Aastik
It's finally Saturday, and we’re going to her place. Her face is still the same— pale and distant. She’s not sleeping well. Every night, she does that butterfly hug and tries to comfort herself.
If you’re wondering how I know that… then let me tell you. I sneak into her room every night, just to make sure she’s sleeping okay. I’ve been doing this since the night she got her first attack.
"Sweetheart, you ready?" I asked, pulling up my BMW in front of her house.
She nodded and stepped out, slipping her hand into mine. Her hands were slightly sweaty, her grip tense, like she was trying to hold herself together.
I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and walked in with her.
"Aree, you both came! Come inside, Mr. Malhotra, take a seat," her mother said, rushing out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her dupatta.
Then her eyes landed on Ahana. She smiled warmly and said, "Wahh, lagta hai jamai ji achha khayal rakhte hain tera. Kitni sundar ho gayi hai meri bachhi."
(Wahh, looks like son-in-law is taking good care of you. My daughter has became so beautiful)
Ahana smiled softly and bent down to touch her mother’s feet. Her mother blessed her, placing a gentle hand on her head. Just then, her father entered the room.
"How are you, Mr. Malhotra?" he asked, completely ignoring Ahana’s presence.
" I’m fine… having this beauty beside me. It’s quite a unique situation, isn’t it? Jinki beti ko unki aankhon ke saamne, bina kisi permission ke shadi karke le gaya, aaj usi ke maa-baap ne mujhe apne ghar bulaya hai," I replied with a mocking smile.
(....Whose daughter I married and took her away in front of their eyes without any permission, today her parents have invited me to their home)
He shifted uncomfortably and let out an awkward laugh, which I royally ignored.
"Ahu…" a voice called out from behind us. She turned around quickly, desperately almost like the air to find the source of the voice. It was Daivik.
"Meri Ahu… kab aayi tu?" he asked, taking a step forward. She was just about to run to him, anyone could see how much she was holding herself back but for some reason, she stayed rooted to her spot.
(My ahu... When did you came?)
"Abhi aayi hoon, bhaiya," she replied in a calm and steady voice.
(I just arrived, brother)
Daivik’s gaze dropped for a moment, his shoulders stiffening. Then he looked at me with a completely blank-faced to which I returned the look with the same lack of expression. Gladly.
"Ahana… why are you sitting there like a doll?" her mother called from the kitchen. "Jamaai ji must be tired, go take him to your room."
Huhh… finally, sasuma said something good today.
She took me to her small world the room where she hides from the rest of the world. Simple, warm, and filled with little things that spoke of her. A few scattered books, some flowers near the window, and that familiar vanilla scent floating in the air… it was all her.
I couldn't hold back myself anymore....I closed the door behind us with a soft click and pulled her gently into me, hugging her from behind.
Her back, which had gone stiff at first, slowly began to melt under my touch. I could feel the rise and fall of her breath syncing with mine, the tension in her shoulders easing bit by bit.
I tightened my arms around her. Resting my head gently on her shoulder, I closed my eyes, breathing her in. Her scent was calming, soothing my nerves in a strange yet familiar way.
I missed this.
"A-Aastik ji… k-kya kar rahe hain… chhodiye na… koi aa jaayega," she stammered, placing her trembling hands over mine.
(A-Aastik ji… Wh-what are you doing… Leave it… someone will come,)
"I locked the door. No one’s coming," I murmured near her ear, sniffing her vanilla scent.
"B-but aap achanak se a-aise kyun kar rahe hain?" she asked, in a mix of nervous and curios voice.
(B-but why are you suddenly behaving like this?)
I smirked, fully aware of the effect I had on her, and slowly dragged my cheek against her soft, round one. Her breath hitched at my actions as she closed her eyes, letting herself feel the moment.
Then, brushing my lips against her flushed skin, I whispered in a low and deliberate voice, "Because someone thought it was smart to hug me without permission… and said I could punish them for it."
"Huh?" she blinked, confused.
