"I love you." He whispered as he tied mangalsutra around her neck.
She smiled, looking into his eyes. Her eyes pooled with tears involuntarily. He kissed her temple and filled her hairline with sindhoor.
His cousins hooted, as others showered flowers on them both. Looking at others, Madhi continuously showered them with flowers.
Sumedh gestured her to come to them and took her in his arms. They both kissed her cheeks together and the photographer captured the moment beautifully in his camera.
"Daddy, shall we take a photo with the baby too?" Madhi asked pointing to Shakshi's baby.
Sumedh looked at Mallika and they both nodded their head together. Shakshi's mother gave the baby to them both. Mallika took the baby in her arms and they three kissed the baby's head together, capturing another beautiful moment in their wedding.
~~~
Mallika lit the diya at their family temple and they both took the blessings of Durga Maa.
After that, they were taken to the palace and Shreya did arti to welcome them both inside the house as a couple.
Mallika was taken to Sumedh's room, which was decorated with colourful flowers and scented candles. She was made to sit in the middle of the bed with her veil covering her face.
Sumedh took Madhi to the room, which he had arranged for her in the palace. She looked around it and found it as a kids house. She had seen a toy house but it was a real one.
The bed was designed with mini-park games and at the far most corner, it had a barbie playhouse. There was another room inside it, which was a study room, filled with drawing materials, craft materials and other children tale books.
Another side of the room had a mini dressing room with her accessories. The ceiling above her bed had little star fairy lights. The back of her bed had a cabinet backrest, which had playthings.
Opposite her bed had a TV in the wall, which was installed with just children programs, which were knowledgeable as well.
She smiled, seeing everything and clapped her hands, "It's beautiful, Dad."
Sumedh sensed something wrong and picked her up in his arms, "What happened to my baby girl? Why is she sounding dull?"
"Nowadays, you aren't spending time with me like before. Even Mumma also. You both are busy with others." She kept her eyes lowered as the corner of her lips trembled.
Sumedh didn't know why he was getting emotional, either by adoring her or seeing her cry.
"Aww! My baby girl needs her father time. Then let's have it now." He took her to her bed and dropped her there.
Picking out her favourite harry potter book from the bookshelf, he sat beside her.
"For now just a story, as you should sleep now. But from tomorrow, we will go for outing daily with your Mumma in the evenings." She smiled widely, hearing him and chirped, "Okay, daddy!"
He kissed her forehead and opened the book to read it. He continued reading until she fell asleep.
He kissed her forehead and covered her with duvet, "Good night, Princess."
He silently closed her room door behind him and went to his room. He was so much excited to see Mallika at that time but jerked when he saw a gang of his cousins standing with his dadi at their doorstep.
Sumedh looked at her unbelievably. He understood what they were up to, seeing their evil smirk.
The exact scenario happened when he had married Shakshi. But at that time instead of fulfilling their demands, he simply left the house. But today he can't do that.
And dadi very well know that, so she was more desperate to demand him the latest model video game in exchange to let him inside the room.
"I promise, I will fulfil all of your dreams. Now let me inside please." He straight away came to the point instead of wasting the time.
"How desperate!" Dadi teased him. He just nodded his head, "Yes, please."
Soon after they left, he went inside the room and found Mallika sitting at the bed while playing with her lehanga. Her face was covered with veil yet, as she wished to enjoy each phase of the wedding and let him enjoy too.
After locking the room door, he took baby steps towards her, making her heartbeat wildly in her chest. Sitting beside her, he removed her veil slowly. Her breath rate increased, just by the mere act of him.
He moved close to her and lifted her face by holding her chin. Her eyes were closed due to shyness. He smiled and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Happy Married Life, Jaan."
She opened her eyes when she lost contact with his touch and found him drinking the milk, looking at her intensely. She blushed and was about to get down from the bed but he held her wrist in time and sat close to her from the back.
"Here, have it. This will give you energy for a night." His husky voice sent a shiver down her spine.
She parted her lips little, as he made her drink the milk. After completing it, he kept the glass aside and hugged her from the back.
"I feel so happy, Jaan." Sumedh snuggled his face into the crook of her neck.
"I feel weird too, Jaan. See everyone will marry first and get a baby. But see us, we are already parents and now going to have another baby." Mallika played with his fingers, which were on her tummy.
"But I am extremely happy about one thing, Jaan. When I saw Madhi at first, the first thing that affected me was, I missed taking her in my arms as a small baby. I missed playing with her when she couldn't walk and talk. I just had longingness when I carried her in my arms first and guilt too that she had missed her father love at such young age." He hugged her more, as tears shed down from his eyes when he remembered the first meeting of his and Madhi.
Mallika caressed his cheeks and said, "Now she is happy with you, Sumi. Also, you can enjoy all those missed things now. Besides, see Shakshi's baby. She is a newborn baby too and she remembers me of those times when Madhi was born."
Mallika smiled. Just then Sumedh remembered about Shakshi's parcel. He went and switched on the main light and took out it from the safe.
"What is it?" Mallika inquired.
"It is from Shakshi," Sumedh replied, sitting beside Mallika.
He opened it and found two letters and one will inside it. He read the will and wondered, "She had given all the properties inherited from her father to the orphanages. Then, she had written the properties, she had inherited from her grandfather and her earnings in her baby's name and... Madhi's name? Also, she had mentioned us both as caretakers of her baby and we only have rights on her and her properties until she becomes 18. Huh! What is she thinking?"
Though he kept his face bold, somewhere he was scared to read the letter, she had written for him. He gathered courage and opened it.
Dear Sumedh,
Life is all about Karma. I have heard that Karma is a bitch. I don't want the sins my father and I did to affect my baby by any means. I gave punishment to myself for the sin I did, so that nothing would affect my baby. I am not scared to leave my baby alone, because I am leaving her in your and Mallika's arms. I am sure you guys will be lovable parents to her. I didn't die, as I can't live with shame. It's all... I had killed them both. I did sin. And I punished myself that's it. When you were reading this I will be twinkling in the sky. Happy married life to both of you. I am fine. Just that I wish to take my baby and feed her, but... Make her live independently and wisely unlike me. If by chance, she comes to know about me, tell her that I love her a lot. God will bless you and your family.
With Love,
Shakhsi❤
PS: You are a great brother anyone would long to get. Thank you, Bhai.
{☆•~THE END~•☆}