Randhir relaxed as he felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders "Our marriage had ended long back...a divorce was just a formality.." he said looking straight in her eyes as she looked on in shock and disbelief...she shook her head and pulled her hand  from his as she shifted away from him on the settee "What are you saying? No..it can't be...you were...you were both so happy...and then Advait..." she said as Randhir chuckled mirthlessly and looked away

"Happy?...we were never happy Sanyu...all that was an act...the truth was that we should have never married in the first place...but I left the decision to my family...if it was up to me, I would have married someone else" he said looking directly at her..."But...but you never...both of you seemed so perfect..." she said as Randhir's face turned hard "Really Sanyukta? You had no idea? Sanaya told me that you suspected something was wrong between us...don't deny that you had felt the cracks in our relationship" he said as her eyes filled up

"I did...but then I thought its just normal between husband and wife...I knew something was wrong when Di would ignore anything and everything about you in our talks...but I thought she was not very comfortable talking about you with me...she had always been a private person...but this..." she said as she looked sideways at her sisters photo "She was always so happy here Randhir...she used to tell me about her friends and her work, that she loved being here..." she said as Randhir nodded

"Yes, she loved being here...but she did not love me...nor could I ever love her...we could not even be good friends...we lived in the same house but different rooms...not even once we came close enough to share our thoughts, forget about anything else" he said as Sanyu felt more and more bewildered and confused at Randhir's words...what was he talking about "If you did not love each other and shared no relationship...how did Advait come into being?" she asked him as he sighed and picked up a little photo frame of Sanyu and Advait from the nearby coffee table

"I know it will sound crass but Advait was a mistake..." he said as Sanyu gasped "How can you say that?" she said as he held her hand back "Sanyu...listen to me...I did not mean it that way..." he said as she calmed down and waited for him to continue "When I felt that things had gone from bad to worse in our relationship...I planned a weekend trip to Las vegas for me and Sanaya on a friend's suggestion...the idea was to loosen up a bit and maybe start over again, but things took a different turn...on our second day there, we got completely drunk...and one thing led to another..." he said as he closed his eyes and looked down

"We both regretted that night Sanyu...it was not out of love or even mutual attraction...it just happened...and that was it for our relationship...when it should have gotten stronger...the last of it crumbled away...we could hardly see each other face to face...it disgusted me that I had probably taken advantage of her in my drunken stupor and she never forgave me for it...the week after we got back from Vegas, she asked for a divorce" he said as he looked away

"Sanyu, I don't know why things never worked out between us...or why we both never put in that extra effort...maybe because we knew from the start that it was a doomed relationship...maybe that was the reason why neither of us fought for it...from the first day of our marriage, we stayed away from each other...we both tried but could not force ourself to feel for the other" he said as Sanyukta shifted closer to him...her heart breaking for both Randhir and her sister...if only her Di had spoken to them about this...so much could have been avoided

"Its not just your fault Randhir...Di had never whole heartedly accepted the marriage proposal...she was under a lot of pressure from my parents and maybe even I had a hand in convincing her, that she finally gave in...if only we had not.." she said as Randhir looked at her "Don't say that Sanyu...we cannot change fate...even Advait's existence is just that...fate" he said as he continued with moist eyes

"I did not argue with Sanaya when she asked me for a divorce...we decided to make a trip in a months time to come to India and go ahead with the proceedings...in that month, Sanaya and I got more detached than ever before...she used to spend all her time with her friends while I stayed away from home and worked...but then she started falling ill...when she missed her dates, she came to me with her concern...I knew at once what it was and bought her a home pregnancy kit" he said as Sanyu squeezed his hand

"She was pregnant...it was crazy...that feeling of being the happiest person alive and then the saddest...I tried to talk to her once again about maybe staying together for the child, but she was adamant...she told me that she will have the baby because she can never abort it...but once the child was born, we will have the divorce...I knew that convincing her at that point was not possible...so I stuck out...I thought as the baby grows within her and once he or she is born...she will change her mind" Randhir said as Sanyu twirled her arm around his and laid her head on his shoulder...making him relax a little bit from remembering all those painful days

"Nothing changed Sanyu...even after Advait's birth, she was adamant...I thought our son might bring us closer, but she had made up her mind to start her life all over again...she had secured a job in a good firm in New York and we also discussed custody...as the divorce settlement had to be done in India and we needed a special sanction to carry out the same in the US...it was decided that we will have joint custody...she loved him as much as I did...in that, there was no question..." he said as Sanyu sighed and looked up into Randhir's eyes as they reflected grief, pain and something more

"But what about when Ma and your mother were here? How did they not realize..." Sanyu asked as Randhir turned towards her "Maintaining a happy family facade in front of our mother's was the worst...it killed us to keep them in the dark, but we had to...we could not tell them about our separation when they were so happy about Advait's birth...we thought it would be best for them to know it later...so when Advait was old enough to travel safely back to India, we planned the ill-fated trip" Randhir said as his shoulder's drooped down in defeat

"Why did you not tell me all this before Randhir?" she asked him when he let his other hand gently caress her soft cheeks...he swiped his thumb beneath her eyes to catch some of the residual tears hanging on there... "I did not want to increase your grief Sanyu...plus you had made it abundantly clear that you were in this marriage for Advait only...I did not want to burden you with all this too...as it is you sacrificed a lot already..." he said as Sanyu straightened up and pulled her arms away

She stood up and went to stand near the windows again...it was dawn and the sun would rise in sometime now...it was time to tell him about the truth she had been hiding inside her...but before that, she had to ask him something "Why did you not want to marry me?" she asked him softly, startling him at her question..."Pardon me?" he asked her as she turned around towards him

