“Hello uncle.”

Om said, trying his best to look cool. 

“Himmat kaise hui teri?!”

(How dare you?)

Om blinked and Isha took a step towards her father.

“Papa…hum pyaar krte hai ek dusre-”

(Papa...we love each other-)

“CHUP! Ek shabd aur nhi! Isliye wo sab baatein bol raha tha na uss din. Jisse mai iss sab ke liye bhi haan krdu?”

(QUIET! Not another word! That’s why you said all that. So that I say yes to this?)

Om smiled sheepishly and rubbed his neck.

“Ek motive ye bhi tha uncle.”

(This was one of the motives.)

He admitted sheepishly and Isha closed her eyes. Why was he making it more difficult for himself?

“Sharam nhi bachi hai bilkul bhi! Hass raha hai saamne se pakde jaane pr bhi!”

(There is no shame left in you! You are smiling at being caught!)

Naresh yelled and Om’s parents also came to see what was happening. His father slapped his forehead, knowing that was sure to happen.

“Arre uncle aisa nhi hai. Aur pyaar krne mai kaisi sharam? Aapne kya aunty se pyaar nhi kia?”

(It’s not like that uncle. And what shame in loving? You did not love aunty?)

Pooja gasped at the audacity of her son. Naresh fumed and said.

“Wo alag hai! Shaadi ke baad pyaar hua tha hume!”

(That is different! We fell in love after marriage!)

“Toh hamari bhi shaadi kra do.”

(Then get us married too.)

Om suggested and then grinned, proud at his solutions. Isha and his parents looked at him wide eyed. How was he not scared to speak all this in front of her father?

“Tujhse toh mai baad mai baat krunga. Tu chal mere saath!”

(I will talk to you later. You come with me!)

He said the first part to Om and then dragged Isha with him.

“Tujhe darr nhi lagta kya?”

(You’re not scared?)

Pooja asked, smacking her son’s arm. He chuckled and said.

“Gussa nhi hai wo. Bas shocked the. Aise ek dum se sab pata chala na. Dekhna aap kal subha tak thik ho jaayenge. Aap taiyarian kro ab.”

(He is not angry. He was just shocked. He got to know so suddenly. You see he will be fine by morning. You start preparing.)

He said with a wink. Pooja chuckled despite the tension.

Isha and Meetu looked at Naresh, who was still sitting on the sofa and glaring at the floor.

Isha bit her lip and walked towards him. She crouched down before him and looked up at him, from his feet.

“Papa?”

Naresh looked at her. She held his hands and smiled.

“Hum sach mai pyaar krte hai. Shayad hamesha se krte hai. Bas ek mauka de do. Aapko toh pata hai na wo dil ka bura nhi hai. Bas thoda sa shararti hai.”

(We really love each other. Maybe since always. Just give us one chance. You know he is not bad at heart. He is just a little naughty.)

She said with a soft chuckle. Naresh felt his resolve break. His eyes softened, remembering how Mahima had been at her place all those years ago. Begging for her love while he sat in the same place, ignoring her pleas.

And he would die before repeating the same mistake he made back then. He held her hand and pulled her beside him. 

He round his arm around her and nodded.

“Thik hai. Meetu! Kal bulao usse aur uske parents ko ghar. Kal hum apne doston se nhi…apni beti ki pasand se milenge.”

(Alright. Meetu! Call his parents home tomorrow. Tomorrow we won’t meet our friends…but our daughter’s choice.)

He said and Isha squealed, hugging him tightly. He chuckled and patted her back.

“Phir wahi galti dobara nhi krunga. Mai jaanta hu Om achha ladka hai. Hamari nazro ke saamne pala hai wo. Usse apne bete jaise pyaar kia hai maine bhi.”

(I won’t repeat the same mistake. I know Om is a good man. He is raised in front of our eyes. I have loved him like my own son.)

Naresh finally cracked a smile. He then chuckled and said.

“Ek baat thik kahi hai tune waise. Sharartui bhut hai wo.”

(You were right about one thing. He is very naughty.)

Isha chuckled and said.

“Aapko pata hai…wo abhi se aapko sasurji bolta hai.”

(You know…he calls you father-in-law already.)

She disclosed and giggled. Naresh laughed and Meetu too chuckled, shaking her head.

“Badmash hai ek number ka.”

(He is very mischievous.)

Naresh said and hugged Isha close to his heart. His heart felt heavy as he realised that soon, she would be married off too.

“Kitni jaldi badi ho gyi tum dono. Mahi maa banne wali hai aur ab teri bhi shaadi ho jaayegi.”

(You grew up so quickly. Mahi is going to become a mother and you will also get married now.)

He said emotionally and Isha felt her eyes tear up too.

“Papa!”

She sniffed and held him tighter. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

The next day, Naresh had first given Om a harsh pat on his back for his naughtiness the previous day, before pulling him into a fatherly hug.

Both their families were friends from a long time and things went pretty smoothly. Isha wanted the marriage to happen after Mahima’s delivery so that she can also join freely.

Almost two years later

Isha gasped feeling his lips travel up from her calf to her inner thigh. She clutched his hair and arched her back when he gave her skin a light bite.

Om smirked. He could see how wet and dripping she was. He sucked at her inner thigh and she released a low whimper.

“Om! Please!”

She pleaded and he kissed her mound before plunging a finger inside. Isha clutched the bedsheet, his hair, anything she could hold onto. 

Om curled his finger and massaged her insides, making her eyes roll in pleasure. 

“Oh….Oh God! Om!”

She gasped and arched her back impossibly high. She slumped back on the bed as if she’d lost all her energy as she found her release.

He smirked in victory. The very sight of her finding her release because of him, made him stiff as a rod.

He placed a soft, tender kiss on her stomach before proceeding upwards and massaging her breasts in a sensual manner.

Isha had had enough and pulled him over herself. Om looked at her wide eyed, almost losing his balance as he stabled himself on his palms.

“Careful baby!”

“I want you! Now!”

She commanded and he pulled her into a hard kiss. She moaned in between when she felt him push himself inside. 

She pulled back from the kiss and looked into his eyes as he settled inside completely.

Om smiled and kissed her forehead. He waited. Like he always did. Waited for her indication that she was fine and he could move.

She scratched his back lightly, her indication and he slowly started moving. Isha round her legs around his waist.

In the aftermath, she snuggled against him. He held her close, cocooning her in the warmth of his body.

“You okay? Did I hurt you?”

He asked, concern visible in his voice. Isha smiled and rubbed her face against his chest.

“I’m fine.”

Om had always been very careful about her comfort. They went rough a lot of times but only when she was ok with it. He made sure she was fine with everything they did.

And he was even more careful about her consent and comfort after she told him that she was pregnant with their first child.

Om kissed her head and caressed her belly, letting himself imagine his baby smiling on feeling his father’s touch. 

Having her in his arms and knowing that they were going to bring a new life into the world, made the rejection he suffered earlier and all those years of wait worth everything.