A week passed in a jiffy. Divya was once again a married woman. She was sitting in Abhishek's room, not knowing what to do. The room was simple. The bed was in the center. There was a door on the left side which opened to the balcony. On the right side was the wardrobe and another door which opened to the washroom.
Divya was sitting on the bed, wearing her bridal lehenga, waiting for her husband to arrive. She was feeling suffocated. Her past memories were rekindling. She was afraid....for herself, for her daughter. The tears in her eyes threatened to fall any second.
The door opened. Abhishek came inside. He was looking a little tired. He came to Divya and said in a hurry, "Please go and bring Diya. She is not coming with me."
Divya looked at him in shock. This was supposed to be their wedding night. Why he wanted to bring the child inside. Not that she would allow him to touch her but what did he have in his mind. She asked him, "Why do you want her to come here?"
Abhishek did not understand the meaning of her question but nevertheless answered, "To sleep of course. She can not sleep alone, can she?" Divya shook her head in no. She went and brought Diya inside the room.
"Mumma, why are we here? I want to go back home," said the little child. Divya hushed her and put her to sleep. After she had slept, Abhishek and Divya changed and decided to call it a night, when suddenly Abhishek asked Divya, "Does Diya know about her real father?"
Divya took a deep breath and whispered a "No." Abhishek sighed, "Then why does she run away from me?"
Divya looked at him in the eyes and questioned, "Why do you care?"
Abhishek gave a weak smile. "I want her as my daughter. I want her to call me Dad. I don't know why but from the moment I have seen her I feel so attached to her. I want her to be my princess."
"And you don't want a prince?" she asked sarcastically. Abhishek looked at her confused. He asked her, "Your parents forced you to marry me?" She was shocked would be an understatement. How did he know? Could he read her mind?
Her silence gave him the answer. "Let's sleep," he told her.
"Being a divorced woman is a crime in our society. And on the top of it, I had a daughter. I was a burden on them. Now I will be a burden on you," said Divya.
Abhishek looked at her and asked, "You have done fashion designing, no?" Divya nodded. "Then why didn't you work on your career," he continued.
"In which world do you live. Married women don't work," said Divya.
Abhishek chuckled. "Search for the vacancies. Now sleep. It's really late."
Both of them laid down on the bed, with Diya in the middle. Abhishek was on the left side while Divya on the right. Divya hugged Diya and got lost in her thoughts. She remembered how her first husband was always against the idea of her doing a job. "I earn enough for both of us. Why do you want to work?" She never could win the argument. She thought about Abhishek's words. She had always wanted to make a career in fashion designing. But was it possible now? With Diya's responsibility and her in-laws, how could she even think about it? And what if Abhishek's parents rejected the idea? Her mind was filled with negative thoughts.
It's strange how much being rejected can affect us. From being strong and confident to weak and vulnerable. The change is huge.
____________________________________________
So, how is it?
What do you think of Abhishek?
Do share your thoughts...
~Purnima