"Sometimes life gives you exactly what you run away from the most..."<br /> <br /> Ishan was irritated by the idea of marriage—he felt this relationship was just a burden.<br /> <br /> And Kashish? She got allergic just hearing the word marriage!<br... "Sometimes life gives you exactly what you run away from the most..."<br /> <br /> Ishan was irritated by the idea of marriage—he felt this relationship was just a burden.<br /> <br /> And Kashish? She got allergic just hearing the word marriage!<br /> <br /> But fate played such a trick that both had to get married—to each other!<br /> <br /> However, this marriage was just a drama… a contract, a compulsion.<br /> <br /> A simple, straightforward boy from Banaras and a bubbly, carefree girl—<br /> <br /> Both strangers, both different, but circumstances put mehndi on their hands and a garland around their necks.<br /> <br /> Everything was fake—laughter, relationships, and togetherness too.<br /> <br /> But then, gazes began to linger… a sense of belonging began to seep into their conversations…<br /> <br /> And the heart that never wanted to be tied down, now began to beat with someone's presence.<br /> <br /> "So, is this contract... the beginning of a true love?"<br /> <br /> Ishq Mubarak—<br /> <br /> A fake marriage...<br /> <br /> An incomplete love...<br /> <br /> And two hearts that, unknowingly, began to beat only for each other.<br />
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Three Days Later (New Delhi Railway Station)
It was six in the morning. The Vande Bharat Express, bound for Agra from Delhi, was standing on the platform. Almost all the passengers had settled into their seats, and the train was about to depart at any moment. Ishaan was seated by the window in this train. He had come to Delhi for some work yesterday and was now returning. He had brought a small traveling bag, a backpack, which was placed beside him.
The train started moving after a while. Ishaan, seated by the window, watched the platform receding behind him. Just then, a sweet voice echoed in his ears.
"Excuse me."
Ishaan's gaze turned towards the voice. Standing in front of him was a girl of about twenty or twenty-one, her entire face covered by a scarf; only her large, kohl-lined black eyes were visible.
"Yes," Ishaan looked at her questioningly. Understanding his unspoken question, the girl gestured towards the window seat.
"Could you please move aside a bit?... I want to sit by the window."
"Is this your seat?"
Ishaan immediately questioned. The girl, pointing to the adjacent seat, said, "This is my seat, but I want to sit by the window… Please…"
The girl's eyes seemed to shrink. She very politely requested Ishaan to shift. Ishaan couldn't refuse her humble request and, nodding his head, sat in the adjacent seat. Seeing this, the girl seemed to smile, which Ishaan inferred from her sparkling eyes. The girl quickly settled into the window seat and placed the bag hanging on her back onto her lap. After that, she looked at the receding platform, closed her eyes, joined her hands, and said,
"Oh Mahadev… the boat of my life is now in your hands; please ferry me across, Bholanath… Keep your merciful gaze upon your small, naive devotee, Lord… safely deliver me to my city, and find some solution for this unfortunate soul, or else I shall take a dip in the Ganga. Then, take me into your refuge, Shiv Shambhu. Besides you, your small, naive devotee has no other support now, Lord… Please keep me under your protection."
Generally, people pray silently, but this girl was different from others. She was speaking as if Lord Shiva himself was present to hear her. Whether Mahadev heard her or not, Ishaan, sitting beside her, had inadvertently overheard her entire prayer and began looking at her with strange eyes.
After making her plea to Mahadev, the girl exhaled deeply and opened her eyes. She then removed her scarf from her face, unzipped her bag, took out a packet of chips, and tore it open. As she reached for the chips, she felt someone's gaze on her, turned her head, and her eyes met Ishaan's.
"What happened… why are you staring at me like that? Do I look like an alien from another planet?"
The girl stared at him with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Hearing her question, Ishaan, flustered, looked away and focused on the front. The girl scowled at Ishaan, then looked at the packet of chips in her hand, and the next moment, extending the packet towards him, said,
"O Mr. Stranger, want some chips?"
Ishaan glanced at her sideways, then at the packet of chips, and shook his head in refusal. The girl extended her packet further and said with a sweet smile on her lips,
"Have some, man… I just bought them. I haven't mixed anything in them yet… And consider yourself lucky that… the great Kashish Sharma is sharing her chips with you, and only because you gave me your window seat. Otherwise, I don't even let anyone touch my food."
Yes, you heard that right, this talkative girl was indeed our Kashish.
Hearing Kashish, Ishaan turned his gaze to her. Kashish made a cute face, fluttered her eyelashes, and gestured towards the packet with her eyes. Once again, for some reason, our simple Ishaan didn't hurt her feelings by refusing. He picked a chip from the packet and said impassively,
"Thank you."
"Mention not, man… So, tell me, what's your name, and where are you going?" Kashish asked chirpily, with a gentle smile on her lips and a sparkle in her eyes, looking at Ishaan, awaiting his reply.
Hearing Kashish's question, Ishaan looked at her with peculiar eyes. Reading the expression on his face, Kashish immediately put on an innocent look and said,
"Boss, don't misunderstand… I'm not that type of girl, nor am I interested in boys. It's just that we are sitting together, so I asked your name… You know… if I know your name, it will be easier to talk, and I asked for the place to know how far our journey together is destined… By the way, I'll tell you first… My name is Kashish… Kashish Sharma… and I'm going to Banaras. Now it's your turn… Come on, tell me your name, how long are you going to be with me?"
As Kashish started talking, she continued speaking out of habit, and Ishaan watched her, his eyes wide with astonishment. Kashish finished speaking and looked at him with a deep, gentle smile on her lips. Perhaps Ishaan had never met such a talkative girl before, who was so comfortable and open with a stranger… which is why he was a bit surprised. He let out a deep sigh and said seriously,
"Ishaan Mishra… wherever you are going, that's where I need to go."
Hearing this, Kashish, with sparkling eyes, immediately exclaimed,
"You too are leaving your home and running away to my revered Mahadev's city, Banaras?"
Kashish, engrossed in her own thoughts, continued speaking with curiosity. When Ishaan heard her, his pupils dilated, and he exclaimed in surprise,
"What?"
This was enough to make Kashish realize her mistake. She bit her lips, cursed herself inwardly, and then, looking at Ishaan, gave an embarrassed smile and said,
"It seems… you took my words a bit too seriously. I was just joking… Heh…heh…hah…ha…"
Ishaan scowled at her with suspicious eyes. Kashish, avoiding his gaze, turned her face towards the window and squeezed her eyes shut. After a few moments, she glanced at Ishaan sneakily… he was engrossed in his phone with a serious expression. Kashish watched him for a few moments with surprised eyes, then touched his arm with her finger and said,
"Oye Mishra ji… listen."
Hearing this address from a stranger, Ishaan looked at her with a startled gaze. Kashish, looking at him with wide, innocent eyes, said,
"Why don't you smile?... Ever since I came, you've been sitting with a sulky face… Don't you know how to smile?... Is there a lot of sadness in your life that you always wear a serious face?... But everyone has problems in life… Look at me… I have so many problems in my life. I'm on the train, but I don't know where I'm going?… What I'll do?… What will happen next?… Yet, I'm so happy… You know, people should… keep smiling and laughing, why should they be afraid of smiling?… It's free, smile as much as you want, no one can stop you. You should smile too… Smiling is good for your health… it builds blood. There are so many people in the world to make your blood boil and suck it out… At least don't burn your own blood by wearing such a face… Come on, quickly show me a smile."
Once again, Kashish started talking and couldn't stop. It was surprising that even though Ishaan was a complete stranger to her, she was so frank with him. She was talking to him without hesitation. She was giving him advice. And she was absolutely right… but Ishaan didn't react much to her words.
Ishaan watched her silently for a few moments, then averted his gaze. Seeing this, Kashish's face fell. She pouted at Ishaan, then shook her head in confusion, focused on her chips, and started eating them, smiling as she looked outside.
After this, there was no conversation between them for a while. The clock struck eight, and suddenly Kashish's phone rang. Kashish took her phone out of her pocket and saw the name ‘Papa’ displayed on the screen.
Kashish's smile vanished instantly, her face drained of color, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and with panicked eyes, she looked at the phone screen and started eating chips rapidly. Ishaan, sitting next to her, was watching her intently.
The phone kept ringing… but Kashish didn't answer. As soon as the ringing stopped, she immediately switched off the phone and put it at the very bottom of her bag. Then she looked at the ring on her left ring finger and took it off, throwing it under the seat. It was a new, sparkling gold ring, which her fiancé had put on her finger just the day before at their engagement ceremony. She didn't want to get engaged, but not having a chance to escape, she had been forced into it. However, to avoid the marriage, she had gathered her courage and run away from home in the middle of the night.
When Ishaan saw her throw away the gold ring, he was startled. At the same time, he became a bit worried. Kashish, looking disturbed and panicked, twisted and twirled her fingers for a few moments, then composed herself. Ishaan was observing her every action intently, but for now, he remained silent.
To be continued…
The clock struck twelve noon. Lunch was over. Ishaan took out his tiffin and as he was about to take the first bite, his gaze fell on Kashish, whose eyes were fixed on his tiffin. Seeing her covetous gaze fixed on his tiffin, Ishaan asked politely, "Do you want to eat?"
Ishaan had thought Kashish would refuse, as she had been eating something or the other since morning. She hadn't stopped munching for even a second, but Kashish's answer was contrary to his expectations. As soon as he asked, Kashish quickly nodded in agreement and said, "Yes... I am very hungry. You know, I haven't eaten properly for three days."
Kashish narrated her woes and looked at him with a pitiful expression. Hearing her, Ishaan exclaimed in surprise, "You're hungry even after eating so many things since morning?"
"Yes, because I ate things... not food. These things only satisfy the mind, they don't fill the stomach. The stomach fills with food, and if I talk so much... then all that I've eaten must have been digested long ago... and you don't know?... Outside things have a separate stomach and food has a separate stomach."
Kashish started muttering to herself. She was giving such illogical arguments. Ishaan's head was spinning listening to her nonsensical, absurd, and eccentric talk. To save himself from the onslaught of her words, he immediately pushed the tiffin towards her and interrupting her, said, "Here... you eat it, you need it more."
Kashish did not like Ishaan interrupting her at all; she made an unhappy face. The next moment, she smiled upon seeing the food. "You are so good." She quickly took a bite of a paratha and looking at Ishaan, said, "Aren't you eating?"
"No... I'm not hungry, you eat."
Hearing Ishaan's answer, Kashish nonchalantly nodded and happily started eating the parathas with the tiffin. Ishaan's gaze was continuously fixed on her face. While eating the parathas, her small face, as radiant as fresh flowers, bloomed with a captivating smile on her lips.
In no time, Kashish finished the entire tiffin and then pushed the tiffin towards Ishaan. Ishaan immediately averted his gaze from her in a hurry. Kashish pushed the tiffin towards him and smilingly said, "Thank you for the food... You filled my hungry stomach, you'll see, Mahadev will solve all your problems... I get along very well with him, he listens to everything I say... He's my best friend, that's why I'll ask him to solve whatever problem you have and give you a reason to smile."
Hearing Kashish's innocent words, a faint smile involuntarily appeared on Ishaan's lips. He didn't even realize it himself, but Kashish chirped upon seeing his smile. "Wow... you look so good when you smile... keep smiling."
When Ishaan's words reached his ears, he was surprised at first. The smile slipped from his lips. He didn't reply, took the tiffin, and put it in his bag. Then, turning to Kashish, he asked in a serious tone, "Did you run away from home?"
Hearing Ishaan's question, the color drained from Kashish's face. She immediately shook her head in denial and started looking outside. Once again, in her nervousness, she began twisting her fingers. After gazing at her silently for a few moments, Ishaan said, "Look Kashish... I don't know you... and I don't even know why you've taken such a big step... but still, I would say to you that whatever the reason... running away from your home and family like this is not right."
Hearing him, Kashish turned her gaze towards Ishaan and said indignantly, "I know this isn't right... but if I hadn't run away, they would have forcefully married me off to that hyena-faced buffoon... and I don't want to get married. I'm tired of trying to explain to them... but no one is ready to understand me. They got my engagement done forcefully. If I hadn't run away, they would have married me off and sent me to that house where I don't want to go... Now you tell me, when my mind is not ready for marriage, how can I get married?... I don't understand why everyone is so obsessed with marriage?... There's so much else to do in life besides marriage... but no... for them, marriage is everything. Doesn't anyone understand that life can be lived much better without marriage, but no, everyone is in a hurry to sow discord in my blooming, cheerful life... until they completely destroy me... ruin me, they won't rest... I'm tired of explaining to them that I don't want to get married... so I won't get married... but they are not ready to listen or understand anything, that's why I ran away from home."
Kashish was so troubled and disappointed that she spoke everything in one breath. Ishaan listened to her words, connected her troubles to himself, and after a few moments of silence, asked the next question, "Why don't you want to get married?... I mean, there must be a reason why you have so much trouble with marriage and have taken such a big step to avoid it?"
Hearing Ishaan's question, Kashish looked at him silently for a few moments, then said worriedly, "I'm scared... all the married people I see around me are unhappy... You know, we have tenants, he forces himself on his wife, even beats her... My own mother is living her life suffocatingly. After marriage, she does everything according to Papa's wishes. She's dependent on them for everything, she has no desires or hobbies of her own. She's even lost the freedom to express her thoughts to them. I have two elder sisters. Both are married, and after marriage, their freedom has also been snatched away. They can't do anything on their own, can't go anywhere. Such a conservative family that they don't even approve of talking to friends... A short time after marriage, my elder sister had a baby, and my second sister's marriage was only a few months ago, and she's also pregnant... Both were arranged marriages, they didn't even know their brothers-in-law properly. Yet they had children so soon... After marriage, they don't even have rights over their own bodies, they can't refuse their husbands... That's not how it should be... How can you give authority over yourself to someone you don't know? ... Thinking about all this scares me a lot, that's why I don't want to get married. I can't trap myself in domesticity, I won't be able to live such a life."
