After Navratri Ahem and Gopi had got much closer to each other but still neither were

able to articulate their feelings towards each other. In between this closeness another barrier had come up. The truth about Rashi and Urmila s kalakari against Sonal had come out. The whole house was in shock. Gopi especially felt the shock really hard. Never in her dreams had she thought that her mami and sister would stoop so low. And mixed in with the shock was guilt. Ahem looked at his wife sat in their bedroom. Her feelings were written all over her face, he knew exactly what she was thinking. Gopi. Gopi was so lost in her thoughts that she didn t hear Ahem call her. Ahem walked up to her and touched her shoulder. Gopi none of this is your fault. How do you know .? Gopi stuttered. Your aunt and Rashi did this together We all know you had nothing to do with it. Gopi was shocked by what Ahem was saying to her. She had been worried that, just like in the past, Ahem would blame her too. But Ahemji they are my family and they were only linked to you because of me. But Gopi this doesn t mean you blame yourself I . Gopi vau what is this? Kokila comes into the room as she has been listening to what has been going on. Gopi vau you haven t done anything wrong. Please get this thought out of your head. Maaji because of them so much has happened. I m so ashamed I can t even look anyone in the eye. Gopi vau nobody thinks anything. And why are you blaming yourself. I m the one who fixed your marriage even though I knew what your aunt and sister were like. It was our fate that we had to see all this. Now you go and freshen up. Gopi goes into the bathroom. While in their Ahem talks to his mum. Mom I think I should take Gopi away for a few days. If she s away from here she may start to feel better about things. Everyone s upset here and it will just remind her about what Rashi did. Yes Ahem, but where are you going to go? Mom after we got married we never went on Honeymoon. You know what things were like between us then. However things have started to get better and I think it s time we went on our honeymoon so we can have time alone and think about our relationship. That s a good idea Ahem. I m very happy to hear that things are better between you two. OK I ll leave you now so you can tell Gopi. Jai Shri Krishna dikhra Jai Shri Krishna, mom. Gopi comes out of the bathroom and sees Ahem sitting on the bed on his own. Ahem tells her to come and sit on the bed. During the past couple of days Gopi has got very comfortable with Ahem and is able to follow his request with no problem.

Gopi tomorrow we are going to go on our honeymoon. So in the morning you need to pack enough clothes to last us a week Ahemji what is a honeymoon? When a husband and wife go away together for the first time they call it a honeymoon. But how can we go? So much has happened at home.. We are going to go. What has happened has happened nothing can change that but for us two it is important that we go. Now go to sleep we have to get up early in the morning. With that Gopi got out her bedding and Ahem went to lie down on the bed. He smiled to himself soon his wife would be sleeping on the bed next to him.

The next day Gopi got up early and did the packing. She then woke Ahem up and went downstairs to get breakfast ready while Ahem got dressed. At breakfast Ahem announced to the family that he and Gopi were going away for a week. Gopi was looking at the floor as she still felt guilt about what Urmila and Rashi had done. Hetal had been watching Gopi all morning. Kokila had already told her of Ahem s plans. Gopi beta I m so happy I can t tell you. I m so glad that you and Ahem are finally going to go on your honeymoon. Saying that she put her hand on Gopi s head and blessed her future happiness with her husband. Jigar will drop you off at the airport. Jigar dropped Ahem and Gopi off at the airport. They both waved goodbye to Jigar and caught their flight. After a long flight they landed in Venice. They went straight to their room in their hotel, freshened up and had something to eat. Ahem smiled at Gopi s reaction to the bland pasta put in front of her. After he had persuaded her to eat they both got ready for bed. Ahem was lying on the bed waiting for Gopi to come out of the bathroom. He saw her falter as she came into the room, confusion clearly showing on her face. Gopi come here. From now on you are not going to sleep on the floor but on the bed. On the bed? But how? Why can t you sleep on the bed? If I sleep there where are you going to sleep? Ahem smiled at his wife s naivety. Gopiji a husband and wife sleep on the same bed. We have come here to make a new start so we are going to sleep on the bed together. Gopi looked at Ahem shyly and got into bed next to him. Ahem turned the light off and they both eventually drifted off to sleep with smiles on their faces. Over the next few days Ahem took Gopi sight seeing, he took her to the churches and art galleries. Gopi was amazed at the different things her Ahemji was showing her. While on a gondola travelling down the canals Gopi opened up to Ahem about her past. She told him about her childhood and life at her uncle s house. Listening to her Ahem finally had his unasked questions answered. Her life had been so full of misery since her parents had died and not once had she complained. Even now when

