Meera was sitting in the middle of the bed, her heartbeat fast and rapid, hands sweaty and hot by grasping hard on her embroidered dupatta that even the stones and beads in the dupatta were making prints on her palm and turning them red, as she heard the door of the sitting area open and then close after a minute.
Her heart fluttered In anticipation as she heard his footsteps nearing their bedroom, and then from behind the veil she saw him entering the room before he closed the door behind him.
Her breathe hitched and she dig her toes into the soft mattress when she felt him sitting at the edge of the bed in front of her.
Vivaansh slowly looked at her and saw her sitting in the middle of the bed with rose petals around her, her posture stiffened and her knees close to her chest. She had a long veil covering her face, while her hands were encircled around her knees, and she was fidgeting with her fingers may be in nervousness.
Taking the box out from the side pocket of his sherwani, Vivaansh stretched out his hand to hold hers’, but the moment he felt her going rigid under his touch, he immediately withdraw his hand back and ask, “Are you not happy with this marriage?”
Meera’s posture stiffened at his abrupt question and she licked her dry lips, not knowing what to answer. However, looking at her stunged appearance was enough for Vivaansh to get his answer without her even using words.
“Go and change your clothes. You might be feeling uncomfortable in this heavy outfit. There is a door opening to the stairs on the right side at the end of this room which leads to the walk-in-closet downstairs.”, Vivaansh said after a minute and heard her sigh audibly.
Vivaansh kept sitting at the edge of the bed playing with the blue box in his hand, but then looked back at her when he did not hear her moving.
“You need something?”, He asked frowning and Meera contemplated for a moment before saying almost in a whisper, “This veil….You will need to lift this up for me.”
Looking at her for a minute, Vivaansh moved closer to her before slowly raising his hand to lift her veil and then settled the cloth on her head, but also made sure not to touch her.
Her face void of heavy makeup was shining bright under the dim lights. Her eyes were castes down and her cheeks were painted in red. His eyes then landed on her lips when he saw her chewing them softly in between her teeth.
“Go change.”, Vivaansh said looking at her nervous and strung mien, and looked away, before he heard her shuffling for a while to get out of the bed in that heavy outfit.
Feeling her unvaried constant gaze on himself, Vivaansh turned around to look at her, when he saw her standing on the other side of bed, with frowns Adorning her forehead, may be confused about something and he asked, “What happen?”
“My luggage…I think it has not arrived yet.”, He heard her mutter slowly and he sighed before getting up and then turned towards her and said, “I think mom has pre-arranged some dresses for you in the wardrobe. You can wear them till your luggage gets here.”
Meekly nodding at his side, Meera hold her lehenga high in her hands and encircled the bed, before descending the stairs when she stumbled a bit, and Vivaansh was immediately beside her holding her securely through her right elbow.
“Do you want me to call someone for your help?”, Vivaansh asked frowning and he immediately withdraw his hands away from her, not to make her uncomfortable, and Meera thought for a minute before slowly nodding in her head in ‘Yes’.
Meera when saw him going out of the room to call for some helper, sighed a breath of relief that she was holding since the moment Vivaansh had entered the room.
Glancing around the huge room for once, Meera then walked to the extreme right end of the room where the stairs to the walk-in-closet was.
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“Go and help Meera Ma’am in changing her clothes. Don’t forget to knock before entering.”, Vivaansh entered the bedroom with one of the house help lady and said gesturing her towards the walk-in-closet knowing Meera might be in there, and also warned her to knock the door before entering for the sake of Meera’s comfort.
Vivaansh saw the house help entering the closet after Meera allowed her, and then he sighed glancing all over the room which was decorated as beautiful as a newly wedded bride.
There were rose bouquets kept at on the lounge and sofas at the left side of the room. And scented candles were decorated at every corner of the room. Even their huge Alaskan kind size bed had rose petals beautifully layed out on them and few scented candles kept on the side tables.
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Meera walked out of the walk-in-closet after getting changed in one of the plain white suit, and saw Vivaansh had already changed his clothes in a track pant and t-shirt, and was lying on the bed with his legs dangling down, being busy playing with the same blue box in his hand.
