Lies, pretensions and fake smiles spread its wings in the Aryans mansion. People were easily bluffed, the beautiful faces of the Aryans were capable of hiding the truer nature of their relationships.
Clover did not utter a small word to anyone. She could not. Her eyes spoke the words for her. And her husband...he was like a protective iron wall of her, taking care of her from all the things and people which were new to her.
The innocent girl could not tell if he was pretending or was it a real him.
Whatever it was but for now she was thankful that she was not alone.
Through the corner of her eyes she saw her father devouring the precious dinner, it made her heart clench in pain. There was a time she would not get the amount of food which could fill her empty stomach, whatever little she could steal or afford from anywhere would go to him.
He was not a father who would sacrifice for his daughter. He was far away from the normal definition of a good father.
“I am glad you are nothing like him. You are different Clovy, a good kind of different,”she turned her empty eyes to Izan as he spoke, holding her side in a protective hold.
The touch burned however she was a mute to protest openly.
In response she only nodded to him which earned her a beaming smile from him,“You must be like your mother. Quiet and beautiful. I wish I could meet her. After all she gave me the woman of my life. I would have kissed her feet for giving birth to you. You are my soulmate Clover. No matter how dirty your past was, I will never deny that you are my soulmate.”
He opened his heart out, he spoke in such a way that no one other than Clover could hear him.
This time she knew he was not lying.
Indeed a dirty past Izan. Indeed a dirty past.
She wanted to say after seeing the change of emotions in his eyes at those words.
No matter what he feels for her but a part of reality was he made her feel what she wanted to forget with her everything.
And for that she is not going to forgive him ever.
“Clover, I love you, you know that right ?”
He asked, his face beaming with truth and hope.
I do know. You love me.
But you don't trust me. Don't respect me. Don't hear me. You don't love me the way it is pure. You love me in the way which makes me want to die Izan.
Your love might be true but it is not pure, it is not something which makes me happy.
It is not something I wish for.
“Why don't you talk to me Clovy ? I want to hear from you.”
The eyes spoke what the lips did not. Forgetting about the world they were living in, they looked into each other's eyes, a silent conversation speaking volumes.
“Congratulations to the new couple,” the connection of gaze was broken by a new set of voices.
The newly married couple looked at the age old couple, Mr. And Mrs. Prajapati, the one rare couple of the town which stuck together for the last 50 years.
Izan inched his wife Clover to himself, easing her nerves by making small circles on her back,“Thank you Mr. And Mr.s Prajapati,” he said and Clover gave them a small smile.
The other two Aryans couples also inched closer to greet and meet the old couple. The conversation between the couples was moving smoothly.
Clover found herself disconnecting with the conservation, it did not interest her.
“Clover,” she came back from her thought when Reyna called her.
She looked at her big sister,“Mr. Prajapati is asking you something. We would have answered on your behalf but we do not know what to say.”
“You can ignore answering him if you do not want to talk Clover,” Nirvana said, surprising everyone including Clover.
She slowly nodded at her big mafia brother and turned her eyes to Mr. Prajapati,“Oh they are creating a big deal out of it,” he laughed it off as he continued and said,“I was just asking you dear what are your qualifications? We don't know much about the new Aryans bride.”
It was harmful. A completely normal question. However the way Clover paled at the question was alarming to every member of her new family.
Clover was ashamed, truly in a state of shame.It was not like she did not have an answer but what could she tell him, that she dropped out of school after class 8.
She could not afford the fees of school and her father never really cared for her studies. If it was an old Clover who was no one in the streets of Goa she might not hesitate this much to utter the truth but she was now an Aryan daughter in law.
In their language, The Aryan Queen.
Leave the others, how will she tell her new family that she is only 8th pass.
Everyone saw through her hesitation, Nirvana being the patriarch of the family and knowing about Clover's muteness said,”It's okay Clover if you do not want to answer it. You don't have to–”
However he was cut off by Clover when she accepted it openly,“Class 8th.”
A deep silence prevailed in the atmosphere at her two words.
No one had a word to speak.
Clover could not meet anyone's eyes so she just kept her gaze down and stared at the white shiny floor, blinking away the tears that surfaced in her eyes.
She could feel the weight of everyone's eyes, she did not know what those eyes carried but a part of her was afraid..what if they carried judgement or worst disgust.
At that moment she just wanted to vanish from there.
Suddenly a hand came and tightened around her waist, it was Izan she knew it.
