Shakhi SS Marriage Of Convenience

Chapter Thirty Five

In the morning of his birthday, Shaurya's mobile was going off on every five minutes with his family and friends calling to wish him. Surprisingly, he took it well and responded properly.

Shaan who came to wish Shaurya, joined the young couple for breakfast. He came bearing Shaurya's favorite Imli candies putting a huge smile on the birthday boy. After a splendid birthday morning with Anokhi cooking Shaurya's favorite breakfast and the trio devouring it, the couple started off to college while Shaan headed back to the Sabharwal House.

Shaurya parked his car in the parking lot and before he could step out of the car, Anokhi grabbed his hands and reminded him that they have to be at Shiv mandir sharply at 4 pm for the special puja which she arranged for him.

When Anokhi was about to get down the car, Shaurya stopped her this time and gave her the paper bag from the back seat which she forgot to take with herself. The paper bag contained her Saree which she would wear once her classes are over.

Anokhi asked Shaurya to take the Saree with him to the cabin and that she would come get changed in his cabin to which he agreed. The duo got off the car and walked inside the college conversing with each other about the upcoming test and her final year project.

Just as Shaurya entered inside the campus premises, students around started wishing Shaurya on his birthday and the student's favourite professor accepted their wishes with a smile and thank you.

As more students joined, a party popper was burst and as students whistled, a guy came forward with a birthday cake and put it on the table which two guys placed before Shaurya.

Shaurya thanked his students for this gesture and looked at Anokhi. She was gleaming with happiness on seeing him celebrated by his students. He eyed her to come closer and with her by his side, he cut the cake.

Shaurya fed to Anokhi while half the crowd cheered. She then fed him back and then the cake was shared among the students. Shaurya asked students to disperse to their class, bid bye to Anokhi and went to his cabin. She joined Reema and Neha on the way to their class. The duo had great fun in teasing Anokhi all the way to their class.

~ * ~

"Shaurya?"

Shaurya looked up when he heard his Bade papa's voice. He stood up and greeted the old man before bending down to take his blessings.

"Happy Birthday puttar" Tej said as he caressed Shaurya's head and added, "Kush raho"

"Aayiyeh, Bade Papa. Beithiyeh" Shaurya said leading his Bade papa to sit down and sat on the chair adjacent to Tej.

"Shaurya, voh Patiala ka campus hai na..." Tej started and the duo started discussing about Patiala campus for the next ten minutes.

"Don't worry, Bade papa. Mein Mr. Ahuja se bath karlunga. Sare intezaam ho jayeh ga" Shaurya assured Tej as he handed few files to Tej.

"Teek hai, puttar. Dhyaan rahe, voh Ahuja ka humhara sath rehna institution ke liye behthar hai" Tej said and Shaurya nodded with a smile.

"Birthday ka kya plan hai, Shaurya?" Tej asked as he placed his hand on Shaurya's shoulder.

"Voh kuch kaas nahi hai, Bade Papa" Shaurya said not wanting to say about their Shiv mandir plan.

"Accha..." Tej hesitated for a moment before saying, "Agar kuch kaas nahi hai toh...kya tum ghar aa sakthey ho, Shaurya?"

Shaurya sensed the hesitation in Tej's voice and sighed mentally. He hasn't stepped into Sabharwal House ever since he moved out and none asked him to come back save for the times Devi invited Shaurya to come home for dinner.

It is not like Shaurya doesn't want to go; a part of him misses the family he grew up with for twenty-five years. But to go back there is equal to replaying all those things he found out and is he ready for that?

That's the thing that held Shaurya back from going but an invitation to spend time with them and the hesitation in Tej's words put Shaurya in a fix. He studied Tej's face who was waiting for his answer.

"Sure, Bade Papa. Mujhe aur Anokhi ko ek kaam hai. Uske badh hum aathe hai" Shaurya said smiling at Tej who relaxed on hearing his words.

