Homecoming

"But, you know, the thing about romance is, people only get together right at the very end."
-Love Actually

~A U T H O R~

The now newly weds settled into their car. Driving to the Oberoi Mansion.
The air inside the car was thick, sharp.
Two strangers together, alone.

No one of them could be comfortable, their was space but yet it felt cramped.
He had slowly leaned on his seat, Eyes closed as he just pictured the entire day . All the events that unfolded, one by one.
Changing what he had restricted himself to allow.
Something he had never wanted.
It pained in his chest, he was confused.
Should he console her or his own heart.

A few hours back, he was being the absolute rake his reputation was based on,
Now he had a wife.

Then, he felt it.
A sudden weight, placed on his shoulder
But yet felt heavier on his heart.
Her head , leaning against his shoulder.
For support.
Her eyes were shut, breath steady.
And for a moment he didn't move.
Her face was calm, relaxed.

What if even my sharp breathing wake her up....?

He stayed like that, he couldn't move. If she wakes up and finds herself leaning against his shoulder, she would freak out.
And it will mortifying.
For both of them.
So he stayed glued to his seat.

He had noticed how a stray strand of hair, fell upon her face. Intruding her little space.
He moved his hand to push it back, like how could a stupid hair strands wake her up. No way.

But then he stopped, mid action.

"What if she thinks I am intruding her space. What if she misunderstands the situation...?"

So he stayed their, now his arms crossed against his chest.

.
"Speed down the car" He told the driver, voice calm. In a low pitch and the driver nodded . instinctively.

And then. He too drifted away in his own dreamworld, moments later.
The day was exhausting, mentally more than physically.
But he didn't leaned back on her, it wasn't his place to be. He leaned against the window.
hard. uncomfortable .like always.

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The home still buzzes with some distant relatives. Now grinning happily, for the welcome ceremony. They were happy and excited to see the newly weds.

Though somewhere inside the house,
"Didi, how can these men be so cruel. How could they force my son to get married, just like that!!" Swarna yelled, questioned.
Her rage was visible. For every single family member.

"You know it yourself, their was no other choice. Whatever happened to Advik was unfair. But It was the only right thing to do" Aradhana answered back, her hand gently patting on Swarna's shoulder.
Gentle. Warm. Familiar.

"For whatever is it's worth, my son is now trapped in a loveless marriage. I can't digest that fact" Swarna says between the sniffles.
She was always like This. Only for Her son. Afterall she was a mother
And her heart ached to see her son been treated as trash.

A pawn , to save families dignity.
She wouldn't have been this offended if she had not known him.
He couldn't deny. Never , he couldn't stand for himself. Not like that .
If family was in question, he had always sacrifice himself.
Has done it many a times.
Even today.

Like he had just accepted his faith.

Then, the long streched silence cuts when someone calls the two ladies out.
"The newly weds are here" the person had said, excited.

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.
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The remaining rituals too were performed.
And she entered the house as his wife now.
The family had long mastered the smile on their lips, which never quite reached their eyes.
And it made her feel self conscious, unwanted. Like she didn't belonged here.
She had imagined her welcome ceremony to be fun.loud. just like how every other wedding ceremony was.

Jokes, smiles, adoration. Teasing.
It was absent today. Long gone.

The only good thing was ,
Adheera.
They had been close in age, and had a good bonding since the first time.

"Welcome home Bhabhi" Adheera had hugged her. Squeezing her shoulder a little too tightly
As if indicating, ' i am here for you '
And she left out a breath she never knew she was holding.
She nodded almost immediately.

Adheera was always like that.
The youngest one and the only daughter of a house.
So overly pampered and loved by all.
It wasn't a flaw, never. She was genuine
She was the only one who could bring a smile on everyones face.

And it worked
dadi, chachi everyone quickly opened up their arms to embrace the new bride
His bride.

"Welcome to the family" dadaji says, and she nodded again. She didn't knew what words to form
Her mind was too fazed to think straight.

Then a sharp voice cut through it like a knife
"Adheera take her to her room" His father said.not long after adding "and you follow me to my study , Advik"
It was a command he could not disobey.
So he did as asked.

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Adheera walked her upstairs, to his room.
Their room.

The silence between them was thick though.
For the first time they both did not knew
What to say.
Normally Adheera would have been a full bullet train.
Teasing her. Making jokes.
But today was different.

