Set in the night after Apurva refuses to go with Dr. Anjali till the divorce actually happens.

Khadoos ch kharach prem asel ka mazyavar? She clutched her blanket closer, staring at the door of their room that she had locked from outside. 

She had spent the whole day doing something or the other after she sent Dr. Anjali Vartak back – irked up and disappointed. 

She had stepped into their room only once to take her pillow and blanket right before Shashank returned from the institute. She had dragged herself to the terrace when she caught his sight near the gate. 

She wasn’t willing to let herself come in front of him. She wasn’t willing to let herself stay in their room either.

She had to break the habit of the feeling that she enjoyed by being around him and keeping him around herself. Just a few days more and she would have to leave Kanitkars, their affection, and the title of Mrs. Shashank Kanitkar and it hurt but what actually tore her apart was the fact that she would have to leave her husband turned boyfriend who was soon to be a stranger. 

She didn’t have the liberty to confess to anyone that she had ended up making him her whole world. Her complaints, fights, wishes, desires, moments of vulnerability, moments of joy, hatred, and love – everything revolved around him. 

The little moments of togetherness that he gifted her mattered to her way more than she had ever been able to express. 

Being her teddy, his head massage, patting her to sleep, holding her when she was breaking down, appreciating her impromptu cooking attempt, accepting his defeat to make her win – he would probably never know how much every tiny thing mattered to her. 

Having grown up as a single child, with a problematic childhood – courtesy – her mother, and having nobody around her who she could share her lonely time with – she had always longed for a companion who she could lean onto. A companion she could trust to never leave. A companion she could be assured to always have no matter what.

I never thought you could be my Prince Charming, Khadoos. I honestly never did but you’ve ended up becoming not just my Prince Charming but rather my whole kingdom that I don’t ever want to step out of. I wish you could see how much I lov- She furiously halted her thoughts.

You’ve lost it, Apurva Vartak Kanitkar. It’s ridiculous what you are even thinking after he willingly signed those divorce papers. She punched the pillow that she held above her stomach. He doesn’t like you. He wants Netra Tai to be his wife. Why he signed those papers! Had he loved you, he would have confronted you, fought with you…. he would have done anything but step on the road to kick you out of his life. 

Infuriated, she straightened herself and rose to her feet. Charging toward the door, she kicked it as hard as she could. 

“Ah!” She winced when her leg cried out of the pain that she had gifted it. 

She bent to hold it but she couldn’t even touch it. “Ah. Kasli murkha aahe mi! Ah… kiti dukhtay!” 

“Apurva? Apurva? Kay zalay?” 

She heard him when she could no longer take the pain and slipped to the ground. 

“Daar ughad. Apurva…. daar ughad!”

She slapped her hand on her ear. “Orad ajun. Oradun ordun saglyana uthav aani saglyanchi zop disturb kar,” she said, making sure that her sarcasm dominated her words. 

“Apurva!” He repeatedly slapped the door with his palm. “He bagh, darwaza todna mi afford nahi karu shakat pan jar tu mazyakade dusra paryay sodnar nasashil tar… te hi karen mi. Patkan darwaza ughad!”

She grew anxious. Ha kharach todel ka? Her mind went back to the day when he had hit Chintya and when he had threatened Ronit and her hand instantly unlocked the door, knowing he was pretty much capable of breaking the door. 

She had only a couple of days left in that house. The last thing she wanted to happen was to disturb everyone’s sleep because of her. 

“Ae… kay zala?” Concerned, he knelt in front of her the moment she opened the door and he caught her on the floor. “You actually kicked the door? Watlach mala. Baghu…” His hand had almost reached her leg to examine but she held his hand before he could touch her. 

“Don’t…. It hurts,” she mumbled, 

“Should have thought about it before assuming yourself to be Hulk! Haat sod, Apurva. Mala baghayla lagnar.” He got her hand off his. “Tuza doka kasa bara chalta asa?” Shaking his head, he carefully held her foot, scrutinizing it for any redness or visible swelling.  

She clutched his arm, shutting her eyes, fighting to not let her pain find her voice in front of him. 

His eyes softened as he slowly placed her leg on the floor. “Maza raag mazyavar kadhaycha na. Swatavar kashala kadhteyes?”

She looked at him for a long moment before turning her face away as she tried to get up but fell back when her leg couldn’t withstand the pressure. “Ah…” 

“Ae halu…” He was quick to extend his hand but knowing that his stubborn wife wouldn’t take it, he bent to pick her up. He allowed her not a moment to resist. By the time she grasped what was happening, she was already in his arms. 

“Khadoos… kay kartoys? Sod mala!” She wiggled, hitting her fists on his shoulder. 

“Sodla tar padshil, Shishta aani tula mi padu… deu shakat nahi!” He placed her on the bed and rushed to get the pain-relief spray from his drawer.

“Jasa tula khup farak padto na mala lagla tar. Padla asta tar satat mala itka pain dila nastas tu. Aata rahlech kiti divas aahe. Ugach formality karun mazyasaathi traas karun gheu nakos.” 

His fingers tightened around the drawer handle at her words that pierced through his heart, making it bleed. He was back to the bed within seconds though, not letting his vulnerable eyes delay soothing her pain. 

As he sprayed her leg with the pain-relief spray, his head stayed hung and his eyes, fixed on her leg. “Jar tula asa watat asel ki mi fakt formality kartoy… tula kahi lagla tar mala kahich farak padat nahi… tar tu mala ajun olkhuch shakli nahiye, Apurva. Aso… tu ithech zop. Mi baher zopto!”

As she watched his struggle to not meet her eyes as he almost rushed out of his room and closed the door behind him, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was crying and didn’t want her to see his tears. 

As she looked back at the water droplet on the bed sheet, she rested her head against the headboard, closing her eyes. 

Was Khadoos crying? 

The question didn’t leave her mind and the mere thought of it unsettled her. Though she knew she wasn’t supposed to bother because he had made her cry so many times, she couldn’t deal with the suffocating restlessness that his silent suffering filled her with. 

Was Khadoos crying? Why would he cry for me? Shouldn’t he be happy that I am finally setting him free to go and get married to the girl he is in love with? Why isn’t Khadoos happy? Why was he crying?

Too restless to fall asleep, she got down from the bed. She shut her eyes the moment her hurt leg had to take her weight but the spray seemed to have started its work as she could tolerate the pain even when it really hurt. 

