Married To A Stranger

Karthik knew it is time for them to join others and deal with the consequences of before day’s mishap, but he was dallying the inevitable. He just stood in the balcony watching the reporters swirl around their home. Sighing tiredly, he stroked his eyebrow.

“Shouldn’t we meet our family and let them know that I am doing fine? Mom and dad must be worried about me” Sreesha queried, snaking her hands around his waist before resting her head on his back.

He took her interlinked hands to his and dropped a kiss on each of her fingers. Sreesha returned the gesture by kissing his shoulder and turned him towards her. She can sense that something is terribly wrong and that he is tensed because of what happened yesterday or what they must face today.

She promised herself to be openminded and let him explain and not to judge.

For her, he is more important than anyone and his love can heal whatever scars she may receive today or in future.

“I love you” he whispered, securing her in his arms. They just stood there, relishing each other’s presence. She kissed his chest and titled her head to rest it on his heartbeat. This will be her place for the rest of her life.

“Just remember I love you and will do for my rest of my life. And that my feelings for you are genuine despite the situation. Never doubt my love for you, Sree. That is all I ask from you. I can take anything but that. I may not be able to recite poems for you or do the filmy stuff you always wished for but my love for you is true and will remain the same till the second I take my last breath” Karthik mumbled with his lips attached to the nape of her neck.

“I will not doubt your love for me ever, Karthik. I did not mean what I said yesterday. I was so hurt by the revelation and wanted to feel you the same. I know I am stupid to say those words, but my insecurities got the best of me. I am very sorry for the nonsense I uttered. I am not the perfect girl, Karthik and I am never planning to become one because I know you will love me the same even if I am a complete mess. You made all my insecurities turn into my strengths. I know whatever it is you’re going to tell me will not be simple because if it is, you would have told me way before. But I will be there to listen to everything you say and follow you to anywhere you lead. I am yours, Karthik. Body. Mind. Soul. Just yours” Sreesha reassured him with her hands on his both cheeks looking straight into his eyes without a hint of hesitation.

It took all his might to not dip a little and take her lips into his. He knew it would take an eternity to stop if they step in that boundary. So, he took a safe place to land his lips. Her forehead.

Entangling himself from their embrace he took her hand and kissed the back of it and lead her to down the stairs to his father’s library. Moving along the racks of books he stopped where he can see all the book titles that start with ‘T’.

He directed her to the middle of the rack and pulled a book angling it to thirty degrees. The wall beside them squeaked making Sreesha gasp.

She watched the wall revealing a hidden room in wonder gripping Karthik’s hand tightly. The room was more like a board room with a long table surrounding by chairs. Unlike every room in the mansion, this particular room is simple but elegant with loads of files in the racks connected to walls.

“Are you in the mafia?” Sreesha asked unintentionally, walking alongside Karthik.

Karthik laughed hearing her ask that question thinking how long she had been having her doubts. Sreesha did not notice their family members until they were in front of them. She was busy gawking at the portrait of a woman hanging on the wall. The word beautiful would do no justice to her beauty. She looks like an angel fallen from the sky. She is pure. Pure is the right word to describe her. Her smile is serene. Just her smile is enough to turn the gloom, bright.

“She is Gagana Thakur, my sister” She heard Jayanth Thakur saying beside her. She diverted her attention to him, giving him a small smile making him reciprocate the action.

Tej’s parents along with Karthik’s gawked at him. It is not every day Jayanth Thakur smiles nor looks peaceful. They were used to his brooding and cold self that it made them forgot how their days back then when they were young and reckless.

“She is so beautiful, just like an angel” whispered Sreesha in wonder.

“She is” agreed Jayanth looking at his sister with sorrowful eyes. His sister was truly an angel with the kindest heart. Mischievous too of course. She wouldn’t have been a Thakur without being naughty.

“C-can I touch it?” Sreesha asked Jayanth, who nodded as an answer. He is too emotional to utter a word. Sreesha slowly walked towards the portrait of Gagana Thakur her hands still on Karthiks’s bicep dragging him along with her, unintentionally.

Karthik nodded at his Uncle before walking with his wife to wish the woman who was like a mother to him. He may not have spent much time with her, but he had so many memories with her. As Sreesha said, she is an angel with a golden heart.

Sreesha stopped in front of the portrait and touched the woman’s cheek. She is feeling strange. She has this feeling of déjà vu. Like it was not the first time they met nor the first time she touched. This is too familiar for her to ignore.

She turned around to see Karthik’s mother wiping the tears and hers on the edge of crying. What happened to them? She glanced at her brother to find him at the corner of the room looking at her with an unknown emotion. She turned towards Jayanth; his face full of regret.

“Karthik” she whispered squeezing his hand.

“Right beside you, Sree. Like always. As promised” He whispered into her ear.

She has no idea why she had tears in her eyes.

No idea why she wanted to cry like a baby.

No idea why she does not want to let go of that woman’s picture.

Karthik slowly turned her towards him and wiped her tears.

“Why?” she asked weakly. She is in no state to talk.

“Why do I feel like this is not the first time I am looking at her?” her voice trembled.

“Because, you met her before,” Karthik said, removing his hand from her grip and snaking it around her shoulder. He could feel her energy draining. She did not eat anything since the before day’s morning and he is well aware that she is in no state to receive the news about her father.

“Who is she, Karthik? Why am I feeling this way?” Sreesha asked him faintly.

“She is your mother, Sree” He said holding her to him.

“M-mother? M-my mother?” She asked pointing the finger at the portrait. He nodded positively.

“I am her daughter?” she asked gasping for air.

Karthik dragged her to a chair and made her sit on it, with his hands still on her hands balancing her.

“She- She is my mother” It is like she is in a trance. She keeps on repeating the same sentence again and again.

“She is my real mother” she nodded to herself.

“She would let me call her mama, right?” she asked Karthik who was so close to tears.

“Y-yes, you can call her, Mama” he replied her trembling a little.

“Where is she, Karthik? I want to meet her. Let’s go. Is she in your Uncle’s place?” she rained questions on him.

“she-” a sob escaped from her mother-in-law. She is now crying so loudly in her father-in-law’s arms.

“We can’t go to her, Sree” Karthik said slowly, his voice was thick with emotions.

“Why? Why can’t we go to her?” Sreesha raised her voice with so much irritation in her voice.

“Because she was killed by a bastard nearly two decades ago” Jayanth Thakur shouted at her.

“W-who?” she uttered with so much difficulty.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

“Your father”