Kashish's fear is found in more than 50% of girls today, and it's not their fault... it's their family, the surrounding environment, the milieu in which they live. Ishaan could understand her distress. After Kashish finished speaking, he said seriously, "You are right in your place... but have you thought about where you will go now?... And what will you do?"
Kashish turned her gaze towards him and said with a sweet face, "I don't know... I'll go wherever Mahadev takes me. If I don't find any way, I'll take a dip in the Ganges."
Kashish replied very casually, but upon hearing her words, Ishaan was taken aback. His head spun, and he looked at her with worried eyes and said, "You are completely mad... By the way, if you want, I can help you. My sister is an inspector, I'll take you to her. You tell her everything, she'll explain to your parents... so they'll stop pressuring you for marriage."
As soon as Ishaan finished speaking, Kashish immediately shook her head in denial. "Absolutely not... Your sister will drop me back home, and they will emotionally blackmail me and get me married, ruining my life... because no matter what happens in the world, if I stay there, they will get me married. It's better for me to take a dip in the Ganges."
Kashish looked at him with a displeased expression. Ishaan looked at her silently for a few moments, deeply pondering her words, and then said in a serious tone, "Will you marry me?"
Hearing Ishaan's words, Kashish's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open... She looked at him, surprised and confused. What will Kashish answer to Ishaan's question? Why did Ishaan ask Kashish this question? To know, stay with me and keep reading "Ishq Mubarak."
"Will you marry me?"
Hearing Ishaan's question, Kashish's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. Astonished and confused, she stared at him. Then, in the next moment, she exclaimed in surprise,
"Have you lost your mind? ...What nonsense are you talking? ...Do you even understand what you're saying? Marry me, and that too you... If I wanted to get married, why would I have run away from home?"
It was a relief that no one else was around them. Otherwise, Kashish's loud voice might have drawn attention to them, making them the center of attraction. Ishaan probably expected this reaction from Kashish. He let out a deep sigh and continued in a calm tone,
"Before you jump to any conclusions, listen to me completely. If I've asked you to marry me, knowing everything, I must have thought something."
Kashish calmed down and began to glare at him, her eyebrows furrowed. Ishaan continued his explanation with seriousness,
"You don't want to get married, but your family is pushing you to. ...And I don't want to get married either, but my sister is pressuring me. ...If I don't get married, she won't get married either. We both have the same problem, and I think the best solution to our problems is for us to get married to each other. ...But only a fake marriage. For everyone else, we'll be husband and wife, but there will be no marital relationship between us. This charade will only last for a while.
Once my sister gets married, we'll separate. I'll have an excuse that once a marriage breaks, I won't remarry, and my sister won't be able to force me. And after the marriage, you'll also be free from your family. After separating from me, you can live your life peacefully according to your own wishes. Our problems will be solved, and we will both be free."
Ishaan explained every aspect of his plan and its consequences to Kashish. His words compelled Kashish to think. She pondered his words deeply for a few moments, then raised her eyebrows and asked,
"Your point is valid... but why don't you want to get married?"
"I have a personal reason that I cannot tell you. What do you say, will you go along with this charade? It will benefit both of us, so think carefully before you answer."
After that, a deep silence fell between them for a few moments. Ishaan watched her, waiting for an answer, while Kashish was lost in her own thoughts. She considered everything carefully, then looked at Ishaan and agreed,
"Okay... I'm ready to go along with this charade. Anyway, I need a place to stay. I'll stay at your house for some time, and this charade will also get rid of the trouble of marriage. ...But you shouldn't go back on your word later. ...And don't try to do anything 'that way' with me thinking this is real. ...And don't try to restrict me like a husband, or I'll tell your sister everything."
Kashish glared at him with warning eyes. Hearing her threat, Ishaan said seriously,
"You don't need to worry about that. I won't go back on my word, nor will I impose any restrictions or limitations on you. ...And I won't try to get close to you. Just remember, in everyone's eyes, you will be my wife. ...So don't do anything that might raise suspicion about our relationship.
My family's honor will be tied to you. ...So you'll have to do everything keeping in mind the respect and reputation of my household. You won't be allowed to do anything that questions our relationship or tarnishes my family's honor."
Ishaan explained his point to Kashish seriously, and Kashish perhaps understood the hidden meaning behind his words. She quickly nodded in agreement and said with a gentle smile on her lips,
"Okay... I'll keep all these things in mind. You still don't know what a player Kashish Sharma is. ...You have no idea what a talented girl you've encountered. I'll act as a wife so well that you'll start wondering yourself... whether this is all a charade or if our marriage is real."
Kashish, praising herself, admiring herself, casually blew the hair from her forehead and smiled. Ishaan couldn't help but smile at her gesture. He extended his hand to Kashish and said,
"So, the deal is done. We'll pretend to be married until my sister's wedding, then our paths will diverge. After that, neither will we have any relationship, nor will we try to interfere in each other's lives again."
Hearing him, Kashish smiled and took his extended hand, "Done... done... done... done."
Then, in the next moment, something struck her, and her bright smile faded. She said in a worried tone,
"Ishaan... if my father finds out I've run away and gotten married... he'll kill you first, then he'll kill me."
Mentioning her father, a strange fear appeared in Kashish's eyes. Expressions of nervousness surfaced on her face. Ishaan noticed the change in her expression, then tightened his grip on her palm and said seriously,
"Don't worry about them. My sister will handle them. They won't be able to do anything to you or me. For now, the bigger problem is convincing my sister about our relationship, and for that, we'll need to think of a good story. Otherwise, her police-trained mind will catch our lie in an instant."
Mentioning Rajni, lines of worry appeared on Ishaan's forehead... and it was justified to worry. Just two or three days ago, he ran away from the mere mention of marriage, and today he would suddenly get married... so questions would arise.
They were both thinking about this when the train reached its destination. The train stopped at Varanasi Junction, and Ishaan got up,
"Let's get off the train first, then we'll think."
Kashish quickly nodded, and they both got off the train. Ishaan was tired of sitting in the train, so he started stretching his arms and legs. Meanwhile, Kashish sat on a nearby chair and started thinking while taking out a biscuit packet and eating biscuits. After a while, Ishaan also sat next to her, and Kashish immediately offered him the biscuit packet, but Ishaan shook his head in refusal. Kashish didn't pay much attention to it and shrugged her shoulders carelessly, happily eating her biscuits.
A deep silence fell between them for a while. Both were lost in their own thoughts, then suddenly something struck Kashish... and she quickly turned her head towards Ishaan.
"I've got a brilliant idea."
"Tell me," Ishaan said, turning his head towards her, gesturing for her to speak.
Kashish smiled faintly, then said, thinking deeply,
"Your sister is in the police. So, let's tell her that we met on the train for the first time today. My father was forcing me into marriage against my will, so I ran away from home. We met at the station, and you helped me so much. I liked you, and you liked me too... and then we got married. If your sister suspects anything, tell her that you got married in haste because of her insistence, and I also forced you. Otherwise, my parents would have taken me and forcibly married me to someone else."
Kashish had come up with this plan after much thought and was now feeling proud of her sharp mind after presenting this suggestion to Ishaan with full confidence. Ishaan watched her like that for a few moments, then nodded. After that, looking Kashish up and down, he asked, "Do you have any decent clothes... a suit or a saree?"
"No," Kashish immediately shook her head in refusal. Ishaan was initially surprised by her answer, then looked at her bag and raised his eyebrows,
"Then what have you packed in this bag?"
In response to his question, Kashish opened the zipper of her bag and handed it to him. Ishaan looked at the bag and was shocked. The entire bag was filled with food and drinks, and only one pair of clothes was visible at the back, that too something like jeans.
Seeing Ishaan's surprised expression, Kashish made a cute face,
"If I had carried too much luggage, it would have been difficult to run. So, I ran away with just one pair of clothes and documents. On the way here, I bought some food and drinks because I can't stay hungry. In terms of clothes, I have jeans and a top because I don't wear sarees. ...And I can't run while managing a dupatta in a suit-salwar. Jeans are comfortable, so I took those. ...But why are you asking about my clothes?"
Kashish explained innocently, finishing with a question in her eyes, her eyebrows raised. Hearing her, Ishaan helplessly shook his head and said,
"Nothing... let's first get you some decent clothes, which you can wear to my house as my wife. ...And we'll have to wait for the fake marriage to be proven real."
Kashish innocently pleaded her case and finally, raising an eyebrow, looked at Shaan with questioning eyes. Ishaan listened to her and shook his head helplessly and said,
Nothing. Let's go and get you some decent clothes to wear, so you can come home with me as my wife. And then we have to wait for the fake marriage to become real."
Kashish nodded her head and followed Ishaan while eating biscuits. Ishaan took her to a store selling Banarasi sarees and got two or three sarees that Kashish liked. He also got her a blouse stitched, but it would take time, so for now, he got her some suits to wear at home. After getting all the stuff, he gave her a suit to change into and went to make the payment.
After about ten minutes, Kashish arrived. When Ishaan's eyes fell on her, his gaze stopped for a moment. She was wearing a beautiful Anarkali suit in dark red color. The red color looked great on her fair skin. Her curly hair was open till her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled like stars and a charming smile was spread on her lips.
She had a dupatta draped over her left shoulder, which was open. As she walked towards him with a sway, her dupatta flowing in the air, Ishaan's eyes stayed on her for a moment before he quickly looked away. Kashish came to stand in front of Ishaan, giggling, and playfully waved her dupatta in the air while spinning around him.
"How do I look?"
Ishaan, trying to appear busy on his phone, raised his eyes and looked at her and said without any emotion,
"You look fine."
After a moment, he said seriously,
"Kashish, I won't impose any restrictions on you, but there are people other than me living in that house, so you'll have to wear a suit or saree in front of them. At least for a couple of months, you'll have to be a cultured daughter-in-law. You can stay in your room however you like; I won't put any restrictions there."
Hearing Ishaan's words, Kashish's smile faded, and she pouted in annoyance.
"Is that how it works? You said I could stay however I want. I don't even know how to wear a saree. At home, I used to wear lower and T-shirts, and now you're asking me to wear suits and sarees."
"It's just for some time, Kashish. Adjust a bit. In the beginning, if you wear jeans and lower, everything will be fine."
Ishaan tried to convince her. After listening to him, Kashish made a bad face and nodded her head in agreement.
Leaving there, Ishaan took her to a jeweler and got a simple mangalsutra for her. He bought sindoor from a beauty products store. Kashish applied a little sindoor to her forehead and wore the mangalsutra.
Ishaan looked at Kashish from top to bottom and then said as he moved forward,
"Let's go; it's time to face my sister."
As soon as Ishaan took a step forward, Kashish quickly caught his arm and stopped him. Ishaan was surprised, and then he turned his head and asked,
"What's wrong?"
Kashish protruded her lower lip and said in a cute tone,
"I'm hungry."
Ishaan was shocked and looked at her with wide eyes. Kashish pouted and blinked her eyelashes. Ishaan shook his head helplessly and said,
"What do you want to eat?"
As soon as Ishaan asked, Kashish pointed her finger forward. Ishaan turned his eyes in the direction of her finger and saw a chaat shop. There was a lot of crowd there. He looked at the shop and then at Kashish, who was staring at the shop with sparkling eyes and her tongue on her lips. Ishaan shook his head and let out a deep sigh.
"Let's go."
As soon as Ishaan said, Kashish's face lit up with joy. She started walking beside him, chirping. Ishaan got her chaat, and Kashish ate it with relish. After satisfying her hunger, they left for their destination.
It was around five in the evening. Rajni was sitting in her cabin, reading a file, when the constable came and bowed his head respectfully.
"Madam, your brother is here, and there's a girl with him. They want to meet you."
Rajni was surprised and asked,
"Is Ishaan here? And he's with some girl?"
The constable nodded.
Rajni thought for a moment, wondering who Ishaan could have brought. Then she nodded and said,
"Send them in."
The constable nodded and went out. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door again, and Rajni said,
"Come in, Ishaan."
The next moment, the door opened, and Ishaan stepped in with Kashish. Rajni's sharp eyes missed nothing. She saw the sindoor on Kashish's forehead, the mangalsutra around her neck, and the hand Ishaan was holding. Her expression turned stern. After looking at Kashish for a moment, she turned her gaze to Ishaan and asked, her eyebrows furrowed,
"Who is this girl, Eshu?"
The term of endearment "Eshu" from Rajni made Kashish burst into laughter. Both Rajni and Ishaan's eyes turned towards her. Kashish quickly controlled her laughter and said with a smile,
"Sorry... well, the name Eshu is usually for girls... that's why I laughed."
After hearing Kashish's words, Ishaan narrowed his eyes and glared at her. When he looked angry, Kashish realized her mistake and immediately adopted her "ninja technique" and stood there with an innocent expression so Ishaan wouldn't get angry at her.
Ishaan was about to say something angrily to Kashish when Rajni's stern voice reached his ears.
"Stop staring at them, Ishaan, and answer our question. Who is this girl and why have you brought her here?"
Ishaan glares at Kashish, warning her with his eyes. Then his gaze shifts to Rajni, and he replies with a serious expression.
"This is Kashish, Didi. We met by chance the last time I went to Delhi. I liked Kashish at first sight. She confessed her feelings to me, but I refused. You know I don't believe in words like love and marriage... so I rejected her love. Today, as I was returning, I met Kashish again by chance, and she told me that her parents were forcing her to marry someone, so she had run away from home.
Today, she asked me to marry her again, saying that if I didn't marry her, her parents would marry her to someone else, and she would rather end her life than marry anyone other than me. You were also pressuring me to get married, so to fulfill your wish and to save Kashish's life, I married her."
Ishaan finished speaking calmly and fell silent. Rajni listened to him intently and silently, then turned her gaze towards Kashish, who was staring at Ishaan with wide eyes and an open mouth, looking stunned. Her expression was enough to reveal how much truth was in Ishaan's words.