"Why? You don’t remember, sweetheart?" I asked, turning her around to face me.
"B-but this… this isn’t a punishment," she said with her completely red face.
"This is," I whispered, pulling her closer, "and for me… no punishment could be as perfect as this."
I wrapped her in my arms, and this time, her small hands slid behind my back as she leaned into the embrace, melting into me.
We stayed like that for a while not saying anything, just holding each other, enjoying each other's company. It felt peaceful... so peaceful that it scared me a little that I might get addicted to it.
" Aab chhodiye v.…" she mumbled softly, still in my arms.
(Now leave me....)
"Tum chhodo pehle," I replied, tightening my hold.
(you leave first)
"Mnn… nahi kar raha," she said without thinking, her voice was barely above a whisper.
(I don’t want to...)
" Sach mein?" I asked, raising a brow as I looked at her.
(Really?)
Her eyes widened in realization, and in the next second, her hands flew up to cover her face, hiding her blush, clearly embarrassed at what she had just blurted out.
I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing out loud at her cute antics.
I was just about to tease her more when suddenly, a knock interrupted us.
She instantly pushed me back with such force that I stumbled a few steps. Flustered, she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to fix herself, and then opened the door like nothing had happened.
Ahana
I quickly opened the door with a racing heart, only to find Bhaiya standing there.
"Ahu, Mumma is calling you—wait! Do you have a fever? Why is your face so red? And just look at your condition!" Bhaiya said, eyeing me like a detective, making my face burn even more in embarrassment.
"K-kuch nahi Bhaiya… Mumma bula rahi hai na, main jaa rahi hoon," I blurted and rushed out of there, but not before throwing Mr. Devil a hard glare.
(N-nothing, Bhaiya… Mumma is calling, right? I’m going.)
And what did he do? That shameless man winked at me!
"Inko thodi si sharam de dete, Bhagwan aap…" I muttered under my breath and walked straight to the kitchen.
(God, you could've given him a little shame at least...)
"Mumma, aapne bulaya?" I asked her with a soft smile.
(Mumma, did you call me?)
"Hmm," she replied shortly, focused on making pooris.
"Aree, dijiye na, main karti hoon," I said, stepping forward to help, but she stopped me.
(Aree, give me na, I'll do it)
"Nahi nahi… ab to tu ameer ghar ki maharani hai, hai na? Maa ki yaad aayegi bhi?" she said, her tone laced with sarcasm.
("No no… now you’re the queen of a rich household, right? Why will you miss your mom right?)
"A… aise kyun bol rahi ho Mumma?" I whispered, my smile slowly fading away replaced by a familiar face which in few days I started to forget.
(W..why are you saying like this mumma?)
"Woh sab chhod, tu idhar aa," she said and then leaned a little closer. "Jab sasural ja rahi thi, tab kya sikhaya tha maine? Jamai ko khush rakhna. Lekin tu kar kya rahi hai?"
("Forget all that, come here," she said and then leaned a little closer. "When you were going to your in-laws, what did I teach you? To keep your husband happy. But what are you doing?")
"Matlab?" I asked, confused at her words.
(Means?)
"Have you seen yourself in the mirror, Ahana?" she whispered sharply, her eyes narrowing. "Ladki hai na tu? Bola tha khane pe control rakh… kitni moti ho gayi hai tu. 2-3 kg brr gyr honge, Abhi ek thappad padegi na, to khana bhool jaayegi! Tujhe kya lagta hai, koi aira-gaira hai jamai ji? Unhe dekh kitne handsome aur fit hain. Aur unki biwi? Moti bhes! Abhi bhi utni zada change nhi hui hai, figure thik thak hai but or patli ho, fir or sundar dikhegi. I’m telling you again… yeh tera ghar nahi hai, Ahana. Tera asli ghar tere pati ka hai. Toh yeh koshish karna ki wahan se tera patta na kat jaaye," she added coldly, patting my shoulder like she just gave me life advice.
