The Beginning of Us
Avni Khatri had never imagined that the man she would marry would arrive in her life wearing a military uniform.
She had imagined many things.
A charming smile.
A ridiculous first meeting.
Perhaps a man who would make her laugh before he made her fall in love.
She had never imagined a Colonel.
And certainly not one named Rajveer Shekhawat.
"Avni, come downstairs."
Her mother's voice pulled her away from the mirror.
Avni sighed.
"I'm coming."
She took one last look at herself.
A simple pastel suit. Small earrings. Her hair left loose over her shoulders.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing that screamed I am here to impress a man.
Yet somehow, her heart was beating as though she were about to sit for an examination.
Because today, she was meeting the man her family thought could become her husband.
She walked downstairs and immediately noticed the unfamiliar family sitting in the living room.
And then she saw him.
Rajveer.
He stood beside his father, tall and straight-backed, dressed in a crisp formal shirt and trousers rather than his uniform.
Even without the uniform, there was something unmistakably military about him.
The posture.
The discipline.
The controlled expression.
The way he seemed to notice everything without saying much.
Avni's eyes met his.
For a second, neither of them looked away.
Then Rajveer politely lowered his gaze.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Avni, this is Rajveer," her father said.
Rajveer offered a polite smile.
"Hello."
"Hello."
That was it.
Their grand first meeting.
No dramatic music.
No butterflies flying around the room.
Just two strangers saying hello while their families watched them as though they were judging a matrimonial interview.
Avni almost laughed.
Almost.
After tea and an endless conversation between their parents, someone finally suggested the obvious.
"Why don't you two talk privately?"
Avni stood up.
Rajveer followed.
They walked onto the balcony.
For a few seconds, neither spoke.
Avni looked at him.
"So..."
Rajveer glanced at her.
"So?"
"You're actually a Colonel."
One eyebrow lifted.
"Yes."
"I thought my parents were exaggerating."
"I don't think your parents would exaggerate about something like that."
She smiled.
"True."
A small silence followed.
Then Rajveer asked, "Are you comfortable with this?"
Avni's smile faded slightly.
"With what?"
"The whole arrangement."
She studied him.
It was the first question he'd asked that actually mattered.
"I don't know you," she admitted. "And you don't know me."
Rajveer nodded.
"Exactly."
"But I think that's why we're supposed to talk."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Fair enough."
Avni leaned against the balcony railing.
"What are you looking for in a wife?"
Rajveer thought for a moment.
"Someone I can respect."
She blinked.
"That's it?"
"No."
"Good."
His lips curved slightly.
"Someone who can tell me when I'm wrong."
Avni smiled.
"Then you might be in trouble."
"Why?"
"Because I have no problem doing that."
For the first time, Rajveer actually laughed.
It was quiet.
Brief.
But genuine.
And Avni realized something.
The serious Colonel wasn't as intimidating as he looked.
He was simply reserved.
Perhaps shy.
She wasn't sure yet.
But she wanted to find out.
Their conversation continued for almost an hour.
They talked about family.
Work.
Expectations.
Marriage.
The future.
Neither promised love.
Neither pretended they were already falling for each other.
Instead, they made one simple decision.
They would give each other a chance.
Three months later, Avni became Avni Shekhawat.
Their wedding was beautiful.
Their families were happy.
The photographs were perfect.
The smiles looked genuine.
Everyone congratulated them.
Everyone told them how lucky they were.
And somewhere between the rituals, endless relatives, photographs, and whispered advice about married life, Avni found herself looking at Rajveer again.
Her husband.
The word felt strange.
New.
Almost unreal.
That night, when the noise finally disappeared and they were alone, Rajveer looked at her.
"You're tired."
Avni smiled.
"Exhausted."
"Then you should sleep."
She stared at him.
"That's your big romantic line?"
He looked confused.
"What?"
She laughed.
"Nothing."
He smiled awkwardly.
And Avni noticed it.
That awkwardness.
That slight nervousness.
The man who could command soldiers without hesitation suddenly seemed unsure of what to do with his own wife.
She decided not to tease him.
Not yet.
Instead, she simply said, "Goodnight, Rajveer."
"Goodnight, Avni."
They slept on opposite sides of the bed that night.
Not because they disliked each other.
But because they were still strangers learning how to become husband and wife.
The days that followed slowly changed that.
Morning tea became their little ritual.
Rajveer would leave early for duty, and Avni would stand at the doorway watching him leave.
Sometimes he'd call during the day.
Sometimes she'd send him ridiculous messages just to make him smile.
He discovered that she talked far more than he did.
She discovered that he secretly enjoyed listening.
He discovered that Avni hated being told what she should feel.
She discovered that Rajveer wasn't as emotionally distant as people assumed.
He simply needed time.
Slowly, they became comfortable.
Then playful.
Then close.
And somewhere along the way, Avni stopped thinking of him as the man she'd married because their families had approved.
He became her Rajveer.
The man who remembered how she liked her tea.
The man who silently placed a blanket over her when she fell asleep on the sofa.
The man who listened when she complained about relatives.
The man who rarely said too much but somehow made his presence felt.
One evening, months into their marriage, Avni was sitting beside him on the balcony.
The city lights shimmered below them.
Rajveer was reading something on his phone.
Avni looked at him.
"Rajveer?"
"Hm?"
"Are you happy?"
He lowered his phone.
"With you?"
She nodded.
He looked at her for several seconds.
Then he reached for her hand.
"Yes."
Her heart softened.
"Good."
"And you?"
Avni smiled.
"Yes."
She leaned her head against his shoulder.
For a moment, everything felt right.
No expectations.
No relatives.
No society.
No questions.
Just them.
Two people who had started as strangers and were slowly learning the language of marriage.
Neither of them knew that love wasn't always enough.
Neither knew that intimacy required more than affection.
Neither knew that unspoken expectations could become walls.
For now, they were simply husband and wife.
And Avni still believed that if two people loved each other enough, they could learn everything else along the way.
She didn't yet know how wrong-and how right-that belief would become.