Things were awkward, even between them.

She entered his room. Adheera stayed for a minute longer, tgen finally said,
"my room is just across from here. If you need anything"
And she had nodded.

Now she was alone
The room was big enough, but yet smaller as compared to Aditya's room. The one she had seen before. During her visit. When she was going to marry him.
When she had thought that it would be her room in future.
The big room with White walls , a large bed, simple yet expensive furniture.
A room which screamed perfection.
Rich.

This room was a lot messier.
His unpacked suitcase was still on the bed
Clothes shoved and tossed all over the room.
The walls were grey, the big bed stayed in the centre.
A coffee table and a couch in the corner. And a wall , full of travel posters.
Dedicated to all the countries he had visited.

She had known he was a travel enthusiast, the family had often referred Aditya's cousin as a freebird. Doing whatever he wants.

And she always was curious how that person would be. Will be better friendly to her...?

Then her eyes again roamed around the messy room.
Ofcourse it would be messy,
It's not like he was prepared for anything disastrous to happen.
But she didn't mind it.

It wasn't her place to judge him
Or worry about the mess in his room

Her mind was already preoccupied by thoughts. Already a mess

The days events yet again flashed through her memories . Things which would haunt her nights.

And her chest felt heavy. She had stopped herself and her emotions to flow for too long now.
An entire day, trying to hide her tears.
Her thoughts. To smile at stupid photos and relatives. She had acted too well

So she finally let them out.
Sitting on the bed.
His bed.

Letting her tears finally flow down, sobbing hard. Clutching onto the dupatta for support.

She cried, and cried. And cried.

Until her mind finally felt relaxed.

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Just then the door opens. Slowly.

He stood their, now. Her husband.
His hairs were dishelved, face weary from distress and once his sharply ironed kurta underneath the sherwani, now wrinkled.

He stood their for a moment longer.
Taking in her sight.
Her eyes bloodshot, puffy from all that crying.
Her nose turned crimson.

It made him feel shit.
She was crying over someone as undeserving as Aditya. His cousin. It sent a jolt through his chest.

He had wanted to track down that bastard and shake him . Knock some sense into him.

Wasn't he the one supposed to be sensible here..? Real mature.
He was the elder one and yet he created this mess.
Then why did he fucked up so bad....?
Why to ruin everyone's life.......?
Leaving him in this trance.

But then he looked at her, stared
For a moment
Taking in her sight.
She was sitted on his bed, crying her heart out.
Her hair strands falling down from the hairstyle.on her face
Her makeup smudged now.
Still in that red lehenga of hers.

How could she be this vulnerable yet elegant at same moment..?

She was a sin draped in Red.
Lethal.
Heartwarming.
Mind freezing.

But as she took the sight of him, she quickly wiped the last of the tears.
She could not let him see her cry. Like this.
When she thought she looked shit.
Like an Abandoned puppy.
Left by their owner.
On the streets.
Nowhere to go.
No place. No one.
Nothing

He just stood their, fighting in between the urge to go near and calm her.
To say that she should not cry over someone as undeserving.
To not waste her tears anymore. For anyone.

But he could not find the right words.

So he finally after a long stretched silence says,
"I will tell the staff to clean the room and make space for your belongings in it" his tone was normal. Very calm.

She nods. Once , then twice.

So he again said,
"You should get changed. This thing is too heavy and uncomfortable"
he said, glancing over the red lehenga which hugged her tiny frame.

then he bite down on his inner cheek.
It was too intrusive to tell her what she should do.

So he quickly turned away, not before his gaze landed on her suitcase.
A heavy one.
In pink colour.

In one corner of the room. The staff probably had kept it their.
'She will need her stuff'
He had thought

So,

He picked it up, and brought it near to her frame. Near the bed.
She stared.
At his actions.
At how he had lifted that heavy suitcase in one go.
Without flinching.

Then he brought the other suitcases aswell.

"Be comfortable" he had almost muttered under his breath before leaving the room for her alone.
And she had heard him.

Once again she was all alone.
Left.
Abandoned.
But it was the only thing she needed right now.
A moment to let herself Fully realise what had happened.
A moment of silence for her inner thoughts.
So she used the opportunity.
Stayed.

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