Rajni glanced at Kashish once, then turned her gaze back to Ishaan, raising her eyebrows and asking,
"Oh, so you got married... and when did you get married?... Where?"
"In the temple," Ishaan replied seriously once more.
"Alright, let's assume what you're saying is true... then tell me, what was the hurry that you came to tell us only after the wedding?"
"It was Kashish's insistence. She was afraid that if we delayed, her parents would reach us, so we got married in a temple near the railway station."
Ishaan once again masterfully turned a lie into truth and presented it to Rajni.
Rajni now looked at Ishaan for a few moments with a deep gaze, but seeing the confidence reflected on his face, she couldn't guess his lie. Then, she turned her gaze to Kashish and said, raising her eyebrows.
"What do you have to say about this? Is Ishaan telling the truth?"
Kashish, who had been staring at Ishaan with wide eyes and an open mouth, looking shocked and confused. Hearing her name, she startled, turned her gaze to Rajni, and hastily nodded in agreement.
"Yes... Yes, Didi, he is telling the truth."
Kashish's voice faltered at first while lying, but she quickly composed herself.
Rajni looked at both of them, then let out a deep sigh and said seriously.
"Now that you both are married, what can we do? But we don't think running away and getting married is right... So we thought we should talk to Kashish's parents with their consent and solemnize your marriage in front of the whole society."
Hearing Rajni's words, Kashish's face turned pale, and Ishaan also seemed a little flustered.
"What's the need for that, Didi? The marriage is already done, and besides, they won't agree to this relationship."
"Even then, we will definitely talk to them once, and if they don't agree, we will get you both married and legally register your relationship to give it recognition."
Ishaan's plan backfired, and both of them began to get trapped in the web of lies they had spun. Kashish looked at Ishaan with wide, frightened eyes. Ishaan was in a similar state. He hadn't thought that to prove their fake marriage true, they would have to get married for real. He was not prepared for this at all. He opened his mouth to say something again, but before he could speak, Rajni's further words hit his ears.
"Ishaan, why do I see concern on your face after hearing our words? You both are already married, so you shouldn't have any objection to getting married again according to us... Is it possible that you are trying to confuse us by acting like you are married, and that's why you are worried upon hearing about a real wedding?"
As soon as Rajni finished speaking, Ishaan immediately shook his head in denial and said, "No, Didi... there's nothing like that. I was just saying that we both like each other and are already married, so what's the need for another wedding?"
"You may not need it, but we do. Think about it, who will accept a marriage with no witnesses, no proof? What will we tell everyone, that you ran away and got married? We cannot let our family's honor be tarnished because of you both. You understand this well, Ishaan... so we ourselves will get you both married.
Kashish will stay at Papa Ji's house today. Tomorrow morning, we will go to Delhi to talk to her parents, and if they agree, we will have a grand wedding for you both. And if that's not possible, if Kashish's parents don't agree, then we will solemnize your marriage with our own eyes in the temple here."
Rajni had announced her decision. Both of them were so trapped in the web of lies they had laid that they were in no position to say anything. Kashish nervously tightened her grip on Ishaan's hand, and Ishaan's gaze turned towards Kashish. Along with this, Rajni's voice was heard in Ishaan's ears once again.
"By the way, Ishaan, what did you see in Kashish that you made such a big decision to marry her in such haste, and without telling us?"
Ishaan looked at her, startled by the question, and Rajni was looking at him with a deep gaze.
What will Ishaan answer to this question, and where will their lie lead them? ... To find out, keep reading "Ishq Mubarak."
So far, we had read that Kashish and Ishaan seemed trapped in their lies. On top of that, Rajni had asked Ishaan a question that was the most difficult task in the world for him to answer.
Kashish was nervous, looking at Ishaan with troubled eyes, and Rajni's intense gaze was also fixed on his face. Ishaan remained silent for a few moments, thinking about how to answer Rajni's question. Then, after deep thought, he said seriously,
"I have already told you that it is not me, but Kashish who loves me, and she wanted to end her life due to pressure from her parents. To save her life, I accepted her love, and the hasty marriage was due to your and her parents' insistence.
Now you will say that I was not ready to marry at any cost. Then why did I marry in such a hurry and with Kashish? So, I will also answer that question for you."
After this, Ishaan paused for a moment, then exhaled deeply and continued,
"In these two meetings, whatever I have known about Kashish, she is not like other girls. She does not desire big, expensive things, but finds happiness in small things and moments. Her heart is also pure; she is innocent like a child, without any deceit or selfishness in her mind... Kashish will never betray me, so I could not let you spend your entire life alone because of me. I had to get married due to your insistence, and Kashish seemed right to me; we can live together, and I can think of spending my life with her. That's why I accepted Kashish's love."
Ishaan said all this with such confidence and ease that Kashish herself was taken aback for a moment. Rajni listened to Ishaan's entire statement, then said seriously,
"Ishoo, I am trusting your words, but remember, if I ever find out that this was all just an act you put on for me so that I would get married, then from that very moment, our relationship will be over... I will never forgive such a big deception from you, and I will only agree to the marriage when I am completely convinced that Kashish can take care of you after I'm gone, and that you are happy with her."
Hearing Rajni's words, lines of worry appeared on Ishaan's forehead. He couldn't say anything for a moment, then composing himself, he put on a gentle smile and said,
"I will never be able to repay your trust, Didi. I accept your condition."
While a sense of relief appeared on Rajni's face, Kashish's complexion changed upon hearing his response. Rajni gave Kashish a glance, then rising from her chair, said,
"You two come out; we are waiting."
Ishaan nodded in agreement and turned to follow them, holding Kashish's hand. But before Ishaan could take even one step, Kashish snatched his hand away, freeing her palm from his. Ishaan turned back in surprise and looked at her. Kashish narrowed her eyes and glared at him with anger.
"What nonsense were you talking to your Didi? Didn't I tell you that I'm afraid of marriage? I don't believe in words like marriage and love; it's all a pretense... which disappears after marriage, no one knows where, and people only get married to bring in a free maid into their home. She has two jobs... First, to become that person's maid and do all the chores for him and his household, and second, to fulfill his physical needs and produce children... And I have no desire to ruin my life...
I don't want to lose my freedom and become a maid in someone else's house, nor do I want to erase my existence by becoming an object of anyone's consumption, nor do I want to become a machine for producing children... I will not get married at any cost. You talk to your Didi right now and end this drama here, otherwise, I will go and tell them the whole truth."
Kashish was so angry that she spoke non-stop and announced her decision. She was out of breath from speaking so much in one go. Her angry and resentful eyes were still fixed on Ishaan. As soon as she finished speaking and fell silent, Ishaan said in a serious tone,
"You will not do anything like that. What's happening will continue as it is. Now, if the truth comes out in front of Didi, it will hurt her feelings and she will lose faith in me, which I cannot let happen at any cost. Therefore, we have to go through with this act now, but whatever happens will only be an act. Even though the marriage will be real, it will only be until my Didi gets married. After that, I will divorce you, and we will both be free from this relationship.
I will take all the blame on myself, and you can move away from me without any trouble and live your life with complete freedom as you wish... And one thing I will clarify right now is that we will be husband and wife for everyone else, but there will be no such relationship between us... You don't need to be scared or worried at all. You can be completely assured because I will never lay a hand on you, nor will I keep you as a maid in my house, nor will I impose any restrictions on you, nor will I claim any rights as a husband over you.
I will never try to get close to you because I have no interest in you, let alone any other girl in the world."
"So, you will be interested in boys then," Kashish blurted out. Hearing her, Ishaan's eyes widened in surprise, and he stared at her, astonished, and said,
"What nonsense is this... Have you lost your mind?... Do you even know what rubbish you just said... I mean, if I'm not interested in girls, then I'll be interested in boys... I'm a straight boy, so why would I be interested in boys?"
Ishaan stared at Kashish with a mixed expression of surprise and anger on his face. Hearing him, Kashish shrugged carelessly and replied,
"How would I know?... You yourself said that you have no interest in me, let alone any girl in the world... So, I thought you must be interested in boys... But you can't marry a boy, so you're doing all this as an act."
Hearing Kashish, Ishaan held his head and said irritably,
"You are totally mad... You are finding humor even in such a serious situation. Where do all these nonsensical things come from in your mind?"
"From the same place they come from in your mind. And when you can joke about a relationship like marriage with me... why can't I?"
Kashish replied in a sharp tone and glared at him with anger. Her anger and frustration were evident in her words, and somewhere, both she and her anger were justified, and Ishaan was aware of this. But the arrow had already been shot; it was impossible to take it back. He had to manage the situation somehow, and for that, he first needed to convince Kashish, who was quite agitated at the moment.
Ishaan ran his fingers through his hair and lifted his head. After a few deep breaths, he calmed himself down, then looked at Kashish and said seriously,
"Look, Kashish... I know that marriage is not a joke. I know that what I'm doing is wrong... but I have no other way. I have absolutely no faith in marriage and love; I cannot spend my entire life bound by marriage... but I also cannot watch my Didi live her whole life alone because of me. Therefore, I have to do this for her, and it's impossible to back down now that things have gone this far.
You were preparing to die anyway, so this is also beneficial for you. This fake marriage will get you rid of your family, and no one will force you to marry. Even after marrying me, you will be able to live as you wish.
Even as your husband, I won't assert any claim over you, and once Didi is married, I will free you from this relationship. Then our paths will diverge, and I will also give you money. You can start your new life. You won't have to give your life, and my problem will also be solved. We just have to act for some time."
Kashish listened to him silently and with great attention, then looking at him with deep eyes, she said,
"Okay. I will marry you... But before that, you have to tell me the reason why you don't want to get married? Why are you playing this act?... If you love your Didi so much, then why are you deceiving her? Why are you betraying her?"
"That's my personal matter, I cannot tell you."
After saying this, Ishaan turned his face away. Kashish looked at his facial expressions for a few moments with a serious gaze, then holding his palm, she said,
"What will you remember about the generous girl you met? You are also a devotee of Mahadev... I am supporting you in this act only because of that... But don't go back on your word. Otherwise, by the oath of Mahadev, I will pierce your chest with his trident."
Kashish preened herself and then started glaring at him. First, Ishaan was surprised by her words, or rather, her threat, then seeing Kashish's childish threat and facial expression, a slight smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.
"By the oath of Mahadev, I will fulfill every promise I make. I will never come close to you against your will, and if I go back on my word, then feel free to pierce my chest with Mahadev's trident... I won't stop you."
Hearing Ishaan's words, Kashish burst into laughter.
"Come on, your Didi must be waiting, and give me something to eat on the way; I'm hungry from all this tension and talking."
This time, Ishaan was not surprised by her words, as he had already gauged Kashish's appetite. When they both reached outside together, Rajni was waiting for them. The three of them got into the police jeep, and the jeep drove off in the opposite direction of Vishwanath Temple, where Abhishek lived with his parents and younger sister.
Will Ishaan and Kashish truly tie the knot? Will their plan succeed, or is fate planning something else for them?
Kashish said, "Let's go, your sister must be waiting, and get something to eat on the way. I'm hungry after all this tension and talking."
This time Ishan wasn't surprised by her words, as he had already gauged Kashish's appetite. When they both stepped outside, they found Rajni waiting for them. The three of them got into the police jeep, which drove off in the opposite direction of Vishwanath Temple, where Abhishek lived with his parents and younger sister.
His mother Madhuri Ji, father Arvind Ji, and younger sister Shikha. Arvind Ji was a childhood friend of Dhiraj Ji. His own family had abandoned him in his difficult times, but Arvind Ji had upheld the bond of friendship until his last moments. He had a government job, and so did Abhishek. Abhishek and Rajni were of the same age, and their union was destined from childhood. By coincidence, both children grew up playing together, and their childhood friendship turned into love over time. Their relationship was finalized with mutual consent. They were even engaged, but Dhiraj Ji passed away before the wedding.
Rajni had refused to marry Ishan, even telling Abhishek to marry someone else, but he and his family were still waiting. To end this wait and return his sister's love, Ishan was ready to go to such great lengths.
As the jeep navigated the narrow lanes of Banaras, it stopped outside Abhishek's house. Rajni got out first, followed by Kashish and Ishan. It was evening, so everyone was present at Abhishek's house, sitting in the courtyard and spending time with the family. Before Rajni could enter, the servant informed everyone of the visitors' arrival. Upon hearing the news of the house's future daughter-in-law's arrival, everyone stood up to welcome her. They had just taken a few steps towards the gate when they saw Rajni, Ishan, and Kashish entering. While Rajni and Ishan's arrival brought joy to everyone, Kashish's presence with them caused some confusion.
They didn't know Kashish and had never seen her there before. Moreover, the vermilion in her hair parting, the mangalsutra around her neck, and most importantly, Ishan holding her hand possessively, became the reason for everyone's unease and surprise. They had never seen any girl with Ishan except Rajni, so they were somewhat astonished.
The three of them entered. Rajni respectfully touched the feet of Arvind Ji and Madhuri Ji and greeted them, and both blessed her. Shikha hugged her, calling her "Bhabhi." After Rajni, Ishan moved forward with Kashish. But before he could touch their feet with Kashish, Arvind Ji, gesturing towards Kashish and looking at Ishan, asked,
"Ishan, who is this with you?"
Although Kashish's appearance and her presence with Ishan had given everyone a hint about their relationship, perhaps their minds couldn't accept this reality. Therefore, they directly questioned Ishan. However, before Ishan could reply, Rajni, holding Kashish's shoulder from the side, looked at everyone and said in a serious tone,
"Father, this is Kashish... Kashish Mishra... Ishan's wife."
As Rajni spoke the last words, the color drained from the faces of those present. No one could believe their ears. Their astonished, worried, and disbelieving eyes turned towards Ishan. Abhishek, who had been watching Rajni, looked at Ishan in bewilderment after hearing her words.