He was angry and ashamed of her.
What else could he feel about an 8th passed wife.
“Clover,” he spoke, his voice as soft as her beauty.
“I love you no matter what,” he said, making her look at him, shocked. And once again though she wanted to see something else she just saw honesty.
“Yes we also love you no matter what and we are happy to call you our family,” Zehra said with a real smile.
Clover looked at the faces of her new family member.
All of them, even her older brother in laws, were looking at her with nothing but affection and care.
This time she could not hide her happy tears.
That moment was the first real moment of this whole evening.
No lies, no pretensions, no fake smiles.
…
Once inside the house Myra's eyes only searched for Zehra and when she found her the anger inside her bubbled more finding Aks standing right beside her.
He kept a hand on her shoulder while she circled her arms around his torso as they acted as a perfect married couple who were deeply in love as they talked to their guests.
The second woman could not walk more with pretense as at this moment she only seeked revenge from Zehra for saying those words to her.
Taking the wine glass from the waiter passing by, she walked confidently towards the middle couple and as she neared Zehra she deliberately fumbled on her steps, in the process dropping the wine on Zehra's white saree.
“Ohh I am so sorry mam. My feet tripped and I lost my balance. I am so sorry,” she started apologizing loudly, gaining everyone's attention.
She wanted to embarrass Zehra, the hidden smirk curling for a second on her lips was saying she was successful.
Zehra looked at the second woman and then at her husband, his face held displeasure.His dear girlfriend was really eager to spoil their fake happy evening.
Her own face contorted into anger towards Aks and Myra both.
It was not only a saree but a family heritage. In the middle of their drama the whore destroyed something very precious to her.
When she saw the wine darkening on her white saree her anger slowly turned into sadness. Almost summoning tears into her eyes.
Reyna came running towards them with Nirvana on her tail,“What's going on ?” she asked looking at Zehra who was pouting looking at her destroyed saree.
“She destroyed my saree,” Zehra mumbled, looking down at her white saree turning yellow. She knew it was no mistake but a deliberate act, only if she could shout it out loudly.
“Can’t you see where you are going!? Destroyed my sister's clothes,”everyone looked at Reyna as she snapped at Myra, taking Myra by surprise.
“It was a mistake…” she started to say but before she could continue she was met with a tight slap right on her face.
Zehra's eyes widened at that, she stood there shocked as she saw Reyna glaring at Myra with nothing but anger,“You call it a mistake when I myself saw you tripping deliberately when you neared Zehra. It was clearly not a mistake.”
Reyna clenched out, shocking everyone present there.
Myra was lost for words. She did not know what excuse to give. Involuntarily she turned her teary eyes to Aks only to find him glaring at her with an anger equal to Reyna's.
She never understood why he never takes her side in front of everyone, perhaps to save his family's reputation but he could at least try to nullify the situation but instead he was looking at her like he hated what she pulled off.
She moved her head down and whispered,“I swear it was a mistake madam. Nothing was deliberate,” her tone withered so did her demeanour as the water brimmed in her eyes.
She looked too innocent, so much that people started pitying her.
Poor girl earned a harsh slap just for a small mistake.
“Mrs. Rajput, it must be a small mistake and you slapped the poor girl for that ! It's a clear violence and a display of how you treat the people who are below your status,” Mrs. Mehra, the A list journalist of the town sneered. The distaste was clear in her tone.
Her words earned unsaid judgement from people, all of it directed towards Reyna.
However this time no judgement affected Reyna because she knew she was not wrong here.
“Oh really? You think what I did was violence? Wait and watch what I do with the people who try to bully and humiliate my family members. A light slap is my starter. I can also punch, kick, put the knife down your back hole and take it out from your front hole just well,” She sneered and finished with a tight lipped smile directed towards Mrs. Mehra,“Now call me violent.”
She said unknown of her husband's gaze who was impressed by her attitude once again.
Reyna rolled her eyes at the lady reporter and turned to look at Nirvana. Standing on her tippy toes she whispered in his ear,“Kick her out of the job and I will let you bondage me.”
She gave him a small smile as she got back on her toes, leaving Nirvana utterly gobsmacked.
She held Zehra's hand while still maintaining eye contact with Nirvana who was tongue tied.
She knew..
All the time she knew what was in his mind for her.
“Let’s go and change Zehra,” Reyna said and finally broke the eye connection with him.
