Part 10:- Married!

Saanvi still could not come up with a digestible excuse and they were already standing before her Father in his room.

Bade Dadu and Dadi along with Andy and Sumi were sitting on chairs beside Suraj's bed.

"You should take care of yourself, Suraj! " Andy said shaking his head as he came to know that it was not the first time he skipped his meals.

"Absolutely! You need the energy to handle all those business meetings and if you will keep skipping your meals, how are you going to give your best? " Bade Dadu too added in a serious voice.

Suraj didn't know why they were all scolding him for his carelessness but he smiled at the care lacing through their voice.

"I will take care of myself from next time" He assured them smiling politely.

"That you have to otherwise when we will have family meet every Sunday we will make sure to gift a bag of lectures to you " Sumi grinned making him confused.

Family meet? Every Sunday? What they were even talking about? Why would they meet every Sunday? It was Suraj who fainted but it seemed like they were all not keeping well with their health.

Looking at his confused face, Mahir quickly spoke up, "Don't tell me even he doesn't know? "

"You guys! Suraj brother, let me brief you about everything" He added and  Saanvi facepalmed.

She nudged Rishi beside her to stop Mahir from doing anything such but Rishi raised his hands in surrender.

Saanvi kept on fidgeting with her fingers looking at both fathers conversing.

"Anyways, I am useless, you should not expect anything from me, right? " Rishi smirked at her which infuriated Saanvi to the core. She was trying hard not to punch his face.

Taking a deep breath to control her anger, she deliberately hit his foot with her 2-inches heel.

"Ahh! Mumma! " Rishi yelped in pain, jumping on his other feet.

"What happened Rishi? " Bela asked looking at him worried.

"Nothing Aunty, Actually I just happen to hit his leg with my heels...by mistake. Sorry, Rishi" Saanvi spoke in her most genuine voice. Rishi's jaw hung low looking at her lying so bluntly.

"Oh, it's okay Beta." Bela smiled at her and caressed Rishi's cheek. "It was a mistake Rishi, you will be fine after some time" Bela patted his shoulder.

Elders resumed their conversation and for the whole time, Rishi kept standing beside Bela, away from Saanvi. He learned a lesson to never try being savage on girls especially by copying their own words. The ailing foot will remind him of this for a long time.

"So, we are planning to get them married tomorrow" Mahir finished what he had to say.

Suraj looked at Saanvi but she kept her head hung down. She didn't know how he was going to react. She didn't want to disappoint him again. She didn't want to see the look of hurt in his eyes again so she kept her eyes down not meeting his questioning glance.

"Okay! That seems good for the situation" Suraj agreed after a minute of silence.

Saanvi quickly looked at him, his face was devoid of any expressions.

Tears pooled in her eyes.

Papa hates me so much, he doesn't want to see me now. That is why he is sending me away from him. I again did it. I again hurt him.

She was trying hard to control her tears but only the thought that her 'Hero' does not want to see her pierced her heart.

"Yeah! And then we can get them both married with proper rituals and ceremonies after a few months " Mahir continued.

All of them present there seem to agree with the decision except Rishi and Saanvi. The two whose marriage the elders present in the room were planning.

"Mumma, Can I talk to her? " Rishi asked out aloud indirectly asking for everyone's permission.

"No, not at all desperate boy! You are getting married tomorrow so no meeting before your marriage. " Sumi quickly interrupted.

"Please Dadi, it won't take more than a few minutes. Please" He pleaded with a sincere face.

Sumi looked at Suraj, who glanced at Saanvi before nodding a yes.

Rishi came to Saanvi, "Come! "

Saanvi lifted her eyes to find him standing close to her asking her to come with him.

"Where? " Her voice croaked. She was zoned out.

"To your room? " Rishi asked unsure of his own words.

Saanvi nodded and Rishi followed her to their room leaving the oldies to gossip.

