Protected In His Arms – Always & Forever – Thipkyanchi Rangoli

“Promise me that this would stay the last thing that you chose to hide from me. Promise me, Apurva…” Holding his hand forward, he waited for hers to slip into it.

“Asa kasa promise deu mi tula?”

Her indirect answer hidden in her question brought an instant frown on his face. “Mhanje tu ya pudhe hi mazyapasun goshti lapavnar?”

“Lapvayla lagtil, Khadoos,” she said, grabbing his hand when he was about to get down from the bed, “arey ae… kuthe nighalas? Khota na bolnari bayko shodhayla?”

“APURVA! Pratyek goshtit maskari changli watat nahi,” he warned.

“BARA. BARA.” She held her hands up in surrender. “Mala asa mhanaycha hota ki suppose… if I have to plan a surprise for you… mi kasa sangnar tula? Lapvayla lagel na? Tula sangun dila tar mazya surprise chi ashi chya tashi nahi ka honar?”

“Ashi chya tashi? Ashi chya tashi? Kay bhasha aahe hi, Apurva? Aani vishay badlaycha ha atishay balish prayatna hota.”

“Haan? Aata yaat kay balish? Tula na… mazi pratyek goshta balish watate, Khadoos. You know what? Mala bolaychach nahi aahe.” She slammed the pillow on his arm before furiously jumping out of the bed.

Pushing the pillow aside, he followed her to the balcony. He nudged his angry wife who just moved away in response. “Sorry. Balish mhanayla nako hota ..”

“Mhanayla nako hota? Mhanje manat mhanaycha hota fakt othanvar aanaycha navta? Seriously, Khadoos?”

“Nahi tasa nahi!” He facepalmed himself. Winning the battle of arguments with his wife was certainly the wrong battle to choose in the first place.

But before he could come up with another round of apology, she burst out laughing.

“Mi gammat kartey, Khadoos. Tu pan na…”

“Pan mi serious aahe, Apurva. Tula jar koni traas det asel… tar te janun ghenyacha maza hakka aahe. Nahi aahe ka?” He leaned against the wall, staring at her hands before reaching out for them. “To mulga tula itkya divsanpasun traas det hota aani tu mala sangitla hi nahi? Ka sahan karaycha he sagla?”

“Pan mi sahan kelach kuthe? Mi mazya paddhatine tyala sangyacha prayatna kela hota ki baba mi bayko aahe konachi tari… jyacha mazyavar aani jyavar maza khup prem aahe but I guess he didn’t get it. College madhe scene nako mhanun ignore kela but the moment he crossed the line, my patience ended.”

“Tech tar mhantoy na mi. Ka line cross vhaychi waat baghaychi? Tu eka shabdane hi bolli nahi mala?”

“Khara sangaycha tar… I did try… a couple of times. Aathavtey tya ratri tu mala vicharat hotas kay zalay, ka mi itki low hoti, ka tuza haat pakdun basli hoti… ka tula kuthe jau det navti… Akash had tricked me and locked me in the storeroom of the college pan aaj tyane saglya limits cross kelya. I had no choice but to call the cops!”

Her revelation triggered the rage that he had been trying to suppress. The mere imagination of his wife being forcefully locked in a room had him lose every bit of his control.

Banging his hand on the wall behind, he kept slapping the wall to let out his frustration. “Tech mhantoy na mi! Tech mhantoy na mi! Nasta chance milala call karyacha tar? Tyane tula kahi kela asta tar?”

Alarmed, she rushed forward, trying to stop him from hurting his hand. “Tu veda zala aahes ka, Khadoos? Kay kartoys?” Panicked, she pulled him by his arm but all in vain.

He pushed her away and continued to punch the wall, imagining Akash in it.

It wasn’t until she stepped beside him, putting her hand between the wall and his hand that his hand had to freeze in its place.

Her eyes softened at his raging vulnerability. Her heart ached to see how the incident had traumatized him way more than it had traumatized her own self.

“Mi tula aadhi hi sangitla na… swatala blame karna band karshil?” She held him by his shoulders for a long moment before letting her hands slip down to his palms. “Je vhaycha hota te zalay aani mi… bilkul thik aahe – he mahattvacha nahi aahe ka?”

“Saglyat mahattvacha tech aahe!” Not suppressing his breakdown, he leaned his forehead against hers. “Saglyat mahattvacha tech aahe!”

“Bas tar mag! Aani rahila prashna tuzya promise cha tar… I promise ya pudhe asa kahihi zala tar mi nakki sangel. Tulach sangel. Khara tar ek karan he hi hota ki mala tula traas dyacha navta especially jevha institute madhe tuzya kamat already problems suru hote pan… tula na sangun zalela traas baghun lakshat yetey… ekda sangun zalela traas chalel pan ha nako…”

He pulled away only to look at her. “Tu mhanun nahi sangitlas? Kay murkha aahes ka g tu? Mala traas hoil mhanun ektine he sagla sahan kelas? Kharach murkhach aahes tu!”

“Ho aahe na murkha. Tuzyapasunch shikliye na. Tu kasa mala tension nako mhanun institute che problems kadhich ghari aanat nahi, hmm? Aathavtey ki visarlas… jevha Netra Tai ne mazyavarcha raag tuzyavar kadhaysathi tuze readings badal le hote… sangitla hota tu mala?”

“Te vegla, Apurva!

“Kasa?” She folded her hands across her chest. “Kasa vegla aahe sang bara.”

“Nahi sangaycha aahe mala… aata.” Circling his hands around her, he pulled her to himself. “Mala bas tula pakdun thevaycha aahe rather lapavun thevaycha aahe. Akash sarkhya pratyekapasun.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Kanitkar? I guess, tumhi visartaat aahat ki tumhi konasobat aani konabaddal boltaay… Chetkinila lapavun thevnyachi garaj padat nahi. Chetkini pasun lokani lapun rahaycha asta nahitar parinaam je Akash la bhogayla lagtaat aahe tase hotat. Khadoos Devil chi Shishta Chetkin aahe mi… don’t forget that.”

He lifted his chin from her shoulder as he pulled himself back just enough to be able to look at her, amused. “Khadoos Devil chi Shishta Chetkin?” He chuckled, watching her childlike nod. “Pan Devil la mahiti aahech Chetkin kiti shurveer aahe te. Tyaat tyala kadhi shanka navtich. Pan… pan, Devil la tyachya Chetkinichi kalji watate. Tyala mahit asayla hava jar tyachya Chetkinila koni traas det asel tar asa nahi ka watat Chetkini la?”

“Watate na. Mhanun tar Chetkini ne tharavlay… aaj pasun Khadoos Devil pasun kahihi lapvaycha nahi. Aata khush ka Khadoos Devil?

“Long as Devil’s Chetkin is alright, Devil is alright,” he murmured, bringing her palm close to his lips, reassuring every bit of his unsettled self that she was with him, safe and sound, silently vowing to himself to make sure that it would stay the same forever – his Chetkin, safe and sound, protected in his arms, always and forever.