Date: 13.01.2024
"My son is looking so handsome" A squealing Amal kissed his mother's cheek in return for the compliment. Both of them were unaware of the jealousy of Ayaan who was standing at the threshold.
"Ma," Amal kissed her another cheek and messed it with his saliva though Roshini didn't care about it. Both were in their own world of relishing each other and settling the time they missed.
It's been months of that incident at Roshini's parents home and none went there again. The ladies and the youngsters gave them a cold shoulder and didn't ponder upon their living. Gautam and Divya moved out with their mothers leaving the home and respect to their fathers and grandfather.
In all this peaceful chaos, Amal turned one making the others happy with his antics and continued seeking attention from Roshini to steal his mother from his father.
"Ok, you stay here and I'll come in a few minutes." She adjusted the pillows but Ayaan beat it and scooped Amal into his arms so that Roshini can do her work.
Roshini smiled at him and walked towards the washroom to clean her cheeks while leaving Amal there who was looking or more like glaring at his father. Ayaan too returned his gaze and nuzzled his face into the little one's tummy tickling him.
The loud laughs echoed in their room and Kaushalya was overwhelmed seeing the happy family of her son. Both her sons were incredibly happy after finding their girl and what more could she asked for?
"Ayaan, give him to me and you get ready. They would be here soon and I don't want anyone to lay any question on my son." She nudged his shoulder and attempted to take Amal from him.
The little one was far more excited to leave his father unable to repel his tickle attack. "You... Don't come to me when you want to play ok?" Ayaan told his son who definitely didn't pay attention to him.
Who were they kidding though? Ayaan, who would immediately go to his son after a long day? Or, Amal, who would wait for his dadda at the threshold on every evening at 7 p.m.
"We all know the truth Ayaan, so stop ordering my grandson and get ready. And call Roshini after she is ready." The old lady left the room with Amal who was keen in focusing on the decor.
Ayaan walked into the washroom and saw that Roshini was cleaning her cheeks with the wipes. He knew, if not now, he would get her for the whole day.
Slowly approaching her, he snaked his arms around her petite form resting his chin on her right shoulder. Roshini gulped seeing his reflection in the mirror. It's been months yet still his proximity affected her as if it's the first time.
Doesn't she remember?
"You look stunning, my woman." He mumbled against her skin nuzzling his face in her neck. His hands gripped her waist hard and she held his hands in instinct leaning against his chest.
He affected her, and he knew that. Yet, he never failed to initiate the intimacy though they didn't go far more than this.
"Leave me," She mumbled closing her eyes as the heat was rushing to her cheeks making them crimson. "Anything other than that."
Though he didn't do anything other than holding her close to him, she couldn't meet his gaze again. There's a restlessness in her, inside her heart, that was hindering both of them.
Taking the opportunity, Ayaan pulled out the velvet box from his pocket and took out the diamond ring. "Open your eyes, Rosh."
Roshini looking at their reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were red, chest was heaving up and down cause of heavy breaths, her hands still holding his and of all, she wasn't a one who unnoticed the velvet box on the counter.
"This..." She dared to meet his eyes which were looking at hers. "Anything my woman wants, she gets it. Be it voiced out or muffled inside."
Taking her hand in his, he inserted the ring to her ring finger and kissed her palm. "I love you," The nth time he confessed, after colliding with her again, though she never replied.
Somewhere in his heart, he wanted to listen the end of it from her, only from her. Somewhere she too desired to let his listen what he was yearning for.
Pressing her forehead against his, both leaned into each other's warmth and touch. What a sight this love is, it even makes the strongest individual to mould into someone's weakness.
"Get ready, ok?" He kissed her cheek for more than required time and left her. Walking out, he sulked at his expectations. But isn't it true that expectations always lead to miserable situations. It wasn't something he relied upon but somethings are bound to happen and let us change and put beliefs.
Roshini leaned against the wall, placing her hand on her chest to control her heartbeat. It was became fast when he was close to her, like a few moments ago. Yet, she didn't like when he walked away from her.
"Maybe I should have told him," She whispered to herself and came out to see him decked up as handsome as he can.
"Ma called you." His words broke her facade to grasping his features. He used to tease her when she stared at him. Today he was different, a complete different of what he had been portraying from the past months.
"Shall we leave?" He nodded and they walked downstairs. The family was busy handling the guests and Amal liked being the centre of attraction and attention in his cute traditional outfit he chose to wear for the engagement of his not so favourite aunt.
"I think he more happy that she is leaving the home." Dhanya mumbled seeing Amal giggling at everyone and passing her a bombastic side eye every time he looked at her.