Nirvana stared at her as she ascended the middle stairs,“Myra no need to come to the office from tomorrow.”
He spoke in haze, eyes still locked to the way she had gone.
“But sir..”
“Shh…just get lost.”
Aks Rajput's Pov
I stood rooted on my place as she was going out of my house, glancing back at me from time to time. She wanted me to stop her, she wanted me to take a step against my brother's order. However, even she knew I could never go against Nirvana's words.
He is not only my brother but a father figure to me. If he tells me to die I will do it without a question. Though the world calls me a heartless beast. A man who does not have any humanity left within him. I will not disclaim it. They are absolutely right. I am a devil without a heart but the only people for whom I am alive are my family, more precisely my brothers.
I will not accept it openly or ever confess to them but I love them more than anything in this world.
The only man who I truly respect and fear is my elder brother Nirvana.That is why when he told me to get married to Zehra I did what he said though it was the last thing I wanted to do but nothing was and is superior to my brother's command.
Zehra was a part of my past and a part of me wanted her to be what she always was…my past.
The Aks who loved her had died long ago.
However that girl never understood it even when I tried to say it before our wedding. I could not reject the marriage as it was my brother's command but she could have, however she never did.
And it became a sole reason of my hate.
I wanted to suppress my past forever but she slapped it right on my face and for that I will never forgive her.Â
I came out of my inner thoughts feeling a hand on my shoulder.
It was Nirvana, my older brother.
He did not say a word but gestured towards the staircase, I followed his line of vision only to meet with my past once again.
The past
“Why are you not eating anything?” Nirvana who was as usual sitting on the head chair of the dining table asked his brother Aks who instead of eating his breakfast was smiling at whatever was on his phone.
Aks looked at his older brother, not knowing what to answer him. He roamed his eyes at the dining table, his other two brothers were also looking at him.
Nevan clueless at the moment while Izan was carrying that knowing smirk.
Shut it down you little bitch.
His glare carried the clear message to Izan who in response just rolled his eyes and popped another carpel of orange in his mouth.
The show was just getting started.
The thirteen year old Nevan ate another bite of his sandwich and curiously looked at the interaction of his two oldest brothers as his second elder brother said,“Umm nothing brother. I am just not feeling hungry,” clearing his throat Aks made a pathetic attempt of lying to his brother.
In his 26 years of life he had never lied to him. It was something he was still learning to do.
Izan almost burst out laughing at his stupid excuse but covered it well with a fake laugh.
Nirvana gave a pointed look to Aks, knowing he was making excuses,“Does not matter. One should not skip any meal of the day. Especially breakfast. Put your phone down and eat.”
Nirvana’s order demanded no further arguments.
Giving one last look at his younger brothers he got back again to finishing his breakfast in silence.
Aks looked at his brother and then at the plate full of food.
Their home lacks a feminine touch, it results in the bland taste of food too which Nirvana generally makes for them.
The younger brothers, especially Nevan, is not a big fan of Nirvana's made food but he never says it aloud and eats whatever Nirvana makes for them. The brothers do not want to hurt their elder brother in any way.
However, today was a different case. It's karwa chauth and for the first time Aks was fasting for someone. That too a nirjala vrat.
Even looking at a plate of food was making him feel like he was breaking a law.
He shook his head at the sight of food and started looking anywhere but food.
The way he cringed at the sight of food made Izan finally let go of all his control and he burst out laughing.
Nevan looked at his brother with a face full of confusion, Aks with a deadly glare and Nirvana asked him,“Why are you laughing so much ? Care to explain,” making Izan halt his laugh.
The young college boy cleared his throat and attempted to tame the laughter coming out,“Nothing bhai was just thinking of the movie I was watching last night. It was a masterpiece comedy.”
The perfectionist in the art of lies, Izan replied smoothly.
“Stop thinking about the past and keep your focus in the present. You are at the dining table eating your food, Izan. Respect your food,”Nirvana spoke in a cold voice, he doesn't like disrespect to food in any way.
This time Aks was the smirking one and Izan was the sulking one. Nevan was still as confused as before.
“Why are you still not eating your food Aks ?” Nirvana asked, seeing he had not touched his food even now.
“Bhai I am really not feeling like eating. Can I go now ?” he almost pleaded to his brother.
