Love after Marriage (45 page)

She started crying, covering her face with her hands.

Deepak was very touched by this. Finally she at least said something to him, and he was relieved. There was more hope for this relationship than he had thought; he just needed to continue what he was doing and one day she would accept him.

He came close to her and pulled her to him. “Roshni, I know the pain you’re going through. I can read your expressions. Old memories are haunting you, and somewhere they are blocking you from expressing yourself. Take your time but be assured that I am here for you anytime. You may not consider me your husband yet, but at least you can treat me as a good friend and open up when you need to. You have taught me more lessons than I could imagine, all good lessons to make me a better human, and I am very grateful for that.” He paused. “Let me continue to do what I am doing. All I want to do is to be there for you and take care of you,” he said, and he meant it.

Roshni glanced at his face and, without a word, slowly walked away to their room. Deepak got back to the sofa to work while Roshni tried to relax but was unable to – her past haunted her. She’d seen enough of Deepak in this trip that her impressions of him changed. Enough evidence was available that he loved her immensely and he was here to spend time with her. He was very regretful for what he’d said, and he’d asked for forgiveness several times, and…unaware to her, she also started loving him, but her ego was strong, and she was not ready to accept her love for him.

As a matter of fact, the day she was shown his picture by Babuji, she submitted herself to him mentally, and since then her feelings for him had not changed, although he’d humiliate and saddened her. Only now did those feelings strengthen after seeing his ‘real’ self.

She was very disturbed by these thoughts, and she could not rest. Finally she decided to get up and get to work with Deepak.

She walked into the kitchen, and Deepak saw her.

“Roshni, what are you doing up again?”

“I will make chai for us.”

“No, you’re not doing anything in the kitchen. Come and sit here. I’ll make chai.” He went into the kitchen and forcefully dragged her to the dining table. “You should be resting. Why did you get up?”

Roshni looked at him intently. “I could not sleep. I might as well do some work; otherwise, you know…”

Deepak finished, “… an idle man’s brain is the devil’s workshop?” and shook his head.

Roshni agreed.

“Let’s have chai and then continue with where we stopped yesterday. I’ll start showing you more of the software and its capabilities, okay?”

Roshni nodded. They had chai with biscuits, and then they started to work together on the project.

~ ~ ~

It was Tuesday, Dashera day, the tenth day of the festival, also referred to as Vijaya Dasami. This day marks the end of the celebration, the victory of good over evil. The festival also celebrates the death of the ten-headed demon king, Ravana, by Lord Rama, Vishnu incarnate, who descended in human form to kill Ravana.

Roshni and Deepak woke up early, and Roshni again cooked a big meal. This time Deepak helped her so she would not stress her foot and arm. With her guidance, Deepak again performed all the rituals and offerings to the Gods. Great satisfaction was evident in their eyes. They had lunch, and Deepak thoroughly enjoyed every dish Roshni made.

After lunch, they called Sashank bhaiya, Kusum didi and Akash bhaiya and wished them well for Dashera. They talked about what each of them did and what dishes were cooked for Ashtami and Dashera. It was a festive mood, and everyone was happy.

“Sashank bhaiya, did you call Satish bhaiya for Dashera?” Roshni asked Sashank.

Sashank replied that he had not called Satish, and it had been a few weeks since they’d spoken. Roshni took him to task and asked him to talk to Satish and Nirmala.

Roshni and Deepak called Satish bhaiya and Nirmala bhabhi and conveyed their Dashera wishes to them. Satish was so elated to hear from his little brother and his wife; his joy knew no bounds. She urged Satish and Nirmala to call Sashank bhaiya, and Satish agreed instantly.

That evening Roshni and Deepak received calls from Sashank and Satish that they’d talked to each other, and it was a nice telephone visit. Both thanked Roshni and Deepak, and Deepak thanked Roshni for initiating this conversation to bridge the gap between his older brothers.

“Deepak, we need to get them to meet in person,” Roshni said.

“Yes, but this isn’t possible if we’re here. We’ll work on it when we get back to Mumbai,” he said and smiled at her.

“It would make me so happy to see the entire Verma family together.” She smiled; the happiness was evident on her face.

