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.

It was seeming they have gone back in time until at the time of bed, clearing his throat lightly Shuvro asked her whether she wanted to leave for the wedding a day ahead - tomorrow or they would just go at the wedding ceremony - the day after that?

Tuli looked at him, and it seemed as if she was pulled out of an obsession. She kept looking at Shuvro for some momentum as if she just realised about his existence. She sighed deeply looking at him and he could see as if something haunting just left her body left her as she stood letting her stiff shoulders relax.

"Weren't we supposed to go tonight?" She asked in a completely normal casual tone losing the intense muse she was in a few seconds ago. The normality in her tone took startled him a bit.

"Umm..h- yeah!" He shrugged looking into her eyes, trying to understand her thoughts. "But its late now, so..."

Tuli nodded and as she approached the toiletries to grab her night cream, she said "okay we will go tomorrow." Nodding to that Shuvro sat on the bed making it ready for him to plop on. "Do you think we should come here after office and then go or should we directly head there?" Rubbing the lotion in her hands Tuli asked. Her tone was so casual, one could not tell that today was something at all for her.

"As you wish." Looking at her he said.

"Hmm..." rubbing her hands to blend the lotion more she climbed up on the bed "then we are not even packed yet. We will come here and then go." She said before plopping on the bed.

Lying down Shuvro kept looking at the ceiling. He could feel a storm gathering inside his chest. Tuli's hand snaked around him tightly as she slept beside him. Shuvro turned his head to take a look of her. Having her eyes closed she heaved a sigh deeply.

A heavy machine of metal had started climbing up and down inside him. Staring at her closed eyes a suddenly fear grasp him. Creases created on his fore head as a bad feeling started playing drums inside him.

Was it something bad gonna happen?

Was it the quietness before the storm?

Turning around he took her in his arm as well. Embracing Tuli tightly he dragged her more near to him. 'Nothing could happen to her when she was in his arm.' Somewhat like a challenge he chanted inwardly - not knowing to whom, maybe to the omnipotent himself, or to someone else, someone he had always blamed.

Breathing deeply he planted a kiss on Tuli's forehead before shutting his eyes.

*

And now tucking the folds of the sari around her waist securely when she looked up at the mirror a pair of eyes looking at her met her eyes.

The wedding was yet to start. The auspicious time was set at night, and now it was just 6 of the evening, but the males of the house were already ushering each and everyone bumped into the them, specifically the ladies. They himsel were still on there casual attire but that didn't stop them from making a fuss about how the ladies were going to make them late. Someone from a parlour had already come to make the bride ready. And now it was time for the other females of the house to get ready and scream at the males who were making haste. And being urged by one these uncles Shuvro searched his wife down 'to see how long was she gonna take' - just as the uncle put it.

By the force of the consistent request of the bride Tuli was pushed at the hands of the beautician with her make up. Much to the surprise of the cynicism Tuli was not looking all that bad as she had expected. Bearing in mind of her red sari her face was having a dew glow of nude make up. Her eyes were popped up with glow of the 'no makeup' look with a hint of a brown inner outline but lips were having the blood red shade making the look stand out.

Looking at Shuvro through the mirror she danced her eyebrows questioningly. "How am I looking?" He, with a ajar mouth, being dream struck kept looking at her nor realising what she asked. Tuli's face heat up as he kept looking at her and unconsciously inched closer to her.

But the voice of a aunt of him broke his musings as she entered the room and screamed, "oh Shuvro, there will be time and more time to look at your wife, keep looking at her then. Now make haste you need to go and escort the groom. Remember?"

Getting warm and red like a beetroot Shuvro started sweating inside his royal blue Tassar punjabee. Being perplexed he once looked at the aunt and then looked back at his wife.

Damn it!

"What happened to you? Go!!!" The aunty again yelped and now was joined by a sister in law of him as she came into the room.

"Oh, Romapisi, do you think our Shuvro is still the same? Look at him!" The sister in law giggled teasingly. The aunt though didn't look amused by the joke and ushered again.

Without waiting a moment Shuvro dashed out of the room. If warm ears could melt he would have turned into a poodle of liquid by now. "What have you done to him!" The sister in law chuckled looking at Tuli. Even the artificial blush couldn't compare, neither the foundation stain couldn't conceal the crimson hue over her Tuli's face...

So here was the part. I hope you like it. Now VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! and comment. You can share too if you want. Also to get more updates about further updates of this story and more follow me...