Chapter 2

AADHI

After the wedding night, the girl should wake up early and get ready for pooja (ritual) with her mother and mother-in-law.

When I woke up the clock showed 5 a.m. I closed my eyes again and rolled on my bed, not wanting to get up. The bed was so soft and comfy.

I rolled onto my other side and then my mom's image flashed in my mind, shouting at me for not getting ready on time.

I lazily tried to get off the bed, and then suddenly I realized that I was on the bed, making my eyes go wide in shock.

I looked around to get some clue about how I got there from the floor. Then I remembered everything that happened last night.

Tears filled my eyes and blurred my vision as I thought about it and also remembered that my husband had carried me to the bed and apologized.

I wiped my tears away and found him sleeping beside me. Even people who have lots of problems in their lives tend to sleep peacefully.

Sleep is the only escape for everyone from reality. Only when we sleep can we forget about everything and lie there peacefully.

But when I looked at him, it was different. He seemed so unsettled even in his sleep.

Suddenly I realized that I was staring at him for an unusually long time, so I got up and went to get ready for the ritual.

I was on time when my mother and mother-in-law started the ritual. We were joined by my sister-in-law.

Her name is Bharathi. She is twenty-four years old. We became friends on our wedding day. She was so sweet and friendly.

My mother-in-law's name is Padma, and my father-in-law's name is Ramakrishna. They had been married for about thirty years.

In the ritual they apply the bindi (religious red powder applied on the forehead) on the girl's thali (wedding chain of yellow rope and gold pendant), wishing for a long life for her husband.

The ritual went on for about an hour. After the ritual, my mom left saying goodbyes. It was my first time staying in someone else's home without my mother. I already missed her.

I felt blank without her being here to guide me. I didn't know what to do next. My mom was my moral support until she was here. Everything and everyone was new around me.

After sending off my mom I went inside. I passed the hall where my father-in-law was reading the newspaper with coffee in his hand and then I went to Bharathi's room.

Maybe she would keep me company, as she was the only person I knew in that house.

I was disappointed as soon as I entered her room. She was getting ready to go somewhere.

"Bharathi, are you going somewhere?" I asked her. She was startled to see me. She must have been thinking deeply, as she didn't see me coming inside.

"I am going to my friend's home. Her mother is sick and got admitted to a hospital. She is scared, and she wanted me to stay with her." She seemed worried about her friend.

"Oh...okay," I replied blankly. Suddenly I felt I was left all alone.

When I was about to leave the room, Bharathi called out, "Anni" (sisters call their brother's wife Anni). I turned back to look at her.

"You will be all right, don't worry too much." She tried to cheer me up. She must have guessed my thoughts. I smiled at her and left the room.

I went to the kitchen where my mother-in-law was cooking. "Come, dear," she welcomed me with a warm smile.

I smiled back and hesitantly asked her, "Can I call you Mom?"

She placed her hands on my cheeks and said, "You are like my daughter, so you can call me however you want." Handing me over a coffee cup she said, "Go and give it to Kutty."

I learned that everyone close to my husband called him Kutty, a nickname from his childhood.

"He hasn't woken up yet, should I wake him up and give him the coffee?" I asked her, still unsure.

"He is such a lazy one in our house. He can sleep the whole day if we don't wake him up," she said, laughing playfully.

She told me to wake him up and added that it was going to be my job from now on. I rolled my eyes mentally.

"Don't be afraid, dear, hit him hard if he doesn't get up. We won't question you if he complains," she said, winking at me.

I chuckled and left with the coffee in my hand, thinking she was nice and that I didn't need to worry about her.

As I was going to our room, my father-in-law raised his head from the newspaper and saw me.

He smiled at me and asked teasingly, "So, no coffee for me? Only for your husband, huh?"

I stood there contemplating what to say to him. While I was confused about what to say, Mom came to my rescue.

"Why are you teasing her? You finished your coffee just now, right?" she scolded him playfully

"Hey, I am talking to my daughter-in-law. I am not talking to you, you know?" he teased her back, winking at me.

