A Girl Raped at Her Wedding Night Part 7

Breeze was coming in and day was settling in, our entire day had gone in the traveling. We had crossed Maharashtra state and entered Gujarat state and after traveling the entire night we shall reach in the morning. Children were tired and right now sleeping in the car, my mom and aunt were tired of talking and were also taking a nap. And me, I could not sleep was trying to look at the scenery outside. I was trying very hard to not to see in the front seat where Karan was sitting. After that small episode with him, he had not looked back at me which was small relief but in some small corner there was a twinge of disappointment also which I would analyze later. It was getting chilly and dark, winter had started and the wind coming towards us was giving me shivers. A movement caught my eye; Rishi was stirring rubbing his eyes he got up and sleepily looked at me.

"Aunty have we reached?"
"No, Sweet heart we still have more time to go. We will reach in the morning, you go back to sleep"
"But I am hungry; do we have something to eat?"
"I will have to check if anything is left, you guys have finished almost everything"
I tried to move and looked at the bags behind but I was sure there was anything to eat, by this movement my mom and other kids also got up.
Embarrassed I told mom, "Sorry, but Rishi is hungry, so I was searching for some food, I didn’t mean to wake everyone"
"No, child that’s okay we anyways slept for a long time. Rishi wants to eat huh!"
Mom turned to Rishi and pinched his cheek, "So you still wanna eat? Don’t worry we shall stop at a place and have proper dinner"
Then she looked at Karan and the driver, "Karan, check with the driver, if we have a descent place on highway to eat dinner"
He turned his head and replied" Don’t worry mom, I have asked the driver and we have nice place nearby. Will reach there in 5-10 minutes"
"OK then, tell the other car people also, so even they stop there and we’ll eat together"

With this Karan was on the call and the other people and children were now wide awake in the excitement of food. Even I was hungry as I had just nibbled something these kids were having and I badly wanted food. My new family had made it easy for me to adjust with them but it was my first day with them and I needed time to make friends. The dhaba (restaurant on the highway is called dhaba) was nearby so car was parked and we all started getting down. I climbed down from the car and looked at the place. It was a typical dhaba situated at one side of the highway with many big and small vehicles parked. There was a sitting arrangement outside as well as inside, there was chilly breeze and it was pleasant outside. There were big and small tables aligned and people were sitting in groups and eating. The décor might not be polished or rich but food would be too delicious, now also the aroma of food was coming to me and my hunger again punched in. I looked around and saw the other car also come in and people getting down, I hope they decide to sit outside. After being in a car for along she wanted to sit outside. As if the group had read my mind they all were gathered at a large table outside, I went and joined them and took a place at an empty chair. Now as we had come near to dhaba and the kitchen the aroma was actually making me hungrier, waiter had come and given us the menu with the no. of people he had to provide 4 – 5 menus. I picked up one of them and started browsing at the dishes to be ordered, I was only aware that on one of my side Niki was sitting. She was asking me about the order but my mind was in between paneer palak and one more dish at that I heard Niki saying " Bhaiyya (Brother) what have you decided to order?"

And my mind kicked in, I glanced at the other side of my chair where now karan was sitting. I was a little shocked that after the car incident he would come and sit next to me. But while the drive I had made a decision that I would not react in front of him. I again went in the menu to decide palak panner or baigan bhartha, but I was aware of Karan sitting next to me.
He answered Niki by saying he still has not decided yet about the food to order. The waiter appeared again and children, I and my father in law had made decision about the food so we were asked to give our orders. I had chosen baigan bharatha over palak paneer with paratha and a biryani. While ordering only my mouth was watering, the waiter noted down the items and was asked to come again to take the rest of the order but he was stopped by Karan.

"Bring me one Baigan bhartha, paratha and a biryani"
I had decided to ignore him but after the order he gave to waiter I couldn’t help myself. I turned and was looking at him, he sensing my stare looked he turned and smiled at me. His smiling face looked good and his smile was a mischievous smile, which was damn it my weakness. Before I do something stupid such as smile back to him I turned and searched for a new place to look and waited for my order.
She looked at him with such shocked expression that he couldn’t resist the smile. I know she was shocked at my sitting next to her but just because I left her alone in the car, doesn’t mean that I would not even attempt to know her. I was watching her in the car she did not sleep but was watching out of the window. When mom asked us to stop for dinner she had relief on her face which means she was hungry but didn’t tell us. And reading her mind was quite easy as you can know what she is feeling by her expressions. The confusion, surprise everything was there on her face, the decision to order the same food she ordered was instant. The thought just came to my mind, I like food but I am choosy there are several vegetables I don’t eat brinjal is one them but if she likes it I will at least try it. The reason to sit next to her was a chance for me to apologize to her, taking the first step. She was deliberately avoiding me I knew that, she had turned face away from me and was chatting with Niki. I turned and caught the stare of pooji she smiled at me understanding my strategy as she was well aware of my food choice was always junk.
The food came and the rest was ordered, most of the children had opted for pav bhaji the simplest choice. Conversations around the table were hushed as people were busy eating, dishes were passed along with salad and food was relished. As I was eating the dish I ordered mom was looking at me as she was more aware and tired of my eating habits. She was looking at him to see if he eats what he has ordered and he also sensed kanak trying very hard not to look at him eating paratha and bhartha. But I will show then I can eat, so I tasted the dish and it was too good, way too good and he stated eating it more enthusiasm then before. This didn’t go unnoticed; my mom had to comment on that which she did.

"Looks like marriage agreed with my Karan, the first day and he is eating a dish he never touched before. I wonder what happens next, Kanak next time make him eat a new dish"
This was accepted by laughter and few more comments but she wanted to say he didn’t order because of her, she knew it wasn’t the case while packing food mom and aunty had told me the eating habits, how he likes selected vegetables and dishes and after staying in city for a long time he doesn’t like these Gujarati dishes. But one glance at him she had to smile the way he was eating as if tasting and liking it for the first time. She had seen uncertainty and doubt when he took the first bite but he liked it and now was enjoying it. The smile was still there when he turned and looked at her and smiled back, something happened inside her after that and being coward she didn’t want to analyze that so she turned and concentrated on her plate. She was drawn into conversations in between but she ignored Karan, she finished her food and got up to wash hands. In that open space you had to wash hands in a corner of the dhaba, I went there took the mug and washed my hands as I turned Karan was standing there.

"Pour some water, so I can wash my hands. My both hands are dirty."
As there was little she could do I obliged, filled the mug and poured it on his hands trying to look as disinterested as she could but then he dropped a bombshell.
"I am Sorry, I am truly sorry" After saying this I paused waiting her to look at me which she did and I got my courage.
"Whatever I did last night could not be forgiven for a sorry but I wanted you to know that I ashamed of myself for what I did. I can tell you a reason but it will look like an excuse, I want you to know it won’t happen again but I want you to understand that I want you as my wife and I’ll wait and try till you forgive me"
Just like he came he went after dropping this bomb on me what am I supposed to do or think, my mind was not functioning. The mug was still in my hands and I was staring at Karan’s back when someone else asked for the mug I came back in present. I gave it to the person who had asked it and walked towards the table. I had pictured Karan as a villain, a bad guy but bad guys don’t say sorry. So where did that leave me, what should I think of him, what should I do?
Forgive him?