Chapter 22: chapter 22

Arnab, waited in the hall for Mowri, to join him there before the ceremony could begin. Everyone was seated already behind him. As he waited his mind went over the last time he had been married and how he had felt that day. He had been nervous but excited, today he was nervous but there was no sense of excitement insteadhe felt a strange kind of tension. He wasn't surewhy. His saying yes for Mowri, had been a veryconscious decision so why was he questioning it now? Yesterday when they had had the engagement ceremony he had been very sure that he had made the right decision then whywas he doubting his judgment. Was it because of what Nisha, had done? Was her deceit so big that it had permanently damaged hisconfidence in taking personal decisions? What was wrong? He suddenly felt the urge to just get up and go outside for a while. He needed to clear his lungs and head. But he knew it wouldn't be right to Mowri,. Hell it wouldn't be right by anybodyincluding himself.She had had a broken engagement too and yetshe was trusting him to keep his promise hecould very well understand how hard it musthave been for her to trust again and to break itwould be like committing murder in cold blood.He forced himself to keep sitting. But his mindwas restless so was his spirit. Would he be ableto handle his responsibilities this time round? Would things go without a hitch? Will he be able to move out of the shadows of his past? He had already talked to himself several times hell, he had even spoken to Jay who had only shaken his head at him. He just had to work things out for himself. He will have to trust himself and Mowri,if he wanted this relationship to work. He could hear the sounds of murmurs in the hall and heclosed his eyes to block them out.And then the door to the side opened. He glanced towards it and saw her enter with Preeti and Kulraj. If he had thought she had looked beautiful yesterday then he was ready to rethink. She was a vision. In that traditional maroon salwar kurta and heavy dupatta on her head andjewelry she was breathtaking. As she walked towards him he thought she sought his eyes and as she did he saw his nervousness mirrored in hers. She looked vulnerable he wasn't sure if that was because of the general nervousness of starting a new life with a not so well known person that girls had or was it because of her past experience. Either way his instant thought was to soothe her. Take away that look from her eyes and make her the confident and sassy girlshe was. He was surprised to realize how his instincts wanted to keep her safe and happy. He forced himself to relax for her sake and smiled a little. Strange he was far from feeling relaxed buthe wanted her to not worry.She would in a matter of minutes be his responsibility and he was very good at taking care of his responsibilities. At least he thought he was. He wasn't going to make the same mistakes he had made in his first marriage taking for granted that all was well. He needed to make sure she was happy and content and he would. What the hell was he thinking? Yes, of course all of the above was true and he should do these things but not because of the fear of making a mistake. When had he started thinkinglike that? He knew Nisha, and Mowri, were two different individuals with different personalities and traits. And the situations weren't the same either. He was more experienced and mature since the last time. Things weren't the same anymore. Yes he should take care of her, work towards keeping her happy but not because he was afraid she would walk away. When had he was professionally then how had he turned this way personally. As she sat next to him he relaxed. There was no force that he exerted on himself of its own his body relaxed, he felt the tension leave his nerves as if her presence itselfwas calming. But he didn't have time to ponder over it as the ceremony began. Soon he would be a married man again and if he was to stay in that status long he had to become what he couldn't the previous time . Mowri,'s best friend.If only fate that had brought them together would be kind enough to let them be. But their journeyhad just begun and gold can never realize its trueworth till it burns in fire.** **** *** *