"I heard you that day...you said to your mother and di that you will never marry me...why Randhir? Was it so bad to marry me? That you only agreed to it when I said I was marrying you for Advait only? Did you really not find me worthy enough to be your wife in the real sense?" she asked him as he looked on dumbfounded...he stared at her for a few minutes as she found her confidence faltering...what was she doing asking him all this?...she did not want to know...it would only hurt her more... "You know what...forget I asked you this...lets just not talk about it" she said as she made her way to go inside when Randhir got up and pulled her roughly to him

Her body hit his with such an impact that she had to hold him by the shoulders in order to not fall on him completely "Randhir...what.." she started asking when he tightened his hold on her...making her body go up in flames at such an intimate contact with him... "You, not worthy of me? It was I who was not worthy of you Sanyukta...you had your whole life ahead of you...the last thing I wanted was for you to be saddled with your sister's husband and her child...I wanted you to live your life on your terms..that was the reason I said I will not marry you...not because I did not find you worthy..." he said as his breathing became erratic

"In fact I still don't find myself worthy of you...you are too pure and kind Sanyu...you are perfect...and me...I have too much baggage with me...I was worried that you too will be unhappy with me like Sanaya was...but then when I saw your love for Advait...I relented...plus you said you were in it only for him...so I thought if not me, then for Advait I can agree to this...I wanted to give you everything Sanyu...and I know you only see me as a friend...but I hope that one day we can look beyond all this...I will never want you to bind yourself to me or Advait ever..." he said as Sanyukta looked on in wonder

"If you ever..." he started saying when he felt his mouth being shut by the softest petals ever...it took him a second to realize that Sanyu was kissing him...but it wasn't long before his body reminded him of her effect on him as he kissed her back...his hands tugged her closer as she wound her arms around his neck, her inexperienced lips kissing him softly, waiting for him to guide her as he slanted his lips over hers...making her part her lips in anticipation and need as he deepened their kiss...she clung to him as he kissed her hungrily, like a man starved for ages...he kissed her like a man kisses a woman...a man who was madly and passionately in love...

They broke apart as air became a necessity, both taking in big gulps to reign in their breathing... "Sanyuu..." Randhir said huskily as she shyly looked up to find his eyes reflecting the same emotion she held in hers "I am already bound to you Randhir...you and Advait...I can't live without the two of you...maybe you are right...maybe this is fate...and I cannot even recall you how long I have been in love with you...I always feared your rejection Randhir...but now, I don't want to wait anymore" she said as Randhir's face lit up with a smile as never before

"I'm glad we are friends first Randhir...but I have waited too long to be yours...but if you want.." she started saying when Randhir interrupted her "I love you Sanyu..." he said as her eyes widened at his words...her heart beating erratically as his arms imprisoned her in his warmth... "When I said I wanted to marry someone else instead of Sanaya, it was you Sanyu...you took my breath away the first time I saw you kicking my car.." he said as she chuckled "But then things weren't so simple...and you never gave me any indication if you too felt something that day...so I let it go...I let go of a hope to be with you and married Sanaya instead...it was the right thing to do at that point...and I gave it my best" he said as Sanyukta hugged him, pulling him closer into her

"I know you did Randhir and I know that Di did too...but somethings are just not meant to be...and maybe a second chance was written in our fate..." she said as she pulled back to look at him...she caressed his stubbled chin as he turned his head and kissed her palm "I did feel something for you Randhir...but I too, let it go...thinking it was wrong to feel anything like that for my sister's fiance...but now I will never let you go...you, Advait and me...this is my world...I don't know anything else" she said as Randhir once again kissed her passionately, taking her breath away...but then pulled back to look at her with guilt-ridden eyes

"I still find myself guilty for Sanaya's death Sanyu...I still think of 'What if's'...What if we had come a day later ?or if I had sat in the back on Sanaya's side instead of in the front? did you know that Advait was sitting with Sanaya? It was only when he started crying that I took him to sit on my lap in the front...that was just a few minutes before the accident Sanyu...this thought still haunts me...and that was why I couldn't bring myself to tell you how I felt about you, I though I did not deserve anyone's love...It made me restless that you were so close to me, yet so far...and I never thought that this day would ever come, when you will return my love...please forgive me Sanyu...forgive me for Sanaya's..." he said as Sanyu gently placed her finger on his lips and shook her head

"No Randhir...it was not your fault...how can you even think that you are to blame for it? What happened was already written Randhir...Di's death has left a hole in our hearts...but I know that with time and with our love for Advait, it will fill up..." she said as Randhir hugged her tightly "I love you Sanyu...please don't ever leave me" he said as he placed his face in the crook of her neck, nuzzling her soft skin there, making her gasp at the tingles of pleasure running through her veins "I'll never leave you Randhir...we'll always be together" Sanyu said as she trailed her hands over his back

His hands went to the knot of her robe before gently pushing it off her, leaving her blushing in a soft satin nightie...she placed her head on his chest, right above his heart as he whispered in her ear "I have waited so long for this Sanyu...only I know how I remained sane, being so close to you...to feel you next to me and not be with you...I want us to take our relationship forward, Sanyu...I want you to be my wife, in every sense..." he said huskily as she nodded and kissed him lightly on his jaw, making him groan "Me too Randhir...me too" she said as he picked her up in his arms while she looped her arms around his neck, their eyes reflecting their love as the sun finally rose out to a gorgeous morning...a new morning and new beginning...for two lovers, who had finally found their solace in each other