Nirvana looked at the plate full of food and then at Aks,“Alright. For the next one month you are going to feed all the animals in our farms and only after that you will get your food. Four rotis and dal for the morning and evening both nothing more or less. It will be your punishment for leaving a plate of food untouched. Now go and make sure this food does not get wasted,” he said pointing at his food's plate and dismissing him.
Aks did not waste a minute and walked out of the room with a plate of food in his hand.
“I cannot believe you are ready to endure brother's punishment for wasting food,” Izan said, entering the farm where Aks was feeding his untouched breakfast which included green veggies to the cows.
“What else can I do? I can not afford to eat anything today unless I see the moon and after that my Zehra,” he replied.
“Awww My Zehra and all ! I never knew my brother was crushing on my junior this hard !!” Izan exclaimed only to piss him off more.
“Shut up bitch or do you want a bullet in your gutter mouth,” Aks had enough of Izan bothering him.
“Hey you can't call a man bitch and aren't you keeping a fast so how can you cuss like a sailor,” Izan said, poking the devil more.
“Trust me Izan you are the biggest bitch and no I am free to cuss at my pain in the ass brother whenever I want,”Aks retorted back.
Giving one last look to his brother he walked out of the farm with Izan running behind him. “Hey stop or I am going to tell Nirvana bhai that you are keeping a woman wala fast!”
“And I am going to tell bhai that you were watching Naughty Indians last night, not a masterpiece comedy.”
With that Aks shut up his brother and went out of his house and drove straight to the Khashiq university to meet the love of his life, the muse of all his poetries, the only lady of his heart.
Zehra.
That night she wore the same lehenga that she was wearing now.
The Lavender Dress which was his gift to her.
The same dress, the same accessories, the same her... the only thing she lacked was the same smile as years ago.
Her giggles from that night were still echoing in his ears as he looked her in the eyes.
The amount of sadness that her eyes carried was clearly saying that she was too remembering the same night.
“Mere ishq ka afsana kyu itna ro raha hai ?” He asked cupping her warm cheeks as they stood under the darkness of the black sky. (Why my love is crying so much )
Zehra looked at her shukrana, her lips wobbling with each breath,“Chand Kahan hai shukrana bhook lag rahi hai,” she cried and dipped her head in the crook of his neck as her hands circled around his torso. (I am dying of hunger here and the moon has not come yet)
Aks smiled and held her soft figure against his hard one, “Mera Chand toh meri baahon mein hai aur dusro ka chand kahi badalon mein simta hua ” (I don't know about the other moon but my moon is in my arms)
Zehra looked him in the eyes and spoke with guilt in her voice,“I am sorry I am acting like a baby. I at least had some juice a few times in the day but you haven't eaten anything yet I am the one crying out of hunger. I am so sorry shukrana. I am really stupid and selfish.”
“Zehra!” Aks called out when she started belittling herself, “Do not ever belittle yourself for anything. You do not have any idea what I am going through only by thinking that you did not eat anything for my sake. And seeing you crying like this is only making me hate myself more. Fasting one day for you is a small thing I did for you. I can fast for your happiness for months you know and about you getting hungry..let's do one thing.”
“What ?” Zehra asked, confused.
“Why don't you have some bites now, only some okay like 7 or 8 bites and eat the remaining after seeing the moon ?” he suggested knowing she was more than famished that she was showing.
“What No Aks ! I can never do that. According to the stories, breaking this fast can be harmful for the partner. I am not letting anything happen to you,” Zehra shook her head and said, tightening her hands around his neck protectively.
“But Zehra, few small bites will not harm,” the Aryan king almost whined like an adorable kid.
“No Aks. See I am not crying now. I will wait for the moon to come.”
Zehra was adamant.
Aks was ready to convince her again but stopped suddenly,“I don't think you have to wait any more, Zehra,” he said, smiling.
“Why ?” Zehra asked innocently and Aks turned her around and pointed at the full moon which was coming out from the curtains of dark clouds in the night sky.
“Mera chand abhi bhi mere paas hai aur dusro ka…wahan badalon ke beech.”
(My moon is still with me and people's moon…right there in the middle of the clouds.”
He whispered into her ear as he hugged her tightly from behind and both of them smiled at the full moon.
He grasped her hand as soon as she came closer.
“You don't have to say anything. It was not me. Reyna made me wear it even when I said a no,” she replied to his unasked question.
Aks did not speak a word and only stared at her which felt like eternity.
“You shine the same.”
He spoke in a small whisper.
“No..,” Zehra faked a smile,“Now I burn.”
….
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