She slowly walked toward the door, taking support from the objects in her way. She pressed her lips together to not wince and wake him up before carefully pushing the door. 

As she dragged herself closer to the couch, she caught him sleeping. Must be exhausted. Silently concluding, she made her way toward the kitchen to check if the refrigerator had some ice cream for her. 

She had almost reached the kitchen when she spotted Suva who was stepping out with a jug of water. “Suva-Aai… fridge madhe ice cream aahe ka?” she asked, desperately hoping for a positive answer. 

“Nahi g. Nahi aahe. Mhanje ek cup hota pan to kal ch Prachi ni ghetla aani mag aanlach nahi koni!” 

Apurva sighed, nodding her head in acknowledgment anyway. “No worries.”

“Far vel jagu nakos. Zop lavkar,” Suva said before she left. 

Zop ch tar yet nahiye! Apurva dragged herself inside the kitchen and poured a glass of water for herself. Just as she sat on a chair to drink water, her gaze fell upon what it seemed like a covered dinner plate.

She got up and lifted the lid only to find an untouched dinner plate and the first thought to cross her mind was – Khadoos jevla nahiye! 

Ka asa karto ha? Pressing her palms on the table, she tried her hardest to fight the uneasiness creeping in but all in vain.

She covered the plate and walked back to her room. As she reached the couch with her limping foot, she bent and squeezed his shoulder. 

He opened his eyes just as soon as he felt her touch, giving away that he hadn’t really been able to sleep either.

He straightened himself and tried to look for his glasses only to realize that they were already on his eyes. He hadn’t taken them off. 

He looked at Apurva. “Kay zala? Ithe kay kartyes? Paay jast dukhtoy ka? Hospital madhe jaycha aahe? Chal aapan jauya!” Alarmed, he bombarded her with a series of questions before hurriedly stepping down to take her to the hospital. 

“Tu jevla ka nahi?”

“Haan?” He scratched the back of his head, needing a moment to understand what the conversation was about.

“Tu jevla ka nahi, Khadoos?” She repeated her question when she didn’t get a response to her previous attempt. 

“Tu ka nahi jevli?” He put forth his question in response to her question. 

“Tula koni sangitla mi nahi jevli?”

“Tyane kay farak padto?”

“Mala bhuk navti, Khadoos!”

“Bas tasach… mala pan bhuk navti!”

“Khadoos, jevun ghe.”

“Tu jevtes?”

“Nahi.”

“Thik aahe mag mala hi nahi jevaycha aahe!”

“Khadoos, jevun ghe!”

“Ek minute – he tu mala nahi sangaycha, Apurva!”

“Ka nahi sangaycha? Bayko aahe mi tuzi?”

“Kay mhanalis?”

She turned around, biting her lip, instantly regretting letting that escape her lips. 

“Bayko aahes mazi? Pan tu tar mala divorce detey na?” He probed, turning her toward him.

“Divorce ajun zala nahi aahe na, Khadoos. To paryant… aahech mi tuzi bayko!” She reasoned and hoped that he would buy it. “Aani mhanuach sangtey… jevun ghe!”

“Tu jevteyes?” he calmly asked again.

“Tu kadhi pasun itka hatti zalas?”

“tuzya sobat lagna kela tevha pasun.”

Her head fell on his arm for a brief moment before she lifted it back. “Chal!” 

“Madat karu?” he asked upon watching her struggle to walk. 

“Nako. Pratyek veles tu thodi mazya sobat asnaar aahes mala pakdayla…”

He stopped in his place. Her words hit him way more brutally than he had expected them to. 

Pratyek veles tu thodi mazya sobat asnaar aahes mala pakdayla…”

Oh, how he wished he could tell her that he desired to be by her side, holding her forever! Forever! 

He resumed walking when she repeatedly called for him upon not seeing him beside her.

“Lights on nako karu,” she said, placing her hands on her waist, wondering how to heat the food since it was already served on a plate. 

“Ka?” he asked, pulling his hand away from the switchboard. 

“Uthel na konitari…” she reasoned. 

“Mag kay andharat jevaycha aahe aapan?”

“Khadoos, mi tula jevan kasa garam karun deu? Mala kahi kalatach nahi aahe. He sagla already tatat wadhla aahe.” She expressed her struggle, choosing to not answer his question. 

“Tyachi kahi garaj nahi aahe!” He assured, reaching the dining table.

“Arey pan asa kasa?”

“Kahi hot nahi. Bas.”

He pulled a chair for her before he settled on the chair beside it. 

“Tu ghe. Mi mazyasaathi dusrya plate madhe ghete,” she said and turned to move toward the refrigerator but he held her wrist. “Asu de,” he said, pulling her to sit on her chair.

She might haven’t said a word but her eyes ended up writing a whole essay with the ink of her silence that only he was capable of deciphering. 

He pushed the plate to her side, gesturing for her to start but she sat still. 

“Khadoos, tu kha, please. Mi thodya velane ghete…”

Hearing her, he took his hand down from the table, leaning back in his chair. “Kasa jamta tula he, Apurva? Mi tula kay mhanlo hoto? Tu jevnar asashil tar mi jeven. Mag?”

She pulled him by his arm, making him straighten himself. “Mi ghete. 2 minute de mala. Tu jev. Please…”

Every time he thought it was the threshold of her stubbornness, she proved him wrong. There was no limit to how stubborn his wife could get. Having her so concerned about him sleeping empty stomach warmed his heart though. 

He had certainly not expected her to be so attentive toward him, keeping a tab on if he had eaten or not. Why he decided to oblige and he quietly started eating!

He had taken just a couple of bites when he noticed a strange sadness on her face.

“Khadoos, I know… just a couple of days more and we’ll get divorced. You’ll be free from this marriage that you never desired aani… maza tuzya varcha pratyek hakka sampel. You won’t be answerable to me mhanun aata vichartey…” She turned her head to the other side as if she didn’t quite have the courage to listen to the answer to the question that she was about to ask. 

He hadn’t touched the spoon ever since she began talking. A strange fear gripped his heart when her tone turned unusually broken, almost letting him know that she was about to ask something that he wouldn’t be able to answer.

“Am I not worth holding onto?” 

The hands that he had folded across his chest fell to his sides as her question fell into his ears. He didn’t dare let his gaze find its way to her. 

“Will you stay if I do hold onto you?” His eyes scanned her figure for the slightest movement but she sat stiff. “Will you, Apurva?”

