Vihaan sat on the couch, his mind a storm of frustration and hurt. The glass in his hand was now half empty, the amber liquid swirling with every movement of his fingers. The world around him felt mutedâdistantâthough his anger burned bright inside him. He hadnât been able to shake the sting of Aarohiâs absence from the wedding, or the way it felt like she had disregarded not only him but his entire family.
His ego, something he had worked so hard to protect, had been bruised. It wasnât just about the marriage or the families involvedâit was about the respect he felt entitled to. He wasnât used to being treated like this. Vihaan had always been in control, always held the upper hand. And for Aarohi to just disappear, to leave without a wordâit was a blow he couldnât ignore.
His father, Dev, entered the room first, his expression calm but with an edge of concern. He could see the way Vihaan was holding the glass, the way his fingers clenched around it, and the tension in his posture. Vihaanâs anger was evident, though he tried his best to mask it.
âVihaan,â Dev said, sitting down next to him. âI know youâre upset, but you need to calm down.â
Vihaan didnât answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the drink in his hand. The silence between them stretched, and then he finally spoke, his voice low, cold. âShe disrespected me, Dad. She disrespected us all.â
Dev exhaled slowly, rubbing his chin in thought. âSon, I understand your frustration. But you have to understand... Aarohi is young. Sheâs confused. She made a mistake, but she didnât mean to hurt you.â
Vihaanâs jaw tightened. âI donât care if sheâs young. You donât just do that. You donât leave like that. She could have at least told us what was going on instead of running away. It felt like she wanted to avoid me, avoid everything.â
âI know,â Dev said softly. âBut you need to see it from her perspective. Sheâs not ready for this. Itâs a lot of pressure on her. And maybe, in her own way, she was trying to escape it all.â
Vihaan shook his head, anger building inside him. âNo, this isnât just a mistake. She made a choice. A choice to disrespect me, to disrespect the whole family.â
Dev was quiet for a moment, choosing his words carefully. âIâm not asking you to forget what happened, Vihaan. But you need to understand that people make mistakes. Youâve been through thisâmore than once. You know how easy it is to get caught in your emotions. You canât let this one incident affect you like this.â
Vihaan set the glass down with a sharp clink, his fingers curling into a fist. His eyes narrowed, and he leaned back, staring at the ceiling. The anger still swirled inside him, but he didnât want to show his father that it was getting to him. He had always prided himself on control, on being the one who never let his emotions take over. But this was different. This felt personal.
He didnât want to marry Aarohi, not really. He hadnât been interested in this marriage from the start. But he wouldnât disrespect her or her family. His parents might have forced this whole thing on him, but he knew his roleâhe had to show restraint. He didnât want to make things harder than they already were, but now, with the way Aarohi had acted, he didnât know how much longer he could keep up the facade.
His mother, Anjali, stepped into the room quietly, her presence almost calming. She sat beside him, her touch gentle as she placed a hand on his arm. âVihaan,â she said softly, her voice warm yet firm. âYouâve been through worse, havenât you? You know how to handle these situations. This is just a moment of frustration. Aarohi didnât mean to upset you. Sheâs probably just scared, uncertain about everything thatâs happening around her.â
Vihaan met her gaze, his expression still hard, though there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. âI get it, Mom. But it doesnât make it any easier. Itâs hard for me to just brush this off. It feels like sheâs already decided she doesnât want anything to do with me.â
Anjali gave him a sympathetic smile. âYou donât know that for sure. Give her time. Sheâs young, and this marriage is not something anyone can just accept easily. But you canât go on holding onto this resentment, Vihaan. It will only eat you up inside.â
Vihaan stared into his motherâs eyes, the frustration still burning in his chest, but the warmth of her words was enough to make him pause. He took a deep breath and leaned back into the couch, his head heavy with the weight of their words.
âAlright,â he said quietly, his voice a little softer than before. âIâll let it go... for now. But I wonât forget. I need to know what sheâs really thinking, not just what sheâs showing me.â
Dev nodded, relieved. âWeâll talk to her parents. Weâll figure it out. The next time we meet, at Shwetaâs vidaai, weâll sit down and talk things through. Youâll have your answers.â
Vihaan didnât say anything more. He knew that, deep down, his anger wasnât going to be easily forgotten, but his parents were right. Holding onto this anger would only make things worse. Still, he couldnât shake the feeling that something was offâsomething about this marriage, this woman he barely knew.
But for now, he would play the part. He would wait, keep his distance, and figure out his next move. One thing was certain: he wasnât going to let this disrespect go unnoticed. And when the time came, he would make sure Aarohi understood just how serious he was about respectâhis respect.