This naughty little brat!
"Amma, they're here." Ayaan informed his family about the arrival of the groom and his family followed by their guests.
It was a tradition to held the engagement at brides' and the wedding at grooms'.
The engagement happened with a loud cheers of happiness and teasing from both the families. Dhanya got engaged to her longtime crush, Abhay.
<A/N: Everyone got their crush except me 👀🌚>
It was late evening when the whole thing came to an end after deciding the wedding dates at the groom's place. This allows both the families to have a visit to each other's home and have a perception of the future.
Amal was tired as he enjoyed the whole day roaming, laughing, and mainly enjoying the attention giving many of the guests a baby fever. Ayaan was just one step away to let them take Amal to their homes.
Reaching the home, everyone collapsed in the living room. Amal was sleeping soundly on Ayaan who held him firmly and patted on his back time to time so that he wouldn't get up in the middle.
Roshini got up to prepare his food so that he wouldn't end up empty stomach and wake up in the middle of the night for food. Mashing a sweet potato alongside rice, she took the carrots and beans, putting them to boil.
A hungry Amal woke up with a sob to get some food to his tummy. "Ma ma ma," He let out some tears pointing towards the dining table.
Roshini hurried listening to his sobs and came out with his food. "Okay, Amma and food are here." She let out a squeal to calm him and it did work. Seeing the food, Amal calmed down and opened his mouth to satisfy his tummy.
Ayaan carried him while Roshini fed him little by little. But a toddler wouldn't never eat the whole without showing his cranking attitude.
<That's the sole right of toddlers>
"Ide last," Roshini fed him the last morsel and did some old routine with the leftovers in the bowl.
(This is the last one)
Dhanya was quick to serve the leftovers in the vessel as she couldn't wait anymore for her actual dinner. "Glutton," Ayaan mumbled and rubbed Amal's back to let him burp.
Roshini joined the ladies in the kitchen to help them in the dinner, "Roshini, you go and look after Amal. We can manage." Thara ordered and the elder lady chided her to the living room.
Only her husband and the eldest member of the family were left. Gayatri Devi, though liked Roshini, couldn't help but feel that Ayaan already married her before and Amal was their son.
Forcing a smile, the elder lady left the room making Ayaan chuckle. "Doesn't she like me?" She asked Ayaan fidgeting the end of her saree. "No Rosh, nothing like that. It's just she is still finding it hard to accept our past relation and delve in the present." Ayaan chuckled again remembering the smile on her face. It was the best forced one he ever saw in his life.
"You look serene when you smile," Roshini whispered out and he almost caught it. Before he could prolong it further, they were called for dinner. Giving the sleeping Amal to Dhanya, they ate dinner.
Dhanya volunteered to keep Amal with her tonight which Ayaan found suspicious as both of them never got together. Roshini's approval also shocked him though he didn't show on his face. There was something odd or perhaps, everything?
☆
Roshini embraced him, leaning against his chest. A shocked Ayaan encircled his arms around her with some hundreds of questions running in his mind at her sudden gestures.
"I'm sorry," Her whispers echoed in his heart. Sorry? For what?
"Happy Anniversary, Husband," She whispered again tip-toeing to reach his face and kissed his lips.
Ayaan felt like he was pulled into a shower of happiness when she wished him. The disappointed heart got it's expected pace and danced in delight. But her next action completely transported his emotions to another heaven.
His happy haven.
Pulling him by his collar, she moved her lips on his gently taking all the time she had to taste his lips and drown in them. Ayaan wasn't late to respond her, he was feeling her against her after an year that he couldn't ask for more.
It was a night that belonged to them. A night where he once again became the happiest human in the world.
Three years ago, she gave all that belonged to her to him on the same date and it felt like a deja vu when it took place again.
"I love you, Husband."
Husband, that was what she called him rather than his name or any nickname.
And today, she did the same, submitting herself to him once again. Giving him all the rights upon her which she never regretted, neither then nor now.
It was them.
It is them.
And it will always be them.
•••
Finally doing the thing that I wanted to do from a long time. An epilogue for the journey of Ayaan and Roshini. I hope you liked it, if not, at least lie for me, ok?
The picture of the ring is given above/right.
I read it again a few days ago and found that I didn't reply to the comments. My apologies, it's just I think to reply to the comments after publishing the next chapter and sometimes my brain ditches me and I forget to do it.
Any queries can be asked here.
Ig it's a farewell to Ayaan & Roshan #RoshAn
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Till then. Namaste. Bye. Allah Hafiz.