I chuckled and walked toward our room thinking that everyone in this house was nice except him.

I opened the door and entered the room. I stopped right there with coffee in my hands, remembering last night's events and afraid to go near him.

My legs were clumsy, and my heart was pounding like crazy. I felt like a sheep entering a lion's den.

I didn't want to go anywhere near him. Should I go back and ask Ma to give him coffee? No...no, she will misunderstand me.

He hasn't woken up yet, so I came up with a plan.

I will keep the coffee on the table, tap him on the shoulder to wake him up and then I will run out before he sees me and go stand near Ma.

What will he do when I am with her? Oh god, why am I thinking like a ten-year-old girl?

Okay, whatever happens, let it happen... Be a strong girl.

After motivating myself, I started walking toward him. My anklets made so much noise even if I tiptoed.

What if he wakes up and shouts at me? Oh God please help me get through this... Please don't wake up... Please don't wake up... Please... Please...

I left the coffee on the table and turned to wake him up by tapping on his shoulder, but I hesitated and withdrew my hand.

I did that at least two or three times, reaching for him and pulling away. I thought about calling out to him, but I didn't even know his name. I didn't think it was appropriate to call him Kutty.

While I was standing near the bed, thinking, he suddenly jumped up and turned toward me saying, "Like what you see?"

I was shocked but couldn't hold back my laugh. I knew it was silly of me to laugh but the way he turned around made me laugh. He tried to scare me like a child does their parents. It was kind of cute.

Then I realized I was smiling at him and changed my expression to a questioning look, wondering how he knew I was there.

He must have guessed what I was thinking, as he told me, "Your anklet. That's how I knew you were here." I didn't say anything back. I just gave him the coffee and turned back to leave.

"Hmm... What is your name?" I could feel that he was asking half-heartedly.

I was tempted to leave without answering but then I hesitated and turned back to look at him. "Aadhirai...you can call me Aadhi," I told him as I tried to leave.

"Just wanted to say that you look beautiful when you laugh," he said hesitantly. I didn't reply nor did I turn to look at him. I just smiled and walked away.

After that, Mom and I worked in the kitchen for lunch, chatting. That was when I knew my husband was running a business, and his friends were partners in it.

My father-in-law took voluntary retirement from his teaching after his son had got into the business. I wanted to ask his name, but I hesitated and decided otherwise.

My husband went out to see his friends in the afternoon. The day went pretty normal. He came back home after we finished our dinner.

I was waiting for him to come home. Mom and Dad went to sleep. I started feeling anxious again when I saw him since we were all alone.

My heart was pounding so much that I could hear my own heartbeat.

I tried to serve him dinner without showing my nervousness. He finished his dinner and went back to our room. He didn't speak a word or look at me when he came home or while he was having dinner.

When I finished cleaning, I went back to our room. He was looking at his phone and doing something. He didn't see me coming.

I didn't know what to do next. I stood there looking at him expecting him to say something. But he didn't, he was sitting there as if I was not even in the room.

Annoyed by his actions, I started picking up my bedsheet and pillow, deciding to sleep on the floor. I didn't have the heart to sleep beside him after how he behaved on our first day

My actions caught his attention. He looked at me and asked, "What are you doing?" I didn't mind him as I continued to spread my bedsheets on the floor, preparing to sleep.

He asked me again, annoyed by my unresponsiveness, "Aadhi, I am asking you what are you doing?"

I thought to myself and lay down showing my back to him. I was annoyed by how he treated me from the moment I entered this house. It was all too much.

"Aadhi?" he called again. Even then I didn't answer, but he knew that I was listening, so he continued, "I don't know about you but this marriage happened without my interest.

So I was thinking about getting divorced after a few months. You don't have to worry about your family or mine. I will take full responsibility; I will tell them it was my fault.

We will come up with the reason when the time comes. You just need to sign the papers. What do you say?"

Wow... Even I didn't expect this plot twist.