Chandni never slept as soundly as she did that night. Her pillow was warm even though a bit hard, and the steady heartbeat and rise and fall of her pillow felt like a rhythmic lullaby. She had vivid dreams, happy ones, which were all about her and her Dev of course.
Another happy dream started... Janaki Maa was sitting near the kitchen stove and making pakoras for everyone in the evening. It was raining outside and she loved getting wet in the rain, but Dev the coward, never liked getting wet. So he dragged her inside, much against her wishes, and made her sit next to him, while waiting for his Maa's pakoras. Miku, Shikha and Meghu were playing in the other room.
She fought with Advay and made sure that Janaki Maa served the first pakoras in her plate.
As she grabbed the hot pakoras to eat them, they suddenly turned black and ash. She got scared, and as she looked up to Janaki Maa, she noticed that the fire from the stove has now engulfed her... She was burning.
Chandni tried to scream her heart out, but it only came out as a whimper and a choke. She was moving restlessly and thrashing, and someone was trying to stop her.
"Chandni its okay, look at me... I am here, don't worry... please look at me." That voice pleaded. But she was in such a dark whirlpool of gut wrenching horror images, that it didn't reach her.
Advay woke up first and noticed Chandni sleeping peacefully on top of his chest, her arms entwined in his, and he closed his eyes in bliss for few moments. Her soft and curvy body fitted perfectly into his hardened frame, and her flowery smell was so alluring.
Just then, Chandni started to shiver and choke and began to move restlessly. He tried to wake her up and reassure her, but nothing seemed to work. It was almost 7am and he didn't want to wake the whole household again, since no one slept properly during the night. Her fists were clenched around his kurta, and eyes were shut tightly, as if she was living through some horrible images from a nightmare.
Her body was shivering uncontrollably.
Driven purely by instinct, he pushed her roughly onto her back, and pulled her arms above her head. Gently, he covered every inch of her entire frame with his own, hoping the shivering would stop.
"Chandu, Chandu..." he whispered in her ears. After few seconds, the shivering stopped and her body went limp. He pulled his arms down along with hers, and gently tapped on her cheeks calling her again.
Chandni's eyelids fluttered and she slowly opened her eyes to find Advay's face just few inches from hers.
"There was a fire in the haveli kitchen, Janaki Maa..." She couldn't continue as tears started rolling down her cheeks.
"Shhh it's ok. It was just a nightmare!" He gently rolled on to his back and pulled her on top of him, hugging her tightly as she continued to sob. He gently kissed her parting again, wondering why he felt good in doing so. He continued to rub gently on her back, fully aware how those nightmares can be, as he suffered from the same when he was young, just after his parents' death.
May be Chandni didn't know about his parents' death after all...
What am I missing here? Advay thought vexedly, unable to get clarity on the events that shaped both their lives all those years ago.
He kept stroking her soft hair in absent minded fashion, tucking her face under his chin even closer, lost in his own thoughts.
Slowly, Chandni's sobbing slowed down as she came back to her senses. If her nightmare was a terror, the reality of her current situation was no less than a nightmare.
The one person she longed for, all her life, her Dev had returned, but he wasn't the Dev as she remembered him. Dev, who was her strength and motivation, now treated her as an enemy, and was accusing her of being responsible for his parents' death.
Why was life always so cruel for her? Why was she so unlucky in love? First she lost her mother, then Dev, and now she realised that she lost Janaki Maa whom she regarded just like her Mother. May be she was cursed... She didn't have it in her fate to love someone or be loved.
She was ready to fight tooth and nail with Advay to be in this house, to protect her family name... But how could she fight with her own Dev? Especially when he accused that her family caused the death and destruction of his family. Could she believe him? Are her parents really not what they seem to be? Why was fate testing her so much? And she remembered his threat too, that she was his bride just for one night. What other horrors would he unleash on her now? As she lifted her head up to look into Advay's face, a fresh wave of tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Chandni please stop crying. It's ok! I am here, it was just a nightmare." He gently wiped her tears from her cheeks, and tucked the soft hair behind her ears, and Chandni rued the irony of it all. She didn't know what to make of him. How could he be so ruthless and spiteful in one moment, and so caring and loving in the next?
He blew gently into her face and her breath hitched.
Suddenly Chandni began to realise how she was lying on top of Dev, her husband!!!
A deep blush engulfed her, as she frantically tried to get out of his embrace and move her body away from him, but his grip around her waist was too tight.
"Where the hell do you think you are going??" He growled.
Her body shivered again, but this was different from the previous ones.
"Pl... Please let me go" her whisper was barely audible.
"Achcha!! All through the night, you clung on to me like there's no tomorrow. And now, suddenly you feel all shy and coy is it?" His voice drawled.
"Do you even have any idea how worried I was? You had a panic attack again. You fell unconscious, wouldn't respond to anyone till I came and slept besides you, and hugged you tightly. Till I am confident that you are ok, I am not leaving you. I don't want you falling unconscious all over again." Advay tried his best to make it sound casual, even though he was feeling equally awkward about it.
"I am ok now, please believe me. I just need some water and I want to freshen up." Chandni pleaded earnestly, her eyes still cast down.
Advay slowly let her go, but regretted it immediately. He felt cold and empty without her warm, soft body wrapped around his. As she quickly scrambled off the bed, he caught her arm again, and made her forcefully to sit down.