"Ishan, what is Rajni saying? You got married... When... How, and why didn't you tell us? Who is Kashish?... Where is she from, and how did you get married so suddenly?"
"She got married for me."
Upon hearing Rajni's words, everyone was shocked once again. Rajni first told them about the discussion regarding the marriage between Ishan and her. Then she recounted the story Ishan had told her. Still, no one could believe it, but given the love Ishan had for Rajni, they could accept these stories as true. After explaining everything, Rajni looked at Arvind Ji and said,
"Father, you know what will happen if Ishan's marriage comes to light in front of everyone at home and in public?... Also, the way they got married wasn't right, but perhaps the circumstances were such. Besides, they are both just children now, they don't understand the ways of the world, so they took this step emotionally, and I want to correct their mistake."
"It wouldn't be appropriate to take Kashish home now, so let them stay here tonight. Tomorrow morning, I will go to Delhi with both of them to talk to Kashish's parents. If they agree to this relationship, we will get Kashish and Ishan married publicly with everyone's consent... And if they don't agree, we will have them remarried here in the temple, so no one has a chance to question their relationship."
Rajni had found this solution after much thought and consideration. Arvind Ji listened to her and then, after thinking for a moment, said seriously,
"You have thought absolutely correctly, my dear. Kashish, you will stay here comfortably today, and tomorrow we will accompany you to talk to your parents and try our best to persuade them. If they agree, we will have them remarried with great fanfare, and if they don't, we will give you away as Kashish's father and bid you farewell from this courtyard with great celebration. This will give no one a chance to question Ishan and their relationship."
Hearing Arvind Ji's words, Rajni smiled and nodded in agreement. After Dhiraj Ji's passing, Arvind Ji had never failed in fulfilling his duty as a responsible father to them. If Dhiraj Ji were alive today, this would have been his decision too. When Arvind Ji said this, it felt as if a father's shadow was still present over them, someone who would never abandon his children in any situation.
Madhuri Ji sent Kashish and Ishan outside the threshold and welcomed the newlyweds with an aarti. Kashish and Ishan touched the feet of Arvind Ji and Madhuri Ji together and received their blessings. When they bent to touch Abhishek's feet, he hugged them both like an elder brother. Finally, it was Shikha's turn. She stood in front of Kashish. Rajni introduced Kashish to her, just as she had done with everyone else. First, Shikha congratulated them on their marriage, then looked at Kashish and said with a smile,
"Bhabhi, you are so beautiful, just like the heroines you see on TV."
"Oh, stop it... Heroines aren't like me. They are tall like poles, with perfect figures and body shapes. They are so beautiful, and their hair is like silk threads. They are so rich, not like me."
Kashish, who had been standing quietly for a long time, seized the opportunity and spoke up. Everyone looked at her with wide eyes in surprise at her words. Meanwhile, Ishan helplessly shook his head. After being initially surprised by his response, Rajni smiled sweetly and said,
"Bhabhi, you are very funny."
"I am," Kashish replied, flicking a playful strand of hair from her cheek with great flair and admiring herself. The others also started to smile. Then Kashish spoke again,
"By the way, do you like to talk? I love to talk, but nobody has the time to listen to me. Will you talk to me? I'll stay here today, and we'll sit and talk a lot all night. We'll also eat snacks together; I have plenty. Although I don't like sharing my food at all, you seemed very cute, so I'll share with you, and we'll have a lot of fun... I love eating, dancing, sleeping, and listening to music."
Once Kashish started, she didn't stop. She had been standing silently until now, and her sudden outburst of talking surprised everyone. Ishan, somewhat annoyed by her chatter, lightly squeezed her palm to quiet her down, causing Kashish to stop talking and let out a soft whimper. She turned her head, looked at Ishan standing beside her with displeasure, and pouted like a child.
"Why are you squeezing my hand? It hurts... Let go of my hand."
"Control your tongue. You've been babbling since you arrived. Don't you get tired of talking? Do you even breathe, or do you just keep talking? Can't you be quiet for a moment? At least look at the place and the situation."
Ishan tried to explain to her, annoyed but in a low voice. But Kashish was Kashish. She had never listened to her parents, so why would she listen to Ishan? She yanked Ishan's hand away and said with a slight anger,
"Why should I look at anything? And who are you to tell me to be quiet? I like to talk, and I will talk. You know, I was quiet for so long, my poor lips are restless and eager to speak, and my stomach is hurting. On top of that, you didn't feed me, and now you're scolding me... That's not how it works."
Deep sadness and gloom clouded Kashish's face. Helplessness flickered in her eyes, and she looked at him sullenly. Ishan couldn't say anything more. Hearing Kashish's words, Madhuri Ji came to her and gently stroked her head, asking,
"Are you hungry?"
Kashish poked out her lower lip and nodded in agreement with a very sad and dejected expression. Her innocence captivated everyone's hearts. Madhuri Ji smiled, then looked at Shikha and said,
"Shikha, dear, take Bhabhi to your room and let her wash her hands and face."
Shikha immediately nodded, then took Kashish with her, smiling and saying,
"Come on, Bhabhi, let's go wash your hands and face, and then you'll get to eat delicious food made by Mom. After that, we'll have lots of conversations and a lot of fun. You know... I feel quite lonely at home, but now that you're here, it will be so much fun... We'll get along great."
Kashish was also happy hearing her words. By this time, everyone had understood that Kashish was a cheerful and playful girl, and somewhere they also felt reassured about Ishan and Kashish's relationship. Given Ishan's nature, he needed a lively girl like her.
We had previously read that Rajni and Abhishek's families had accepted Ishaan and Kashish's relationship, and it was decided that they would visit Kashish's house the next day to discuss further. Now, the story continues...
Abhishek wanted to discuss something with Ishaan about this, but couldn't. Everyone had dinner together. Then, Ishaan left with Rajni after dropping Kashish off, and Kashish wasn't sad at all. In no time, due to her nature, she had mingled well with almost everyone. She had even become friends with Shikha; looking at them, no one could tell they had met only a little while ago. It seemed as if they had known each other for years. They had a bond like that of real sisters. Both had similar natures, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their sweet, witty, and fun conversations at the dinner table.
After dinner, Madhuri ji sent Kashish to her room with Shikha to rest, where they talked and joked for a long time before falling asleep. Kashish didn't even realize how long it had been since she had talked to someone so much and felt so happy from the heart. While Kashish slept carefree, forgetting all her worries and troubles, Ishaan spent a restless night worrying about what would happen the next day.
Nothing was happening as he had expected, but there was still a hope that whatever happened, it would be fine with the grace of Mahadev.
The next day began. Ishaan stood by the edge of the roof, near the parapet, gazing at the vast form of Mother Ganga stretching far and wide, her playful waves, and the crowd of devotees at the ghat. He pondered in his mind whether what he was doing was right. Was it right to make a sacred bond like marriage a transaction, to deceive loved ones?
Even after thinking and introspection for a long time, he couldn't find answers to these questions. So, he consoled his heart by telling himself that he was doing it for Rajni's happiness, so everything would be fine. Still, his mind was not at peace. Today, his usual contentment and the smile on his lips were nowhere to be seen. He convinced himself and went for a bath.
On the other hand, Kashish had slept late the previous night and was lost in a peaceful sleep, free from worries for the first time in many days. Anyway, she had a deep friendship with sleep, so she didn't wake up even at 9:00 AM. Shikha had bathed and got ready and left for college. Madhuri ji also didn't wake Kashish initially, thinking she must be tired and hence sleeping soundly. She finished all her chores; by then, Ishaan also arrived with Rajni. Abhishek had already had breakfast and gone to the office; Arvind ji had also finished his breakfast.
Madhuri ji seated everyone, then went to wake Kashish herself. Upon reaching Kashish's room, when she saw Kashish sleeping sprawled across the entire bed, her limbs spread out, a gentle smile involuntarily graced her lips.
She came and sat beside Kashish and, stroking her head lovingly, said, "Kashish dear... wake up, it's morning."
Kashish was fast asleep. Mistaking Madhuri ji's affectionate touch for her mother's, she nestled her head into Madhuri ji's lap in her sleep and mumbled, wrapping her arms around her stomach and waist, "Mom, I'm so sleepy. Let me sleep for a little while longer."
Madhuri ji understood that Kashish was mistaking her for her mother in her sleep. She paused for a moment, thinking about how deep the bond must have been with her mother and what her mother's condition must be after she left home. Then, she silently wished for everything to be fine today and, stroking Kashish's head lovingly again, said, "Kashish dear, everyone is downstairs, waiting for you. Wake up quickly, dear. Then you have to have breakfast and leave, or you'll miss your train."
When these words reached Kashish's ears, she realized in her sleep that she was no longer in her own home. Everything that had happened yesterday came back to her one by one, and the very next moment, she sat up with a start. Madhuri ji got startled by her sudden movement; Kashish, too, initially looked at her with wide eyes, then, composing herself, said, "Sorry, aunty... I just forgot that I'm not at my own home, that's why I was a bit surprised."
Madhuri ji had also calmed down by now. She lovingly caressed her cheek and said with a smile, "It's okay, dear. You're not used to it... it happens sometimes. Don't worry about it and come downstairs quickly after bathing and getting ready."
Kashish quickly nodded in agreement and went into the bathroom with the clothes Ishaan had bought her yesterday. Madhuri ji tidied the room and then came downstairs.
Kashish quickly bathed and got ready and reached downstairs, but her advancing steps halted as soon as her eyes fell on the people sitting in the hall. Feeling a bit uncomfortable under everyone's gaze, she paused. Madhuri ji, who was present there, immediately went to her upon seeing her and, looking at her appearance, said with a worried tone, "What is this, daughter-in-law... you've just gotten married, and you haven't even applied sindoor in your hair partition, nor are you wearing a mangalsutra. You've come here without any adornment. It seems you don't know anything. Married girls should never keep the symbols of their married status away from themselves; it's considered inauspicious. You go back to your room, we'll come there. We'll get you ready."
Madhuri ji explained to her with great affection and love, like a mother. Kashish now remembered that she was married... at least, she was married in the eyes of others. She had seen her elder sister after her marriage, how she used to dress up with sixteen adornments, so she knew everything, but in her haste, she hadn't paid attention. Realizing her mistake, she lowered her head and said in a soft voice, "I'm sorry, I didn't pay attention in my haste."
"It's okay, dear. Everything has suddenly changed for you, so it will take some time to adapt to this new relationship. And we are not scolding you. We are just explaining that a married woman should always be adorned, and even if nothing else, there should be sindoor and a mangalsutra... Come, you go, we will come to you, and we'll get you ready."
Madhuri ji explained once again with great affection. Kashish nodded after listening to her words. Before leaving, she glanced at Ishaan, who was looking at her blankly, and then quickly left the place.
Madhuri ji also went to her room. About twenty minutes later, she brought Kashish back there. Wearing a red Banarasi saree, her hair braided with a middle parting, her hair partition adorned with bright red sindoor. A small red bindi sparkled between her eyebrows, lipstick on her lips, wrists heavy with glass bangles, and anklets on her feet. Dressed like a newlywed bride with all sixteen adornments, Kashish exuded a different charm today. She looked incredibly beautiful; her lowered eyelashes were devastating.
When Ishaan's gaze fell on her, for a moment, he was lost in her Kashish, but he quickly composed himself and averted his eyes from her.
Everyone else smiled upon seeing her, but only Kashish understood the state of her heart. Doing so much for a marriage that was a pretense felt very strange to her, and she also felt sad about playing with so many people's emotions. But there was no use in doing or thinking anything now. The arrow had been released from the bow. There was no way out of the web of lies they had woven. They had to see the play they had started together through to its conclusion.
Everyone else had already eaten, so Madhuri ji fed Kashish. After that, Ishaan and Kashish, along with Rajni and Arvind ji, left for the station. Upon reaching the station, they departed for Delhi. All the way, Arvind ji and Rajni kept asking Kashish about her family. Kashish wasn't showing it, but the thought of going back home made her very nervous, and in that nervousness, she kept eating something or other throughout the journey. Ishaan noticed this and, somewhere, understood her state of mind, but remained pretending to be ignorant.
They reached Delhi in the evening. The moment Kashish stepped onto Delhi station, her heart started pounding vigorously; she tightly held Ishaan's palm, which made Ishaan, who was walking ahead, stop. He turned back in surprise and looked at her, and his gaze met Kashish's panicked eyes.
"Take me back, please... I'll do whatever you say. Just don't take me back to that house. I don't want to go back there... You don't know my father. I ran away from home after the engagement. He won't leave me alive... For them, honor and pride are the most important things... He won't spare me, please take me back to Banaras."
Kashish became tearful as she spoke. For the first time from yesterday until today, Ishaan saw Kashish in this state, and looking at her fear-filled eyes, he could gauge how much she feared her father. Ishaan watched her silently; for some reason, seeing Kashish's frightened face, filled with terror, didn't feel good at all. Her grip on Kashish's palm tightened involuntarily, and he said in a very calm tone, "Relax... I am with you. Even if our relationship is not true, no one will be able to harm you while I am here. I will protect you, just calm down and trust me."
There was something in his few words that instantly calmed Kashish's mind. Ishaan gestured for her to smile, and Kashish, understanding his gesture, burst into laughter.
Taking a taxi, everyone headed towards Kashish's house. Everyone had something on their mind. Everyone had their own dilemmas and was thinking about the future.
What will happen next? Will Kashish's fear prove true? How will her father react upon seeing her, and will Ishaan be able to keep his promise to her? To find out, keep reading "Ishq Mubarak."
Some time later, the four people were standing outside Kashish's house. The door was closed. Kashish held Ishan's hand tightly, and her heart was pounding. Arvindji rang the doorbell; a few moments later, the door opened. Shyamji was standing there. As soon as she saw him, Kashish hid behind Ishan in fear. Shyamji looked at Arvindji and, knitting his brows, said in a harsh tone,
"Who are you? How have you come to our house?"