(You’re a girl, right? I told you to control your love for food… you’ve become so fat. You must have gained 2-3 kilos. If you get a slap now, you’ll forget all about eating! What do you think, Jamai ji is anybody to mess with? Look at him, so handsome and fit. And you? You’re a fat mess! You still haven’t changed that much, your figure is okay, but if you were thinner, you’d look more beautiful. I’m telling you again… this is not your home, Ahana. Your real home is with your husband. So make sure you don’t lose your place there)
I bit my lips hard, holding back everything, swallowing the lump in my throat and nodded.
"Good." She said before leaving.
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"Ahana sabko khana paros de," mumma said and I nodded, taking the serving spoon in my hand.
(Ahana, serve food to everyone)
I started with papa, gave him poori and sabzi, then moved to bhaiya, served him generously too. Then I went to HIM.
I placed four pooris on his plate... then five… then six. But this man! can he really eat so much? And not a single word from him?
I slowly looked up only to find his gaze not on his food, but stuck on my face.
A small smile crept onto my lips as I leaned in and whispered, "Aap humesa to dekhte hi rehete hai, abhi khana dekh lijiye na..."
((You’re always busy looking at me, at least look at the food now…)
"Ha dekhta to hu," he said in that soft, teasing voice of his, "but maan kaha bharta hai... ye dil hai ki, dil maange more type ka hai."
(Yeah, I do look," he said in that soft, teasing voice of his, "but the heart is never satisfied… it’s one of those ‘dil maange more’ type)
He completed and gently brushed his fingers against mine, and my heart did that stupid fluttering thing again. I blushed, lowering my eyes with a tiny smile, but—
Khrrrmm!
A loud throat-clearing broke the moment. I looked up with wide eyes and a red face only to find my whole family staring at us.
I gave him three more pooris as punishment and quickly walked away, going to stand behind everyone quietly, hoping my face wasn’t as red as it felt.
"Sweetheart, tum aao... tum waha khadi kyun ho?" he asked, genuinely confused.
(Sweetheart, you also join us, why are you standing there alone?)
And just like that, my face flushed even more. Bhagwan, ek kaam karo... meri face ko permanently red kar do. Tabhi shayad iss Mr. Devil ko shanti mile. Sabke samne sweetheart bolne ki kya zarurat thii... Wo alag baat hai ki my heart always skips a beat whenever he calls me sweetheart.
"Nahi jamai ji," mumma interrupted with her sugar-coated tone, "larkiya baad mein khati hai... last mein. Aap log khaiye."
(No, son-in-law, Mumma interrupted in her sugar-coated tone, "girls eat later… at the end. You all go ahead and eat.)
"Who made these rules?" he asked, his voice suddenly turned heavier and sharper.
"Ye... purane zamane se chalta aa raha hai jamai ji," mumma said being a little nervously now.
(This… has been going on since the old times, son-in-law)
His gaze stayed firm as he declared,
"Main nahi maanta kisi aur ke rules. Aastik Malhotra khud ke rules khud banata hai. Aur main meri biwi ke bina nahi khaunga. Ek daana bhi nahi."
(I don’t follow anyone else’s rules. Aastik Malhotra makes his own rules. And I won’t eat without my wife. Not even a single bite.)
Everyone gasped and stared at him in shock, including me… but his bold declaration brought a soft, emotional smile to my face.
He looked straight at me, eyes full of that unshaken stubbornness and said,
"Sweetheart, come here and sit with me."
I quickly nodded and went to sit beside him, but I could already feel Mumma’s familiar hard gaze drilling into the side of my face.
I quietly took only two pooris with a sigh and started eating, keeping my head low. But just as I lifted a piece to my mouth, someone held my hand gently.
I turned, confused by his sudden action.
"Kya hua?" I asked, but my voice, no matter how hard I tried to hide it carried a shade of sadness.
(What happened?)
"Or 3 pooriyan lo? Tum itna kam to nahi khati ho, sweetheart," He said softly.