“Should I stay with someone for whom I am nothing more than a mere formality?” Letting her wrist that was on the table fall on her lap, she shifted in her place to look at him. “Should I, Khadoos?”

His silence had never felt so daunting ever before to her as much as it did that night. After several long moments of what felt like several long hours to her, she caught his lips curling in a smile.

“If that’s what you think you are to him… you must not!” He pushed his chair behind, folded his hands, and closed his eyes touching the dinner plate before taking himself out of the kitchen. 

“Khadoos, jevan -“

“Formality karu nako, Apurva!”

Those were the last words she heard from him that night. He was hurt and the realization suffocated her. 

Khara tech bolle na mi? Khadoos la nahich aawdat na mi. Mag ka tyala itka traas hotoy? Ka tyachq traas baghun mala itka traas hotoy?

*

The next morning, she woke up feeling different. Having spent several hours last night deciding how to deal with the tormenting situation that her mother had pushed her into, she had come to decide to be nice to Shashank for the small amount of time she was left with when she could be around him. 

“Aai, udyapasun mala dabba tu det ja. Ugach mazya mule konala traas nako.”

Apurva clutched the tiffin box in her hand, startled by his harsh voice. Certainly, yesterday’s Khadoos and today’s Shashank were two different persons altogether… like always. She was quick to dismiss her aching heart though. 

“Pan mala yacha traas nahi hot aahe,” she urged, roaming her helpless gaze around before making it land back on him. 

“Tari pan nakoch. Mazi kalji karaychi kahi garaj nahi aahe. Aani kahi divsat tu ithun janar aahes. Mi tar mhanto aapan aaplya junya savayi parat lavun ghyala havya swatala!”

Even if she was deeply hurt by his statement, she didn’t let her face tell the tale of her suffering. She quietly walked forward, placed the tiffin box on the table, and left. 

“Ka dukhavtoys tila? Ti radli tar tula kiti traas hoto he mahiti nahi aahe ka aamhala?” Kukki placed his hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to talk to Apurva. 

“Jila mahit asayla hava tila watatay ki mala kahich farak padat nahi. Mi formality mhanun kartoy sagla mag kashala na? Nakoch te sagla. Aamcha nata samptay aani he tumhi sagle jitka lavkar accept karal titka bara rahil… saglyansaathi. Mi yeto!”

*

Apurva sat on a chair on their terrace, keeping her phone on the small wooden stool beside her. Emotionally drained, she leaned back in her chair. 

Her gaze went to the sky and the dark clouds looming over almost made her want to cry as she couldn’t help but realize that the dark cloud of the divorce that was looming over her marriage was breaking her bit by bit. 

Khadoos, ka nahi disat tula ki nahi jaychay mala. She hid her face in her palms. Ase kase sign kele tu divorce papers? Itaki wait aahe ka mi ki tu bas waat baghtoy mazya janyachi? Tu… raahu shakshil… mazya shivaay? 

Jar tyala tuzya sobat rahaycha nasta tar kashala to out of the way jaun tuza boyfriend banla asta? Her heart refused to admit that he felt nothing for her. 

Te sagla family saathi – 

Khota bolteyes tu, Apurva. Her heart interrupted her logical mind which had been known for being unbearably illogical. Tula hi mahit aahe ki tuza navra asa khota khota kahi karat nahi. Jevha tyacha tuzyavar prem navta – tyane spashta sangitla hota. To tuza boyfriend banla karan tyala tu havi aahes. Kayamchi. 

Mag tyane divorce papers ka sign kelet? Her mind questioned. 

Tu swata vichar kar. Tu kay mhanali hoti tyala manglagaur chya divshi? Ki tula nahi watat he nata tikel. Tu kay mhanali hoti tyala? Ki to tula boring watato. Tyacha dressing sense tula aawdat nahi. Tu kay description dila hotas tuzya Prince Charming ch? Tyachya complete opposite. Ka nahi sign karnar to? Ka nahi sign karnar to, Apurva? 

She banged her head on her hand, going back to every moment when she had lied and made him feel that she didn’t like him. 

Nahi pan mi khara bolun hi kay badalnar hota? Tyala mi nahich aawdat na. Tyala Rani Tai aawadte. Tichyashi lagna karaycha aahe tyala. 

Her heart smacked itself when her mind started chanting the same chant that annoyed him like anything. 

Tyala divorce hava aahe aani to… mi tyala dyaylach hava. Her mind had made the decision and it wasn’t going to let her back out. 

She wiped her face before inhaling a deep breath and grabbed her phone. She hadn’t scrolled through her social media feed for even five minutes and she was already bored. 

Somehow, she was no longer tempted to know about other people’s lives. She still remembered the night when her husband had shared why his social media account was for namesake and why he didn’t look at it for weeks unless he had work or had to post something. 

Her husband had made her see how it was pointless to spend even minutes staring at other people’s lives. He would rather dial someone’s number if he wanted to check up on someone. He anyway struggled to buy the social media realities that he had come to understand were far from reality. 

She sighed and immediately logged out. What to do? What to do? She tapped on the arm of her chair while contemplating ways to do something on her phone that would help her to not think about her husband. 

Oh yes. I should declutter my phone. It has been anyway too long since I took a look at what sort of trash I’ve collected in it. Khadoos anyway keeps talking about how satisfying decluttering is and how it makes you feel sorted and relaxed after – dammit! Again, Khadoos. You have to stop thinking about him, Appu. Just stop it. Come on, you can do it. It’s not that hard. Just focus on decluttering and don’t think about him. Yes. I’ll do this. 

She went through her gallery and deleted several photos before heading to the audio files. 

“Oh what the heck? 300 MB? Itka kay aahe yaat?” Utterly shocked at the sight of the first audio file she encountered, she couldn’t recall if she had downloaded such a large audio file. 

Anticipated to know what it was, her fingers slid on the screen as she quickly played it. 

Jay Ganeshhhh Jayyyy Ganesh, 

Jay Ganesh DEVAAAA…  

She jumped in her place, putting the phone back on the stool, startled by her own voice. A minute later when she calmed down, she slapped her forehead, recalling that she was recording her songs to help herself fight the sleep that night when she was taking care of the Akhand Jyot. 

Most likely I must have fallen asleep without turning off the recorder. That’s why 300 MB. Mi pan na…  She could only shake her head at her forgetful and careless self. 