“Are you comfortable now?”, Meera’s trance was broken when she heard him asking and saw him already looking back at her.
“Yes.”, Meera said trying to give him a small smile, and saw him sitting straight on the bed before nodding his head affirmatively at her and then heard him saying, “Come here.”
Meera climbed the stairs and went near the bed before settling herself at the edge of the bed in front of him, and then saw him extending his right hand towards her which had the box held in it.
“Mom told me that Husband needs to gift something to their wife on their first night. So, here it is.”, Vivaansh answered her unasked question and Meera contemplated for a moment before taking the box and opened it to see a beautiful huge platinum diamond studded leaf and vine ring in it.
Meera stared at the beautiful ring in the box before looking up at him and Vivaansh frowned asking, “You didn’t like it? Actually the jeweler told me that this is one and the only exclusive ring in the world. So, I thought you might like it. But it’s ok, we can get it changed—”
“I like it. Thank you.”, Meera said cutting him in between and Vivaansh looked at her for a moment registering her words, before slowly nodding in acknowledgement muttering, “Great.”
Followed was the silence between them as they sat looking everywhere but at each other, thinking what to do next.
“Uhh…You sleep here. I will sleep in the other room.”, Vivaansh said after a lot of thinking and Meera looked at him before asking with frowns, “But…We need to sleep in one room. What if someone will see us sleeping in separate rooms?”
“Don’t worry about that. This whole wing belongs to me… belongs to us. So, no one comes here.”, Vivaansh said comforting her and Meera nodded but then after a minute asked, “But what about servants?”
Vivaansh pursed his lips into a thin line nodding at her and then said, “Then I will go sleep on the launge sofa in the sitting room outside. Anyways, no one will enter there without permission.”
Meera chewed on her lips thinking about something before slowly asking, “If you want, I can go and sleep on sofa!?”
“No. You might be tired after hectic day. So you sleep here. I will sleep there.”, Vivaansh said and got down from the bed while Meera stared at him who took his pillows and then took a quilt from the small wardrobe kept at the left corner of the bed.
“Good night.”, Vivaansh said before descending the stairs and then going out of the room while Meera stared at his retreating figure before she muttered a ‘good night’ to no one.
Keeping the box with ring in one of the drawers in the side table, Meera got up from the bed and descend the stairs and then looked around the huge room when she saw a huge wall-fitted sliding door leading to the open balcony, and after draping a small dupatta around herself, she walked into the balcony.
Leaning to the glass rail in the balcony, Meera looked up the beautiful sky filled with twinkling stars and she got lost in staring at them.
“What are you doing here?”, Vivaansh’s sudden intervention scared Meera and she jumped at where she was standing, before turning back to look at him who was standing at the door frame staring at her with frowns.
“Umm.. I was not sleepy so came outside to get some fresh air.”, Meera said and Vivaansh nodded in understanding before saying, “Don’t stand there for long. Its cold out here.”
Meera meekly nodded at him and saw him going back into the room and then he went towards their bed, and after a minute walk out of the room with his cellphone in his hand which he might have forgotten before going out.
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Tossing and turning around on the bed, Meera tried her best to sleep, but she could not. Change of the place was making it difficult for her to sleep. And then she being all alone in this huge unknown room was making her anxious.
Finally, not able to take it anymore, Meera slowly got out of the bed and then went to open the door before peeking out in the sitting area and saw Vivaansh sleeping on the huge launge sofa with his one hand over his forehead and other one kept on his stomach.
“Vivaansh!?”, Meera slowly called out for him but to her dismay Vivaansh was already asleep and so Meera slowly walked towards him and stood beside him before calling for him.
After few of her futile attempts, Meera licked her dry lips and then slowly raised her hand to touch him on his shoulder before shaking him lightly and Vivaansh woke up with a jerk and looked at her with frowns asking, “Huh… What happen, you need something?”
“Uhh…uhh, I…I can’t sleep alone inside.”, Meera said innocently looking at him and Vivaansh asked not knowing what to say, “So…?”
