Flashback

Bengaluru, Few Months Back

"So are you saying what I think you are saying?" Madhukar Nayak's voice was sharp and steellike, his eyes fixed on Nikhil's face like a hawk.

Nikhil grimaced inwardly, hoping that Madhukar Nayak wouldn't notice. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Deepti smirking beside Rohini. Both were seated on a sofa far away from where Nikhil was being interrogated by an anxious Father. Ritwik lolled in between his Mother and Aunt, pulling tufts of their open hair whenever he spotted a chance.

Rohini felt bad for Nikhil; she knew her Father was putting him through the third degree though Madhukar Nayak indeed liked Nikhil as a person.

She yelped when Deepti pinched her on her waist and then whispered

"I see a love bite ..."

"What?" a startled Rohini now turned towards her as Deepti pointed towards a purplish, reddish patch on the small of her back. Typically, it wouldn't have shown, but Rohini had chosen that day to wear a chiffon saree.

Rohini mentally groaned

"That's an insect bite, Dips. You should know better ..."

Deepti turned her friend's face towards herself - "Why are you blushing then? You mad girl! Have you forgotten that I am a married woman with an active sex life?"

Rohini squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears

"I don't wanna listen to your sex life ..."

Deepti pulled at her right hand as she whispered

"But I want to ..."

"Shhh" Madhukar Nayak's voice boomed across the room. "We are trying to have a conversation here"

The girls giggled.

"Rohini, come here. Deepti, you are disturbing us" Madhukar Nayak chided.

Rohini got up and went to where Nikhil and her Father were seated. She settled down beside Nikhil and smiled encouragingly.

"Nikhil here says that you guys want to get married ..." Madhukar Nayak started without any preamble. "I want to know from you as well Rohini ... I want both of you to be sure about everything before you take the plunge ..."

Rohini nodded in affirmation as she reached for Nikhil's hand.

"We are sure Dad. We have talked about this already. Thought it through. We have known each other for nearly two years now and we know that this is what is destined to be ..."

Nikhil looked down at their conjoined hands and gently pressed her fingers. She smiled in return.

Madhukar Nayak looked at them from the top of his moon glasses, and then at their conjoined fingers. He could see the cluster solitaire sparkling on her finger. Happiness bubbled inside him as he finally allowed himself to smile.

"That settles it then. Nikhil my boy, I would like to meet your Grandfather soon. Finally happiness arrives ..."

He got up from his seat and walked towards the door, almost sprinting, pulling Deepti into his arms. Ritwik was already asleep on the sofa.

Rohini and Nikhil looked at each other, their eyes shining with excitement and amazement. They were about to hug each other when Madhukar Nayak turned around, clearing his throat

"I want to apologise too ... somehow, I have always thought of you as the Bungalow Guy ... my bad obviously!"

His eyes twinkled as he left a bewildered Nikhil behind. Rohini burst out laughing once Deepti and Madhukar Nayak had left.

Nikhil looked at her mock hurt

"And here I was thinking that I have somehow managed to save my ass ... the old man was being unceremoniously kind ..."

Rohini moved into his arms and looked into his eyes

"Maybe he knows how fond I am ... of your posterior ..."

Her peals of laughter egged Nikhil on as he swiftly captured her bottom lips and bit sharply.

...

The date for the engagement was finally set.

Madhukar Nayak had met Sadashiv Shastri a few days later at his residence, and Nikhil's grandfather had been ecstatic at the proposal.

"Finally ... love and hope returns to our family ..." he had mentioned, as happy tears rolled down his cheeks.

He had liked Rohini the first time she had come visiting, and had been later appalled to learn about Nisha's behaviour. He was now happy that Rohini and Nikhil had been able to work around these emotional and societal pressures and commit themselves to love.

Madhukar Nayak had not hesitated to reveal the truth about the past; neither had Sadashiv Shastri. At the end, both had agreed that it was high time that the children discovered the much elusive happiness. 

The muhurtam for the engagement had been finalised for after 2 months, after consultation with the Panditji.

...

"Oh I can't wait ... " Nikhil grumbled the next day. "Why is the engagement date so far away?"

Rohini grinned at him, now seated cross legged on her couch, fiddling with his violin; while she tried to concentrate on finalizing the sketch of a bungalow-cum-greenhouse.

"What's the hurry?" she asked. "Once engaged, marriage will soon follow ... and then we will settle into the usual grinds of our lives. This blissful period will be long lost ..."

Nikhil got up from the couch and walked towards her. His arms went around her waist as she pulled her to himself, her back resting on his chest.

"We will make it unusually beautiful ... I promise you"

He bent down to kiss her cheek, and then moved towards the kitchen as the timer of the microwave went off.

He busied himself in the kitchen,smiling when he heard Rohini humming. Moving to the threshold of the kitchen, he leant against it, his arms around his middle, as he watched her flit around the board, adding final touches to the sketching.

His heart had never been this full.

...

After a few days, Nikhil's Penthouse

Rohini puttered around the Study going through the titles of the books on the shelves when Nikhil called her from the hall.

"Come, I have something to play for you" his eyes were shining in excitement.

Sometime later, Rohini was still drunk in love; the beautiful composition that he had rendered had left her speechless. She had walked upto him and kissed the top of his head when he had cheekily twirled her around for a dance.

They were seated for dinner when Nikhil brought up the topic - "I wanted to mention to you for sometime. I met Barkha in US last month ..."

Rohini looked at him in earnest, willing him to continue.

Nikhil looked embarrassed - "She is now married to that guy I had caught her with. I think they got married last year ..."

He looked up at her "She wished if we could be friends once again?"

"And what did you think of it?" Rohini seemed a bit tensed.

Nikhil reached out for her hand on the table and squeezed it gently.

"Of course not. No way am I going to encourage this association ..."

Rohini's phone started jingling and she pulled away to answer her the call. The smile on her face returned as she responded in mono syllables

After a minute, she disconnected and looked at Nikhil

"That was Dad over the phone. He mentioned that post today, we shouldn't be seeing each other much. He says that it takes the spark out of relationships, and I agree with him. We could talk though ..."

Nikhil looked crestfallen and mumbled

"I so knew your old man was going to bite my ass. There's still a month to go. I would be so lost without you ..."

Rohini tried hard to cover her laughter.

Nikhil continued his mourning - "Then he will say the marriage has been fixed for six months later. You cannot look at Rohini, or visit her place. Neither could she visit yours ... what is this man?"

Rohini pulled his hand into hers, making him look up

"This happens when families bless a marriage. Would you rather not have that?"

Nikhil nodded his head thoughtfully. Family blessings were a big boon for them; not every couple could boast of the same, he knew.

Even his sister-in-law seemed to be happy now.

As he helped himself to some more food, he smirked at Rohini

"I was going to drop you home tonight Ro. After all these curfews, I don't think that's not what I have in my mind right now ..."

Rohini chuckled.

All discussion about Barkha was soon forgotten.

End of Part 46