Aso… aaj mi mazech gaane aikun swatala entertain karte. She comfortably leaned back, pulling her legs on the chair as she sat, with her eyes closed, enjoying her own songs. 

Apurva… kay zop lagliye ka? Apurva? 

Her eyes snapped open as she desperately looked around, searching for him but disappointment deepened in her orbs when she traveled her gaze everywhere but he was nowhere in her sight. 

But where did his voice come from then? 

Kay zop lagliye ka? 

Mm. 

Zop lagli aahe? Tula mhatla zop tar… ae… halu… sav-savkash. 

Her eyes widened in shock as they stared at her phone, making her realize that his voice was coming out of her phone. She immediately grabbed the phone and paused the audio. 

“Mhanje Kukki mhanat hota te khara hota. Khadoos…  hota tya ratri mazya sobat,” she whispered to herself, her face glowing at the realization. 

She should have known it earlier. Way earlier. How did she even believe that he would be peacefully asleep when she was staying up? 

“Khadoos, ” she murmured, looking at her phone’s screen. The beautiful smile that had crept over her lips after so long felt like it was going to stay with her forever. The smile that was gifted by him! 

She couldn’t wait to hear what more he had said to her that night. She resumed the recording and held the phone near her ear to hear his voice and every word as clearly as possible. 

Tu maghashi vicharat hotis na mala kon mulgi aawadte… te sangaycha rahila mhanun mhatla aata sangun takuya. Aik. 

Tya mulila prachand masti karayla aawadte. Satat ghol ghalun thevte ti… aani swatach nistarte pan. 

Shurveer aahe… konala ghabrat nahi. Ekda haati ekhada kaam ghetla ki te purna kelyashivaay sodat pan nahi. 

Tula mahiti aahe… kon aahe ti mulgi? Tu khup changla olakhtes khara tar. 

Tya mulicha naav aahe… Shishta Apurva… Vartak Kanitkar! 

“Khadoos ch… mazyavar prem aahe… Khadoos la mi aawadte,” she murmured, in a daze, still processing the words her ears had just heard. 

Tya mulicha naav aahe… Shishta Apurva… Vartak Kanitkar! 

She reached out for her phone and played it again and again and again till she believed that she wasn’t hallucinating. 

Tears streamed down her cheeks when her overwhelmed heart couldn’t get a grip on itself after it was blessed with the confession it had always wondered if it would ever get. 

“Khadoos ch mazyavar prem aahe. Tyala… Netra Tai nahi aawdat. Tyala… tichyashi lagna nahi karaycha aahe. Tyala… mazya sobat rahaycha aahe. Maza teddy banaych aahe. Maza boyfriend banaycha aahe. Mazya saathi funky T-shirt ghalayche aahet. Mazya saathi dance shikaycha aahe. Khadoos ch… mazyavar prem aahe.”

Goosebumps sprang up all over her arms as reality sank in. She had longed for that moment for so long that it almost felt like an eternity but now that she actually got it, she was still struggling to trust that fate had been so kind and generous to write him in her stars. 

Khadoos chya manat fakt mi hoti. Aani mi pratyek veli murkhasarkhi samjat rahili ki tyala Rani Tai havi aahe. Khadoos to diva tevat rahava mhanun ratrabhar jagla fakt… mala koi irresponsible mhanu naye mhanun. She wrapped her hands around herself, rubbing her arms in an attempt to fight the overwhelming emotions that left her smiling through her tears. 

Kiti murkha aahot aamhi. Mala watat rahila Khadoos la Rani Tai aawadte aani Khadoos la bahutek watatay mala Abhya aawadto when in reality aamhala dusra koni kadhi aawduch shakat nahi karan… karan… Shishta hi… banlich Khadoos saathi aahe aani Khadoos… Shishta saathi. 

*

“Mai, ha Shashank pan na…. Tiffin baherach thevun gela,” Suva said, keeping the tiffin on the dining table. 

“Dada na baher phone var bolat hota. Bolta bolta visarla bahutek tiffin nyaycha,” Prachi informed, keeping aside the vegetables that she was cutting. 

“Aata kay karaycha, Mai? Bahercha to kahi khaat pan nahi. Sakali nashta hi na kartach gela…” 

Mai blinked at Suva, silently comforting her worried self. Before any of them could come up with a solution, Apurva walked in. 

“Mi deun yete tiffin Khadoos la… institute madhe!”

The trio sat stunned at her words. “Tu jashil?” Mai got down from her chair and patted her back. “Ja!” 

“Appu… rahu de,” Suva said, keeping her hand on the tiffin, disapproving of her decision, “tu jashil, tithe tumhi parat bhandal aani baherchya lokansamor… nakoch te sagla!”

Apurva walked up to Suva’s chair and wrapped her hands around her from behind. “Don’t worry, Suva-Aai… asa kahihi honar nahiye. I promise… mi ajibaat bhandnar nahi. Please mala jau de?”

Suva sighed at her stubborn insistence. “Appu…”

“Aga Suva-Aai, tu stress nako gheus. Aata sagla bagh kasa chhanach honar aahe!” Apurva squeezed her in a hug before planting a quick kiss on her cheek, surprising everyone. 

“Mhanje? Tu ithun janar nahi aahes? Shashank la divorce -“

“Nahi denar, Suva-Aai. Mi Khadoos la divorce denar pan nahi aani tyala hi mala deu denar nahi. Rahili goshta ithun jaychi… tar mi na ya gharashivaay rahu shakat, na tumchya saglyanshivay rahu shakat aani…”

“Aani?” Mai was the least anticipated one out of all for she was sure about Apurva’s feelings for Shashank more than anyone else in the house. She still urged Apurva to continue to put Suva’s unsettled heart at peace. 

“Aani, na Khadoos shivaay rahu shakat rather mala nahi rahaychay tyachya shivaay. Mala tyachi bayko mhanunch rahaycha aahe aani tyala… maza navra mhanunch thevaycha aahe. Mi tuzi scooter chi goshta kadhich visarli navte, Suva-Aai. Fakt aaj paryant… I wasn’t sure ki hi scooter kharach mazi aahe ka but today… today I am sure more than I have ever been… ki hi scooter pan mazi aahe aani scooter wala pan mazach aahe!”

*

“Sir, tumhi aaj tiffin nahi aanla? Actually changlach kela nahi aanla. Mi aaj tumchya aawdichi bhaaji aanli aahe. Tumhi ghya please…” Netra held her tiffin in front of Shashank who was near the canteen counter to get himself a cup of tea. 

