"Bhaiya still doesn't trust me with bhabhi. And I know ki mai kitna bhi koshish kr lu he is never going to trust me the same. He used to call me Raj. I haven't heard him call me that since 4 years. And I deserve it. I deserve every bit of it. All his distrust and all your hatred. I deserve it all."

He spoke and wiped his tears while she looked at him with her own tears flowing down her eyes.

They sat in silence for some time. Only the sound of their harsh breaths echoed in the room.

"I don't blame you anymore."

She spoke after some time and he looked at her.

"Jab aapko pehli baar dekha tha toh bhut gussa aaya tha aur nafrat ho gyi thi. Yahi manne lagi thi ki baba ne aapki wajah se apni jaan di. Par jaise jaise aapko jaane aur samajhne lagi toh ye laga ki aap dil ke bure nhi hai."

"Don't go weak on me Parul. I don't deserve it."

She kept a hand on his mouth to stop him from speaking.

"Bolne dijiye mujhe. Aapne bola toh maine suna na. Ab mujhe bolna hai."

He nodded and sat quietly listening to every word she said.

"Aapne bhut galtiyan kri hai. Kuch bhut badi galtiyan bhi hai. Lekin wo sab ek aise cheez ki wajah se jispe aapka koi control nhi tha. Agar hota toh kya aap wo sab krte?"

He shook his head and she clutched his hand which was still clenched in a fist. She eased his palm and slid her fingers between his, intertwining them.

"Bhabhi ke case mai aapki galti thi. Lekin unhone aap ko maaf kr dia. Kyunki shayad wo bhi ye jaanti hai ki aap dil se bure nhi hai. You've changed yourself enough ki wo aapko maaf kr ske. And everyone deserves a second chance if he proves himself worthy of it. Bhagwaan Krishn ne bhi Duryodhan ko second chance dia tha. Jabki wo kitna bada paapi tha. Toh jab Bhagwaan ek mauka de skte hai toh hum insaan kyu nhi?"

He felt tears fill his eyes again at her words.

"Aur rahi baat baba ki..."

She took a deep breath at the mention of her father and smiled.

"...aapki galti usme itni thi ki aapne apni ego ke chalte unhe bina matlab jail bhijwaya. Lekin agar sirf baat utni rehti toh wo kuch ghanto mai bahar bhi aa jaate. Lekin unki maut ka asli kaaran wo police officers the jinhone un pr wo jhootha khoon ka ilzaam lagaya."

She said and her vision blurred with tears.

"Lekin unhe jail toh maine bhijwaya na. Na mai unhe jail bhijwata aur na wo police officers aisa kuch kr paate."

"Lekin asli galti unn police officers ki hai. Wo aise kaise mere baba pr itna bada ilzaam laga skte the? Koi right nhi tha unhe. Mere baba ne apni jaan jail jaane ki wajah se nhi li thi. Uss khoon ke ilzaam ki wajah se li thi."

She broke down and he pulled her in his arms.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry."

He whispered and kissed her head. She shook her head and cupped his face.

"Galti aapki nhi hai. I forgive you."

"But I ruined your family."

"And you gave me one too."

He got silent and she smiled.

"Galtiyan sab krte hai. And that's what makes us human beings. Lekin hum good human being tab bante hai jab hum unn galtiyon ko accept kre, unse se seekhe, aur unhe dobara na repeat kre. You've regretted your mistake aur aapne jitna aapse ho saka usse sahi bhi krne ki koshish kri hai."

"I'm not a good human Parul. I'm not."

"Mai nhi maanti. Aap good human tab nhi hote jab aap apni galti regret nhi krte. Uske liye maafi nhi maangte. Aapne uss ladki se bhi maafi maangi jiski video aapne chalayi thi. Aap chahte toh nhi bhi kr skte the. Kya farak padta? Lekin aapne maafi maangi. Aapni galti accept kri. And that is what a good human does."

She explained and he hugged her tight.

"I don't deserve you. I don't deserve any one of you.

It had been a few weeks since the confrontation and confessions that Rajiv made to Parul about his past. He still couldn't believe that she forgive him.

He remembered how shocked he was when she said that he wanted to start a new life with him, forgetting his past.

Parul was getting ready for her cooking class and Rajiv was admiring her with a smile. Lately, he had started doing that a lot. Admiring her with soft smiles. Wanting to be with her. Talk to her. Hold her. Just be with her.

"Tumhe nhi lagta mai tumse bhut bada hu age mai?"

He asked all of a sudden and she frowned. Why was he asking this? Did it bother him? She turned to face him and asked.

"Kyu? Aapko lagta hai kya?"

"Kabhi kabhi. I mean you are 6 years younger than me."

She walked near her and smiled.

"Maa baba mai 7 saal ka farak tha. Lekin unme pyaar bhi bhut tha. Umar se farak nhi padta. Bas pyaar hona chahiye."

He smiled and cupped her face. He kissed her forehead and kept it on hers.

He pulled back after a minute and looked into her eyes. There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere as she eyed his lips and her parted slightly.

He gulped and licked his while eyeing her lips. Their eyes met and she lowered them in shyness. He caressed her cheek and slowly leaned in.

A soft gasp escaped her lips as his lips brushed hers and he stopped thinking he'd made her uncomfortable.

"I-I-am sorry. I-shouldn't have done that-without your permission."

He started moving back but she clutched his shirt from the waist and stopped him.

"Nhi! M-mera matlab-ai-aisa nhi hai -mai...mai..."

She didn't know how to tell him that she wanted him to kiss her. She slowly looked into his eyes and the moment their eyes met, he could clearly see what she wanted. A subtle hint and the visible shyness in them. The soft smile on her lips and the slight parting of them in anticipation. They screamed what she couldn't utter.

Cupping her cheeks again, he leaned in and this time placed his lips on hers softly. He didn't move them. Just kept it on hers and pecked her lower lip a few times. Her hold on his shirt tightened and a breathless moan escaped her lips.

He pulled back and looked at her to make sure she was ok and it wasn't too much for her. When he saw that shy smile, happy glow and red hue on her cheeks, coupled with the vermillion in her hairline and the mangalsutra that sat on her heaving chest proudly screaming that she was his, made him even more protective and possessive of her.

He kissed her head not wanting to scare her with his emotions even though he wanted to kiss the hell out of her.

She is too innocent.

He reminded himself and dropped her off to her class while she continued to blush, reminiscing the kiss and looking at their intertwined hands which were kept on her thigh as he drove.

The same evening, she was making the dish she learned at class today. It was a sweet dish.

"Hi wifey!"

Rajiv greeted her entering the kitchen and she froze. The kiss still very much fresh in her mind. She was still too shy to face him.

"Ooh you're making something new! Mujhe taste krwao."

She shyly passed the spoon to him and he made a thoughtful face after having it.

"Is it supposed to be sweet? I think thoda sa meetha kam hai."

He said and she looked at him confused. That wasn't possible. She added the measured amount of sugar. Before she could ask he leaned in a pecked her lips making her eyes widen.

"Hmmm! Now it's perfect!"

He winked at her and left the kitchen whistling to himself while she stood there blushing at his actions and words.

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