"7 baje?" Tej asked with a smile.

Shaurya agreed with a smile and Tej left his cabin happily. Heaving a tired sigh, Shaurya ran his fingers through his hair as he walked towards his chair and sat down.

Shaurya took out his mobile to text Anokhi but then he decided to tell the plan to her in person and placed it down. Sighing to himself, he took a file and got immersed in working on it.

~ * ~

Anokhi excused herself from her friends on the way out of their classroom. It is lunch break now and Anokhi headed towards Shaurya's cabin, a smile constantly lingering on her lips. She stood in front of his cabin and knocked the door.

"Come in" Shaurya said without looking up from his file.

"Shaurya sir" Anokhi said as she walked inside the cabin closing the door behind.

"Anokhi" Shaurya said as he looked up from the file and added, "kya hua?"

"Voh ab lunch break hai, sir" Anokhi said as her eyes darted towards the CCTV in his cabin.

Shaurya noticed Anokhi's gaze and shook his head with a smile.

"CCTV off hai, Mrs. Sabharwal. Bina darre Shaurya bula sakthi ho" Shaurya said giving a lopsided smile.

"Accha" Anokhi said with a relief smile and walked towards Shaurya, stopping in front of his desk, "Shaurya, ab lun-"

"Yehan aao na" Shaurya said as he gestured her to come closer to him.

Anokhi raised an eyebrow at Shaurya making him laugh. He then stood up from his seat and walked over to Anokhi before grabbing her hand and taking her to the couch.

"I don't know why you feel awkward to come near my chair" Shaurya said as he shook his head while he held Anokhi's hand in his, tracing patterns with his fingers.

"For starters, you are my professor and it feels wrong to romance in the seat of director of the college where I'm studying" Anokhi said scrunching her face making Shaurya chuckle.

"Accha, teek hai. You don't come to my cabin often. Bath kya hai?"

"Ab lunch break haina" Anokhi trailed her word after two unsuccessful attempts.

"Yes? Lunch pe le jao tumhe?" Shaurya said as he wrapped his arm around Anokhi's shoulder and pulled her closer to himself.

"Nahi, mujhe aap ko ek jagah leke jaani hai. Aayenge mere sath? Aap busy toh nahi hai na?" Anokhi asked as she looked up at Shaurya.

"Busy toh nahi hoon par kahan jaana hai, Anokhi?" Shaurya asked as he played with Anokhi's fingers as he stared at her.

"That I'll tell you on the way. Ab utiyeh chalthe hein" Anokhi said standing up and extended her hand for Shaurya to grab.

"Ab?" Shaurya asked as he placed his hand in Anokhi's and pushed himself off the couch.

"Yeah, we have to be back before the lunch break ends"

Anokhi slightly pushed Shaurya towards his desk and ask him to come meet her in front of the campus in five minutes. She walked out of the cabin to the café where she collected her bag from Reema and bid her friends bye as she walked towards the front of campus.

When Shaurya came, Anokhi was taking a selfie. With a mischievous smile, he silently went behind her and photobombed her making her jump on her feet by his sudden appearance.

"Shaurya! Dar gayi thi!" Anokhi said with her hand on her heart.

"I was just helping you to make the selfie more beautiful" Shaurya said with a grin that earned him a smack on his arms from Anokhi.

"Aap ka na kuch nahi ho saktha!" Anokhi said shaking her head as she walked ahead.

"Hareey Anokhi, yaar kaha ja rahe ho? Parking us taraf hai" Shaurya said as he run behind Anokhi.

"Hum car mein nahi, chal ke ja rahe hain" Anokhi said as she slowed down and Shaurya caught up with her.

"Par kyun?"

"Voh yehan paas mein hi hai, Shaurya" Anokhi said and was about to put on her bag but Shaurya took it from her and put it on his bag.

