The whole Rane mansion was decorated like a newly wed bride. The happiness and joy of the festival of lights was contagious, and it spread around the house as Diyas, fairy lights, candles and so much more but there was one person in the house whose smiles were fake, her happiness was made up and even the glow of Diwali couldn't mask the sadness and exhaustion on her face. It was her second Diwali in the house, she had been the daughter in law of the house for more than two year and everything was still the same. Her husband didn't even bother to look at her now, unlike initial days when he would at least annoy her. He would just look at her with a strange look in his eyes which now she was sure was hatred. If she even dared to ask him anything he would blow a fuse and create a scene in front of everyone. "Taayi , I am hungry, can I take a Laddoo from there", Aruhi seven years old daughter of Pallavi said to her. She was her only reason to live these days. She was the only one in the house who didn't pity or hate or mock her, she just loved her for who she was and that somehow gave her strength but soon she would be deprived of this as well. His daadi (Aao Saheb), had decided that Pallavi and her family need to move to the USA with Aruhi. She made all sorts of excuses like they need a better standard of living, that schools here weren't good enough, even that Malhar's hate wouldn't let him have a normal life, but she knew why she was doing it. She had heard her telling Aao Saheb on the phone that she didn't want her Grandchildren anywhere near a "Baanjh". She wasn't shocked really. She knew. She has often said that to her face when no one was around. Even though this hurts her but she would never say anything to her. What could she even say? That she wasn't infertile? That her husband of more than 2 years won't even touch her? That she was a 23 year old married virgin? No,that'll just make things harder for her. So she kept mum. Like she had been for all these years, like she had kept mum when Malhar had told her that Sampada ran with Atharva because of her help, like when he told her that he wants revenge that's why he married her and she will have to stay in the house until he take revenge , when he would come home drunk and then throw her out of the room saying she didn't deserve to be there, she just kept mum, all these years of silence was finally getting onto her, she had started to look and feel exhausted all the damn time. She had given up on her life and now all she did was fulfil her responsibilities of being the daughter in law of the house. She had stayed in the house despite everything, the taunts, the hates all for her love for but now it all seemed pointless. Then, she thought that her love will be enough for both of them but now she realised that it is not and it never will be, she could feel her heart bleeding every second of every day and there was not a thing she could do to fix it. She was so helpless and vulnerable.
Swara came down to see Kalyani talking to the Aruhi, she was just about to give her a Laddoo when her grandmother, came and took her away saying too much sweet isn't good for her. Of all the people in the house Swara (elder sister of Malhar) was the only one who truly understood what she was going through and she felt guilty of destroying an angel's life. Only if she had known earlier,she never would have allowed for the alliance. She could not believe that her own brother had teared her apart. Malhar didn't know that she knew the truth about their relationship and that hurt her all the more. Her Malhar was lying to her for the past two years and there was not a damn thing he could do about it other than lending Pragya a shoulder to cry on. There were days when she would come to her room, put her head in her lap and cry for hours and she would just pat her head until she fell asleep. The sheer helplessness that she felt on such days was eating her from inside. She wanted to talk to Malhar, reprimand him but Kalyani had made her swear on her not to ever tell Malhar anything. She would just stand there and look at her getting more and more vulnerable day by day. Kalyani just wouldn't leave, no matter how much she forced her to, she'd say that she had nowhere to go, that she wanted to be able to cry her heart out and the only place she could do that was her lap, no other place was left for her. Nobody would want her now except for her and that she didn't want to burden anyone now. She just sighed looking at her saddened state and left.