He handed her a glass of water, made her drink all of it, all the while observing her. It was as if Chandni had gone back into a shell; she was barely looking at him or showing any emotion.
He wondered what brought this sudden change in her.
Chandni meanwhile, tried to suppress wild fluttering inside her due to his close proximity, and forget the way his body felt, pressed so hard against hers. Why can't her stupid heart understand that he was not hers, even for one day? Why does her body go into an overdrive, every time he touches her? She now knew why she felt so bonded to him all along... he was her Dev. Her body and her heart belonged to him. But in her mind she knew he was a stranger to her now.
Before Advay could ask if she was feeling ok, there was a tap on the door, and Shilpa's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Didi... Didi!!"
Chandni tried to get up, but he pushed her back and got up to open the door.
"What is it Shilpa?" Advay hissed, as he was annoyed at this intrusion.
Shilpa looked up to his face. A smile erupted on her face, but she quickly suppressed it noticing his scowl.
"Advay Sir, Shikha and Meghu Didi are here with clothes for Chandni Didi from the Haveli." Shilpa promptly informed in a low tone.
"Does Nani know?"
"No Sir, Nani Ji is in the shower now, and will be busy with Pooja for the next half an hour."
"Good, please don't tell her anything about their arrival. Bring them straight here."
"Ok Sir, but why don't you freshen up till then..." She asked hesitantly, not sure how to convey.
"No bring them right away. I don't want Nani to notice anything, she is very observant as it is."
"Didi Aap Sir ko freshen kijiye na" Shilpa giggled and ran away to fetch the new guests.
Advay slowly turned around and looked at Chandni in confusion, unable to fathom the meaning of Shilpa's words. Chandni finally looked into his face and blushed again, noticing what Shilpa was hinting at. She got up slowly and fetched some tissues from the side table.
"Uh... your jaw and chin... please wipe them." She said, as she handed over the tissues.
Advay looked at himself in the wardrobe mirror. Chandni's Sindhoor was smeared all across his ... he hastily wiped it off, cursing himself for kissing her parting so many times. As he looked at her reflection behind him, he didn't like the smirk on her face even one bit.
So when he turned around, Chandni noticed that his body language emanated the same intimidation that he always showed towards her, when he entered the Haveli for the first time.
She recognised the same traits better now because, Dev used to do the same thing to her. He never liked any scenario when she had the upper hand over him. She stopped smiling and cast her eyes down, and made sure her face remained expressionless.
Advay didn't like this new facet of Chandni even one bit. He wanted her to argue with him, look straight into his eyes, mock him or better... be terrified of him. He could read her mind like a book, but this withdrawn Chandni is proving to be a challenge. But he didn't have much time to mull over this right now.
"When your sisters come here..." He began.
"Don't worry, I won't tell them anything. I will send them away before Nani comes." Chandni answered, as if she knew what he was about to say.
That was his Chandu speaking, Advay smirked, as he recalled how she always knew what went through his mind.
Meghu and Shikha walked in just then, and eagerly embraced their elder sister.
"Jiji how are you? We were so scared when we heard that you had another panic attack. Did you take the medicines? Are you feeling better now?"
They both bombarded her with questions.
"I am absolutely fine now. Please don't worry about me. I was very tired last night and collapsed. Murli just panicked and called you guys. It wasn't a panic attack at all." Chandni reassured them.
"Yes, and as you can see that she is absolutely fine now. I appreciate your concern for your sister, but we are all here to take care of her, so you don't have run here every time you hear something like this." Advay's menacing voice made them shudder.
"And she doesn't need to wear clothes from Haveli. I have brought her new clothes to wear for today. and for the reception." Advay quickly strode to his room, and brought the pure Banaras silk saree and the designer lehenga he chose for her.
Shikha and Meghu couldn't help admiring the rich and elaborate work on her lehenga, but Chandni loved the soft touch of the red Banaras silk saree more.
"Now that you are satisfied that your sister is safe and in good health, can you please come back again in the evening for reception?" Advay asked mockingly, but before Shikha could reply angrily, Meghu pulled her back.
They both gave their sister one more hug and went back home, their faces crest fallen.
Just then Advay's phone buzzed, and he noticed it was from his friend, ACP Siddharth.
"Hello Sid, I was expecting a call from you." Advay replied mockingly.
He listened to what Sid was saying for a few moments before replying.
"Sure I will be there in one hour. Look I don't want Chandni to get involved in this, so can you... Oh! Ok. Thanks buddy."
Chandni looked questioningly at him.
"Just go shower first, and eat something with Nani." Advay said, refusing to give any further details about his phone conversation.
Chandni sighed and left for the bathroom, picking up the Banaras saree.
^-------^
The first day of marriage of Advay Chandni, where they both are trying to come to terms with their past, present and dark future ahead.
For Chandni it is a bitter sweet moment, because finally she got Dev as her husband, but she is in serious doubts as to his nature, because he has changed so much.
On the other hand, Advay had been living in this hell for the past few months, ever since he saw Chandni after 16 years.. trying to reconcile the present Chandni with the Chandu he knew.
This chapter lays the foundation for both of their internal struggles and how they are going to react in future.
Please let me know how you found this chapter and story so far.
Love
SESI