“Netra, mi tula ya aadhi suddha sangitla aahe ki mazya family vyatirikt mazyasaathi koni kahi kelela mala aawdat nahi so please…. thank you but no thank you… You please continue.” He tapped on the counter while waiting for his tea to get ready. 

Only he knew what it took him to resist the urge to snap at Netra every time she tried getting close to him. Had she not been his wife’s cousin, he would have gotten rid of her long ago. 

“Sir, tumhi lunch time la chaha ka pitay? Please basa na aamchya sobat jevayla? Ho na, Tanmayee?” 

His hand balled in a fist at her annoying persistence. 

“Ho actually. Sir, please join us,” Tanmayee said followed by Shrikant also urging him to eat a bit with them.

Once the duo got involved, Shashank struggled to say no, recalling how they had stood up for him when he needed it the most. 

He grabbed his cup of tea and sat with his teammates. “Mi jevnar nahi pan ithe basto tumchya sobat. Tumhi please… jevun ghya.” 

He brought his cup near his lips to take a sip of the tea but his mind kept wandering back to how everything had messed up in the last two days. 

The divorce papers! He couldn’t quite get them out of his mind. Should he have waited and talked to her once before signing the papers? He wondered but was quick to shrug it off. Everything certainly couldn’t be his fault. Not always. He sipped on his tea, concealing his broken heart from the eyes of the world.

She desires a divorce. She always has. Tila maze kapde nahi aawdat… mazi company nahi aawdat… mi nahi aawdat. How was I supposed to not consider that she willingly signed those papers? Ekda nahi anekda bolun dakhavlay tine ki ticha Prince Charming… mi asuch shakat nahi. How was I supposed to stand firm and tell her mother that Apurva could never sign the divorce papers? 

Tari sorry mhanalo mi. Ti mhanali? Chukine ka hoina… sahya tine pan kelya hotya na. Jar tila guilty nahi watat aahe tya saathi mag mi ka vatun ghyacha?

Zale tevdhe prayatna karun pure zale. Tila he nata nako aahe na mag thik aahe. Mi pan aata kahich karnar nahi. 

He placed the cup on the table, rubbing his forehead which had started to ache by then. Knowing no matter what his brain would decide, his heart was going to be a rebel as usual and would take him back to her was frustrating. 

“Sir, ghya na…” 

Startled, he opened his eyes only to find Netra holding a morsel close to his lips to feed him. 

Was this woman for real? What language did she understand? He was willing to learn any language no matter how hard it was if it meant putting across his point loud and clear in her head because clearly, it didn’t seem like she understood Marathi or English for that matter because he had used both to convey that she… needed to stop. 

“Netra… ekda nakoy sangitla na?” He let out an exasperated sigh when she continued to try and feed him. 

Her struggle to make him eat from her hands and his struggle to make her back off came to an end when someone held Netra’s hand before she could force Shashank more. 

“Rani Tai, sorry, pan Khadoos tuzya hatane nahi khaau shakat.” 

His heart almost skipped a beat at the familiar voice that he hadn’t expected to grace his ears there. His head instantly turned back and he caught her standing beside him. 

Apurva Vartak Kanitkar.  

“Ka? Mi kay hatala vish lavun aaliye?” Netra snapped.

Shashank raised a brow but before he could ask Netra to shut up, Apurva placed her hand on his shoulder. “Tu asa kahi lavte hatala? Mala nahi mahit, Rani Tai. Kasa aahe na… aamhi normal loka. Tu genius… tu hatala kay kay lavtes yachi kharach kalpana hi nahi karu shakat… I can’t even imagine!”

Shrikant and Tanmayee chuckled to themselves, making Apurva look at them and give them a smile. 

“Nahi pan Khadoos tuzya hatane khaau shakat nahi karan tyacha fast aahe aga!”

WHAT? Shashank darted a perplexed glance at his wife. What fast was she talking about? He was fasting and he himself didn’t know? 

“Kasa aahe na… Khadoos la watat hota ki aamchya aaju baju la khupach negativity zaliye. Tyala aamchya relationship cha energy circle clean karaycha hota. Mhanun tyacha fast hota aaj. Aani ya fast madhe kasa asta na… navra fakt baykochya hatanech khaau shakto… so… sorry, Rani Tai. Tu jev na. Mi aahe na ithe. Mi bharvel mazya navryala. Tu aaramsheer jevan kar!”

“Asa kuthlahi fast nasto!” Netra fumed, jerking Apurva’s hand. 

“Arey asto. Tula mahit nasel. Lagna vhyachyay na tuza ajun. Khadoos la vichar. Kay, Khadoos? Asto na asa fast?” She nudged Shashank who was sincerely at a loss for words. 

Apurva dokyavar padliye ki kay? Hi ashi ka boltey jasa sagla normal aahe? Mulat.. hi ithe kashi? Divorce baddal visarli ki kay? 

“Khadooos!” She squeezed his shoulder, breaking his trance. 

“Ha-haan?” He stuttered, glancing at his wife for a moment before adjusting his glasses. “Haan asto.” His wife was making him lie and he was actually obliging? How ridiculous was even that! He needed a wall to bang his head on.

“See… I told you…” Apurva winked at Netra who gritted her teeth as she looked at Apurva’s hands that comfortably rested on Shashank’s shoulders. 

Shashank shifted Apurva aside with his hand before pushing his chair backward as he rose to his feet and pulled her away from the table “Kay challay he? Tu ithe kay karteyes? Aani he fast vagere… kay aahe he sagla? Tu mala aata khota bolayla bhaag padlas, Apurva aani tula mahiti aahe mi khota bolat nahi.”

Apurva smiled at Netra who was glaring at them even after they moved away from the table before leaning to Shashank’s side. “He bagh, Khadoos, mi Suva-Aai la promise karun aaliye ki aapan ithe tuzya institute madhe ajibaat bhandnar nahi so please… chupchap khaun ghe aani je kahi bolaycha aahe te ghari, okay?”

Saying that she moved to the table and placed the tiffin on it. She greeted Shrikant and Tanmayee before she started opening the tiffin. “Khadoos, patkan ye,” she called for him, who was still standing at his place, lost in his thoughts. 

Kahitari nakkich zalay. Pan kay? His mind began collecting and considering all sorts of possibilities that could make her behave as normally as she was behaving.

“KHADOOS!”