Kalyani saw Malhar come into the house with gifts for everyone and just looked away. For some reason she couldn't ever bear to look at him today, she felt too raw, as if all wounds, old and new had opened up and she didn't know if she'd be able to take another one so she had been avoiding him all week long. She'd even moved out of his room last week so she could have some peace. She was tired and any more cruel or even stares would break her and she just might fall to his feet beg him to give her whatever leftovers of his love for Sampada and she would live a lifetime in that. Malhar looked at her turning away from him and felt another part of his existence turn dark. He just couldn't bear anymore of her pain now. He knew marriage to him had only brought her pain and agony but he wanted to give her all the happiness in the world now. He had avoided her for so long thinking that she might leave, that she will go back to her family and lead a life free of the pain but she didn't. Initially, after he found out that Kalyani hadn't helped Sampada to ran away. He was ashamed of himself. Here she was, fulfilling her responsibilities of being his wife like she was made for it and he was talking Revenge from her. He married her to destroy her life? What was wrong with him? He'd decided that he would divorce her. She didn't deserve this. But when he found out that Swara could be in koma if Kalyani left her so he decided that he would ask Kalyani to stay. He knew it was selfish but he couldn't let her go then. He needed some moral support so he decided he will ask her to stay until he decides what happens next but gradually he became used to having her around so he never told her what he felt for her. But then things started getting out of hand. People were continuously questioning him and Kalyani regarding kids and he flipped. He'd just lost one baby and having another one now would be out of question. So he did what he thought was best, hide. He stopped going to family gatherings or functions. He worked day and night and before he knew it, they were already married for 2 years. He started wondering what was going on. He saw that Kalyani had also stopped going out. She wasn't even meeting her mother. She just stayed in the room and look out the window for hours. He was getting scared for her. She had this glassy look in her eyes like she was dead inside and that was when he started noticing that she looked like hell. He decided that he needed to make her come out of it so he started bickering with her but it didn't have the effect he wanted. He was the only one fighting. She would just cover away and this wasn't right. Then he thought maybe he should take things up a notch and he started to yell and scream in order to get a reaction out of her. But the result was the same. This continued for a few days until she completely moved out. He panicked. He knew that the step he took was wrong.he just had to talk to her and things would've been sorted. Why did he have to be so stupid? Things were starting to get out of hand now. He had to come clean. It was now or never for him. He had seen Aao Saheb take Aruhi away from Kalyani and felt a pinch. During the one week she had stayed away from him he had talked to Sarthak, and Anupriya and actually got to know what was going on. He had no idea that his irresponsible and selfish behaviour had caused her so much pain. He'd seen her with the kids in the house, she was a natural with them, and kids take a liking to her immediately and she was being kept away from them because he refused to touch her? How was he supposed to fix that?
He went outside to bring gifts for everyone. He bought a beautiful red saree and a lot of jewellery for Kalyani. He knew Kalyani wasn't into these things but he had to start somewhere. He looked up to her again and saw her go upstairs. He face fell, she wasn't gonna forgive him easily, he knew that but what he didn't know was that she wasn't even going to let him ask for forgiveness.
Aruhi was playing near the store room when she saw some men take boxes of firecrackers into the room. She had seen Goda and Nal play with them last year and it was fun but Maa and Daadi would not let her near them. She thought she could sneak a few out and nobody will know. She entered the darkened room and saw the workers move the boxes around. She silently goes around them and takes a handful of firecrackers and went out in the backyard. She saw her dad talking to some men in the backyard and decided to go to the other side of the backyard. If her father found out she wouldn't even allow her to come out during the actual celebrations, so she moved to a secluded corner of the backyard where there were several Gazeboes that were covered by curtains on all sides and had mattresses laid out with cushions and silk sheets. She went to sit on one of the mattresses and started to light up the crackers, only lighting them up one by one wasn't fun anymore. So she went back to the store room and bought the smallest box lying there. It was full of crackers and she thought if she lit up the whole thing it would be so much fun. She lit up a few matches and threw them inside the box. The entire box caught fire and then things started turning ugly. A few rockets and other firecrackers started flying out. One of them hit a curtain and it caught fire, slowly the entire gazebo started to catch fire, the curtains, the mattresses, cushions, even the poles. Aaruhi started to look around and started to scream and cry. Then she saw her Taayi run upto her and she started to run to get to her.
Kalyani was just standing there in the balcony looking at the sky when she noticed a small figure holding a box in his hand running into one of the Gazeboes. She figured Aruhi was upto something and thought she better go there lest she had some prank in her mind. She started to walk away and she saw Sarthak coming into the house, she asked him if he knew what Aruhi was upto. He shook his head and told her that he will come with her to find out, just then someone called out to him and he said he'll be there in a minute while Kalyani nodded quickly and turned to the Gazebo. She was walking and the next thing she saw was the Gazebo catching fire. She ran as fast as her legs would carry and saw Aruhi crying. She looked petrified and Kalyani panicked. She didn't think twice before jumping into the fire. She picked up Aruhi and held her close while the little girl cried her heart out. She looked up to see Sarthak and Swara run up to them and she passed Aruhi to him. Sarthak put her into Swara's hands and then Sarthak put his hand out for Kalyani. She held her hand out and was about to put it into Sarthak's when she heard Malhar's's voice calling her.
Malhar heard about a fire outside the house and ran to check what was going on. He saw Kalyani standing in the Gazebo and instinctively called up to her.
Something snapped inside her the moment she heard his voice. She suddenly remembered everything she went through during all these years and then slowly pulled her hand back. Suddenly, she didn't want to live anymore. Who cares anyway? She thought. She would be out of everyone's life and they all can have whatever peace they want. She started taking small steps back and stood in the centre of the fired up Gazebo ignoring the panicked calls of everyone including Malhar She saw Malhar look horrified and thought, what was he scared for?