Deepak came to her and hugged her. “Roshni, you are a blessing to this family. You certainly brought in a lot of realizations amongst all family members.” He whispered in her ear, “Thank you.”

She rested her head on his chest – a great feeling of satisfaction for her.

Sheetal called with wishes for Dashera. She also conveyed that her stay in Poona was very relaxing. She was happy to hear from Deepak that this ‘alone’ time was working in their favor.

Vivek and Vaishali also called. They chatted for a few minutes, and Deepak was so elated. He spoke of the rituals he’d performed under Roshni’s guidance and the various foods she cooked. He was in very high spirits.

Roshni overheard him and smiled to herself. It was evident Deepak enjoyed these rituals with her, but she could not deny – she’d had a great time celebrating Dashera with Deepak.

Thus they celebrated the rest of Dashera festival with each other’s company, performing all the rituals as a family. Deepak was excited and happy to be celebrating this major festival in India with Roshni, and so was Roshni. Of course, the moments she’d spent with Babuji came to her, but with Deepak around, she still enjoyed herself.

Chapter 30

Deepak and Roshni celebrate Diwali

Two weeks passed. Roshni learnt a lot from Deepak, and during this time, they really bonded well with each other. Working as a team worked out to their benefit; they talked, laughed, teased and worked together. Definitely there was compatibility between them. Roshni’s condition also improved. She could take more steps with little support of the crutches, and her arm cooperated more. They went out together for shopping, walking and dinners. This ‘alone’ time was absolutely necessary for both of them to explore each other, their likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses.

Roshni knew more details about Deepak. He had been ready to quit his job for her and to forego the house rent; he did not care about the financial losses because his primary goal was to come to India to spend time with Roshni, and he’d included her on his insurance. She was able to observe him very closely during this trip, and his feelings for her were undisputed. He loved her, and there was no other woman in his life. She became more tolerant of him and opened up to him on a few occasions on other topics; however, when it came to their marriage, she hesitated to confront him.

Deepak, on the other hand, was very thankful he’d made this trip. He was able to understand Roshni better, and his regard and respect for her increased tremendously. She couldn’t tolerate any injustice to anybody, she forgave others, but when it came to Deepak, she still had some reservations. She held herself at a distance from him. Overall, there was significant improvement in their relationship, and he was very positive that she would forgive him, and he continued to work towards that goal.

There were regular updates between Mumbai, Poona and the USA. Akash, Sheetal, Vivek and Vaishali were pleased with the progress, but they were aware that Roshni was holding back from him. A couple of weeks passed after Dashera, and it was Diwali – the Festival of Lights.

Sashank called Deepak. “Deepak, how are you?”

“Hello, bhaiya, I’m doing well.”

“How is Roshni? You mentioned last time that she was making efforts to walk without crutches now.”

“Yes, bhaiya, a lot of improvement in her condition; she is getting better.”

“Deepak, Diwali is in a week. Why don’t you both come here? It will be good to see you both. Especially, like Kusum and I, it is the first Diwali for you both after your marriage. It would be good to celebrate Diwali together.”

Deepak heard Kusum bhabhi in the background. Deepak liked the idea. He was tempted to go but did not agree to anything yet. He told Sashank bhaiya that he would talk to Roshni and let him know.

It had become a practice for Roshni and Deepak to update each other on all the conversations they had, and most times, they turned on the speaker so they were both involved. Roshni liked this open communication, and it helped her build her trust towards him.

After talking to Sashank, Deepak asked Roshni, “Roshni, what do you say? Sashank bhaiya invited us for Diwali. Do you think you can handle this journey?”

“Not sure…I’m still unable to walk long distances, so…why don’t you go to Mumbai and be with them. This is a great opportunity for you to celebrate Diwali with family after a long time,” Roshni responded. She was cautious; she never said ‘your family’ this time.

“Family…are you not my family? How can I leave you here alone and go?”

Frankly, Deepak did not want to go to Mumbai. He enjoyed this time with Roshni – just them with no interruptions – and this bonding time was absolutely necessary for both of them, and they were aware of it.