telling him he could hear the love in her voice for the people who had treated her so harshly. Their mistreatment of her made him think about how he himself had behaved. He knew now that the feeling that had steadily been growing inside him for months was love. At first he had thought it was pity, but as he looked at her with clear eyes he knew for certain that he was in love. His heart was full to bursting and he wanted to tell Gopi there and then but he knew he couldn t. There was too much to clear up, he needed to be honest with her about his past. That night Ahem took Gopi out to dinner and then later that night took her walking along the Bridge of Sighs. They stopped and looked down at the canal. Gopi I have something to say to you. Something about my past. Ahem paused and took a deep breath. There was another girl in my past. Anitaji Gopi whispered. Ahem was shocked. How did Gopi know about Anita? You told me about her last year when Ahem remembered flinging his love for Anita in Gopi s face, he also remembered slapping Gopi. Gopi I.. Also Kinjalben told me you loved someone else on the day of our engagement. When I found out I told mami that I couldn t marry you but Rashiben found out from devarji that you were happy. I still wasn t convinced but then that letter came that Rashiben read to me. It wasn t until after we were married that I truly understood from both you and Kinjalben how much you loved Anitaji. Gopi I want to tell you the truth about me and Anita. Will you listen? Yes Ahemji Ahem started telling Gopi about how he had met Anita at college. They had become friends and started hanging out together. Gradually it was accepted between their friends and acquaintances that they were a couple. I never thought about the future. Getting married, having a family never occurred to me. I had a demanding job that took up most of my time and a girlfriend who was OK with the little bit of time I could give her. When mum told me she had fixed my wedding with you I was shocked. At first I didn t know what to say. I had never told my mum no for anything and even then I didn t think of saying no. I didn t even think about what this would mean for me and Anita until much later. When Anita came back from visiting her family she called me to meet her. I went and told her what had happened. Ahem looked back to see how Gopi was taking the story. She was looking at him calmly with no expression on her face but her eyes looked worried. He wished he could reassure her but he knew he had to finish telling her everything first. Anita asked me to ask mum to let me marry her but when I went to mum I saw how much she had her heart set on bringing you home as her bahu. I didn t have the heart to ask her. When I told Anita she told me that I had to choose between her and my mum. It wasn t a hard choice. Ahem took Gopi by the hand and sat next to her on the bench. I never knew why that choice was so easy to make. It s only recently that I ve realised. Gopi after our marriage I still felt that the choice had been forced on me. When I found out about your illiteracy I felt I had been cheated. I took all the anger I felt out on you which I should never have

done. Ahem looked deep in Gopi s eyes. Gopi I am so sorry for raising my hand to you. I want you to know that I will never ever again hurt you or cause you that kind of pain again. A tear ran down Gopi s check which Ahem brushed away with his hand. I thought I loved Anita she seemed to fit me perfectly. We had the same friends, we could talk about the same things. I thought that was enough. Ahem took a deep breath. It wasn t until I got to know you Gopi that I realised how mistaken I was. Your innocence, your kindness, your belief in what s right and most of all your love. Your love for my family, your love for my mom and most of all your love for me which I can see in your eyes has never faltered. Ahem got off the bench and got onto one knee. Gopi your love has made me realise something that is so important and vital to my life. Ahem held Gopi s hands. Gopi I love you. You have opened up my eyes to what love is. I find myself thinking about you while I m at work, looking for you when I come home. If I don t see you I feel restless. Gopi you make me want to be a better person, I want to spend my entire life making you happy. Gopi you complete me. But Anitaji? What about her? I thought you still loved her. Gopi was looking at floor refusing to lift her eyes, refusing to believe what she could hear in her Ahemji s voice. Gopi, what I felt for Anita was friendship. It wasn t love. She was a dear friend and I m sorry for hurting her, but if I d loved her I would never have been able to let her go. Ahem lifted Gopi s head up to look into her eyes. If ever I was forced to choose between you and mom I would always choose you Gopi tried to interrupt, I know that you would never make me choose. That s one of the reasons I fell in love with you. Gopi looked deep into Ahem s eyes and saw the truth of what he was saying. Her heart filled up with joy and tears of happiness fell from her eyes. Ahem gathered her up and sat on the bench with Gopi in his arms. I love you Gopi he whispered into her ear and heard her whisper back, I love you Ahemji.