"You don't know us, but we know you."
Arvindji said calmly. Hearing his words, Shyamji began to look at them with strange eyes. Arvindji continued,
"Kashish is your daughter? You are Shyamji?"
He wanted to confirm, but as soon as he heard Kashish's name, Shyamji's brows furrowed. The next moment, he said furiously,
"We are Shyamji, but we have no daughter named Kashish. You can go back from where you came."
Saying this, Shyamji tried to close the door, but Arvindji stopped him.
"Brother, please listen to us for once. We know you are angry with her, and your anger is justified, but in this anger, it is not right to refuse to recognize her, to refuse to consider her your daughter, and to alienate your own daughter over one mistake."
"We said, we have no daughter named Kashish. We have two daughters and one son. We don't know any girl named Kashish; we have no relation with her. Don't you understand this simple thing?"
Shyamji suddenly burst into anger and started shouting at Arvindji. Hearing his voice, Jankiji and Harsh also came out from inside. Jankiji looked at Shyamji with troubled eyes and said in a worried tone,
"What happened, dear? Why are you so angry, and what are you saying about Kashish?"
Hearing Kashish's mention, Shyamji glared at her with eyes burning with anger and said through clenched teeth,
"How many times do I have to tell you that mentioning Kashish's name is forbidden in this house? That shameless runaway, the stain on our family, her name should not even be spoken in this house. She made a spectacle of our honor in front of society, disgracing us and running away. Because of her, we have heard all sorts of things from people; she has disgraced our name in front of Sudhakar.
Such a shameless, brazen, and impudent girl can never be our daughter. She is dead to us, and if you ever take that ill-mannered, shameless girl's name in front of us again, we will sever all ties with you too."
Jankiji's eyes welled up hearing Shyamji's words, but she couldn't muster the courage to say anything. Kashish's eyes also filled with tears. Rajniji tried to reason with Shyamji and said humbly,
"Look, we know that what Kashish did, she shouldn't have. You must have had to endure a lot because of her actions, felt shame, and that's what we've come to talk to you about."
Shyamji, who had been staring at Jankiji until now, turned towards her and, clenching his jaw in anger, said in a loud voice,
"Haven't you all heard what we said? We have no relation with any girl named Kashish. We don't know any girl by this name, so stop wasting our time and leave here."
At his shouting, Rajniji also got scared. But Ishan couldn't bear it any longer. Ishan took Kashish, who was hiding behind him, by her arm, brought her forward, and said in a sharp tone,
"Will you still say that you don't know this girl?"
Seeing Kashish as a married woman, all three people were stunned. Ishan continued in the same sharp tone,
"You are showing anger at Kashish that she eloped and tarnished your honor, but the real culprits are you people who forced her to take such a big step. She didn't run away from her home and family of her own free will, but the decision to forcibly marry her against her wishes forced her to do so."
Ishan had shown them a mirror. His words hurt Shyamji's pride, and in anger, he grabbed Kashish by the neck. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise at this. Shyamji, brutally squeezing her neck, growled in anger,
"All this is happening because of you, you bastard... I knew from the beginning that you would one day auction off our honor. Today I realized what you were doing when you went out under the pretext of going to the office, and why you were against the marriage... you were involved with someone outside, and behind our backs, you were involved with this boy. Is this why you ran away from home before marriage and humiliated us in front of everyone?
Because of you, this boy has the audacity to speak to us in this tone, to insult us... It's all your doing... Weren't you ashamed of carousing with this boy, weren't you ashamed of making a mockery of our values and upbringing in public... Your audacity has grown so much that you shamelessly ran away, got married, and came here with this boy... Now I won't let you go..."
He was saying so many vulgar things, and Harsh was instigating him. Jankiji was trying to free Kashish, crying; all three people were trying to free Kashish. But Shyamji was blinded by rage.
He was unwilling to let her go. Kashish's entire face turned red, and she started gasping for breath.
To be continued.....
Janki Ji was trying to free Kashish, crying; the three people standing in front were just trying to free Kashish. But Shyam Ji was enraged. He was not ready to let her go. Kashish's entire face had turned red and she was gasping for breath. Seeing her condition, Ishaan, using all his strength and shouting in anger, pushed them away from Kashish. Kashish fell on the ground listlessly, and Rajni began to support her.
Ishaan's anger had gotten out of control seeing Kashish's condition. He grabbed Shyam Ji by the collar in anger and shouted, "You are not human, but executioners... Now I understand why Kashish was so scared to come here. How can she come to a house where butchers live instead of humans? She must have run away from home because of you... How dare you inflict pain on her?... Now she is not your daughter, but my wife. I am letting you go considering your age and relationship, but if any of you are seen anywhere near Kashish again or try to hurt her, I will not take a second to send all of you to jail... From today onwards, Kashish has no relation to this house and the people living in it. If you ever appear near her by mistake, you will go straight to jail on charges of attempted murder, and do not make the mistake of thinking that since she is alone, you can do whatever you want with her. She is not alone, I stand with her. She is my wife now, and before reaching her, you will have to confront me, and I swear by Mahadev, next time I won't let you go, remember this."
He pushed them inwards in anger, causing Shyam Ji to step back a few steps. They moved back towards Ishaan, passing through anger, but before they could reach Ishaan, Rajni took out her pistol and aimed it at them; glaring at them with red eyes in anger, she said in a harsh tone, "Don't even think of touching her, otherwise I will send you to jail on the charge of making a deadly attack on two people in front of an inspector, and I will impose so many sections that the rest of your life will be spent behind bars."
Hars h and Shyam Ji were both shocked by Rajni's threat. Ishaan sat down near Kashish, who was still breathing rapidly and looked quite scared and timid. Then Ishaan placed his hand on her shoulder and, looking at her with troubled eyes, said in a worried tone, "Kashish, are you okay?"
Kashish turned her head at his question and looked at him, and the next moment, lowering her eyelids, she nodded in agreement, but Ishaan had seen the moisture in her eyes, but he couldn't understand how to console her. He helped Kashish up and then, looking at Rajni, said, "Sister, let's go from here. Executioners live here, not Kashish's family. There is no point in saying anything to them."
Rajni was still glaring at Shyam Ji. She put the pistol back. With this, Shyam Ji regained his courage and said with extreme hatred, "Get out of our house, and if you value your lives, never set foot on our doorstep again."
Kashish stood with her eyelids lowered. Ishaan and Rajni both glared at them angrily, but Shyam Ji, not caring about anyone, went inside furiously. Harsh also went with him. Janki Ji, who had been standing as a helpless spectator, now looked at Kashish and, caressing her head lovingly, said, "You knew your father, didn't you? Then why did you come back here once you were free from this captivity? Go away, daughter, go far away from here and never return."
She kissed her forehead lovingly and emotionally, then holding her hand and placing it on Ishaan's palm, she looked at him and said, "We know Kashish. We have full faith in our daughter that she can never do anything that would question her mother's upbringing. We don't know how you two got connected, but now that you have held her hand, you will be with her for life. She is a little naive and very childish, but she has a good heart, she will not give you a reason to complain."
"The girl who didn't belong to her parents, how will she belong to anyone else? Here our honor was auctioned, now wherever she goes, who knows what she will do to that house? Anyway, let her do whatever she wants. We have nothing to do with them, just before leaving, take your trash from our house, we don't want it. There is no place in our house for her or anything related to her."
Hearing Shyam Ji's hateful voice suddenly, Janki Ji stepped back in fear. The others also stepped back in panic and confusion, because they had thrown a large bag there, which had opened due to falling and Kashish's clothes scattered around.
Kashish quickly sat down and started putting her clothes in the bag and closing it. Meanwhile, Harsh brought some books, toys, and another bag and threw them there, and Janki Ji was taken inside and the door was slammed shut in Kashish's face.
Perhaps her belongings had been packed beforehand and were about to be thrown away. Kashish put the books and small toys in another bag and hugged the large teddy bear to her chest, sobbing. The next moment, she wiped her tears with her palms and stood up with the large teddy bear. Arvind Ji stood there stunned, witnessing what had happened here. Perhaps he had never seen anything like this before, and what had happened moments ago was beyond his imagination. That's why he was so surprised.
Rajni was also surprised by what happened here, because how a father could behave like this with his daughter was beyond her imagination. Ishaan was also very angry and his eyes were fixed on Kashish. Rajni looked at Kashish and asked in a worried tone, "Kashish, are you okay?"
Kashish turned her head and looked at them and nodded with a smile, but her pain was evident in that smile. Rajni could understand her emotions; she consoled her and said, "Don't take whatever happens here to heart. This family is not worthy of being called a family anyway. From now on, you are a part of our family."
Hearing her words, Kashish just smiled again and then, picking up her two bags, said, "Where will we go now?"
"The train is in the morning, so we will have dinner at the station and stay in the waiting room and leave for Banaras in the morning. After reaching there, we will get you married to Ishaan with great pomp. From today, our home will be your maternal home, and we will try our best to be good fathers," Arvind Ji replied, stroking her head lovingly. Perhaps for the first time, a man had stroked her head so lovingly as a father, so Kashish became a little emotional, but remained composed from the outside and nodded in agreement, picking up her teddy bear and both bags, but Ishaan stopped her midway by holding her wrist. "Let it be, you take care of your teddy, I'll take the bags."
Kashish turned her head and looked at him and nodded carelessly, holding the teddy bear in her arms, and moved forward. Ishaan watched her in surprise. How quickly she had become normal! As if nothing had happened! Then, nodding his head, he took the bags and walked away with everyone else.
To be continued.....
It was nighttime. Abhishek had come to the Mishra residence that day. At that time, both Ishaan and Abhishek were standing in a corner on the roof. Ishaan was silently looking towards the ghat, where there were no people at that time; the playful current of the Ganga was also calm. In the moonlight, the pure water of Mother Ganga was scattering a unique radiance, a captivating sight that calmed the mind. But a storm was raging in Ishaan's mind.
Abhishek remained silent for a few moments, trying to read the expression on his face, then placed a hand on his shoulder and asked,
"Are you troubled by something?"
Hearing Abhishek's question, Ishaan turned and looked at him, but said, "Nothing." That was his nature; he rarely shared his thoughts with anyone. After a short wait, Abhishek spoke again,
"Are you troubled about Kashish? Father told me what happened there. I was also surprised to know how a father could treat his young daughter like that? It's difficult for me to even imagine the pain and suffering Kashish must be going through right now. At such a young age, she has learned to hide so much pain, sorrow, and suffering behind her smile. Knowing this causes even more anguish. Perhaps she is accustomed to all this, that's why she endured everything with a smile.
Now you might be wondering why I am telling you all this? There is a reason behind it, Ishu… This incident gives an idea of the kind of life Kashish has been living so far. She needs love, and you will have to fulfill this deficiency in her life as a life partner."
Ishaan, who had been listening to him silently until then, turned back towards the ghat and, making a futile attempt to find the farthest edge of the vast form of Mother Ganga, said expressionlessly,
"What love will I give anyone, brother-in-law? When I don't even believe in the word love? Anyway, Kashish doesn't need me or anyone. She knows how to take care of herself very well, and she is very happy with herself. She doesn't need my support or anyone else's."
"That's a very good thing, Ishu, that Kashish knows how to be happy with herself and take care of herself, but that doesn't mean she doesn't desire the support of someone close… Ishu, there are two types of people in this world; first are those who express their pain by crying and shouting at every little thing and are always looking for support.
The second type of people are those who hide all their pain within themselves, either becoming outwardly silent, like you, or learning to smile in pain, like Kashish, and in both cases, the suppressed pain within hollows out that person. They don't want to depend on anyone, but they are the ones who need support the most. They need someone close who can free them from that pain, apply the balm of love to their wounds, and you and Kashish are now entering into a relationship where you both have to become each other's support, become the balm for each other's wounds, erasing the pain connected to the past, and together, face life's journey with a smile on your lips.
We don't know why you decided to marry Kashish, and we don't want to know. We just want to tell you that Kashish is a good girl. She will prove to be a better life partner for you, so fulfill this relationship with your heart. As for not believing in love, we can confidently say that after spending just a little time with Kashish, you will fall in love with her, and your faith in love will be restored."
Abhishek said the last part with such confidence that Ishaan looked at him in surprise, but said nothing. After this, they had a few more conversations, and then Abhishek left. Ishaan also came back to his room. Once again, despite not wanting to, Kashish's thought started revolving in his mind. There was something that was drawing him towards Kashish, but Ishaan was completely unaware of this at the moment. It was past midnight when he finally fell asleep, while Kashish, that day, slept peacefully with Shikha.
The next two days passed without anyone noticing. No one from the Mishra residence was in favor of the wedding, so the remaining small rituals like haldi, mehndi, and the wedding itself were held at Arvind Ji's house. That was their wedding day. Even on that day, no one from the Mishra family reached the temple, but Ishaan was unaffected by this. In front of Mahadev, both of them tied the sacred knot of marriage with full rituals.
Two people who ran away from marriage were now bound in this unbreakable bond, albeit unwillingly. The feelings in both their hearts were the same; they tried to console their hearts by saying, "This is all a drama," but somewhere deep down, both had the realization that even if it was for a drama, they had indeed gotten married. Whether they accepted it or not, they were now husband and wife.
After the wedding, they also signed the marriage registration papers and legally became husband and wife. Although the marriage certificate would take time to arrive, they were now socially, legally, and religiously married. First, they took the blessings of their deity, then Madhuri Ji and Arvind Ji. The priest also blessed them. Abhishek, Rajni, and Shikha also congratulated them. After the wedding was successfully completed, everyone returned to the Mishra residence.
The two men were not at home at that time. The women were confined to their rooms, but Shubhra and Shubhika were very excited and happy to welcome their new sister-in-law. Both were eagerly waiting for her. Upon reaching home, Madhuri Ji performed Kashish's Griha Pravesh. After completing the post-wedding rituals, women from the neighborhood also came for Kashish's face-revealing ceremony.
