One Shot
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He knows it all and I know nothing !!
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So he was back again to the haveli and soon by next week he would be back to Dubai.
Saras looked up to the dark sky .It was cloudy today ,may it would rain soon .He collected his papers and switch off his laptop ,it was late night now. He had to conduct online meeting with his clients at LA. It has been two weeks since he has been missing the action. Things were going out of Sunny's hand .The prayshchit thing did effect his deal at LA.
But now it was all fine he had talks with Miss Parker ,the lady had always been good but then no client likes carelessness and yes he did become one since he came to Ratnagiri. The place just engrossed him .Suddenly he had forgot all he was and became all he always wanted to be , a common man with a common life and family around .A sarcastic smile crossed his face as the thought of being common came in his mind.
Vidyachatur Kaka and his family gave him everything that he missed in his plush patrician life at Dubai .They gave him most prized thing called love which he never got from his own family. Neither from his over authoritative father who had always been busy with his business nor from his step mother .But here all seemed to have a bit of time for him. Be it aspiring singer Gyanchatur with extra melodious life taking songs , or young Kumari with her never ending chatter. Guniyal Kaki was always there to see that he had nice sleep and food .The problem boy Yash was always there to do some mischiefs and Kusum the sister spy always had time to peep in his room .The only lady that never had time for him was Kumud Sundry. The girl because of whom he was here in Ratnagiri .
He had unknowingly dared to say no to a
beautiful woman who could challenge a
Hulk in a boxing ring .The result he had traveled way back to India just to prove he was right .
But now it wont be same again .He would tell the truth in the morning and all this shower
of love and care would vanish instantly . Suddenly he would be the most hated person ,something he
was now being used too. He did not regret his decision of saying no to Kumud
though there were many moments he felt he should re think . The woman was a
challenge in herself be it her strong captivating voice , her charismatic
beauty or her benevolent stints .She was perfect with one flaw and it was her
heart ,humble and humanitarian
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His phone rang . It was Sunny again
'Sunny now what ?'
'Nothing friend just wanted to remind ur tickets are booked and this time do come back .I wish Ratnagiri chapter is over now'
He sighed ' Yes it is ', and disconnected the call
Is it really ,suddenly Kumuds face flashed in his mind yes it is the thoughts made is jaw twitch. He had enough of that girls relents and challenges and never ending scolding .Now all he needed was peace and he would get it only when he was far away from her .Strangest part of the whole story was that he was in love with her.He knew she was the woman he wanted the very moment he heard her challenge. She was the first woman in his life who dared to challenge his very way of thinking. He thought he took best decisions but somebody dared to say that his decision to sanyas was an act of cowardice. Who was she to say this but her reasoning did intrigue him to meet such a woman so strong in her believes.
Yes he was in love but not yet ready for commitment not till he really knew what he wanted but Kumud would never understand it .For her commitment was the first thing and for him it was the last .Last because he still needed to reconcile with his past and he knew Kumud and her family wont give him that time. Ratnagiri was a small place where girls were more a debt to their family , the earlier they went to their in laws better it was. Kumud indeed was an exception when is came to common village girl , she was a rebel whom people liked and disliked equally. They liked her for her righteousness but disliked her for strait forwardness but then she was part of a family which had to live in society , a society which would still take years to open up .Alas ! her family could not wait that long .They had daughters to marry and Kumud was the eldest.
So an impossible love story ! he sighed and reached for the glass. Suddenly too much of thinking dried his throat .Surahi was empty too .he looked at the clock it was too late ask somebody for water. He needed to go down now to fetch it himself.
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Kumud swirled in her bed from one side to another. So at last he was going. She had overheard his talks .His business was suffering ,he needed to be in some foreign land to look after his business .She had been such a fool to call him .But then why was he fool enough to come. There had been a swarm of problems to their house right since he ever put his feet in ratnagiri. But he warded them off .
She always thought he needed help and helped him too but at the end always realized he was well enough without her.He was strangely so self-sufficient! It seemed as if the problems came to him to get solved .May be that's why he never felt he needed somebody because he was well enough for himself. She always thought she had connection with those vivid almond eyes as they seemed to enchant her, be it dream or reality. Now she realized what they actually were. They were actually the sea of long suppressed emotional turmoil searching for true meaning of life .She had seen array of emotions in those eyes .They had longing to be loved yet were so distant from attachments .They had awe and appreciation for her still they always shy away to express any true emotions .
There were fleeting moments when they had stood vulnerable infront of each other ,struck by some unknown physical tension .She knew she was in love but was he in love too was a big question for her .Badi Maa had often told her that she was beautiful enough to enchant Brahma and that one who has her would be luckiest but was she capable enough to be loved and would she be lucky enough to have the one she loved was something nobody told. For the first time in her life she wanted to pray for herself and ask him for herself.
But why would God even listen to her .She has never asked him to , it was she who asked him to take care others ,so why now !
Tears rolled down her cheeks ,she rummaged them red and
sobbed like a child. Dear God please give his love to me ,he is the only thing I ever ask for and then she sobbed again.
It had started raining ,the rain at Ratnagiri was never a silent one ,it always came with storm .Her sobs were silenced by the bigger noise ,the pitter patter of rain .She stood up to close the window and realized she forgot to close kitchen windows .Badi Maa would be angry as it was she who was last in the kitchen
Its better I close them now .She rushed to the kitchen and saw somebody closing the windows. So badi Maa is already there.
