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Sashank returned home after a few days, feeling satisfied that Kusum was with Roshni until all the ceremonies were completed.
After the 13th Day Ceremony, Roshni came to her house and brought Rahim chacha with her as he had nowhere to go. All welcomed Rahim chacha into the family.
Chapter 10
Deepak’s friends, Vivek and Vaishali, meet Roshni
Roshni gradually got over the shock of losing her babuji. Everybody at home genuinely tried to keep her happy. Kusum visited Roshni frequently, and because of these visits, she interacted with Sashank and Akash as well. Over time, Sashank developed a liking for her. He enjoyed chatting with her, and Roshni saw they were very comfortable with each other. There were a few occasions when Sashank invited Kusum to stay over for dinner or lunch just because it was that time, and this was a big change in Sashank’s personality. Roshni noticed that he was interested in Kusum, and a thought flashed in her mind. Should she approach Sashank bhaiya to see if he was interested in marrying Kusum didi?
Knowing Sashank bhaiya, she decided to wait for the right time.
~ ~ ~
It was the middle of March, when one day Roshni came home to find Sashank talking to a couple. Sashank introduced them to Roshni as Vivek and Vaishali, who came from the US to meet Vivek’s father, who was recovering from a heart attack. Both greeted Roshni. A few minutes later, Akash joined them for a conversation while Sashank left.
Vivek noticed a dramatic difference in Sashank’s and Akash’s personalities; both brothers appeared very happy. The environment in the house itself was very welcoming and positive. Everything in the house seemed very lively. Vivek was very pleased to see these changes and believed Roshni played a big role, especially since Deepak had mentioned to them about her promise.
“Roshni bhabhi,” Vivek addressed Roshni.
Roshni’s eyes popped open after she heard herself being addressed as bhabhi.
“Sashank bhaiya told me about your babuji. Please accept our condolences. I hope you are coping well,” Vivek said.
Roshni just nodded.
“I am so happy to meet you and also to see all the wonderful changes in this house,” Vivek added.
Akash interrupted him at this time. “Vivek, did you notice how lighthearted and joyful we are now.” He pointed to Roshni. “It is all because of her. She is God’s grace to us.” He placed his arm around her shoulders and very proudly added, “She is my sister-in-law, but I treat her as my little sister. We are very grateful to her.”
Vivek agreed, and Vaishali watched. She was all admiration for Roshni. The changes they talked about, her composure, mannerisms – everything about her was different. She definitely stood apart from everybody. How could Deepak do what he did to her?
Meanwhile Vivek asked Roshni to join them for dinner one day. Roshni hesitated, but Vivek insisted because he and Vaishali wanted to talk to her. Vaishali reiterated, and Roshni agreed. They confirmed the plan to meet at a restaurant. After chai and snacks, Vivek and Vaishali left.
On the way back, Vivek said to Vaishali, “Vaishali, I never saw these two brothers so contented and jovial. What a remarkable contrast in their personalities. Roshni really did a great job. I am so happy for them. I should communicate this to Deepak; he will be so pleased to hear this.”
“She seems like a very nice person, very admirable. It is very unfortunate that Deepak did what he did to her,” replied Vaishali.
Vivek concurred with her thoughts. “We should talk to her at the restaurant about Deepak and how he regrets what happened, and see what she says,” Vivek said.
Vaishali agreed, and they had a plan to talk to Roshni.
~ ~ ~
It was Friday, and Roshni informed everybody at home that she would be late that evening as she was going to dinner with Vivek and Vaishali. She met them at the restaurant. They were given a table and ordered. During the conversation, Vivek addressed Roshni as ‘bhabhi’, and Roshni asked him not to address her as such. Both Vivek and Vaishali got a glimpse of her directness!
Vivek justified that since she was his friend’s wife, he addressed her as such, but Roshni said, “Vivek ji and Vaishali ji, I am not sure if Deepak explained it to you, but we don’t have a relationship anymore.”
“Roshni ji, may I address you that way?” he asked her permission, and Roshni assented. “Yes, Deepak talked to us about it and explained everything,” Vivek replied.
“We concur with you. Deepak made a big mistake. He should not have said those things to you.” Vivek looked at her. “And we really wanted to talk to you, so we invited you to this dinner.”
“I don’t know if there is anything more to say,” Roshni replied. “Your friend, I mean Deepak, was the one who initiated this.” She paused and suddenly said, “And by the way, did he ask you both to talk to me about this?”
“No, Roshni, may I call you Roshni,” Vaishali asked, and Roshni nodded. “Actually, Deepak does not know we are talking to you about this topic. We were very annoyed with Deepak. As a matter of fact, he himself is regretting what he did. He was nervous and mentally disturbed and wanted to share the reasons for his distress but made a big mess out of everything.”
Vaishali continued, “I guess this can happen when one does not know how to interact with women or express one’s feelings!”
Vaishali waited for Vivek to say something.