*

"Saanvi, do you really want this marriage? " Rishi asked as soon as they came into her room.

"Papa... L... Likes you... He... Wants... Me... To... " Saanvi was trying hard to form words.

"Saanvi, do you want this marriage? " Rishi calmed down his urgent voice looking at her hyperventilating form.

"Suchi... Suchi... Needs... A father... "

"Saanvi, do you, only you want this marriage? " Rishi again asked in his calm voice.

"I don't know" She looked at him as if trying to find the answer, does she wants to marry?.

"I honestly don't know" She whispered trying to register what she wants?

"Sit here, relax! " Rishi made her sit on the bed and himself sat beside her.

Seconds of silence pass by.

"Suchi's father? " As a wave of fear, hurt, and pain washed over Saanvi's face, Rishi knew he crossed his line.

"Sorry! I... Just... " Rishi fumbled not knowing how to justify his question.

"He won't have any problem" Saanvi was quick. She just didn't want to talk about him and end the topic as soon as it started.

Rishi gave a cult nod understanding that she was trying to avoid the topic. Her being zoning out every now and then confirmed that a lot of things were going into her head.

They kept sitting in silence again when Saanvi unexpectedly broke the ice, "The dream of marriage died down over the years." Rishi snapped his head towards her while she kept on looking at nothing in particular, "I was a fan of fairytales, I used to dream that one day a prince on his white unicorn will come and take me with him to his beautiful fairyland. I used to believe in all those rainbow stuff and things that didn't even exist, but when I came out of my Lala land everything was different. Very different. ", she smiled sadly " I don't know how am I supposed to answer your question that do I want this marriage " She looked at him feeling sorry.

"I understand the turmoil you are going through " He gave her an encouraging smile which lifted Saanvi's corner of lips a bit too.

"Suchi craves for a Father's attention, for a Father's love that is the reason why I was meeting all the matches Papa asked me to. But you know none of them reached to point of agreement so it's more like I am overwhelmed, I don't know how am I supposed to react " She voiced out her concern honestly to him and he kept on listening to her patiently, letting her speak her feelings which seemed like she hasn't since a long time.

"Do you want this marriage? " She asked him when it struck that he was the one her marriage talks were going with.

"Umm... I think it will sound quite weird to you but when I was in my early twenties, I wanted to be a father in my late twenties. Just the thought of a child calling me 'father' puffed my heart with an unknown satisfaction. I know... I know it seems a little off, you can think of me as some crazy dude but yeah... I wanted it" Rishi muttered rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Saanvi smiled at him, encouraging him to continue, "When Suchi called me Dadda, it felt beautiful." His eyes were shining when he was mentioning Suchi, "There was a sudden urge to protect that little girl, keep her safe, happy. So yeah! I want this marriage because of Suchi."  Rishi completed and there was a satisfactory smile on Saanvi's face. Nobody talked about Suchi whom so ever she met earlier.

"What if after a month or two some other child comes calling you his/her father you will marry their mother's as well? "  Saanvi raised a brow at him.

Rishi was taken aback by her question, he didn't even think of it.

"No, not at all. What do you take me as? " He asked her horrified.

Looking at her serious face, he knew she wanted assurance, "Trust me Saanvi, if you marry me whether there is love between us or not, I will never look at other women for anything. For me, marriage is a sacred bond and not a game to make or break whenever one wants. I understand the seriousness of this word and I assure you I will try my best to fulfill my responsibilities. If not a good husband, I will at least be a good friend to you and a good father to Suchi"

Now, Saanvi knew the answer to the previous question. Yes, she want to marry this man whose sincere words were lacing with honesty. He was accepting her and Suchi wholeheartedly without pointing a finger at her character.

"I want this marriage too " Saanvi declared looking at him with a small smile.

A lot of things were going behind that small smile.

What if this doesn't work out? What if it turns out like her previous relationship?