“I’m happy being here, and this is the first time I will celebrate Diwali with you. What more do I want?” Then instantly he made the decision. “Let’s not go. Let’s just stay here, Roshni,” he said and looked for her approval.

Roshni had already noticed that Deepak did not miss any opportunity to be with her, and secretly, she also liked his company. She nodded and gave her approval.

Deepak called back Sashank to inform him that they could not go to Mumbai because Roshni’s condition did not permit it at this time. Meanwhile, Roshni was all excited because of Diwali; she was sad, too, for she missed her babuji, but Deepak’s presence made a difference. She looked forward to celebrating Diwali with him. She planned on what sweets to make, what clothes to buy, and how to decorate the house. Deepak noticed this excitement in her and supported her in all ways possible.

~ ~ ~

Roshni’s project was almost complete, and she submitted her part of the work at the Thursday group meeting. Everybody was happy she completed it on time, and she thanked Deepak for all his help and support. Bhaskar, the project manager, told her that the remaining work was on schedule, and the launch was scheduled for December 6th. He communicated that she would not be bothered for the next few weeks, and she should enjoy the time with Deepak.

Bhaskar adjourned the team meeting, and Roshni was satisfied. After they hung up the phone, Roshni slowly got up and looked towards Deepak. “Deepak, thank you for all the help and support with the project. I enjoyed learning lot of things.” She headed towards the kitchen.

That morning’s doctor’s appointment had gone well. There was good improvement in her condition, and she just had a sling now on her left arm and a cast on her foot for support. Her foot was still healing, but she was able to walk more without crutches.

Suddenly she felt a jerk, and she bumped into Deepak’s chest. Deepak was very quick and pulled her to him, holding her by the waist. Their eyes locked, a very passionate look indeed!

Deepak stared into her eyes. “Only thank you, Roshni?”

Roshni wondered what else he expected. “What more do you want?”

Deepak pulled her closer to him and stared at her very passionately. He thought,
You don’t get it, do you? I need a kiss and a hug, Roshni
, but his thoughts were interrupted.

“Deepak, hmm…shall I make some kheer since you like it?”

Deepak couldn’t take his eyes off her. A fire blazed to life within; she felt his breath closer to her face, and he felt her breath on his chest.

“Kheer!” He smirked.

And before Roshni could say anything, he stooped and pecked her cheek. She lost her balance and held onto his shirt tight, crumpling it. After a few moments she gained her control and freed herself from him.

“Wonderful idea, Roshni, can you make some kheer?”

Roshni, still recovering from this most recent experience, moved to the stove. Deepak went back to his chair near the dining table.

“Deepak, next week is Diwali. Do you have any new clothes to wear?”

“New clothes! What for?”

“It’s a tradition to wear something new for Diwali, especially for Lakshmi pooja. Babuji always bought me new dresses for Dashera and Diwali. We wore new clothes on these festival days.”

Deepak didn’t have anything brand new to wear. “So let’s go shopping this evening. Let’s get some new clothes for you and me,” he said.

Because of her handicap, she was confined to the apartment, and Deepak looked for opportunities to take her out.

Chai was ready, and Roshni was trying to pour it into cups when Deepak helped her as she was not able to use her left arm effectively. He asked her to sit at the table while he brought the chai. Roshni slowly made her way to the table. Deepak sat next to her.

“What time do you want to leave, Roshni?”

“I’m not sure.”

“It’s already 4 p.m.”

Roshni closed her eyes for a minute. “Deepak, let’s go tomorrow morning.”

“Why, I mean…why not today?” Deepak asked, being curious.

“Because it’s already late afternoon, and all the roads and streets will be very busy. We’ll be stuck in traffic at several places. Tomorrow morning about ten-ish is good so we can spend time in leisure, and…maybe, if you’re interested, we could have lunch and come home.”

Deepak liked the idea – spending time leisurely and having lunch together. What a big change in Roshni’s approach. He readily agreed to it.

~ ~ ~

Roshni was up early and was already in the kitchen getting ready to make some sweets. It was Saturday morning, and Diwali was on Tuesday. Listening to the sound of dishes in the kitchen, Deepak woke up and wondered what Roshni was up to. He came to the dining area.