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

Part 58

A/N: I will post the next part tomorrow if this part gets enough votes.
P.s. 4 - 5 parts more to go...

Red.

The red baluchari saree was so beautifully draped around Tuli's figure it seemed to Shuvro his wife could easily run for any pageant and be the winner. Though she was not very skinny who had a model alike figure. Shuvro's Tuli was curvy. And the red saree around her made her more like the Durga idols than a model. Cautiously, as if refraining from breaking the dream he was witnessing in front of him, he inched closer to Tuli. She was shoving some more bobby pins in her very patiently and efficiently put bun on her head, to hold it tightly and securely. Two big fat locks of her hair hung infront of her face. As her face hung low, she couldn't see her husband approaching her and standing just behind her, looking like being moonstrucked at the reflection of her in the mirror.

*

The day before, at the evening they had reached Shuvro's uncle's house to attend the wedding of their daughter.

"I asked you so many times to come yesterday, why are you so late???" The aunt had asked with complaints in her tone. Shuvro was all ready to jump in with an excuse but before he could, Tuli smiled saying that they couldn't get out of their office until it was late. No sooner than that the duo was rushed to have something to eat fast before they indulged with the rituals.

Through all the hustle and bustle, through all the dins Shuvro's eye did not fail to note Tuli. His eyes followed her everywhere she moved, for he knew the actual reason of their not arriving here last night.

Yesterday was 26th May, the day Sumedh died. The gloominess was visible in her since the morning. Last morning when he woke up, Tuli was already up. She was facing away from him looking at nowhere but her gaze directed towards the window. After staring at her for sometimes, Shuvro very quietly got out of the bed without making her notice.

The whole day then spent in silence. Neither Shuvro initiated any conversations nor he wanted to. He was hardly someone to be the one to break the silence and last day he didn't want to. Tuli seemed to be in a muse, in a perplexity. Their routine of a day followed but quietly. After dropping Tuli to her university he headed to office.

And as usually while passing Ratul's office he knocked at his door like he was doing since the last evening. But as usually without a fail Ratul's put up middle finger of left hand asked him to go away.

Making a face biting his lips he moved away

He knew he was wrong, but his fears were not wrong. He didn't know how to explain that to his best friend. It was Ratul the next day who barged into his office and howled "Don't ever think about talking to me or pretend like knowing me at all." Being dumbstruck Shuvro was looking at him. Before realising what happened when he could talk, he was already dashed out of the room. And after that no matter how many times Shuvro tried to reconcile, all he got was the middle finger. So the day was not different at all.

Not a word they shared, not in the rides to the work and back, not even after coming back or at the dinner table.

Chaya's eyes again became doubtful. The change of Tuli's behaviour in past months started to make her believe that everything was fine. She thought maybe after marriage something was not okay, but now as the days continued the two had reconciled. But Tuli's mood of last day again raised doubts in her.

"Aren't you supposed to go to the wedding tonight?" She asked suspiciously to Shuvro.

"Yes, but Tuli's health is not fine today. We will go tomorrow." He excused quickly. Chaya nodded but one couldn't tell if she was convinced.