdles.

Taken by surprise, Arnav stood unmoved, his heart stilled and he didn’t know how to react. Khushi was glued to him, literally. He could feel the heat emanating from her body and reaching his. His hand hovered over her back as he raked his mind on how to make her feel better or what to tell her. He knew that she had been perturbed about the said morning, he had read it in her eyes