“Aage baith jaaiye. Aur koi nhi hai saath mai.”

(You can sit at front. No one else is joining us.)

Her heart thudded wildly and she opened the passenger door with shaking hands. The tension in the car was thicker than earlier. Neither of them spoke any word. Thankfully, his house wasn’t too far.

They reached within 20 minutes and Rudra helped her carry her bags. She did not have much stuff with her. Just two bags full of clothes and other necessary items.

Rudra opened the door and they entered together. Aadya looked around admiring his house. It was neat and well organised.

Rudra took her to a room and kept her bags there.

“Aap iss kamre mai aaram se reh skti hai. Aapka samaan yahi rakh raha hu. Wo almirah khaali hai. Aap usme laga lijiye apna samaan aur apne hisaab se jo kamre mai krna hai wo kr lena. Bathroom yaha hai. Garam paani nhi aata iss bathroom mai kyunki gyeser nhi hai. Aapko garam paani chahiye ho toh mere kamre mai use kr skti hai. Saath wala kamra mera hai.”

(You can stay in this room. I am keeping your stuff here. That almirah is empty. You can arrange your things there and do whatever you want to in the room according to you. This is the bathroom. There’s no geyser here so hot water doesn’t come. If you want hot water, you can use the bathroom in my room. My room is adjacent to this room.)

Aadya was confused about him giving her a separate room but did not have the guts to question so she just nodded. Rudra thought that she wanted to be alone and left shutting the door behind her.

When he was out of sight, she took a deep breath. She looked towards the door he mentioned as the bathroom and ran inside.

She had taken a shower and freshened up. The water was normal temperature since it was summer season and she didn’t require hot water. She felt lighter after showering and wore a fresh saree.

She remembered her mother telling her that a girl should wear good clothes after marriage. To look good to her husband. She bit her lip looking at herself into the mirror. 

She didn’t have many good sarees. This one too, was a simple green saree with a light border. She looked at the time. It was almost lunch time. 

She moved out of the room and into the kitchen. He had done so much for her. She could at least cook for him.

She rummaged through the kitchen to find ingredients to make a meal. She made the quickest meal she could manage and made dal rice.

Rudra too had showered and freshened up in the meanwhile. He had thought about everything under the shower and realised that now that they were married and she was his wife, he should make efforts to make her comfortable and know her better.

He didn’t even know her name till now for God’s sake. He would also have to tell his parents about her. 

He came out of his room wearing a casual black t-shirt and grey sweatpants. He wanted to talk to her about everything and also ask her about herself.

The aroma of tadka reached his senses and he closed his eyes in bliss. It had been a long time since he had good homemade food. He only knew limited cooking which filled his stomach. 

Aadya stepped out of the kitchen and smiled seeing him.

“Mai bas aapko bulane hi wali thi. Khaana taiyar hai. Mujhe kuch samajh nhi aa raha tha ki kya banau. Dal chawal banaye hai. Khaa lenge na aap?”

(I was about to call you. Food is ready. I wasn’t able to understand what to make. I made dal rice. Will you have it?)

“Mai sab khaa leta hu. Lekin aapko ye sab krni ki koi zarurat nhi thi.”

(I eat everything. But you didn’t have to do all this.)

Aadya looked at his neck, not meeting his eyes and said.

“Apne mere liye itna kuch kia hai, sahab. Mai itna toh kr hi skti hu na.”

(You did so much for me, sir. I can do this much.)

“Thank you. And you don’t have to call me sahab.”

She looked at him confused and he realised she might not understand English.

“Mera matlab…iss sab ke liye shukriya. Aur aapko mujhe sahab bulane ki koi zarurat nhi hai. Aap mujhe mere naam se bula skti hain. Isse yaad aaya. Mujhe mauka hi nhi laga aapka naam puchhne ka. Aapka naam kya hai?”

(I mean…thank you for all this. You don’t have to call me sir. You can take my name. That reminds me. I didn’t get the chance to ask your name. Ehat is your name?)

“Ji…Aadya.”

She whispered softly. He smiled.

“Pyaara naam hai. Matlab kya hai iska?”

(It’s a beautiful name. What does it mean?)

Aadya smiled at the compliment and spoke enthusiastically.

“Parvati maiya ke 108 naamo mai se ek naam hai. Aadya matlab param satya.”

(It is one of the 108 names of Parvati Goddess. Aadya means the first truth.)

Rudra couldn’t conceal his surprise when she disclosed that her name is one of the names of Goddess Parvati. Was it a coincidence or an indication? 

“Bhut sundar naam hai aapka.”

(You have a beautiful name.)

“Ji…shukriya. Aapka kya naam hai?”

(Umm…thank you. What is your name?)

He smiled and answered. 

“Rudra.”

He saw a blush creep up her cheeks and smiled wider. Aadya too was surprised. Was it a coincidence that her name was one of Goddess Parvati’s and his was one of Lord Shiv’s.

They sat down to have their lunch and finished it wordlessly. Their eyes betrayed them every once in a while and kept bouncing back to the other. A few times, they even met making both of them blush.

“Aapko kaam pr jaana hai kya ab?”

(Do you have to go to work now?)

She asked and he shook his head while washing his hands.

“Ab nhi jaana aaj. Aapko kuch kaam tha?”

(Not now. You have some work.)

“Nhi. Bas yuhi puchha. Aap mujhe…aap kehkr mat bulaiye.”

(No. I just asked. You don’t…call me ‘aap’.)

He turned to her and asked.

“Kyu?”

(Why?)

“Aap bade hai mujhse. Aur ab…pati bhi.”

(You are elder than me. And now…husband also.)

“Toh kya pati apni patniyon ki izzat nhi kr skte?”

(Can husbands not respect their wives?)

She smiled slightly and said.

“Aisa nhi hai. Izzat sirf naam se nhi honi chahiye na. Muh pr behen aur mann mai agar hawas ho toh wo toh izzat nhi hoti. Aap mann se izzat krte hai. Wahi bhut hai. Aap mujhe mere naam se bulaiye.”

(It’s not that. Respect shouldn’t come just from name. People call sister but there’s lust in mind then it’s not respect. You respect from heart. That’s enough. You call me by my name.)

He smiled and nodded.

“Umar kya hai aapki?”

(What is your age?)

She looked at him surprised.

“Aapko nhi pata? Par aapne hi toh bola baapu se ki mai 18 saal se zyada hu.”

(You don’t know? But you told father that I am more than 18 years.)

“Wo toh maine bas tukka (guess) lagaya tha.”

(I just guessed that.)

Aadya nodded and Rudra waited for her to tell him her age.

“Bataya nhi aapne.”

(You didn’t tell me.)

“Jee?”

(What?)

“Aapki umar. Kitni hai?”

(Your age. How old are you?)

“Umm…19 saal.”

(Umm…19 years.)

Rudra was surprised yet again. She was just 19. Too young for him. He looked away and mumbled.

“Bhut chhoti hai aap mujhse.”

(You are quite younger than me.)

She heard it and asked.

“Aapki umar kya hai?”

(What is your age?)

“26.”

He answered and she nodded. This was nothing in front of the age difference her father was tying her into.