CH 3- A confession sealed, a bullet unleashed

When Akshita returned home, she decided to take a bath to soothe herself after a long and tiring day. During the bath, his thoughts clouded her mind. In her line of thinking he was just like Sirius, the brightest in the sky. Just as looking at the sky, the first thing that attracts your attention is Sirius, just like that in her thoughts, he was the most important one, the first thing that attracts her attention.
She felt herself being in a dilemma like why is she thinking of him? Has she again started feeling for him? Telling herself that there is nothing wrong in having feelings for her husband, she tried to divert her mind but has she accepted him as her husband? She herself was unsure about this.
The only thing she was sure about was she was going to be his wife and he probably she is liking that fact no matter how aloof or unexpressive he seemed, he did care for her. His little actions say it all.
As she was about to apply lip balm, the moment in the car knocked into her brain and a reddish hue crept to her cheeks. Probably, getting married to him isn’t that bad at all. Soon, she was off to sleep.
The next day started at Thakur Haveli with the house helpers arranging the decorations and the event planners organizing the venue for the event in the evening. It was Rudransh’s 23rd birthday party today.
He was in his room getting ready for the mahapooja. He came out of his room wearing a dhoti and an angavastram of white colour and there was a rudeaksha in his neck touching his chest. He reached the venue of magapooja when he saw her.
She was wearing a pink saree just like their first pooja together. His pregheria was looking just like a lotus flower today, pious and pretty. Anything she wore used to get majestic just by being on her. She had such an aura that anything that came into contact with her became divine.
She was also wearing some silver bangles with bells and a pair of pretty jhumkas which had strings that were clipped into her tresses. She had a little bindi on her forehead which instantly drew attention to her eyes. Those brown orbs as if filled with honey were lined with kohl and had a little mascara making her lashes more voluminous.
Just as she saw him, she approached him with slow steps and just as she reached him, she forwarded a little velvet box towards him while wishing him a happy birthday.
He looked at the box in his hand and opened it. It was a beautiful diamond pendant with a chain. The pendant had an infinity symbol and in its middle a little heart made of diamond. As he looked at the pendant clearly, on the other side, hoffnugg, was inscribed on it.
He smiled seeing at the pendant and just as he looked at her, she stood there with her eyes cast down looking at the ground while playing. He chuckled thinking she looks cute when she gets nervous.
He picked up the pendant and asked her to help him wear it. She tried going on her tiptoes but still, she wasn’t able to reach his height. Seeing her struggle so much, he placed his both hands on her waist on either side, that’s when he felt a slim and dainty waist chain wrapped around her waist which made faint sounds whenever she moved.
As his hands rested on her waist, he picked her up raising her a little bit from the ground.As she reached his height, her eyes met his and they felt their breaths mingling.Her short and nervous breaths matching with his soft and deep ones.
She slowly picked up the pendant and just as her fingers slowly moved over his chest placing the pendant properly.His hold automatically tightened on her waist as a reaction, a moan made it’s way out of her mouth.
As she moved a little forward to lock it, she whispered in his ears in a slow and sensual voice,“ Alles Liebe zum Geburtstag… Du bist meine Hoffnung und mein Glück. Ich fühle mich so glücklich, dich in meinem Leben zu haben. Ich finde vielleicht nicht immer die richtigen Worte, aber ich hoffe, du weißt, wie viel du mir bedeutest. Ich bin dir unendlich dankbar – immer.”
(Happy Birthday… You are my hope and my happiness. I feel so lucky to have you in my life. I may not always find the right words, but I hope you know how much you mean to me. I’m so grateful for you—always. )
As she slowly was down to the ground now, she noticed his red ears and trying to hide away his shy expressions he ran away saying the pandit ji was calling him.
Soon, he went inside his room when he looked at himself in the mirror and reminisced those moments looking at the pendant in his neck.Closing the door of his room, he dunked his face into a pillow and screamed while his mind did a little happy dance.
Finally, she finally accepted him, if she was his preghiera, his hope, then he was also her hoffnugg , her hope.Just as his mind was celebrating his achievement.His phone rang and his dad called him down for the pooja.
He did the pooja, the whole area around the havankund was filled with the melodious hymns being recited for the pooja .The atmosphere felt as if it was spiritually blessed.Soon, he stood in front of the idol of lord Shiva and was doing the aarti.
At the end of the aarti,he picked up a dagger and ran it over his fingers leading to a cut and oozing out of blood.He used the blood on his hand and applied it on lord Shiva’s feet and bowed down in front of him.It’s a ritual which has been followed in his family to please the lord.Everybody else also took blessings of Lord Shiva and Akshita bandaged Rudransh’s wound after the pooja.
Soon, day turned into night and the birthday party also started.He was dressed in a black tuxedo while still wearing the pendant she gifted him.While she wore a maroon saree with little diamond butterfly-shaped dangling earrings .She smiled at him when she saw him and he acknowledged it with a simple nod.
She felt a bit sad on such rude behaviour but she reminded herself he needs to be very neutral just to protect her only.Seeing her having a troubled expression,he came to her and asked her to allow him the pleasure for a dance.To which she nodded.
They were enjoying the music while his hands rested on her waist and her’s rested on his shoulders.Just when they were lost in each other’s embraces and their heartbeats synchronized with the beats of the music.A rippling gunshot made it’s way out of the crowd turning the celebration into dread.