Amidst all this, night fell. Ramvilas Ji and Sujit Ji did come home, but they neither saw the new daughter-in-law's face nor blessed her. Turning away, they went into their respective rooms. Kashish also noticed this.
After some time, Kashish was seated in Ishaan's room. Everyone else went home. Instead of going to the room, Ishaan stood silently on the roof in the deep silence, while a storm raged within him. Rajni cooked the food, then took a plate of food and went to Ishaan's room. There, Kashish had fallen asleep leaning against the head of the bed. But Ishaan was not there. Rajni searched for Ishaan everywhere, but when Ishaan was nowhere to be seen, she held her head in her hands.
Today again, Ishaan was standing on the roof, looking towards the ghat and thinking about the past days, how he had done everything in these days that he never wanted to do, and now, unwillingly, he was bound in the marriage with Kashish. When suddenly, Rajni's displeased voice reached his ears,
"Ishu, I told you to stay with Kashish, so what are you doing here?"
Startled by the voice, Ishaan came out of his thoughts and turned to see Rajni standing right behind him, with her arms crossed, staring at him.
To be continued...
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"Ishaan, I told you to stay with Kashish. What are you doing here?"
Startled by the voice, Ishaan snapped out of his thoughts and turned around. Rajni was standing right behind him, hands clasped, staring at him.
Seeing her there so suddenly, Ishaan became flustered and said in a rush,
"I was just leaving, Didi."
With that, he took a step to leave immediately. Rajni watched him silently for a few moments, then called out from behind,
"Your food is in the room. Kashish fell asleep waiting for you, so wake her up and eat together."
Ishaan nodded, then told her to eat as well and left. After he left, Rajni said to herself in a troubled, sad tone,
"You've bound yourself to Kashish in this relationship for us, but when will your hearts truly connect, and when will we see you and Kashish as a happy couple?"
Rajni mentally prayed to Mahadev, then went downstairs herself.
Meanwhile, for the first time that day, Ishaan felt hesitant to enter his own room. Why wouldn't he? After all, the room where he had lived alone until now would now have someone else living with him. Now he had to share his room with someone else, and that someone else was his wife, who had an equal right to him, his room, and everything connected to him.
For a moment, his feet froze outside the door, but then remembering Rajni's words, he opened the door and stepped inside. As soon as he took his first step into the room, his gaze fell on Kashish, who was asleep sitting on the bed in front.
For the first time, Ishaan looked at Kashish so intently that for a moment, his eyes lingered on her moon-like beautiful, innocent face.
A red Banarasi saree, her hair tied in a bun, with a few small strands escaping and playfully framing her face. The maang tikka had slipped to one side, allowing the bright vermilion in the central parting to flaunt its presence. The small red bindi on her forehead sparkled like stars in the sky. Her thick eyelashes were lowered, and she was mumbling in her deep sleep, as if dreaming.
Perhaps she was dreaming. The gold earrings gifted by Madhuri Ji dangled in her ears, and along with the mangalsutra, a gold necklace clung to her neck. Her mehndi-adorned wrists wore bangles filled with lac, and the anklets on her feet sat silently, sulking.
Dressed as a bride with sixteen adornments, Kashish looked incredibly beautiful and lovely. Ishaan was lost in her beauty for a moment, but he quickly came back to his senses. First, he was surprised at himself, then shaking his head, he walked towards Kashish.
Oblivious to everything, Kashish was lost in a deep slumber. Ishaan extended his hand to wake her up, but the next moment, he pulled his hand back and called out to her from a distance,
"Kashish, wake up, come and eat."
Kashish was unaffected. She continued to sleep. Ishaan tried a few more times, but when Kashish didn't budge, Ishaan, defeated, gently held Kashish's arm and shook her slightly,
"Kashish, eat, then change and sleep."
As he shook her arm, Kashish's eyes suddenly shot open in shock. Ishaan was also taken aback by her sudden awakening and her large, sleepy, pink eyes, and taking a step back, he said,
"I… I was just waking you up to eat."
In his haste, Ishaan quickly clarified, lest Kashish misunderstand seeing him near her. But Kashish was perhaps not fully awake yet. So, first, she stared at Ishaan with her large, sleepy, intoxicating eyes in surprise, then closed her eyes again.
Sleep was overwhelming her. Her sleep-laden eyelids drooped once more. Kashish had fallen back into a deep sleep. Ishaan was startled first by her sudden awakening and then by her falling back asleep.
At first, he stared at her, his pupils dilated, looking surprised and worried. Then, he filled a little water from the jug kept nearby into his finger and sprinkled it on Kashish's face. The very next moment, Kashish abruptly opened her eyes and, seeing Ishaan standing in front of her, her nostrils flared in anger as she spoke indignantly,
"You are very bad, you don't even let me sleep peacefully."
"Devi Ji, I am not stopping you from sleeping, I am just saying to eat first, change your clothes, then sleep peacefully, and please lie down to sleep. If you fall off the bed while trying to sleep sitting up, you'll become Kashish from 1 to 4."
Ishaan finished his sentence in exasperation and took clothes from the cupboard and went into the attached bathroom. Kashish glared at him with a sulky expression for a while, then got up and stood in front of the dressing table. Seeing her beautiful and captivating appearance, she herself was surprised for a moment, then smiled and slowly started removing all the jewelry.
When Ishaan returned after changing, Kashish had gone into the bathroom with her clothes. When she came out of the bathroom after bathing and changing, Ishaan was seen preparing a bed on the floor. Seeing this, Kashish's eyes widened in surprise, and she exclaimed in a loud voice,
"Why are you making the bed down there? I won't sleep on the floor."
"No one is asking you to sleep on the floor, this bed is for my…." Ishaan suddenly stopped as his gaze fell on Kashish.
Kashish and Ishaan were bound in marriage, much against their will. Last night, Kashish had slept with Ishaan in his room, as his wife.
As soon as Kashish lay down on the bed, she was lost in her dream world, while Ishaan fell asleep a little later. Hence, Ishaan, who usually woke up early every morning, did not wake up today.
Kashish, in any case, was in the habit of sleeping late. The clock showed 8:00 AM. The morning in Banaras had begun with the melodious sounds of the Ganga Aarti and conch shells, but Ishaan's morning had not yet arrived. Rajni also did not disturb them. First, she finished all her work and got ready, then she moved towards Ishaan's room.
Ishaan was fast asleep. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the door knocking and Rajni called out,
"Ishu, how much longer will you sleep today? It's 8:00 AM, don't you have to go to the shop?"
Hearing Rajni's words, Ishaan woke up and sat up with a jolt. He looked at the clock and in a hurry, got up and moved towards the door. But after a few steps, he remembered something and quickly went and picked up the bedsheet and placed it on the bed. Then, adjusting his clothes and hair, he opened the door.
"Sorry, didi, I don't know how, but I didn't wake up today."
Ishaan made an excuse to Rajni. He himself was surprised and embarrassed because it had never happened before that he woke up so late. He was punctual and used to wake up early in the morning. Rajni smiled on hearing him.
"You don't need to apologize. We understand, you must be tired, that's why you didn't wake up. That's why we didn't wake you up earlier, but now it's quite late, so we had to come. By the way, has Kashish woken up or is she still sleeping?"
"She's sleeping, didi, it was a new place, so she slept late last night."
Rajni smiled at Kashish's excuse and gently touching her cheek, said,
"We understand, but now you wake her up and both of you should bathe and get ready and come down. We have made breakfast, come and eat, and then you can rest."
Hearing Rajni's words, Ishaan immediately refused,
"No, didi. It's already late, I can't sleep any longer."
Rajni left, telling them both to come quickly. Ishaan closed the door and came inside. In his haste, he hadn't paid attention to Kashish. Now, as he came near the bed to wake her up, he was shocked to see Kashish's peculiar sleeping posture.
Kashish was lying upside down, with her hands and legs spread across the entire bed. One pillow was under her head, and another was on her face. The sunlight coming from the window was falling directly on Kashish's face, so she had placed a pillow on her face.
She was so engrossed in sleep that she had lost all awareness. Her loose top had slipped up from her waist, revealing her fair, soft, slender waist and a part of her stomach.
The moment Ishaan's eyes fell on Kashish's exposed stomach, he quickly averted his gaze in a hurry and threw the bedsheet hanging from the bed over her. But the very next moment, Kashish, in her sleep, kicked forcefully, threw the bedsheet down, and turned to the other side to sleep.
Ishaan shook his head helplessly and, remembering Mahadev, took his clothes and went into the bathroom. After bathing for some time, he came out, and Kashish was still sleeping.
Ishaan went to the balcony and dried his clothes, then came into the room, wiping his hair with a towel. The clock showed 8:30. He took a deep breath and moved towards Kashish, who was lost in her dreams.
Ishaan had learned something from the events of the night. He didn't waste his time trying to wake Kashish and directly removed the pillow from her face.
Kashish, still asleep, started searching for the pillow with her hands, but when she couldn't find it, she took the pillow from under her head and placed it on her face.
Seeing this, Ishaan let out a sigh of regret and, removing the other pillow from her face, called out,
"Kashish, wake up now. It's almost 9:00 AM. Didi is waiting for us at breakfast."
Kashish didn't feel like waking up, but she finally had to. Her hair had become tangled overnight. Kashish was not fully awake and, scratching her hair with her eyes closed, said in a sleepy voice,
"Why did morning come so early? Tell Mahadev to hide the sun in his locks for a while. I want to sleep more."
To be continued…
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"Why is it morning so soon? Tell Mahadev to hide the sun in his matted locks for a little longer. I want to sleep more."
Kashish was muttering in her sleep, making strange faces. Hearing her nonsensical talk, Ishaan first stared at her with wide, astonished eyes, then said irritably,
"Stop your nonsense. It's already 9 o'clock. Still not enough sleep for you? Will the whole day and night be for you so you can sell all your horses, donkeys, and mules and sleep? Come on, get up, bathe, and get ready quickly."
Ishaan had scolded Kashish quite a bit. Hearing his words, Kashish's mood soured first thing in the morning. Hearing his indifferent response, Kashish opened her sleepy eyes in surprise, looked at him, and glared, saying in a complaining tone,
"How rude you are! You have no manners at all. Does anyone talk so indifferently to such a cute, innocent, and lovely girl? I don't like you at all."
Ugh, Kashish's innocence! She was complaining like a child and pouting like a child. At that moment, she looked so cute that anyone's heart would melt with love for her, but what kind of heart did Ishaan have, a heart of stone? He didn't feel love for Kashish, not even pity. He replied indifferently once again,
"So who asked you to like me? This is how I am, and this is how I will remain. I am not going to change myself for anyone. Anyway, we are together for only a little while, after which our paths will diverge. Until then, I will tolerate you, and you tolerate me."
Kashish did not like Ishaan's words at all. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him, sulking angrily. Seeing her glare, Ishaan clenched his jaw and continued,
"We have to stay together for some time. You'll have plenty of opportunities to stare at me later, so stare at me leisurely at your convenience. Right now, we are already very late, so go bathe and get ready quickly."
Kashish puckered her nose and mouth, made an ugly face, got out of bed, looked at Ishaan with displeasure, and stomped her foot towards her bag. She opened the bag and started taking out jeans and a top; seeing this, Ishaan immediately stopped her,
"Why are you taking these out? We are newly married, you are the daughter-in-law of the house. Will you wear these clothes on the first day?"
Hearing his words, Kashish turned her head and looked at him, glaring, and said,
"Yes, why can't I wear them?"
"I think you should wear something Indian today, something traditional."
Hearing Ishaan's words, Kashish said petulantly,
"But I only have these clothes right now. Anyway, what's wrong with these?"
Kashish frowned and glared at him. She looked a bit annoyed. Ishaan exhaled deeply and said calmly,
"There's nothing wrong, but one should wear clothes according to the environment, time, and place. According to today's occasion, you should wear something Indian."
Hearing Ishaan's gentle explanation, Kashish considered his words, then made a cute face and said sadly,
"But I don't have any suits right now, and the saree that aunty gave me, I can't wear it."
"Why?" Ishaan asked as soon as Kashish finished speaking. Hearing this, Kashish made a cute face and said with great innocence,
"I don't know how to wear a saree, you see. It's so long, I get tangled up in it."
Kashish explained her difficulty and stood there with a dejected face. Hearing her, Ishaan sighed deeply and said,
"Okay, fine, but where are the suits I bought you?"
"They are still at aunty's house. There was no space left in the bag. You know, all my teddy bears are also there. I feel so lonely without them. They must be missing me too."
Kashish replied quickly and became sad remembering her teddy bears. Seeing her, it seemed like a mountain of sorrow had fallen upon her. Ishaan's surprise knew no bounds. Looking at Kashish, he said to himself,
"Truly, Mahadev, you have created an antique piece in this girl. There can be no one like her, but from which birth are you taking revenge on me, sending this empty-headed girl into my life? Well, what's the use of complaining to you? Instead of hitting my foot with an axe, I willingly put my foot on the axe. Now, until sister's wedding, I have to tolerate this packet of trouble and this shop of chatter."
First, Ishaan complained to Mahadev, then he cursed himself thoroughly for his decision, and consoled himself. Then, looking at Kashish, he said,
"Forget the saree, you must have a kurta or something, right? Wear that. Please don't wear jeans and a top, or there will be an uproar in the house today."
Kashish wanted to say something, but seeing Ishaan's worried face, she kept quiet, took a kurta from the bag, and went into the bathroom. After a while, she came out after bathing and approached Ishaan, smiling, and said,
"I've bathed, let's go down quickly, I'm hungry, very hungry."
Ishaan, who was talking to someone on the phone, turned and looked at her upon hearing Kashish. Seeing her appearance, he said in surprise,
"Are you going down like this? Have some consideration, Kashish. All this drama is for us, but for others, everything is reality. Does any girl go to her in-laws' place like this the day after the wedding? You didn't wear a saree, at least get ready properly."