Anokhi gave an amused smile at Shaurya who shrugged with a smile and took her hand in his and laced their fingers together. She tightened her grip on his hand as she looked at him with a sweet smile.

But Anokhi tried to remove her hand when few students passed that way. Shaurya noticed that but didn't let her remove her hand. Rather he tightened his grip and swung their joined hands making her gasp before she shook her head with smile.

"Anokhi, Bade papa invited us to come to Sabharwal House" Shaurya said.

"You sure you want to go?" Anokhi asked as she wound her hand around his arm.

"Hmmm" Shaurya looked down at Anokhi with a soft smile.

"Okay then, kab jana hai?" Anokhi said as she released his arm from her grip and hold his hand again.

"At 7. We can go to Shiv mandir, go back home, get changed and then we can go" Shaurya said lacing his fingers with hers and she nodded.

The duo walked hand in hand with a smile as they exited the campus.

"Ab kahan jana hai?" Shaurya asked as he looked the either side of the road.

"This way" Anokhi said and guided Shaurya.

Surprisingly Shaurya came along without asking where they are heading. To be honest, he liked the way her hand fits perfectly in his. With her hand in his, he felt as if he has the greatest possession in the word.

By the time they crossed a certain street, Shaurya scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. But his confusion was short lived for he found a Matha Rani temple opposite to them.

"Hum mandir ja rahe hein, Anokhi?" Shaurya asked although he's sure that Anokhi's going to take him there.

"Haan, hum Matha Rani ke mandir hi ja rahe hain" Anokhi said as she tightened her hold on Shaurya as they crossed the road.

"Par kyun? Hum toh Shiv mandir ja rahe hain na shaam ko" Shaurya asked confused.

"Mandir jane ko reason nahi chahiyeh, Shaurya. Chup chap aayiyeh" Anokhi said and Shaurya wordlessly followed her.

The young couple entered the temple. They bought a puja thali and went to offer their prayers. Anokhi handed the puja thali to the priest and told the priest that its Shaurya's birthday and his star signs.

After praying, Anokhi led Shaurya to the other god's statue before walking to the back of the temple where a Matha Rani statue was placed under a big banyan tree. They both walked up there and prayed on their own.

Anokhi bent down and took vermillion in her hand and extended it towards Shaurya who gave her a warm smile, took a pinch of vermillion from her hand and filled it in her hairline as she closed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes, Anokhi gave a bright smile to Shaurya who winked at her. She shook her head with a smile, placed the rest of vermillion near the goddess statue and the duo moved back and sat by the stone stairs nearby the goddess statue as they basked in comfortable silence until Anokhi broke it.

"You know the first time I came here was after that ragging issue" Anokhi said as she looked up at Shaurya before continuing, "I was down, exhausted; physically and mentally. New city, new life, new challenges...I thought I was prepared but that incident made me stumble. I was questioning myself of what I did was right or utterly foolish...And then there was this girl, Vineet Bhatia's neighbour...right when I was in middle of a breakdown, she and her mother came. She said that I inspired her to stand up for herself, speak for herself"

Anokhi blinked back her tears as she averted her gaze for a second before looking back at Shaurya.

"Suddenly I felt as if all my strength came back to me, that I could do something, set an example may be. I was feeling fine until I hit bed and then I started feeling a sense of, I don't know, fear? Exhaustion? I couldn't name it back then and I don't think I can name it today as well but that kept nagging me the whole night. The next morning when I left home, I wasn't sure if I was the same Anokhi but when I reached near the campus and when my eyes fell on the temple's board, one minute I was looking at SIAC and the other I was walking towards the temple"

Anokhi took a sharp intake of breath as she gave a small smile to Shaurya who listened to her intently.

