OTHER GROOM... the tale of the rejected guy...

Part 16

The next day Tulika's awakened to the sound of some busy chattering with laughter. It took some moment for her to understand the source of the notice, which was the living room. Her ears perked up hearing a woman's laughter aloud and soon she knew her maternal aunty was awake and was very excited about something.

With tired steps and irritation, she walked inside the living room to witness the reason behind the chaos- that was sitting on the couch while looking very much lively with a childlike grin on his face listening to her aunty.

"... marriage does that to men dear! One day you will turn like these men too, forgetful. And lazy. Or boys are just born like that, I wish to understand one day!" Aunty granted.

"I only do that purposely darling." Tulika's uncle quipped raising his voice a little for his wife to listen and then turned to Suvro, "I mean I can die for the sassy reply of love from that woman. The charm of a married couple, what say son!" He mouthed and laughed out loud in his most usual way.

Tulika's aunty made a face in mock anger mouthing a "nonsense!!!" While her mother blushed in coyness. And her father cleared his voice to hide his laughter.

Suvro's face gathered all the blood of his body seeing this little teasing banter of the old couple. He was enjoying such married scenario imaging of his 'someday', when the just got out of the bed figure of Tuli standing at the doorway came in his sight.

Her still sleepy swollen ditsy eyes were burning on her.

She was looking at him with utmost awe. Awe, more than irritation, more than disgust, more than anger. How could that man was laughing at jokes, after getting thrashed so much by her? What the fuck had gotten into him!

Seeing her daughter Mrs Sengupta ushered her, "oh, you are up, see Suvro has come... go and get freshen up quickly..." she made hast but got shot down with an un-assumed interruption from Tuli.

"I have seen who has come, mother. You don't have to state the obvious." She hissed in a sleepy tone and stormed inside her room.

All the audience in the room was taken aback by this sudden snapping comment of her. The circumstances of the room got changed abruptly.

Tulika's uncle tried to clear his throat awkwardly but that didn't change the subject. The secrecy behind the marriage was naked in front of the relatives.

And that moment just prophesied about the whole day.

It didn't stay as much fun as the day before.

No matter how much jokes or laughter raised, an awareness stayed. Some murmurs, or cautiousness in the eyes of relatives were suffocating Suvro. Tuli didn't leave even one place, one person, in front whom Suvro could think them of as a normal married couple anymore.

***

The ride back home was filled with silent again except the traffic. Due to the arrival of the prime minister of the country, some of the roads were evicted from the normal citizen's use, so the alternative roads were packed and the polices were struggling badly to control the traffic.

In such a situation, Suvro and Tuli were sitting inside a car waiting for the signal turn to green. Well for a normal couple that might not be a bad situation but there was nothing normal in them. And again and again, she had established that truth to him.

He was frustrated as well as tired and was eager to go home. And she was irritated seeing no kind of baffling sign in him. He was not even looking at her. Which could have been a good thing except it was very much normal for her. He never in his life stared at her for a long time like any creepy "in love Romeo" would do. But it was his presence, his body language - that could scream out how much he was into her.