Ishaan had also taunted her in his words. Kashish looked at him with a contorted face; in return, Ishaan's staring eyes rested on her. Kashish tried to butter him up by blinking her eyes with an innocent face, but Ishaan did not melt. He glared at her sternly and, pointing towards the dressing table, said,
"Go and get ready. Only then can you go downstairs, and only then will you get something to eat."
What could she do but surrender? Kashish finally gave in to him and, making a face, went to the dressing table. She wore the bangles, earrings, put sindoor in her hair parting, kajal in her eyes, fixed her hair, and ran back to Ishaan. Ishaan looked her up and down, then held her hand and came downstairs.
To know how Kashish's first day in her in-laws' house will be and what new troubles will come her way, keep reading "Ishq Mubarak" with me.
By the time Kashish and Ishan got ready and came down, both men of the house had left for work. Shubhra and Shubhika had also gone to school. Big Mummy and Aunt were both sitting in the courtyard. Rajni was not there.
Rajni had told her about the family members, so even though she didn't recognize anyone, it wasn't too difficult to guess by looking.
Kashish saw them and walked towards them with a smile, but before she could touch their feet, Kaushalya ji extended her hand and said in a stern voice,
"Stop right where you are."
Kashish's forward steps halted, and she looked at them with wide, confused eyes. Mahima ji looked Kashish up and down and then turning to Kaushalya ji, said,
"Sister, look what kind of girl Ishan has married and brought home! Is the new daughter-in-law sleeping so late? This girl is coming down at 9:00 AM like royalty. No consideration for the family's honor. No manners, etiquette, or traditions either; just look at how she's dressed the day after the wedding. Her makeup is also half-done. Are these the signs of a new daughter-in-law? Who knows what kind of girl Ishan has brought as a daughter-in-law!
Do you remember, when Sarita came home, how she woke up at 4:00 AM the next morning and came to the prayer room; the mornings of Banaras began with her sweet voice, then she made so many delicacies for the entire family. She kept her head covered with a sari for a year, she still observes purdah from her father-in-law, but the younger daughter-in-law has no regard at all. There is no one to tell them anything, there is no importance given to the family's traditions and customs in their eyes. They are bent on ruining our family's name. Who knows what bad karma has led us to see this day."
Mahima ji was taunting Kashish incessantly, and poor Kashish was looking at them with wide eyes as if trying to understand her fault. Hearing her words, Kaushalya ji glared at Kashish with sharp eyes and said, making a face,
"Both the brother and sister have abandoned the family's honor and traditions. She has brought such a shameless daughter-in-law home to tarnish the family's reputation. It's their choice of marriage, so what can we do? When no one thought it necessary to take our opinion before marriage, why would we say anything now? Both the brother and sister have become willful. Now they have brought a daughter-in-law who has no traditions... So let them do what they want."
"How can we let them, Sister? Our family also has some dignity. We are older, so we must show the right path. If the family traditions are broken, a disaster will happen. We are the elders of the house, so we must take care of the family's dignity and honor," said Mahima ji, expressing her concern. Hearing her words, Kaushalya ji called out to Rajni in a loud voice,
"Rajni!"
Hearing her voice, Rajni came running inside from outside and said in a flustered tone, "Yes, Big Aunty!"
Kaushalya ji first looked at her, then pointed towards Kashish and said displeasedly,
"Have you taught the younger daughter-in-law anything or not? Even if you've brought anyone home, you should at least have informed her about the household ways and customs. How is she dressed the day after the wedding? Never mind not wearing a sari, she hasn't even worn a dupatta with her suit. She just got married yesterday and hasn't covered her head. Her makeup is also incomplete, and this is the time for the new daughter-in-law to wake up?
All the family members have gone to work, and while we don't say anything, there are certain rituals for the new daughter-in-law; she has to wake up before everyone else, perform prayers, worship the stove, and cook for everyone in the family. But you and your brother are eager to break all the customs. First, who knows from which lineage or clan you've brought this girl home, who knows nothing, and you are also not informing her about the household customs."
Poor Rajni knew nothing. After hearing their words, she looked at Kashish, whose face had fallen. Before Rajni could say anything, she made a sad, dejected face and said in a low voice,
"I don't know how to wear a sari."
"It's okay, I'll teach you," said Rajni, touching her sad cheek affectionately. Then, looking at Kaushalya ji, she said,
"We'll get Kashish ready and teach them everything. She can come and perform the prayers and cook the food."
"What will she do by cooking now, and this is the time for prayers? Go, get her ready properly, tell her about the household ways. Also, teach the new daughter-in-law how she should behave and explain it well.
Tomorrow morning, she must wake up early, get ready, and come down; first, she will have to perform prayers, then the stove-worship ritual, and she will have to cook for all the family members. But first, ask if this girl knows how to cook or not," said Kaushalya ji in a sharp tone, staring at Kashish with strange eyes.
"I know how to cook," Kashish replied, puffing out her cheeks after hearing her sarcasm. Her response irked Auntie Ji; she immediately flared up at Kashish and said,
"Do you have any shame or respect left for elders, or not? Do you talk back to your elder mother-in-law like this? And look at you with such shameless eyes, lower your gaze, or I'll slap you on the ear right now."
Mahima ji reprimanded her and showed her a slap, making Kashish shrink and lower her gaze. Seeing Kashish being scolded unnecessarily, Ishan, who had been standing by silently watching the spectacle, got angry and was about to say something, but before he could say anything, Rajni stopped him.
"Ishu, you're getting late for the shop. You go, we'll send your food there."
Once again, to prevent the situation from escalating, Rajni didn't let Ishan say anything. Ishan glared at the two women of the house, stomped his feet in anger, and left. After he left, Rajni let out a sigh and took Kashish to the room.
Ishan had left the house in anger; it was Kashish's first day, and she had already clashed with Mahima ji and Kaushalya ji. Rajni tried her best to handle the situation, but by then, Kashish had received quite a scolding, and Ishan had also left in a huff.
Rajni brought Kashish to the room. As soon as they entered the room, Kashish burst out,
"Sister, you are so sweet, but those two old women are very nasty. In such a short time, they have taunted me so much, more than my mother has ever taunted me in her entire life."
To be continued…
Kashish was complaining to Rajni with a childlike pout. "Didi, you are so sweet, but those two old women are very nasty. In such a short time, they've taunted me more than my mother ever has. Did you see how they were talking… they even wanted to slap me. Does anyone do that to anyone? They are both very wicked; they speak bitter words, more bitter than bitter melon, and I don't like bitter melon at all… they are like Hitler and little Hitler… I found them both very nasty…"
Hearing her innocent words, Rajni smiled. Then, she gently touched her cheek and explained, "You shouldn't talk like that, Kashish. They are older than us, so you shouldn't insult them. Besides, they weren't entirely wrong. In this relationship, they are your mother-in-law and mothers-in-law are like that. You also need to understand that they are not happy with this marriage already, so they took out their displeasure on you. And what they said was correct; you are now the daughter-in-law of this house, the honor of the house, so you have to be a little careful, respect the customs of the house, and maintain dignity."
"I admit that Big Mummy and Chachi behaved very badly, but most mothers-in-law are like this. You shouldn't take their words to heart; don't fill your mind with bitterness towards them. You can't make them completely happy or satisfied, but you have to try your best not to give them a reason to complain and not let them say anything to you. Don't worry, I will teach you everything. It will be difficult for a few days, then you will adapt to the environment of my home."
Kashish didn't reply. She remained silent. Rajni gently stroked her cheek and then started taking out a saree from her bag.
"Didi, which shop did Ishaan go to?"
As Rajni was teaching Kashish how to tie a saree, a thought from Rajni's earlier words flashed in Kashish's mind, and without hesitation, she asked Rajni. Hearing her question, Rajni looked at her in surprise and explained, "Kashish, you shouldn't take your husband's name like that. It's okay when you're alone, but don't call him Ishaan in front of others, and speak to him with a little more respect and etiquette."
For some reason, Kashish accepted everything Rajni said without any argument. Perhaps Rajni explained things with so much love that Kashish couldn't hurt her feelings. Ishaan loved Rajni very much and respected her greatly, which is why Kashish also respected her a lot, perhaps that's why she accepted her words without any argument. This time too, she just nodded.
"Didi, which shop did Mishra ji go to? Tell him to bring me Kurkure; all my food items were left at Auntie's house."
After a moment of silence, Kashish spoke again. Hearing her innocent words, Rajni smiled and, while setting her saree's pallu, said, "Your Mishra ji didn't go to the snack shop; he went to his sweet shop."
"He has his own sweet shop?"
Kashish asked, looking at her with wide eyes. Hearing her, Rajni nodded and said, "Yes, his shop is near Vishwanath temple; didn't he tell you?"
"Umm, he just yells at me and scolds me. He doesn't talk to me lovingly. He doesn't tell me anything about himself either."
Kashish replied, wrinkling her nose and pouting at her. She was very upset by Ishaan's indifferent behavior. Hearing her, Rajni helplessly shook her head and, while getting her ready, said, "He is like that; he doesn't mingle with anyone easily. He doesn't share his thoughts with anyone, keeps everything within himself, which is why he has become a bit rigid. The displeasure in his heart dissolves into bitterness in his words, but his heart is not bad. You will understand him when you spend some time with him, and when he trusts you, he will open his heart to you. You just try to keep him happy and understand him. Give this relationship time; everything will be alright."
Kashish nodded, thinking about Ishaan. Rajni placed the pallu on her head and began to explain to her once more, "Kashish, go downstairs, touch the feet of Big Mummy and Chachi, and pay your respects. Don't retort to anything they say, keep your eyes lowered, and don't remove the pallu from your head. Just do this for a few days. Once the marriage has settled a bit, they won't impose these restrictions on you."
Kashish nodded. Coming downstairs, as Rajni had instructed, she touched the feet of both women and paid her respects. They both blessed her reluctantly and left. Kashish made a sour face. Rajni fed her, and then took Ishaan's food herself. Kashish also came into the room, as there was no one downstairs to talk to.
When Rajni reached Kashi Mishthan Bhandar, Ishaan had taken off his shirt, placed it aside, and was making chenna. Seeing Rajni, the two boys working in the shop, Ramu and Raghu, came and bowed to Rajni. Rajni replied, then went to Ishaan, "Ishu, come, eat first."
"I'm not hungry, Didi," Ishaan replied without looking at her and continued his work. His face clearly showed that he was upset. Rajni watched him silently for a moment, then turned him towards her and said, "Ishu, your anger is towards us, isn't it? Food has no fault in this, so why are you disrespecting it by refusing to eat? Why are you hurting yourself because of us? Come, eat, then we have to go to the police station too."
Ishaan could no longer refuse. He asked Ramu to manage the work, then came into the store in the shop, where a platform was also set up on one side. Ishaan washed his hands and sat on the platform. Rajni quickly served the food onto a plate and placed it in front of him, then sat down beside him. Ishaan silently started eating.
"Ishu, why do you burn your blood by being so angry? They are our own people, aren't they? If the home environment remains peaceful by listening to some of their words silently, what's wrong with that?"
Rajni said this after Ishaan finished eating. Perhaps she wanted to ease his anger, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. The anger once again appeared on Ishaan's calm face.
"If their words were true, there would be nothing wrong with listening, but I am absolutely not in favor of silently listening to their baseless taunts, and how are they our own people who only remember us to humiliate us? Yesterday, they didn't even show their faces. They didn't even consider that the daughter-in-law of the house had come home; in such a situation, how would she feel if the family members themselves didn't come to welcome her?
Today, they remembered the family customs. And that too, only to humiliate us, otherwise, they don't care about us. I just don't understand why you always listen to them silently? You never answer them yourself, nor do you let me answer."
Ishaan seemed quite displeased and angry. Rajni listened to his entire statement, then said seriously, "Ishu, if speaking breaks relationships, then silence is better. Besides, it's not necessary to answer every time. Sometimes, silence itself is an answer, and when we don't answer, time answers.
We know that we are right, our Mahadev knows that we have done nothing wrong, so He will handle everything. Besides, Chachi and Big Mummy weren't entirely wrong in their words; yes, their way of speaking and their intentions were wrong, but it was correct that Kashish is the daughter-in-law of the house, so she has to live accordingly, otherwise, if people find out, our family will be disgraced."
"No one can win an argument with you, Didi; you silence me with your logic, but Didi, it's not right to always remain silent and bow down to wrongdoing. Besides, that is not a family, but two families live in that house, and they don't care about our family. Today, everyone is living under one roof for the sake of name, but the day is not far when everyone will separate."
"But the division of the house shouldn't be because of us, Ishu. As long as it's possible, we should try to keep the family united."
"Now I don't want to argue with you about this. You must be getting late, so you go, and let me work too."
Hearing Ishaan, Rajni smiled, patted his head, and then left. As always, this argument yielded no result, and Ishaan, swallowing the bitter poison, chose silence.
Kashish's first day at Ishan's house, Mishra Niwas, started terribly; she had to listen to Mahima Ji and Kaushalya Ji's lecture early in the morning. The behavior of both of them was so bad that Kashish didn't go downstairs even once the entire day. No one checked on her. Shubhra and Shubhika wanted to go to her after returning from school, but Mahima Ji didn't allow them.
Kashish remained locked in the room all day, bored; it was 8:00 PM. Rajni was busy with some work today, so she couldn't come home. The shop hadn't been doing much business for several days, so Ishan also stayed there late.
It was around 9:00 PM when someone knocked on the door, and Kashish rushed to open it. Seeing Ishan standing in front of her, Kashish pouted and said angrily,
"Is this the time to come home? Do you know how long I've been waiting for you? I was so bored sitting alone. You know, I haven't eaten anything since morning; I was so hungry. If you hadn't come a bit later, I would have died of hunger and gone straight to Mahadev."
