Part Eleven
The day of the wedding dawned. Shantanu knew there was still things to do before Khanak and him would be able to have a safe and happy life. Today he would vow to love and protect Khanak as along as he lived. He hoped that if she learned of his new mission she would not get too angry with him.
Meanwhile Khanak was nervous but happy that she was getting married to Shantanu. She was almost sure he had left his job and he was trying to get admission for law school now. They would have a good life together she was sure. She was planning to go for her masters in sociology while he went to law school. She would go part time since she was planning to work as well.
Urmila and Gopi got her ready and then took her to the mandap. It was a simple affair. Recent events had convinced the Khandelwals and Sharmas they needed to have a low key affair and have a gran reception once the local gang leader was caught or killed.
The couple exchanged garlands with some nok-kok in between. As they took the saat pheras they each had their own thoughts.
" Khanak I will do my best to keep you safe. I am falling in love with you. I hope someday we can live in peace together," Shantanu thought to himself.
" Shantanu we don't know each other that well but I promise to be a dutiful wife and bahu,"Khanak thought to herself.
Khanak's family even her father and brother became emotional when Shantanu put the sindoor in her maang. For Khanak it was the beginning of a new stage in her life. Shantanu was more torn. He had wanted to resign by the wedding day but Munna Bhai had skipped town. Apparently he was in Goa. He and Khanak would have to go on one more adventure before they could settle down and have a routine life.
The thing was how would Khanak take this news?
They went to take blessings of their elders. The Bidaai was emotional with Urmila Bhabhi and Sunita getting teary eyed. Khanak almost started wailing with them, but Shantanu's firm hand on her shoulder made her relax. In the Khandlewal house , Khanak kicked the rice bowl and entered the house. Dadi did aarti of the newly wedded couple. They partook in all the rituals. Shantanu found the ring twice out of three tries. The last one he let her have it. She blushed as others teased her that Shantanu would rule over her.
After some more teasing and goading the girls finally let Shantanu into what was now their room.
Khanak sat on the bed with her ghoonghat covering her face. Shantanu slowly made his way towards her and sat down beside her.
"Khanak I know you probably expected more out of our wedding and tonight but..," he trailed off.
" Dobaara aap ko kahin jaana hai?," she inquired.
Shantanu answered," Yes Khanak. I cannot resign until this last mission is completed.
Khanak was fuming mad now. She took off her veil and got off the bed.
" You are so unromantic SK!," she exclaimed.
He was surprised how quickly she registered what he had told her. She was already fuming.
"Dekho Khanak I am sorry but they won't change the rules," he tried to explain.
" This is just like Border, where Sunil Shetty's character has to leave the next morning for war. He leaves his new bride alone in house like this. He never came back to her," Khanak stammered.
Shantanu sighed.
"Khanak you watch too many movies!," he hissed.
" Yeah Yeah, joke all you want. This is awful. All my friends talked about how romantic their first night and their husbands were. I will say we fought on our first night," she said.
Suddenly she felt his arms on hers and in a moment he had her pinned against the wall. She was breathing heavily not expecting him to do this. Her mind was racing as he leaned forward and cupped her chin.
They shared an eyelock.
" I can be very romantic Khanak if you just give me a chance," he hissed.
He caressed her hair then leaned in to kissed her cheek, then he pulled her hair to the other side and kissed her neck, then they couple shared their first kiss.
They pulled back breathless. There was a moment of silence before she spoke up.
"Now that was quite amazing SK. You are a great kisser, however I think we should wait until your mission is complete before we share anymore. So if you will excuse me, I would like to get some sleep," she stated.
Shantanu was left dumbfounded. He should have kept quiet until later on. Hopefully she would get over it more quickly since he had not kept this from her for another night.
The next morning, everyone was surprised to see Shantanu and Khanak up early rather than sleeping in.
" Wow you two are up early," Khushboo exclaimed as she arrived at the table to see Khanak serving the elders.
" Khanak is so dutiful. It's her first day here and she was up early enough to make breakfast for us today," Dadi stated.
" Shantanu today is her first day living with us. You should have told her to relax," Khushboo quipped.
Shantanu glanced at Khanak. She was looking gorgeous in a baby pink sari. He knew she was mad at him. He did not want their family to notice anything was wrong.
" Bhabhi what can I say? Khanak is one of a kind," he quipped as he looked away from his bride.
" She's the complete opposite of Khushboo.," Akshay said.
When he felt some eyes staring at him, he added," I mean it's good to have some variety in the house."
"Yeh sab choro. Tell us where you two are going for your honeymoon?,"Madhavi inquired.
Khanak tried not to show her disappointment in her expression. Her husband would be busy in his mission. There would be no honeymoon.
She sat down reluctantly. She wondered what excuse he would give everyone. Her father-in-law inquired about any need to talk to a travel agent.
" Shaan should I ask the travel agent for some suggestions? Mauritis or Switzerland will be great places to go. Khanak do you have your passport ready?," Sunil inquired.
" Jee hai mere paas," she replied.
She gotten her surname changed after they had applied for the marriage license the week before.
" Dad I am thinking we'll go to Goa. I have some work commitments to complete first. We can go abroad later on. We will leave tonight and return next week. We can have the reception then," Shantanu declared.
Khanak looked at him shocked. Why was he taking her along to Goa?
Later on in their room, she was storming around packing.
" Dekho Khanak, we'll go for a real honeymoon later on. I cannot tell anyone why we are really going to Goa," he said.
She stopped short and walked over to him.
"Mr. Shantanu Khandlewal when we get to Goa, I will do my sight seeing and you will do your work. I don't want to keep things from our families. The house I was raised in that is the way things were done. The men did their work and the women theirs. Please don't involve me in your work," she declared.
Khanak went to puja ghar to take blessings before leaving. She kneeled down to pray.
" God why can't I have a life where I can just leave in peace. I wish Shantanu and I could have known each other more before this wedding. Will we ever be happy together?," she thought.
She turned to see Dadi there. She took her blessings.
"Beta have patience with Shantanu. I know you can truly ground him. He needs you to balance him," she advised her.
Khanak immediately felt calmer. She had taken saat pheras with Shantanu. She would be his support even thought she was vary of the situation now.
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