This story is part of a novella – A girl was born

Do check out the first and the subsequent chapters – https://firsttimemommy.net/category/a-z-blogging-challenge-2018/

Tara couldn’t believe that Nikhil, the sweet and simple guy whom she had met two months ago was now her husband. At first, Tara had refused to meet him, in fact she did not want to meet him at all, but under the family pressure she had relented. It was her mother’s tears that finally did her in.

She said, “Honey, you have been refusing good proposals for the last 2 years, but now we want to see you married and happy with your husband. It’s not that we are asking for much.”

Her father then joined in, “Child, just for one mistake do you want to suffer all your life. Haven’t you repented enough?” He wasn’t wrong. She had regretted her one mistake long enough. Her one big mistake of falling in love, with the wrong man. She had cried till there weren’t any tears left.

She had met Nikhil and realized that he was very different from Himanshu. He was a man of few words. He didn’t talk much, just asked Tara if she would be OK living in Mumbai, away from her parents. She nodded. She hadn’t thought of it really.

On her wedding, she was dressed in a beautiful red brocade lehenga with a rich zardosi border and studded with tiny diamonds. Her makeup was simple and she wore a tightly tied ‘veni’ of sweet smelling mogra around her hair which was wrapped in a bun. The wedding is the happiest day in a girl’s life, then why the bride’s eyes looked hollow and why her smile didn’t reach her eyes, if guests at the wedding thought that, they kept this thought to themselves. When Tara made a promise in front of the holy fire that she would strive to make her husband happy, she didn’t lie; she really meant it.

Moving to Mumbai was a blessing in disguise. Managing a household in a different city where she knew no one from her past kept her very busy. She changed the home décor, bought groceries, entertained Nikhil’s friends; her life was full.

Tara and Nikhil were like chalk and cheese. Tara was impetuous, while Nikhil thought things through. Tara was fiery as the sun, while Nikhil was cool as the moon. Together, they made a nice pair. No one looking at them would say there were made for each other, but they looked as if they were in for the long haul.

Do you think she should have married Nikhil? Do you think she would love Nikhil the way she did Himanshu? Read it in “Ombré happiness“.