Her loud voice brought his thoughts to a halt. “Aalo!” He sighed, giving up already. He wasn’t capable of figuring out what was going on in his wife’s head. 

He walked back to the table, pulled his chair behind, and touched her arm.

“Ka-kay kartoys?” she asked when he held her by her arms to make her sit on the chair. “Arey tu bas. Tula jevaycha aahe…’

“Shaant bas.” He pressed her shoulders, making her sit back when she tried getting up. “Uthaycha nahi. Mi mazya saathi dusri chair gheun yeto!” 

A sweet crimson blush painted her cheek when she caught Shrikant and Tanmayee smiling at Shashank’s gesture. While his colleagues looked happy for them, the sight of her happy married life certainly seemed to be burning her cousin’s eyes. 

Unbothered, she kept her focus on taking out the food on a plate. 

“Ae tu plate vagere kashala aanli aahe?” He was stunned at the sight of the plate filled with food in a way so particular that it almost made him wonder how his clumsy wife even managed it. “Aapan kay ghari aahot ka, Apurva?” He pulled her closer by holding her arm, whispering in her ear. 

“Tula hi plate dhuvaychi aahe ka ghari jaun? Nahi na? Mag kha na chup chap.” She pushed him back in his place and put the spoon in the bowl of Kheer that she had brought 

He zipped his lips almost as immediately as he caught her glaring at him. 

And the next thing everyone knew that Shashak Kanitkar was being fed by his lovely wife. 

“Apurva, aik na, mi mazya hatane -” He was urging her to let him eat by his own self when he caught everyone in the canteen staring at them and heard their whispers and giggles but his words died in the air when she banged her fist on the table. “Nahi, kahi nahi. Tu chalu de tuza!” Who would believe that the fierce scientist was intimidated by his wife enough to quit playing if she was his opponent? 

“Kheer Aai ne keli aahe? Zara vegli lagteye…” he said when his attention went to the Kheer’s taste that she had just fed him. 

“Mi keli aahe!”

He coughed, almost choking on another spoon of Kheer that she had put in his mouth. 

Hi nakkich dokyavar padliye. Chakka Kheer karun aanliye mazya saathi? Memory loss vagere zalaay ki kay? 

“Apurva…,” he called, gesturing for her to come closer, “mi kon aahe?”

She squeezed her eyes shut. Why did he have to make her promise to not fight with him at the Institute so tough for her? Her husband was impossible. “Ajun ek faltu prashna vichar aani mag bagh ghari jaaun hich plate tuzya dokyavar marte ki nahi!” She forced another laugh at Shrikant and Tanmayee before her gaze landed on Netra. 

“Arey mi visarlich. Rani Tai… mi tuzya saathi pan kahi tari aanlay. Ek min.” She reached out for her bag and pulled out another tiffin from it. “He ghe.” She forwarded it to Netra. 

“Mala tuza kahihi nakoy!” Netra furiously pushed the tiffin back to Apurva. 

“Maza navra sodun!” Apurva muttered, making Shashank cough. Her words were inaudible to everyone except him. She was instantly on her toes, rubbing his back, causing Netra who had gotten up to sit back. 

Apurva slipped her hand under his chin. “Var bagh, Khadoos!” 

Netra’s rage was uncontrollable as she watched Apurva standing that close to Shashank. 

“I am fi-ne…” Shashank blinked at his visibly anxious wife, assuring her that he was alright. “I am fine, Apurva. Bas tu.” He pulled her back on the chair beside him within seconds. 

Taking the spoon from her hand, he pushed it into the Kheer and held it in front of her after filling it, making sure that it had dry fruits because she liked them. 

“Arey mala nakoy. Tu kha,” she said, shaking her head.

He leaned to her side for yet another time. “Aathavtey na kaal ratri kay zala hota? Tu ghe nahitar uthel mi aani kharach 30 seconds chya aat uthel! Try me if you don’t believe -“

She held his hand and put the spoon in her mouth, making him chuckle. 

Shishta Khadoos chya warnings la seriously ghete he aaj kalala! Laughing inwardly, he fed her a couple of spoons more but when an adorable blush got visible on her cheeks, he looked around and caught Shrikant and Tanmayee silently stealing glances at them.

“Bas. Aata nakoy…” she said as she made him drop the spoon in Kheer as she mixed the dal-chawal while placing the other tiffin back in front of Netra. “Mi yenarach hoti mhanun mhatla tuzya saathi pan kahi tari aanayla nako? After all, Khadoos chi assistant aahes tu. Tyala kiti support kartes. Tyachya against pratyek complaint madhe tyachya side ni ubhi rahtes, nahi?”

Netra couldn’t look up after Apurva’s sarcastic comment. Shashank was rather surprised that Apurva knew about it but he didn’t tell her. Then who did? 

“Mhanun mi tuzya saathi special bhaaji aanliye. Aani don’t worry… mi nahi keliye. Panna Kaku ne banavli aahe. Mi khup vichar kela ki konti bhaaji aanu tuzya saathi. Mag tharavla ki Khadoos chi favorite bhaajich aante. Tuzi aani Khadoos chi choice same ch aste n nehmi. Mhanun Karlyachi bhaaji aanliye. Aawadte na tula?”

Shashank’s eyes widened at the blunt lies that his wife had been speaking ever since she had entered his institute but before he could say a word, Apurva fed him the Dal-Chawal that she had mixed. 

Netra placed her hand on the tiffin, glancing at Shashank once. “Ho mag kay. Shashank Sir aani mazi choice ekach tar aahe. Mala khup aawadte Karlyachi bhaaji. Itki ki mi roz khaau shakte…” Netra blushed to herself, opening the tiffin. 

“See, I told you. Aga mag ghe na. Khadoos saathi pan mi aanli aahe. Tu to purna tiffin kha,” Apurva said. 

Netra looked at the Karlyachi Bhaaji in the tiffin box. Yuck. Life madhe jar kuthli ek bhaaji asel jila mi kadhi haat nahi lavla tar ti mhanje Karle. Pan Shashank Sir.. tumchya saathi mi kahihi karu shakte. The mere sight of the Karlyachi Bhaaji made her want to run away from the table but she held herself back took the first bite, and almost immediately wanted to throw up. 

“Kay kashi zaliye? Chhan na? Khadoos la pan khup aawadte Panna Kaku ni banavleli Karlyachi Bhaaji!”

Netra swallowed the morsel, internally cursing the existence of bitter gourds. “Aawadnarach na. Khup chhan zaliye. Sir, kharach… aapan kiti similar aahot na!”

