Chapter 3 :

28 August, Wednesday, 2024

10:20 a.m.

Geetanjali's POV

Are the days actually skipping or am I just hallucinating? Just a week ago I had my engagement and today I have my mehendi. It felt like I was clicking that picture, where I was twirling holding his finger, just yesterday. It's normal I guess because there are so many relatives in our house and the hustle and bustle lets time pass by very quickly.

Everyone looked so happy and excited about my marriage whereas I wasn't so interested. Such an irony. The bride herself isn't interested. I scoffed.

Neha wasn't upset now even if I was marrying Adhvik and not Rohan. She did like Rohan because of his nice behaviour but she never attached herself to him too much. They used to share a good bond until I decided to break it off. She's not a very loud girl. She values attachment so she doesn't attach herself to anyone so easily.

She's just happy that I'm getting married finally because she's 23 already. Since she already has a stable job, she can get married after two years only if she wishes.

Yeah she's carefree because she's the younger one but still, she knows her responsibilities.

"Ma'am", I heard the mehendi artist calling me out bringing me back to reality.

"Yes?", I asked her.

"Ma'am should I write your husband's name here", she asked, pointing at the empty space in the middle of my palm.

I stared at the mehendi design. It was so particularly drawn that each and every curve was clean and clear. Not a slight mess was there. But the empty space made my mind go blank. I had seen Ruhi hiding her husband's name in between her mehendi. She has later told me that during their very first rasoi, all he did at first was search his name in her hand. Even he had got her name written on his palm. Of course they'd be doing all these because they had a love marriage.

I used to consider them useless but somewhere my heart knew that I also wished that my husband searched his name in my mehendi. But it'll be useless now.

"Yeah you can do it", I replied before looking away.

It'll be gone after some time anyways.

After writing the name, she wrote my name on the other palm before finally packing her stuff and left. After her leave, my cousins came and sat beside me before the cameraman came and clicked my pictures.

The day was neither too special nor too uninteresting for me. I knew I was the bride so I was the center of attraction and today was my mehendi—that's all. I was aware of everything that I should be.

The colorful pandal, the people dressed so nice, everyone dancing and celebrating and the mehndi on my hands—everything felt just ordinary but there was a bit of nervousness inside me. I was nervous because I will be living with a man whom I barely knew under the same roof and that too in a very huge and empty mansion. Yeah, my mother-in-law had called me yesterday evening saying that she failed to convince him to shift to his parents'mansion. So he and I will be living alone in Mumbai since his parents live in Delhi.

So basically, I'll need to leave my job in DU and live with Adhvik in Mumbai. It wasn't much of a concern because I'd get another job in any university in Mumbai, if luck will be on my side.

All these aside, I wonder where the woman named Raina, mentioned during the interview on our engagement day, would be. Does he love her? But he had said that they weren't together anymore. But again, why'd he admit to the media about his relationship with another woman right after he was engaged? They might be together right?

All these thoughts made my tongue taste bitter. It'll bother me because this marriage was for a lifetime and I have no intentions of living together with him for a while and divorce. Marriage and divorce isn't a child's play. It's about lifetime commitment and bonding. I don't know about his thoughts on the matter but since I'm giving my will and support to this marriage, I expect the same from him.

And one thing is that I won't cower back if he cheats on me or something related.

The day soon ended and I retired back to my room to rest. Afterall, tomorrow's our haldi and he'd be here. This would be our third encounter.

My heart shakes at the mere thought of seeing him again. I don't know why. Definitely it's not love but maybe nervousness.

•

29 August, Tuesday, 2024

7:30 a.m.

"Good morning princess", a deep voice spoke near my ear. The voice felt slightly familiar but new at the same time.

I moved my head rubbing my eyes as I mumbled, "Let me sleep Adi bhai."

"Maa is calling you downstairs and I'm not Aditya. It's Adhvik", I heard him speaking again and this time, I shot my head to my right only to get startled.

I sat up on the bed with a shriek as I threw the hair strands away from my eyes to have a clear view of the man leaning over me.

There stood my fiancé, clad in a red chinkari kurta with white patiala. He had his hair styled back and as always, wore his browline glasses which really matched his sharp features. He looked so tidy and fit.

"What are you doing in my room so early?", was the first question that I happened to ask.

He stared at me blankly before answering, "My mother wanted me to wake you up and your mother supported her. Rest you understand on your own."

I looked away mumbling 'rude'. I hope I won't regret marrying him. I sighed and got down the bed while typing up my hair into a low bun. But as I stood up on the ground, I realised I was wearing a tank top and shorts. The shorts at least went to my mid thighs but the top just covered my breasts, reaching till my mid ribs.

I looked at him to find him looking away. I bet he saw me. I'm embarrassed but I can't do anything when he comes inside without knocking.

"If you have some shame then get out or else you can wait till I change infront of you", I replied looking at my phone in my hands. I was just trying to calm down because I was bursting in nervousness from inside.

He cleared his throat, "Better start talking politely or you might not like the aftermath", he replied which seemed more like a warning. I frowned before looking at him.

"Just.get.out", I spoke clearly to the man who was staring at me with his dark piercing gaze. But I also stared back.

He looked away while clenching his jaws before walking out of the room.

I'm really in no mood to entertain anyone now because I was done with everything. Of course I was uncomfortable because I didn't know him properly and what intentions he had. I had heard that he was a man of very good manners and strict rules but I feel like that was all a façade.

Entering a girl's room without her permission is totally a mannerless trait. Shrugging away the thoughts, I tried to fix my mood when I received a text.

Picking it up from the bed, I looked at the notification.