"I grew up to friends and people say that I'm bold and ferocious like Matha Rani back at Kapurthala. May be that's why I could pour my heart to her more, bare my insecurities and be vulnerable in front of her...I came here that day and sat right here. I didn't pray for anything that day neither did I cry but when I left temple that day, I was sure that I would fight for myself and make Anmol and his gang pay"

Anokhi took Shaurya's hand in his as she traced patterns on his skin with her fingers as she said,

"The second time I stepped inside this temple was after the day media made a headline of us getting caught in each other's embrace (A laugh left her lips as she said) ...Remember how angry both our families were? I couldn't even process what happened. Media, your family, my family, everyone came at me; questioning me, accusing me, character assassinating me...Papaji hasn't reached Chandigarh by then and Mrs. Bhatia and Vineet Bhatia were throwing vile words at me. I remember walking away from there, face pale, tears in eyes and hands cold. I didn't realize when I reached here, sat and stared at Matha Rani's face...this time I did cry as I poured my heart of whatever I went through...that day I broke down in front of her. Being born in a patriarchal household, raised by a patriarchal father who looks down at me, running from a forced marriage, struggling to make ends meet in a new city, studying, listening to vile words of relatives, bullying at college, getting kidnapped...it was a struggle for me at every step...by then I was tired, beyond exhausted and hopeless...I was clueless and scared...I just...I just prayed...I begged Matha Rani for a miracle to make these things go away...to take my pain away...to make my longing for love go away... to make my life better...to bless my life with a miracle"

Anokhi pulled Shaurya's hand closer to her heart as she blinked back her tears while Shaurya swallowed on seeing her. She averted her gaze before looking at him and said,

"And two days later, we were engaged to be married amidst confusion and chaos. At that time, I had no clue of what I know now, Shaurya (Anokhi tightened her grip on Shaurya while he held his breath anticipating her words) that you, Shaurya Sabharwal is the miracle I prayed for."

A lone tear escaped Anokhi's eye followed by more while Shaurya was stunned to hear Anokhi's words. His eyes moistened as he raised his hand and wiped his wife's tears who blinked back her tears and smiled at him as she grabbed his hand and placed a kiss.

"Any girl would die to get a husband like you, Shaurya. You took care of me, supported me, stood by me, accepted me the way I'm, put up with my mood swings and tantrums, fulfilled my silly wishes...you didn't exert your right on my choices, you put my comfort before yours, my wishes before yours...you have always said that I stood by your side like an emotional pillar at your worst. You know the truth is I draw my strength from you, Shaurya. You are my strength, my anchor, my family, my miracle...You're my everything, Shaurya."

None of them said a word as they stared into each other's. Shaurya didn't even realized that he was crying until Anokhi wiped his tears. He was stunned and overwhelmed. His wife's words made him dumbfounded.

Ever since Shaurya get to know the truth, he wasn't himself. Emotionally he was broken; some parts of him were broken beyond repair. He wasn't sure if he could look at the world as he saw it before.

Honestly, Shaurya started therapy again because he wanted to be better person for his wife. At one point he wanted to be a better person for himself. He's making progress and although he has Anokhi in his life, his wounded heart wasn't ready to believe that someone this precious would love him beyond words but her words took him aback.

"Can I hug you? Please?" Shaurya whispered as he fought the lump down his throat.

Anokhi smiled at Shaurya through tears before she wiped her eyes and looked around. There wasn't anyone around given its afternoon. Before she could nod in affirmation, Shaurya pulled his wife into his embrace as he dug his face into the crook of his neck and tightened his arms around her.

Wrapping her arms around Shaurya, Anokhi caressed his locks softly before tightened her grip around him. She felt his deep breath against her as she patted his back and raised her eyes to stare at the smiling statue of Matha Rani.

A small smile touched Anokhi's face before it grew into a big bright one; her eyes didn't leave the sight of Matha Rani's statue. She has to do what she came here for that she didn't do for months. Sighing in content, Anokhi tightened her grip on Shaurya as she mentally spoke to Matha Rani.

"Thank you for my miracle"

~ * ~

Thank you for reading.

Nan ~