“Netra, mala-” 

Apurva Interrupted him by putting another spoonful of rice in his mouth. “Goshti kami kar. Aadhi jeun ghe mhatla na…” 

“Mala na Karlyachi Bhaaji lahan aslya pasunch khup aawadte. Itki… ki mi roz khaau shakte!”

Apurva almost chuckled but covered her mouth with her palm, suppressing the laughter that was dying to come out of her lips. 

Shashank mentally facepalmed himself, realizing what Apurva was doing. His wife was insane, he was no longer doubtful of it. 

He couldn’t help but feel bad for Netra as he watched her finish the whole Karlyachi Bhaaji in five minutes while Apurva continued to feed him, constantly giggling, looking at Netra. 

How far could someone go in madness? Very far, she concluded as she watched Netra take the last bite. 

Shrikant and Tanmayee were choosing to be the mute spectators, having witnessed the odd equation between Shashank-Apurva and Netra. They relished the separate tiffin of Kheer that Apurva had offered to them right when she had opened the tiffin box. 

As they finished eating and Shashank placed the glass of water on the table, he couldn’t contain the guilt of the lie. “Actually, Netra… mala Karle nahi aawdat. In fact, ti ekach ashi bhaaji aahe ji mi nahi khaat!”

“KAY?”

Apurva slapped her hands on her ears when Netra yelled, attracting everyone’s attention to their table. She stood up, banging her hands on the table, enraged upon realizing that Apurva had tricked her. 

“Tumhi shikavlay na ila he sagla?” Netra accused Shashank, clearly infuriated at what had just happened. 

“Kay?” Shashank was taken aback, to say the least. 

“Tumchya sobat rahunch hi itki smart zaliye rather over smart, I should say. Nahitar ya bindok mulila kuthun aaliye akkal aani ti hi ashi chalwayla!”

“NETRA!” Shashank warned, leaving his chair the moment Netra started crossing the line for yet another time. 

Apurva held Shashank’s hand, signaling him to stay quiet with her eyes before she looked at Netra. “Arey mag changlach aahe ki. Now you can certainly say that we, as a couple, are made for each other. Scientist Navryachi Intelligent Bayko… aikayla kiti bhari watata na, Khadoos?”

He pinched the skin between his eyes. Where the heck was he stuck? 

“Far bolteyes, Apurva!” Netra glared. 

“Kuthe kay? Ajun tar suruvat ch karaychi aahe!” Apurva gave a smile to Netra while putting the lids of the tiffin boxes. “Kasa aahe na, Rani Tai – maza navra far sadha ani saral aahe. Tyala fakt readings kaltaat. Mansanche 2 chehre astaat… kapti hetu astaat… he tyala kalatach nahi aga!”

Shashank contemplated if he should just take the day off and drag Apurva back home because the intense word battle that the sisters had gotten engaged in, gave away that it wasn’t going to end well. 

He anyway didn’t trust Netra when it came to Apurva. By the end, he knew that Apurva was the one who was going to be affected and upset.

“Mhanun tar tyachi mazya sarkhi bayko aahe!” Apurva giggled while putting the tiffin boxes in her bag. “By the way, next time ghari yeshil tar call karshil. Mi tuzya saathi special Karlyachi bhaaji banvun thevil!” 

“Apurva… bas.” Shashank held her arm, shaking his head, silently asking her to put an end to it now. 

She shrugged her shoulders before controlling her giggles as she nodded at him. 

“Mi tar yeil pan tu tithe nasashil na. How sad! Tumhi divorce papers sign kele aahet. Visarli ki kay?”

“Wow, Rani Tai. Tu Sanjay aahes, mala mahitich navta! Tula tuzya gharat basun aamchya gharat kay challay te dista? Kamalach aahe, nahi? Ka CCTV cameras basavlet aamchya ghari? Ka gupther pathavles?”

Shashank leaned closer to Apurva, almost whispering, “Tula gupther mahiti aahe?”

Apurva leveled a glare on him. “Shaant rahtos? Ghari gelyavar saangte mala kay kay mahit ahe te!”

“Chal mi nighte,” Apurva said, lifting her bag but right as she turned around, she stood rooted in her place, involuntarily dropping the bag on the chair, clearly upset at the sight in front of her. 

“Appu!” Dr. Anjali Vartak rushed forward to hug her daughter who made no attempt to reciprocate the hug. 

“Mi tya middle-class Kanitkaranchya – I mean… tithe gele hote pan tithe kalala ki tu ithe aahe mhanun ithech aale! He bagh mi kay aanlay? Navin divorce papers!” She pulled out the papers from her purse and held them in front of Shashank and Apurva.

Shashank’s eyes stared at the papers first before they went to his wife who stood unfazed. He couldn’t quite figure out what was going on in her mind as she restricted her face from revealing anything to anybody.

“He ghe, Shashank. Patkan sign kar and set my daughter free from this unwanted, toxic relationship.” 

She extended her hand to hand over the divorce papers to Shashank whose hand struggled to touch those papers that were about to kill his marriage. The marriage he could have given up anything and everything to protect. 

“Ek minute,” Apurva said, shifting two steps on her left to stand between her husband and her mother, “tu tyala ka deteyes? Mala de!” Apurva almost snatched the papers from Dr. Anjali.

“Oh okay. Tula aadhi sign karayche aahe ka? No problem. Tu kar. I can understand your excitement to get out of this mistake that Kaushik had made you make.”

Shashank clenched his fist, hearing Dr. Anjali call his and Apurva’s marriage a mistake but he kept quiet nonetheless. He didn’t have the liberty to counter her because he himself had made the mistake of uttering those words which was what gave people the chance to repeat those words. 

Apurva laughed while pretending to read the papers before she walked up to the canteen counter. “Dada… tumchyakade kaichi asel?”

The guy handling the counter nodded and brought it for her. 

“Thank you,” Apurva said and returned to her place, in front of her mother. 

As she held the divorce papers in one hand and the scissor in another, nobody knew what she was up to. Not even her husband but the moment she ran the scissor through the papers, cutting them in half, Dr. Anjali stood utterly shocked.

“Tu kay karteyes?” Dr. Anjali yelled, stepping forward to take the papers from her but Apurva held the scissor toward her, opening and shutting its sharp blades. 

“Tu kay vedi zaliyes ki kay? Mala kapnar aahe ka tya kaichini?” 