(Take more three pooris? You don't eat so less Sweetheart)
"N-no, I’m not hungry," I lied, looking away.
He leaned closer against my cheek, and whispered, "Iska punishment bhi note kar liya… kya laga, mujhse jhooth bol paogi? Tumhari aankhon ke pehliye bhi samajh jaata hoon, aur yaha to bas sirf ek jhooth hai."
(I've also noted down your punishment… what did you think, you could lie to me? I understand even the mysteries in your eyes and here, it’s just one lie)
I looked at him with eyes already glistening with tears I didn’t want him to see.
But before I could even open my mouth, mumma’s voice cut through the moment like a sharp blade.
"Nahi jamai ji, woh nahi kha sakti. Mujhe pata hai aap is nalayak ke muh pe nahi bol pa rahe, par ye moti ho gayi hai. Aur moti hone se sundarta kam hoti hai. Kam khane dijiye isse."
(No, son-in-law, she can’t eat that. I know you can’t say it to this idiot's face, but she has become fat. And being fat reduces beauty. Let her eat less.)
And that was it. That was the final string.
Without saying a word, I stood up from my seat with a thud and ran to my room, wiping my tears with the back of my hand.
Author
The hall fell into an uncomfortable, dead silence. And then came a low, dangerous roar from Aastik's side—
"HOW DARE YOU."
His chair scraped back violently and crashed to the floor with a thud as he stood up, his voice no longer calm, no longer in control.
"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO MY WIFE LIKE THAT!"
Everyone flinched at his sharp tone.
"Meri biwi moti ho ya patli, aapko kya fark padta hai! Kis haq se aapne usse itni badi baat bol di? Kis haq se sabke samne uski beizzati ki?" Aastik’s voice echoed across the room, with blazing eyes.
(Whether my wife is fat or thin, what difference does it make to you! By what right did you say such a harsh thing to her? By what right did you insult her in front of everyone?)
"Khud ke pati se agar pyaar nahi mila, to iska matlab ye nahi ki main bhi apni patni ke saath waisa hi bartav karunga!" his eyes pierced into both the couples.
(If you didn’t get love from your own husband, that doesn’t mean that I will also treat my wife the same way!)
Her father tried to interfere, taking a shaky breath, "Mr. Malhotra, we—"
"SHUT UP!" Aastik snapped, cutting him off before the sentence could even finish.
His entire body was shaking. Hands trembling, lips quivering with rage, neck veins bulging as if they’d burst any second. His anger wasn’t loud for show it was storm-level real. They unknowingly provoked the devil within him, unknowingly called a nightmare in that dark night.
"Aastik, wait!" Daivik’s voice rang across the hall, laced with urgency and fear. He knew this version of Aastik.He’d seen what he could do when pushed too far.
A part of Daivik felt scared. A part of him felt relief too that finally, someone cared so fiercely for his sister... the way he never could.
But Aastik’s eyes were still wild.
He wasn’t done. His rage was taking over him.
"Agar aap dono ne usse janam na diya hota na…" he said through gritted teeth, pointing straight at them with blazing eyes "to meri sweetheart ki kasam… aaj yahin sab kuch jalaa ke rakh deta. Ek pal bhi nahi lagta. Abhi. Isi waqt."
("If you two hadn’t given birth to him…" he said through gritted teeth, pointing straight at them, his eyes blazing, "I swear on my sweetheart… I would’ve burned everything to the ground right here. Wouldn’t have taken a second. Right now. This very moment.)
And at that time… they all realised, This man wasn’t just a husband. He was a storm ready to break the world for her.
And at that time… they all realised, This man wasn’t just a husband. He was a storm ready to break the world for her.
On the other hand,
Ahana in her room was crying endlessly, her mother's words were too painful to bear. In that familiar room, everything felt suffocating, like the walls were closing in on her, like she had turned into her past self all over again. It was as if someone snatched her out of a sweet dream and threw her back into the nightmare she once escaped.