“Can you come and sleep….”, Meera left her words unsaid for him to understand and Vivaansh got up sitting straight on the sofa before asking, “You want me to come and sleep with you on bed?”
“No… I mean yes… I mean if you are comfortable.”, Meera stuttered trying to form a sentence and Vivaansh immediately asked, “Are you comfortable if I sleep beside you?”
Meera thought for a moment before slowly nodding her head in affirmation and Vivaansh got up from the sofa and said, “You go. I am coming in few minutes.”
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Few minutes later, Vivaansh entered the bedroom after knocking twice and saw Meera sitting on the left side of bed while adjusting the wall of pillows in middle. Since the Alaskan king size bed was big enough to fit four adults, it was not difficult for them to sleep on the bed even when a wall of pillow was made between them.
“I will sleep on this side.”, Meera said looking up at him and Vivaansh sighed before nodding in agreement and then pulled the curtains around the bed.
Soon enough, both were lying on their respective sides, trying to sleep, but the fact that now there is someone sleeping next to each other, was not helping them to relax.
Vivaansh could not take it anymore and he turned sideways facing Meera before saying, “You need to relax. I am not doing anything to you without your permission.”
“I know.”, Meera said turning her head towards him and Vivaansh said further, “Then stop shuffling around. The way you are behaving all nervous and scared around me is making me feel as if I am going to do something bad with you.”
Meera stared at him for a moment before looking away muttering, “I am sorry.”
Vivaansh had made sure that his tone was soft so not to scare her, but still he felt that she took his words the other way round and he immediately corrected himself saying, “I know you are not comfortable with this marriage. I know you were going to marry someone else and you might have loved him—”
However, before Vivaansh can complete what he wanted to say, Meera immediately intervened saying, “I never loved Rehan.”
Vivaansh frowned and get up sitting straight on the bed still turned towards her, followed by Meera who also sat straight on bed and Vivaansh thought for a moment before asking“Then…Why don’t you want to try to this marriage?”
Meera looked here and there being a little uncomfortable with his question, but then looking at him still waiting for her to answer his question, she turned towards him and said, “I don’t know. I mean… I know now I am married to you and I should give a chance to this marriage but…but I don’t know why my heart is still not ready to accept this relation. May be…may be because this all happened in so much hurry that I did not even get time to prepare myself for all this. Or may be…may be because I don’t know anything about you. I mean…I don’t know but my heart has not given its consent to this marriage yet.”
Meera said everything without taking a breathe and Vivaansh just stared at her trying to understand her inner turmoil. And he knew somewhere she is right. For him, there is nothing changed except a new person is now added to his life. But for her…her whole world is now changed. She had left her parents and her house to come in between all new people and then she did not even get a good amount of time to know this unknown people she is going to live with from now onwards.
“I know this all happened so quickly that you did not even get proper time to know any of us. But all I want you to know is that nothing has changed and nothing will change in your life with this marriage. You can live your life how you used to live. At least I am not going to stop you or restrict you. Except for few things, which I will tell you later. But you can do anything you want and the only condition is your safety. So, relax yourself and make yourself feel home.”, Vivaansh said taking his own time to make her feel relax before saying, “And trust me, I am not touching you without your permission. So, don’t behave all scared and nervous around me.”
Meera outstare at him trying to see if he meant those words for real, and when she felt that he meant each and every word he said, Meera nodded with her eyes confident as she said, “I trust you.”
Vivaansh looked at her shocked with her words, as he did not expect her to trust him just with his mere words but soon he composed himself and nod curtly at her saying, “Sleep, its late.”
Meera’s lips stretched into a small smile remembering his words right now as she glanced at him who by now had already slept turning his face on the other side, and then adjusting the pillows on her own side, she also layed down facing her back to him.
Unknowingly, feeling of peace engulfed her heart, but she was unaware of it.
Meera frowned as a continuous knock on the door was disturbing her sleep and she opened her eyes to find herself in some unknown place.
But soon enough, she realised her surroundings and unknowingly her head turned the other side where Vivaansh was sleeping last night but now there was no one there.
