CHHOTI SI ASHA

Storms

Usually, every morning comes with a blissful promise of a new beginning, but when the sun came with a message of taking your beloved one step away, morning becomes a haunting moment of life.

Yet that morning came with a jovial laughter of family and friends in that household. Although Sameer and Naina wanted to keep it simple, but still that was fabulous.

The whole white mansion was scented with beautiful flowers and resonated with beautiful blessing songs. Munna, pandit with their respective wives, chachaji, chachiji, Rohan everyone was present with lots of gifts and more than gifts, their blessings and best wishes for the couple.

Draped in a simple but very elegant pastel green saree with light pink border with pearly embroidery. Beautiful flower jewelry was adding the charm in her beauty. When Swati, Preeti, and Anjali brought her in hall, a breath hitched in sameer's lungs. He gasped, looked at her eyes filled with love but with pain too.

Vishakha and Bela made her sit on a comfortable couch. Though it should be low table, but seeing her condition, they all preferred it as couch. Naina looked everywhere, and her eyes gleamed in an unknown happiness. Slowly her eyes moved and she looked at Sameer.

His eyes were already on her. He was observing her keenly as well as admiring her lovingly. Slowly her lips moved and she mumbled an inaudible thank you to him. No-one listen or understand, but he did. Yet he understood but couldn't even feel the joy.

Sameer moved his head, rolled his eyeballs up and looked everywhere but her. Slowly he wiped the corners of his eyes, remembering the joyful days. He remembered the moment when they attended Swati's baby shower function. That dazzling ceremony enchanted her so much that in no time, just casually she expressed all her aspirations from this function in her life.

Though Sameer chuckled on her cute excitement at that time, but in his heart that moment was imprinted so deeply that knowingly unknowingly, despite of his all resentments, he had done all the preparations according to her, though not on that big scale, but still. Choice of flowers to colour theme to menu and even their dresses... Everything reminded her and him of that night.

Sameer was sad, but bound to smile, but she was smiling, maybe overwhelmed by emotions and gratitude too. Her eyes were mis, but gleaming like starry sky. Something pinched sameer's heart again. He averted his gaze from her again, wiped cores of his eyes and sniffed.

However, the ritual started soon. Vishakha came first, did a small puja, aarti. Then she placed a coconut and a gift in her lap. In last she leaned and whispered something in her ears. Naina smiled slightly, but there was a bitterness in her smile. She lowered her eyes, bit her lips as if trying to restrain herself.

Sameer frowned, stared at her deeply, and straighten his back. He thought to, but didn't go near her. Suddenly it's repeated as Bela did the same, and this time in last, she didn't smile bitterly, some drops shone on the tips of her eyelashes, but she restrained again.

This time he couldn't take it, but about to go to her, when all of a sudden, Munna hold him, patted his shoulder and said,"bhabhi udas nhi hai bhai... Shayad thodi bhawuk ho gyi hai... Ye sab kuch kah nhi rahe, bas duayein hai aane wale nanhe mehmaan ke liye..."

Sameer frowned, didn't know how to react on this, but then leaned back on door frame and quietly witnessed the ritual going on smoothly.

After Bela, Preeti, Swati, Anjali and some close friends of Vishakha too came one by one and repeat the same process. Naina's lap filled with gifts and rice. She must be felt uneasy, but Preeti took out all those things from her lap leaving only some rice and a coconut.

Slowly, everyone done with her part and ritual seemed to come on end, when Naina whispered something in Preeti's ear. Her eyes gleamed for a moment and she said,"jijag..."