There were so many buts and ifs but no answer to any of them. She was scared, her heart was thumping she just wished it doesn't turn out like the previous one.

Mahir and Bela standing before her room winked at each other before raising their hands for a high-five.

*

"Sign here" The lawyer asked Suraj to sign as the witness of Rishi and Saanvi's marriage. He did it with shaky hands.

Today his piece of heart is going to another house for her new life.

His little daughter used to play in his arms. Whose sweet giggles filled his house with happiness.

He wiped a lone tear that escaped his eyes.

Suchi was going away too. Yes, he was angry with Saanvi but at least he used to see her daily. Her efforts to talk to him. Her, keeping chocolate on his table every day. Her, instructing the house help to give him medicines on time. Who was going to do all this?

He smiled with tear-filled eyes as he saw Suchi jumping in Sumi's arms all excited about seeing her Mother dressed up in a beautiful red saree with a rose garland around her neck which her Dadda in a blue kurta made her wear. She was looking very pretty.

Suraj quickly held their arm as they bent to touch his feet, "Stay blessed" He caressed their head.

He looked at Rishi with hopeful eyes, "I will take care of both your princesses Sir" He said understanding his unsaid words.

Suraj hugged Rishi, patting his back. He then moved to kiss Suchi's head.

At last, finally, he came to Saanvi, kissing the crown of her head, "I love you my princess" He whispered caressing her cheeks. His anger melted as he realized she was going away from him. He would no longer find her in his own house jumping and running around the house.

"D... Don't... Touch... The... Utensil when it's hot" He said remembering her childhood when she burnt herself by lifting off a hot utensil containing milk, the spilled milk even burnt her legs too. "Don't... Go for... Ice creams late at night" She said remembering the same incident when she kept on crying looking at her burnt hands and legs, he bought a dozen of ice cream bricks for her and they both had it late in the night after which the following day they were down with cold.

Both of them chuckled through their tears remembering the mischiefs they did together.

"T... Take... Your... Medicines on time " She hugged him closer as if he would disappear somewhere.

"Take care of yourself Saan" He kissed her forehead.

She clung to his arm, it was five years since he called her Saan.

Saan, the nickname he gave her which also meant 'pride'.

She was her Father's pride.

"Papa... I... Am... Sorry" She buried her face in his chest and kept on chanting sorry.

"I forgave you long ago, my Saan" He caressed her head, "It was never your fault. Your innocent heart just fell prey to a monster like him. " He walked out from the courtroom with her clung to his one arm.

"This time your choice is right. This is your second chance, my dear. Always remember your papa wants your happiness" He rubbed her back trying to console her.

They both kept on shedding tears, hugging each other.

"Take care... Suraj" She held his fingers in her hand just like she would hold when he used to drop her school when she was young.

Suraj chuckled at the sweet memory when Saanvi had started speaking coherent words, he was very desperate to listen to "papa" From her mouth but what she called him was "Suraj" Since she heard his colleagues address him like that.

He even loved that. He was overjoyed that day since his little princess called him for the first time.

"Go now! "

He was trying to put up a smiling face but the heaviness in his heart didn't let him.

She shook her head clutching his shirt more into her fist.

"They are waiting Saan, I am always with you. I am always present in your heart. Whenever you will call your papa he will come running to you my princess" He whispered, softly detaching her from him.

He held her hand and they moved towards the family who was waiting for them.

"Nanu, don't cry" Suchi pulled his kurta and he instantly picked her up, showering kisses on her face.

"Nanu loves Suchi" He said the words Suchi always wanted to hear.

"Good Nanu" Suchi cupped his cheeks and let out a kiss in the air.

Suraj laughed at her who was copying her mother perfectly.

"Copy cat" Suraj pulled her cheeks making her giggle.

After a few final words, they bid adieu to Suraj.

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Please ignore grammatical mistakes.

Cherish them when they are with you❤✨. Once gone they don't return❤.

Thanks for reading❤