Her trance was broken with yet another knock and she allowed the person to enter the room, not before adjusting her clothes and hairs to make herself somewhat presentable.
A lady In her late twenties, may be just few years elder than Meera, entered the room with a huge wooden plate covered with a cloth and said from behind the curtains, “Good morning, Ma’am. Tejaswi ma’am has sent this clothes for you, and has asked me to help you to get ready.”
Meera slowly got out of the bed while tying her hairs in a loose bun, and then came out from behind the curtains.
Meera descend the stairs and looked around the room before turning to the lady and asked with frowns, “Vivaansh?”
“Vivaansh sir has gone for jogging. He will be back at sharp seven o’clock.”, The lady filled her with needed information and Meera nodded before saying, “I will get ready by myself. You can go.”
“Then I will get the room clean.”, The lady said and Meera immediately said, “No…I mean you can get it clean after I get ready.”
The lady looked a little suspicious but did not say anything as she was not in the position to. Meera sighed when she saw the lady leaving the room as she did not wanted the lady to see the wall of pillow on the bed and let everyone suspect about her and Vivaansh’s bedroom life.
Meera hurriedly went to the bed and arranged the pillows neatly. Now glancing at the wooden plate kept on the couch before taking away cloth covering it, Meera saw a beautiful saree alongwith some jewelery boxes neatly arranged in the plate.
Taking the heavy plate in her hands, Meera went towards the end of room on right side where there was a door opening to the stairs which were leading to the walk-in-closet which also had bathroom attached to it.
“Oh shit!”, Meera jumped on her place with sudden intervention and covered herself with a saree as she was wearing only a blouse and a petticoat.
Vivaansh, unaware of the fact that Meera is in the walk-in-closet downstairs, came to get fresh in the bathroom, but stopped halfway on the stairs when he saw Meera standing in front of a huge wall-fitted mirror, wearing nothing but a petticoat and a backless blouse, trying to wear a saree around herself. And before he can register, he cursed but immediately turned his head the other side.
“I… I am sorry. I didn’t knew you are getting ready here.”, Vivaansh said still looking the other side and Meera did not know what to do except nodding her head meekly in understanding.
“You get ready. I will get fresh in the washroom upstairs.”, Vivaansh said more to himself and went up climbing the stairs, and all Meera could do was to fiddle with the hem of the long cloth in her hand.
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Few minutes past, and Meera was playing with the knob of the door as she was praying that Vivaansh should not be in the room or else it will be difficult for her to look straight at him after whatever happened downstairs in the closet room.
However, the moment she opened the door, she saw even Vivaansh walking out of the washroom at the same time, and since the washroom was exactly opposite to the door of the closet, their eyes meet for a split of seconds before both of them avert their gazes being a little embarrassed.
“I am sorry. I didn’t knew you were down there.”, Vivaansh apologized yet again and Meera nodded in no saying, “I should have been careful and got ready in the bathroom itself.”
“Don’t worry. Next time I will use the stairs from my side of walk-in-closet to go to the bathroom. But at least don’t forget to lock the door of bathroom.”, Vivaansh said reminding her at last, and Meera immediately nodded with her cheeks warming in the shade of red.
“Listen..”, Meera called out for him when Vivaansh was about to go down to the walk-in-closet, and he turned around raising his brows at her.
Meera did not say anything, instead forward her right hand in front of him and Vivaansh saw a small round gold box studded with crystal kept on her palm and he looked back at her with frowns. Looking at him frowning, Meera opened the lid of the box with other hand and Vivaansh saw vermilion inside the it.
Vivaansh made an “Oh” face before inching a bit close towards her and then took a pinch of vermilion from the box before then applying the in the partition of her damp hairs.
“Meera.”, Vivaansh called her when he saw her walking away from him after he was done applying the vermilion, and Meera turned towards him before Vivaansh complimented her, “You look beautiful.”
And he walked down the stairs without wasting a moment more, also missing a small smile making its way of Meera’s lips and blush covering her whole face.
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To be continued in 9.2