'I will do it Badi Maa ,sorry I forgot'', her words were lost as she saw the person
'Sorry I ' he was startled too but continued with his explanation .'I was searching for water ,the surahi was empty ,so I came down, he tried to explain the lady who was as usual reluctant to show her priced face.
She silently handed him the glass of water and made her way to fill in the surahi .' I will place it in ur room', she replied placidly.
'Kumud ' the words came out of surprise .He knew not what to say after that coz surprisingly she had turned to answer him .Her flushed face was enough to take his breath away. But today there was something more in her face than reluctance, there was an intent. Her eyes were different too there was no anger but pain instead.
'Kumud have u been crying', was all he could say
She made her way to the door, 'I will put this Surahi in your room ', she replied
'Kumud ', his hands reached for her arms out of reflex
She flinched but spoke no word.
'Kumud talk to me ,don't kill me by ur silence , please'
Still no words .he pulled her to himself and sensed her sob amidst the noisy storm outside . She was crying. He reached for her face and felt it wet. He switched on the kitchen lights to have a better look as gallery lights seemed too dim .She sniffled her nose and tried to move but felt herself held between some iron bands .his deep gazes had always been difficult to withhold and having them from so near was impossible.
'Just let me go ', she pleaded still sniffling trying hard to stop her non stop tears.
'So that u keep sulking for me in this stormy night'
'I am not sulking'
'Oh really '
'Look Mr saraswati Chandra u have no rights to hold me like this and ask foolish questions'
'Rights !', he exclaimed as he brushed her tear drops 'I think ur tears have given me enough rights that any man can have on a woman who loves him'.
Kumud could feel her throat go dry. She was suddenly outwitted and felt numb .She could not look into his eyes that seemed to know her all in and out .He always smiled at her as though he knew it all but today he even said that he knew it.
'Good enough than use ur rights on woman u love and let me go ', she retorted working hard to free her arms .
'Thank u for the permissions ', he smiled indulgently encircling his arms around her
'Wwwhat', she slurred his over increasing nearness made her conscious , she tightly pulled in the surahi to herself
'Well if u keep weeping for me all day and night how will I do my work', his hands had now comfortably made their place around her waist holding her like a tender twig .
'Why do I care for a man who rejected me '.
'And why would I care for a woman who calls me coward'
'That was long before' , she tried to explain regretfully ' I did not know u ', as now she had come to realize his real strengths.
'But I never rejected u Kumud, infact I said no to the marriage and I did it for good '.
'I don't know what u have in ur mind and I don't even want to know now , all I want is, u just go away as soon as possible'.
'But I wont if u cry like that'
'Stop it!, why do u care '
'Because I love u Kumud ,'
Her heart skipped as she heard those words her mouth agape .Suddenly she had zeal enough to look into his eyes to see the reflections of the words spoken . and yes she did see ,strangely they had it always in them .But today she could see it clear into his eyes vivid with his truest emotions for her and it was love.
She realized she stared long enough and looked down in embarrassment .
'I ..I need to go', she stammered
'I am not stopping u '.
She realized he was not holding her anymore .She rushed away her heart throbbing zillions.
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She kept the surahi in his room and stopped to take few breaths. She had run up stairs as though she ran for her life and now she was out of breath.
He knows it all ! and I know nothing , she sighed while taking long breaths of air. She thought she knew it all. All his pain, his anger , his longings but strange why did not I know he loves me
'Coz u don't want to accept it Kumud' the words reverberated around her .She looked up to see the speaker and caught her breath.
'U just cant accept the fact that how a man in love with u can ever say no ' .Saras had followed Kumud upstairs .He knew what she felt coz he was the reason for it and he did need to explain .
'Yes I don't want to accept and I am happy with it.' she retorted her eyes red with anger. Suddenly all pain of rejection and losing him forever resurfaced , her frail body shuddered and all she wanted was to bang the door at this heartless man's face.
He saw her shaking ,her eyes moist with tears .So much of rage so much of agony . So this is what he has done to the thing he had started loving most in past one month
He pulled her reluctant body to himself and it came in to him with a jerk .She resisted with all her might but at last gave in to his manly powers, her eyes still stern and reluctant to see into his. She flushed by his touch ,her cheeks turning red ,she tried hard to show her indifference to his nearness but her body failed her completely .Every part of her knew that it was with its most craved halve .and all it wanted was to be in it ,with it.
She looked at him humbly torn between her traditional consciences and new found love asking for the way out.But all she found was her own reflection in those dreamy eyes .
He softly touched her face and kissed her salty cheeks sucking away every bit of pain he gave her. Is this what love feels like she thought to herself as she felt his hands caresses her waist .He pulled her into himself kissing her silky soft hairs
They both gave in to the moment love ,lust , desire whatever it was ,it just swept them away .
'I think now u have what u lost that day ', he moaned in her hairs .
His husky voice brought her out of that dreamy moment.
She looked at his face that gazed tenderly at her and then she realized he had his hands pressed at her waist she felt he had fastened the waist band around her waist .
She bit her lips as she remembered how she had lost them her lowered eye lids speaking it all.
'Kumud will u marry a man confused about his purpose for life yet one who thinks ur love can change it all'
'First u answer my question Saras will u marry a woman who
asked ur love as the only blessing from God'.
They knew there questions were the answers to each other and life would be a beautiful gift if they had each other forever.
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