Once Kashish opened her mouth, she kept complaining and looked at him with a sulky expression. At first, Ishan was a bit surprised. Initially, he didn't understand what Kashish was saying, but as he understood her words, the expression on his face changed; his eyebrows furrowed.
"Why have you been locked in the room since morning, and why haven't you eaten anything since then?"
Ishan's demeanor had changed completely. He looked quite serious now. Hearing his questions, Kashish made a cute face and said, exuding innocence,
"I was scared of the Lady Don and the Junior Lady Don in your house. They were so angry with me this morning; if I had said anything else, I would have had to listen to lectures from all over the world. I would have had to listen to a lecture on respect and dignity; besides, I don't know anything about this house, so I stayed downstairs for safety, so that I don't make any mistakes and they don't get an opportunity to scold me."
Kashish told him everything, then looked at him with a sulky face and sad eyes. Hearing Kashish's words, he shook his head helplessly and said,
"Wait a moment, I'll see what there is to eat."
Kashish immediately nodded. Ishan didn't even step into the room; tired from the whole day, instead of resting, he went to the kitchen. He looked at all the utensils, and there wasn't enough leftover food for even two people. Ishan sighed regretfully and, folding his shirt sleeves, got back to work.
In the room, Kashish was in a bad state from hunger. She was pacing restlessly, waiting for Ishan. After about half an hour, Ishan entered the room, and Kashish rushed to him. Ishan had a tray in his hand, with two plates and a jug of water. Kashish ran to him and, smelling the aroma of the food, closed her eyes. It was evident how hungry she was. Ishan looked at her face for a few moments, then, coming inside, said,
"Why are you still standing? Just smelling the food won't fill your stomach; come and eat. I'll be back after washing my hands and face."
Ishan placed the tray between two seats and went to bathe after changing his clothes. After a while, when he came out after bathing and changing, he was shocked to see Kashish. Kashish was sitting on a seat, staring intently at the food, looking at it with longing eyes, instead of eating.
"Kashish, what are you doing? You were hungry, so why aren't you eating now?"
Hearing Ishan's question, Kashish looked up at him and said innocently,
"How can I eat alone? You'll come, and then we'll eat together, right?"
Ishan was once again surprised by Kashish's answer and said, sitting down in front of her, with surprise,
"And who told you that you have to wait for me? Why can't you eat alone?"
"How can I eat alone like this? You have to have dinner too, so how can I eat without you? Besides, you worked so hard for me despite being tired, so can't I wait a little bit for you?"
Kashish replied, puffing out her chubby cheeks, which made Ishan stare at her in surprise for a moment, then he asked with suspicion in his eyes,
"Are you alright, Kashish? Haven't you had some shock due to hunger? How are you talking to me so politely, and what kind of nonsense are you talking?"
"Rajni didi told me to talk to you politely. Not to take your name, or I'll be scolded again, so I'm practicing, and when both of us have to have dinner, what's wrong with having it together?"
Ishan nodded at her words and, pushing the plate towards him, said,
"Okay, now stop talking and eat."
As soon as he said that, Kashish, tormented by hunger, immediately started eating. She had been hungry since morning and was very hungry, so she couldn't control herself anymore. In her haste to stuff her mouth with food, a morsel got stuck in her throat, and she started coughing vigorously.
Ishan, instead of eating, had his eyes fixed on her. Seeing Kashish coughing, he quickly poured water into a glass, put it to her lips without a second thought. Kashish drank some water, then moved the glass back and said,
"I'm fine."
Ishan's gaze was still fixed on Kashish, who was wiping the moisture from her eyes. Kashish wiped her tears and, as soon as she started eating again, Ishan's embarrassed voice reached her ears,
"Kashish, I'm sorry, you're having so much trouble because of me."
Kashish looked at him in surprise, then, seeing Ishan's embarrassed, lowered face, she said with a gentle smile on her lips,
"It's okay, I can manage everything, you don't need to feel guilty."
Ishan still had an expression of regret on his face. He truly felt bad seeing that Kashish was having so much trouble because of him; he didn't want this.
Kashish didn't like seeing Ishan so embarrassed and sad. She thought for a moment, then smiled and said,
"By the way, Mishra Ji, I forgot to tell you; you cook very well, but where did you learn all this?"
Hearing Kashish's question, Ishan remembered some good old moments. He smiled and said in a lost voice,
"From my father. My father used to cook for me and my sister; I used to stay with him then and learn everything so I could help him. You know, my father worked very hard; along with the shop, he also managed both of us siblings. He fulfilled all his responsibilities with complete honesty; he never gave anyone a reason to complain. He was also very good-hearted. I wanted to be like him since childhood, but there's a lot of difference between him and me, and after growing up, I realized that no one can be like Papa. He was different from everyone and the best; absolutely perfect."
Kashish was seeing Ishan so happy for the first time. For the first time, a deep smile and happiness were reflected on his face. For the first time, he had told Kashish something about himself. Kashish listened to him silently, then smiled and said,
"You love your father very much, don't you?"
"If I love anyone the most, it's my father, and I always will. He also loved me and my sister very much. Our lives were in him, and we were his world."
"And your mother?" As soon as Kashish asked this question, Ishan's expression changed completely. Kashish looked at him eagerly, waiting for an answer. Ishan didn't even glance at her; taking steps to leave, he said in a curt tone,
"It's very late. Go to sleep; you have to wake up early in the morning."
Ishan left from there. Kashish, standing behind him, stared at him with wide, astonished eyes. She couldn't understand what had suddenly happened to Ishan. She looked in the direction Ishan had gone for a few moments, then, turning towards the ghat, said to herself,
"Why don't you tell me anything about yourself? You are like a closed book to me, which I really want to read, but you don't let me read."
Kashish pouted and entered the room, and Ishan was sleeping in his place. Kashish came and lay down on the bed and looked at Ishan. The moment flashed before her eyes when Ishan was smiling while talking about his father, mentioning him. Kashish stared at him intently for a long time, then, while looking at him, her eyes closed.
Last night, Kashish and Ishaan had a conversation. Ishaan unknowingly shared some fond memories of his life with her, but his mood soured upon mentioning his mother, and he left. Kashish was a bit confused by his sudden change in demeanor and soon drifted off to sleep.
The next day, Rajni woke her up at five in the morning. She got her ready and brought her to the home temple. Kashish was a devotee of Mahadev, so she performed the puja with all her heart and devotion. The morning in Banaras, and indeed in the Mishra residence, began with bhajans to Mahadev sung in her sweet voice.
Both women, Shubhra, Shubhika, Ishaan, Rajni, everyone arrived there; or rather, everyone was drawn by Kashish's melodious voice. Kashish gave them no reason to complain, which is why both women were slightly annoyed. Neither of the men had even arrived.
After the Aarti of Mahadev, Kashish offered Aarti and prasad to everyone. Then, with Rajni, her face covered by a veil, she proceeded towards Ramvilas Ji's room. Inside, Ramvilas Ji was seated in his armchair, lost in deep thought. When Kashish's sweet, resonant voice reached his ears,
"Grandfather, may I come in?"
Startled, Ramvilas Ji emerged from his thoughts and turned his gaze towards the door. Kashish stood before him, draped in a pink Banarasi sari, her face veiled. Whatever came to Ramvilas Ji's mind, instead of refusing, he agreed and gave her permission to enter,
"Come in."
Kashish couldn't see anything through her veil. She walked forward, her eyes fixed on the ground. Rajni guided her inside; otherwise, given how she was getting tangled in the sari, she would have fallen face-first ten to fifteen times in a few steps. Kashish extended the Aarti plate towards Ramvilas Ji and said with a smile from beneath her veil,
"Take the Aarti, Grandfather. One can be upset with people, but why be upset with God?"
Hearing Kashish's words, Ramvilas Ji paused for a moment, then quietly accepted the Aarti. Kashish quickly offered him the prasad and said,
"If you don't accept the prasad, it will be an insult to Mahadev. Disrespecting prasad is a grave sin."
Kashish scared him in a dramatic fashion. Once again, Kashish compelled him with her words. Ramvilas Ji silently accepted the prasad as well. Without losing a moment, Kashish quickly touched his feet,
"Now, quickly give me your blessings. You are the eldest in the house, the most important, and the new daughter-in-law should receive everyone's blessings. Now, bless me so that I can fulfill these relationships well, give you all no reason to complain, and resolve whatever displeasure you have."
Kashish continued to speak nonstop. Hearing her words, Ramvilas Ji's gaze turned towards Rajni. Rajni looked at him and said with a smile,
"Give her your blessings, Grandfather. She is your Ishaan's wife. You didn't attend the wedding, at least give her your blessings."
Ramvilas Ji was once again lost in deep thought, then he looked at Kashish, who was still waiting for his blessings after touching his feet. Ramvilas Ji hesitated a little, then placing his hand on her head, he said,
"May you always be happy."
He said only that much, but Kashish's happiness doubled. She got up and stood, a gentle smile gracing her lips, and said,
"Grandfather, today I am cooking for everyone; will you come to eat?"
Hearing her question, Ramvilas Ji remained silent for a few moments, then replied without any emotion,
"Go, we also have work."
Hearing his response, Kashish's face fell. Rajni also became a little sad. Kashish looked at Ramvilas Ji from behind her veil with disappointed eyes. As the two turned to leave, Ramvilas Ji's voice reached their ears,
"Daughter-in-law, there's no need to wear such a long veil. It must be difficult to walk; just cover your head with the pallu."
Kashish, who was leaving dejectedly, her face downcast and sad, her face lit up with joy like fresh flowers once again. While Rajni was a bit surprised by Ramvilas Ji's words, Kashish quickly turned back to him and smiled, nodding her head,
"Yes, Grandfather."
Saying this, she left with Rajni. After so many years, the resentment seemed to melt away before Kashish today. Ramvilas Ji himself couldn't understand this. Today he was surprised by his own behavior, but perhaps Kashish was not at fault for what had happened years ago, nor was she connected to those events in any way; perhaps that's why Ramvilas Ji couldn't treat her with indifference, but Rajni and Ishaan were also not at fault. This was still something he had to understand.
While Ramvilas Ji was entangled in his own behavior, Rajni was quite happy, and somewhere in her heart, a ray of hope ignited that Kashish might be able to mend the broken relationships and the estranged hearts caused by her mother, and fill these hearts with a sense of belonging once again.
After Ramvilas Ji, Kashish reached Sujeet Ji's room. At this time, he was sitting on the bed, writing accounts. At Ramvilas Ji's suggestion, Kashish had slightly lifted her pallu so she could see ahead and walk without difficulty. She knocked on the door here too, which drew Sujeet Ji's attention to her. Kashish was a new face in the house, so it wasn't difficult for him to recognize that the girl standing in front of him was Ishaan's wife.
Kashish looked at him and said with a smile,
"Uncle, I performed puja today, but you didn't participate, so I brought the Aarti for you; may I come inside and give it to you?"
One was her innocent, lovely face, and on top of that, her voice sweeter than sugar, words full of love, an innocent request, and the Aarti of Mahadev. Sujeet Ji couldn't refuse even if he wanted to. After all, how could he insult his chosen deity by refusing to accept the Aarti?
"Come in."
As soon as he gave permission, Kashish chirped and quickly entered. Sujeet Ji accepted the Aarti, partook of the prasad, then got up and went to the cupboard. After a few minutes, he returned to Kashish and placed money in the Aarti plate. Kashish touched his feet with respect,
"I am new to this house, Uncle. Why would you be upset with me? Besides, in this relationship, you are my father-in-law, and a father-in-law is like a father, and all children have an equal right to their father's blessings. You also, if not as your daughter, at least consider me your daughter-in-law and give me your blessings."
Rajni had become a huge fan of Kashish's eloquence. Kashish was adept at charming people with her sweet talk and getting her way. This was her skill, which not everyone possessed. Although she didn't know much yet, she was trying her best based on what she understood; handling the situation and fulfilling her duty as a good daughter-in-law.
Sujeet Ji placed his hand on her head but said nothing. Kashish turned her neck like a giraffe to look at him, then pouted like a child and said,
"Such stinginess isn't good, Uncle. I have touched your feet, so give me some blessings too, Uncle. Just placing your hand on my head won't do."
Sujeet Ji was surprised by Kashish's bold nature. She wasn't afraid at all; she spoke her mind fearlessly. She respected elders but wasn't accustomed to remaining silent in front of them. He was somewhat astonished to see her behave so frankly with him on their very first meeting; speaking her mind without hesitation; he just kept looking at her in amazement.
"Uncle, my back will break from bending like this for so long," Kashish expressed her discomfort, pouting. Hearing her words, Sujeet Ji came out of his imaginary world.
"May you be happy." Saying this, Sujeet Ji removed his hand from her head, but Kashish remained bent as before.
"I won't be satisfied with such a small blessing. Say that I should be happy, and also that I can keep all of you happy, be a good daughter-in-law, and resolve your displeasure to reunite this family."
Sujeet Ji stared at her silently for a few moments. Strange expressions were present on his face. After a few moments, he once again placed his hand on Kashish's head,
"May Mahadev fulfill all your wishes."
Saying this, he left. Kashish, having received his blessings, or rather, the blessings she desired, chirped with joy and left with a smile.
A little later, everyone gathered for dinner, and Kashish herself was serving. Just then, Ishaan came down after getting ready and habitually glanced towards the kitchen and called out in a loud voice,
"Sister, bring food."
Rajni, who was standing near the dining table, was about to say something when Kashish, hearing his voice, turned to Ishaan and said,
"Mishra Ji, everyone is seated for dinner. You should also come here. I will serve you food too. Now that I am here, it doesn't feel right for you to trouble Sister. Anyway, today was my first time cooking, so I made the food. You also taste it and tell me how it is?"
When Ishaan heard Kashish's voice, he looked in the direction of the voice, startled. The entire family was seated at the dining table for dinner, and all eyes were on him. On one side stood Kashish, holding a pot of vegetables and a ladle. Rajni was also standing with her.
To know what happens next, keep reading "Ishq Mubarak"