Apurva shrugged her shoulders while continuing to take the scissor closer to Dr. Anjali. “Mi kuthe asa kahi mhatlay?” 

“Tu lamb raha. Ya Kanitkars ni nakkich kahitari kelay. Mazya mulichya dokyavar parinaam zalay!” She looked around, attracting everyone’s attention but she realized that she didn’t actually need to. 

Everyone had been looking at them ever since she stepped into the canteen. 

Apurva let out a chuckle while making the scissor and the divorce papers meet again till the time the papers were reduced to such tiny pieces that couldn’t be cut further. 

While Dr. Anjali slapped her forehead, Shashank was speechless. He just watched his woman eliminate the existence of that thing that could have taken her away from him. Forever. 

Apurva returned the scissor and walked up to Anjali after picking up the pieces of divorce papers. Anjal took a step back, clearly afraid of her daughter’s that side that she had never really witnessed before. Sure, she had always been rude to her but she had never looked so fierce and intimidating. 

“Aga ghabartes kashala… dakhav tuzi bag dakhav ek second.” Apurva got her hand on Dr. Anjali’s bag and dropped the pieces of the divorce papers in her bag. “Haan aata ja. He divorce papers gheun ja and do remember… if you bring these again, this is what will happen to them… again!“

“Mhanje? Tula divorce hava hota na?” Dr. Anjali was too taken aback by the way her daughter turned the tables to even understand what changed in a night. 

“Hava hota. Aata,” Apurva admitted before turning back to glance at her husband who still seemed to be struggling to process things, “nakoy!”

Shashank almost stumbled a step backward and had to grab the chair for support. Did she really say that she didn’t want the divorce? His irregular heartbeats were slowly finding their natural rhythm with his wife’s melodies returning to his life. 

Apurva looked back upon hearing the sound and once she was sure that he was okay, she turned back to deal with Dr. Anjali. “Kasa aahe na, Dr. Anjali Vartak – pratyek bayko tumchya sarkhi naste. Tumhala tumchya navrya sobat, tumchya muli sobat… tumchya family sobat rahaycha navta which is just fine… pan mhanun kay saglyancha tasa aste asa nasta. Mala mazya navrya sobat rahaycha aahe karan… tyacha mazyavar khup prem aahe.” 

Shashank’s gaze didn’t leave her for even a moment as she spoke. Certainly, those were the last words he had expected her to utter but his heart couldn’t decide whether to dance or cry.  

Mala mazya navrya sobat rahaycha aahe karan… tyacha mazyavar khup prem aahe.” 

“Itka prem aahe ki mala shaant zopu dyaysaathi to ratrabhar jagu shakto. Itka prem aahe ki jar mi kadhi aajari padle tar tyachya ashya meetings sodun yeu shakto je tyacha career eka veglyach level var neu shakte. Itka prem aahe ki mazya saathi to… swatala visru shakto. Dance shiku shakto. Paay modun gheu shakto. Ase T-shirts ghalu shakto je tyane kadhi swapnat hi ghatle nahi. Maza boyfriend hou shakto. Maza dance baghnya saathi saadi suddha ghalu shakto. Itka pren aahe ki mazya saathi… to kahihi karu shakto. Kahihi!“

Shashank blinked off the tears that were threatening to escape his eyes. He wasn’t good with words. He had never been. He could do a hundred things to silently express his love but ask him to verbally confess his feelings and he would hide in a corner. 

Having his wife talk about the love that he never confessed certainly left him wondering what he had even done to have her written on his name for this and coming every lifetime. 

“Tuza kahi urgent kaam aahe ka institute madhe?” Apurva asked Shashank who still hadn’t recovered enough to utter a word but he managed to shake his head. “Ghari chaltos?” she asked while picking up her bag from the chair. 

He gave her a quick nod before watching her intertwine her fingers in his and Mr. and Mrs. Kanitkar were happily out of everyone’s sight within seconds. 

Everyone resumed their work except for Netra and Dr. Anjali who stood frozen in their places, unable to even comprehend what just happened. 

*

“He sagla kay hota?” Shashank curled his fingers around Apurva’s arm and pulled her onto himself, wrapping his hand around her back. 

“Kay kay hota?” Her palms rested on his chest as she pretended to be unaware of what he was talking about. 

“Hech… institute madhe tiffin gheun yena… Netra la aikavna… tuzya Aai la aikavna… divorce papers che tukde karna… he sagla kay hota?”

“Oh, scientist Shashank Kanitkar la thesis havay ka aata mazya kadun?”

“Apurvaaaa…”

“Shashankkk….” She mimicked him, rolling her eyes before she tried to push him away to get out of his grip but he didn’t seem to be willing to let her go. “Sod na, Khadoos. Mala.. mala kaam aahe!” 

His hand slowly slid down from her back to her waist as he leaned forward. “Kay kaam aahe?” 

“Uhm…. Te mala.. mala te actu-ally,” she stuttered, shutting her eyes when his nose began to trace the skin of her cheek. 

“Hmm, aiktoy mi… tula te…” While continuing to hold her to himself with one hand firmly circled around her waist, he shifted her hair on her shoulder with his other hand. 

“Khadoos, please,” she murmured, clutching his shoulder when his lips lingered on her neck. 

“Please what, Shishta?” He smiled, glancing at his beautiful wife in his arms. 

“Please stop!”

“Do I have a reason to?”

“Please?”

“Okay!”

She let out the breath that she was holding the moment he let her go. Certainly, her senses seemed to stop working every time he held her so close. 

“I need to ask you a question!” She cleared her throat to get out of the moment that he had almost created. 

“Vichar.”

“Tula mi aawadte? Do you… like me, Khadoos?” 

He stared at her for several long moments, clearly in disbelief that she was asking him that question after the little intimate moment they had just shared. 

“Hmm. Do I like you? I am not sure…” 

Her mouth fell open at his audacity. He still wasn’t going to let her hear it directly from him? She stomped off to the bed and sat down, crossing her arms to her chest. 

Chidli Bahuli! He chuckled to himself, getting rid of the distance between them in two long strides. Scooping her face in his large palms, he made her look at him. 

“I am not sure if I like you does justice to the feelings that I have for you, Shishta,” he murmured, pressing his lips on her forehead for a long moment, “I am hopelessly devoted to you, you Idiot! I am hopelessly devoted to you!” 

Kashi watli sangayla visru naka! <3