She glared at him and said.

"Mai aapse shaadi nhi kr rhi."

"Dekh lo? Torture nhi krna mujhe? Biwi se jyada achha torture kaun kr skta hai? Aur phir mai kuch keh bhi nhi paaunga. Biwi ho jaaogi na, haq hoga tumhara."

He didn't know he was so good with manipulating people. Seemed like she was too naive because she yet again seemed to believe him. She pulled her hand out of his grasp again and said.

"Lekin mai abhi kahi nhi jaaungi. Maa ke tervi (13th day after death) ke rituals pure kiye bina, mai iss ghar se kahi nhi jaaungi."

She declared and he nodded.

"Thik hai. Toh tab tak mai yaha ruk jaata hu. Because I'm not leaving you alone in this locality even for a moment now."

She twisted her lips in annoyance but didn't say anything.

"Par ye ring mere size ki nhi hai. Dard kr rhi hai."

She mumbled and he smiled.

"Kal thik krwa dunga. Abhi utar do."

She put cream on her finger and pulled out the ring massaging the area because the ring was too tight.

Rajiv realised he didn't have his clothes here and mentally cursed himself. He had to go back to get his stuff. But he didn't want to leave her alone. Not when she was so vulnerable and naive. If he was able to manipulate her, anyone can and he didn't trust her neighbours.

"I have to get my clothes and other stuff here. Let's go."

He said and she frowned looking at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Mai kyu chalu? Aap jaa kr le aao."

"I'm not leaving you alone here."

"Pehli baar alone nhi rahungi. Maa kaam se bahar jaati thi tab bhi ghar mai alone hi rehti thi mai."

She spat in anger and he sighed.

"Lekin tab sab jaante the ki wo wapas aayenge. Now they know that she is gone and I don't people to take advantage of that fact. Besides mujhe ye jagah kabhi bhi safe nhi lagi. It will take only some time. Please come with me."

At the mention of her mother being gone forever, her eyes moistened again and Rajiv cursed himself.

"Hey! Hey! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Shit! Parul, look at me. I'm sorry for saying all that and hurting you. Tum-tum bhi mujhe hurt krlo. Hit me-ahh!"

He yelled when she unexpectedly bit his hand. He hissed and looked at his palm where she had bitten and now her teeth marks were there.

"Aapne kaha to hurt you."

She mumbled and he chuckled. He held her hand and helped her sit in the car. He leaned in to buckle her but she stopped him.

"Mai kr skti hu khud. Baar baar aise mere paas aane ki zarurat nhi hai aapko."

He nodded and sat on the driving seat. She was lost in her thoughts throughout the ride and he also didn't bother her. She needed time to cope with the situation and grief.

He parked the car in front of his bangalow and she looked at it with her mouth agape.

"Aap yaha rehte hai?"

He smiled at the awe in her tone.

"Haan. Bhaiya ka ghar hai. Unke saath rehta hu."

The Rajiv from the past would have boasted about it being his home. But he now knew that nothing was his own. It was all his brother's hard work. And he didn't feel ashamed to admit that.

Parul nodded and fell silent again.

"Andar chalo. Mujhe thoda time lagega to pack my bag."

She shook her head and said that she will wait in the car itself and he didn't force her. He rushed inside wanting to make it quick and make her wait too much.

It took him 20 minutes to put all the necessary things in a bag. He was walking out of the house when he was stopped by a soft voice.

"Rajiv?"

He turned to see his sister-in-law.

"Kaha jaa rhe ho?"

"Wo-bhabhi-actually-"

He stuttered not knowing how to answer her question and she chuckled.

"Sharma toh aise rhe hai jaise ladki dekhne jaa rhe hai."

Was he actually blushing? What the hell? The looks on his sister-in-law and her mother's faces told so. He cleared his throat in awkwardness to make up a story but Karan, his brother took entry at the very moment.

"Rajiv? Ye bahar teri gaadi mai ladki kaun baithi hai?"

Both Saira, his sister-in-law and Asha Maa, his sister-in-law's mother looked at him agape.

He sighed knowing he had no option but to tell the truth and he told them the whole story. Everyone got serious imagining the condition of the girl.

"Rajiv, she looks too young."

Karan said with a serious tone and expression and Rajiv sighed and nodded.

"She is 19, bhaiya."

Saira gasped but didn't say anything. Karan took a step closer to Rajiv and spoke in a low voice only for him to hear.

"Yahi baat hai na Rajiv. Agar iske alawa kuch nikla toh achha nhi hoga."

Rajiv got silent for a second before speaking in a monotonous tone.

"I know it's hard to trust me after everything I've done but trust me bhaiya. Yahi baat hai."

Karan nodded and patted his shoulder and Rajiv took his leave after touching Asha Maa's feet and placing a wet kiss on Krishav, his nephew's cheek who giggled and gurgled in Saira's arms.

He sat in the car and sighed. Why did it hurt when his brother didn't trust him even after he had changed. He wished he could go back to the past and change everything.

They had their dinner on the way and reached back to her apartment and Rajiv put his bag in her room.

"You're not sleeping in my room."

She declared and he looked at her a little surprised but then nodded in understanding.

"Ok. Where should I sleep then?"

She shrugged and pointed towards the sofa in the living room.

"Uss sofa pr so jaao."

He looked at the sofa and then at her with an incredulous expression.

"That's a two seater sofa. How am I supposed to fit this 6"3 of my body on that?"

She shurgged again and he sighed. Ok! She was torturing him already.

"Achha ek pillow toh de do."

"Nhi hai. Aise hi soiye."

He raised his hands in disbelief but sat on the sofa.

"Achha room lock mat krna."

"Kyu?"

She asked with a slight glare and he said.

"Mujhe raat ko washroom use krna hua toh?"

She nodded, not arguing further and shut the door halfway. Rajiv sighed and laid on the sofa with half his legs dangling in the air and half his body falling on the ground. Seems like he wasn't getting any sleep for the next few days.

He had only closed his eyes briefly when he heard her sniffles and muffled sobs from the room. Parul was clutching her mother's picture to her heart trying to feel her presence when tears started falling from her eyes involuntarily and she was sobbing in no time.

Rajiv laid there helplessly. He couldn't do anything to take away her pain of losing her mother, other than give her time and his support. She pretended to be strong in front of him because she hated him but in reality she did need someone to take care of her.

It was a few days after Parul's mother's tervi (13th day after death) rites were completed that Rajiv got married to her in a nearby temple and later got their marriage registered with the registrar.

Their marriage was attended by all of Rajiv's family including his nephew who looked too curious and excited seeing his chachu after so many days. He was looking at Parul curiously for who she was sitting next to his favourite person. A few of Parul's neighbours joined the ceremony too.

Asha Maa went home taking Krishav with her to prepare for Parul's arrival while Karan and Saira went with Rajiv and Parul to get their marriage registered.

Parul hadn't spoken a word during the whole ceremony except for the mantras and vachans the priest asked them to repeat.

She was hating herself for getting married to the man who was responsible for her baba's demise.

After the marriage was registered, Saira took Parul to the car while Karan and Rajiv followed behind. When the ladies were in the car, Karan stopped Rajiv and looked at him seriously.

"I understand why you had to marry her. But Rajiv, she is too young and too innocent. And marriage is no joke. Tujhe ye cheez samajhni padegi ki you have to take care of her. She is not just your responsibility financially and physically, but also mentally and emotionally. You have to protect her from the evils of the world, as well as the evils of her own mind."

Rajiv nodded understanding the gravity of his words.

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