She walked slowly towards the mirror and stared at herself.
"I... Am I this unworthy to be loved?" she whispered with a shaky voice "How could my own mother make me so insecure... Is this really a problem? To be chubby? Or even to be slim? Why can’t people like us just be loved as individuals? Is outer beauty everything?
Her vision blurred with tears, her throat burned and her lips trembled.
So many questions and no answers like always.
Her eyes became so sore that her burning tears were causing her pain...yet they kept falling.
Suddenly, a knock on the door startled her. She snapped her head in that direction and whispered to herself, "Abhi kaun aaya hoga? Aastik ji?"
(Who could have come right now? Aastik ji?)
She took a step back, glancing at her reflection. "How can I go in front of him like this—tear-stricked face, puffy eyes, runny nose, scattered hair..."
Without wasting a second, she rushed to the washroom, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water onto her face making herself presentable, though a little bit.
Just as she came out of the washroom another knock rang on the door.
She quickly wiped her face with a towel and rushed to open the door.
As the door creaked open, her eyes widened seeing the last person she expected.
"Bhaiya? Aap?"
(Bhaiya? You?)
"Q... nahi aa sakta kya?" Daivik asked, raising an eyebrow.
(Why, can't I come here?)
"No... I didn’t mean it like that," she muttered quickly giving him a way to enter.
Ahana
His sudden presence in my room was really no less than a shock and moreover, he had a plate of food in his hand. But I didn’t question him. I quietly sat on the bed beside him.
"Kaisi hai?" he asked in his soft and gentle voice, which I don't remember when I last heard.
(How are you?)
I don't know what to answer about this question. This question seemed simple yet heavy. So I stayed silent.
Seeing my silence, he didn’t pressure me further. Instead, he quietly took the plate of food and placed it in front of me.
"Eat the food, you must be hungry," he said softly.
I first looked at the food and then at him.
"I don’t want" I replied flatly.
"Why not? Do you wanna die of hunger?" he asked with a concerning tone.
"I said na I don't want to eat, don't force me! And why did you come here first of all? Why after so many years you called me Ahu? Why after so many cold shoulders you came to me with a sudden warmth, a gentle voice?" I shouted on top of my lungs, releasing the frustration which I had been storing for years. My throat ached but I didn’t stop.
"Ahu... I—"
He was saying something but I cut him off because today I'm not finished, "Do you have any idea how much I yearned for you? Every time Mumma scolded me, taunted me… I just wanted to call you. Just wanted to cry in your arms like before. But the wall you built between us, it stopped me every time."
My voice cracked, but I kept going, "I let you go bhaiya, I let you live your life… but you? What did you do? You forgot me? In proving your worth to others, to mom and dad… you forgot about your baby sister who missed you every night, who missed your voice, who missed your patting, who always waits for your call. But see na, there's no tension.... You proved your worth, you're a famous businessman, you're a good son, good friend, good boss but one thing is there in which you lack..."
I looked at him with tear-filled eyes and whispered "You're not a good brother MR. DAIVIK DEY."
The moment these painful words escaped my lips, a lone tear escaped from his eyes.
That one tear… it pulled me out from my world of anger and hurt. I realised what I just said. My eyes welled up instantly and before I could process anything, my legs gave up and I fell on my knees in front of him.
"I-I’m s-sorry," I whispered between my sobs.
He quickly bent down in front of me, holding my hands with his trembling one.
"Don’t cry Ahu, I deserved it… and thank you. Thank you for letting it all out. Every single word you said was one hundred percent right."
He paused, struggling to breathe properly through his own emotions, "But… but Ahu… I know what I’m going to say is selfish, but can… can I just get one more chance from you?"
He asked, gripping my hands more tightly in desperation.
"Just one more chance to love my baby sister… to cherish her... to be there for her like I should have always been," he said, his eyes now pouring the guilt and love he had buried for years.
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That's it for today's chapter, beautiful roses 🌹
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