(Abeer…)
We exchanged rings and fed each other cake, this moment was very heavenly, I took her to dance. We danced on “Huwa Hai Aaj Pehli Baar” and I was the one who sang, she also sung along with me and we danced till we were tired. It was time to go. I kissed her before going and she blushed and looked down. “Bye Abeer,” she said. “Bye baby,” I replied and went.
Next day was Mehndi ritual and it was a girl’s ritual. I couldn’t wait to be with her, I wondered how to go there. I called her and she immediately picked it up. “Listen, I also want to come to Mehndi ritual,” I said like a child. “Come, I am waiting,” she said. “But it’s a girl ritual,” I complained. “Come in female attire,” she suggested. “Thank you wifey,” I said over the phone and disconnected the call. I bought a yellow shalwar kameez of a woman by a nearby clothes shop and wore it and took the chunri to hide my face.
I went to her house and rang the doorbell. “Who are you?,” asked Meher’s mom and I said in a woman’s voice that I am dancer and went inside. My eyes searched for Meher through the little transparent chunri and there she was sitting on the couch with a smile on her face with mehndi women applying mehndi on her hands. I smiled and stood behind her. “Meher,” I said in a voice audible to her and she looked up to me and I showed her my face partially and she smiled.
When Mehndi was done, the others were dancing, I also joined them. “Mumma, my hands are burning,” said Meher in pain. I was shocked and took off the chunri revealing my face and ran to her. I knew everyone must be shocked but right now Meher is important. I took her to her room. “It’s burning a lot,” she said. “It will be ok,” I assured and took her to washroom and washed her hands softly rinsing the mehndi and planted small kisses on her neck and cheek to distract her while the mehndi was half rinsed and after sometime it was fully rinsed and I wiped her hands and she smiled as I applied ice. “You care so much for me, I love you a lot, it’s good you came in my life. Else I would’ve been married to my r…,” she was about to complete but I kept my finger on her lips and hugged her. “My Meher is very good and innocent just like a kid, don’t say again that you were raped, I love you and you too love me that’s important,” I said and parted away planting a kiss on her hair and she smiled.