Malhar saw her take her hand back and move further into the fire. "Kalyan! What is wrong with you? Come here and give me your hand, now." He yelled and she finally looked at him but the look in her eyes caught him off guard. It was as if she'd given up already, as if she didn't want to be saved. No, he could not let that happen.. What would he do without her? No.. He was gonna get her out anyhow. "Kalyani, please just come here and give me your hand. Don't do this to me.." He pleaded to her. She looked at him with narrowed eyes and gave a sarcastic chuckle before saying, " You can stop the act now Malhar Rane. I am leaving, forever and nothing is going to change my mind about this." "No.. No, you can't do that. Listen, I know I have been unfair to you but I want to change. I want us to change, please Kalyani give me a chance." Kalyani looked at him incredulously and said, "No. I have nothing for you anymore. Not even a chance. Please just let me die. It is the only thing I am asking from you. I haven't asked you for anything ever but please don't stop me from doing this. I need to go. I don't have anyone to live for anyway." "You have me. Live for me. I know you love me, I have for a long time. I know I am late but please, just one last try. I promise I will be better. I will be the husband you deserve please. Just one last chance, I promise you won't regret it." "You know you shouldn't lie to a dying person. Don't make promises you can't keep. And regret, I regret everything , I regret falling into my mother's whims and marrying you, I regret not telling you that I was never the girl Who helped sampada and Atharva I regret of letting Aao Saheb torture me but most of all I regret falling in love with a disgusting man like you and no matter what happens next I don't want to be with you anymore." "No Kalyani listen, I know you don't believe me but just please. All I am asking for is a chance, please." "Go away and let me DIE" Kalyani yelled on top of her lungs and then suddenly everything went black. She faintly heard Malhar calling her name.
She woke up to see that she was in her room on the bed with Malhar lying next to her. He was holding her hand and sleeping. Looking at him she remembered what had happened before she fainted. She felt angry and snatched her hand away. Malhar woke up with a start and looked at her. She could actually feel his relief. Malhar hugged her tight and held her as if making sure she was real. He pulled away only to rain kisses all over her face. He then pulled her back into his arms and that was when she noticed that he was shirtless and there was a bandage across his waist. She pulled away and looked at the bandage and then up at him. He looked down and then said, "I got it when I was taking you out of the fire last night. You fainted and a pole was about to fall on you, I couldn't think of anything so I just jumped in and it fell on me." "Why?" "Why? Because I couldn't let it fall on you. You could have gotten hurt." "But why do you care? You never did so why now?" "I always did Kalyani, always. I know I've been wrong, very wrong but I want to fix it Kalyani, please, just give me a chance.. I'll die if you d.. " Kalyani put her fingers on his lips to stop him. He smiled sadly and held her hand before kissing it, so tenderly that she thought maybe she just imagined that. He held her hand and said, "I know nothing I say or do can make up for what you went through all these years but I can make sure that our future will be beautiful. I will make sure you get all the happiness you deserve. Please just one chance." She just nodded her head, " I will. But just don't break my heart again. I won't be able to bear it." "How can I break your heart when I know mine will stop beating the moment yours breaks. I know I should've said this long ago but better late than never." She looked at him confused. He cupped her cheek with his hand and looked into her eyes before saying, "Kalyani Rane I love you. I've been in love with you for a very,very long time now and there is nothing I want but to make you happy. To see you smile, to love you till the ends of time and I will because there is nothing my heart wants more than to be yours." Kalyani looked up at him shocked. She looked into his eyes to see honesty and she did, she saw honesty, earnestness and above all she saw the love in his eyes that she had been carrying around in her heart all these years. "I love you too." She said and a tear rolled down her face. He kissed the tear away and when he looked at him shocked he couldn't help noticing her parted lips. He looked at her lips and then into her eyes to see if she was reluctant, she just closed her eyes and tilted her head up. He bent down and kissed her. Her breath hitched. She didn't realize she was missed this. A feeling that she'd never felt but she did because when his lips touched hers she felt complete. She closed her eyes and let him kiss her. They parted and she looked at him and blushed. He kissed her forehead and took her into his arms and lying down. It had been a long way and they definitely needed to talk but he knew she was tired so was he, talking could wait.
After an year and a half Kalyani gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who they named Moksh, for the light that Diwali brought into their lives. Malhar was in awe of his baby boy. He was the most perfect little thing and he couldn't ask for more. He bent down and kissed Kalyani on her forehead and thanked her. Kalyani looked at him and her baby boy in her arms and thought that her life just couldn't get any better.
I hope you guys will like it
Written by my friend anuskha.
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