Rohan:

It's your marriage tomorrow, finally. I hope you made the decision with enough thought and clarity. I won't talk about us because we did that day already. I just want to wish you a happy married life. Hope you stay happy with your husband. I'm actually going out of the country tomorrow so I won't be able to wish you so I did it today. Call me when you need me. I'll always be there even if as your friend.

Bye.

I let out a shaky breath, closing the phone and throwing it back on the bed. No tears escaped my eyes because I was actually out of tears. I had been crying a lot after our separation and I feel so numb now. Yes it for sure hurts but it's pointless because I was a coward. I couldn't fight for our love even if he was ready to fight.

He wanted to fight for us but I, the fucking coward, neither let him do it nor I did. I remained silent when papa asked to leave him. I just so much cared about my parents' happiness and reputation in the society that I agreed to their decision. I felt too indebted towards them for feeding me, bringing me up that I couldn't protest.

Looking up at the ceiling, I sniffed, wiping off the tears. Calming down, I went inside the washroom to take a bath and get ready for my haldi.

Half an hour later I came out of the washroom and got ready.

I wore a red chinkari sharara set and half tied up my hair. I can do make-up very well so I just went for minimal makeup. My cousins did help me in getting ready. In between they'd tease me saying I was matching with him but only I knew the irritation I held in my heart for him.

So nice.

It took me two hours to get ready properly for the ceremony before I finally went downstairs with Ananya di, my bade mama's elder daughter and Arya di, my tau Ji's elder daughter. They're like my bestfriends. In today's time where cousins are barely available, they've always been with me. With them I feel so young and small despite me being an elder sister myself.

They made me sit beside Adhvik so right now, I'm sitting beside him. I didn't want to sit with him after the morning incident because I was unreasonably rude. He was just there to wake me up but I just did that. I was actually nervous about the marriage since everything is new to me and moreover I was sad that I will leave everyone behind and go away with him.

I shook off my thoughts and focused on my dadi who stood infront of me with a smile, applying haldi on me she said, "Bhagwan karein tere zindagi me shadi ke baad naye rang bhar jaye."

(May God bless you that new colors fill your life after marriage)

I smiled at her. After her proceeded my parents, then my friends, them cousins and relatives and then hai family members. I once looked at him while he was being applied haldi and to my surprise, I saw him smiling. The handsome smile he had on his face actually looked good on him but he happened to notice me so he just glared at me causing me to look away.

All the time I felt nothing even though it was new. I just couldn't feel anything to make myself happy, genuinely. So I just forced a smile till he and I were standing on the left side of my house to have our pictures clicked.

"Sir please back hug ma'am and apply the haldi from your right cheek on ma'am's neck", the cameraman yelled so casually as if it was normal. Definitely it was normal for him but it wasn't for me. For me it was a hell lot of embarrassing to have a man touch me so sensually but it seemed like the cat had got my tongue because I couldn't even protest.

I tilted my head to look at him who was already staring down at me silently. I looked away before I felt him nearing me and soon his arms sneaked around my waist, yanking me back to let my back collide with his chest. I held his hands over my stomach but slightly jumped on my place when I felt his hot breaths on my nape, followed by his skin against mine. He didn't have much of a beard but the light layer also stung my skin.

I let out a shaky breath when I heard him speaking, "Just act bold like you were doing this morning." His tone was again demanding but this time I knew he was mocking me. I gritted my teeth before tilting my head a bit.

I closed my eyes, trying to calm down my jumping heart and my shaking inner body in nervousness. I was never this intimate even with my boyfriend how much I was getting with him. He rubbed his cheek against my neck slowly, creating some friction on my skin making my breath hitch. I gulped .

"Perfect shot", I heard the cameraman yell at us. I shot open my eyes and threw his hands away from my waist before standing beside him.

"Aur kitne baki hai?", I asked the cameraman.

(How many more are left?)

"Ma'am there's just five more poses for you both and then we're done", he replied enthusiastically but only I knew the exhaustion I felt hearing that. It was pretty annoying to click pictures with someone who was no way near romantic or even amiable.

Nonetheless, I nodded and let him suggest the next pose.

I was facing him, my right side of the body tilted towards my right a bit so I could see the cameraman, my hands rested on his busts while he held me by my waist.

"Ma'am apply haldi on sir's cheeks", spoke the cameraman as one of their team members came over to me giving me some haldi. I took some from the bowl before facing him.

As soon as my eyes came in contact with his, I felt like I was frozen in my place. He was staring at me with any expression, while his hot breaths were felt on my skin, I felt his hands on my waist like they were not over the kurta but directly on my skin. I just kept shifting from one eye to another until he pinched my waist making me flinch.

"What the heck did you do?", I hissed.

"Stop staring and pose. I don't have time for these things", he replied back monotonously making me clench my jaws. I gave in with a sigh before applying haldi on his cheeks with my hands as the sound of the camera shutter closing echoed a few times.

"Perfect. You can proceed to the next pose", the cameraman yelled and I changed the position.

I sat down on a stool as he sat down on the ground, taking my right foot on his left hand before applying haldi on it with his right hand. His eyes were fixed to mine and mine to his. And again, the moment seemed so surreal and different. It wasn't like love was in the air between us but still, it felt different. His eyes, always a contrast against everything around us, gleamed in its own darkness amidst the light. Even without any music or tune, I can dance staring at his eyes. They had a pull that no one can define but still get pulled by it. Without any emotion they looked so seraphic then I can't imagine how breathtaking they'd look when they gleam with new and different emotions rather than blankness.

"Perfect", the cameraman yelled bringing me out of my reverie. I looked away in embarrassment because I was clearly staring at him. I felt my cheeks heating up. Not giving it any heed, we both went for more poses. They were just normal ones so I was really relieved.

After our photoshoot he got busy on his phone so I got back to where our families were and started clicking pictures there.