30 - Worse than my own's family(S1)

BACK IN THE HIS FATHER'S STUDY ROOM,

"It's not what you think," Prithvi stated.

"Then you tell us. What should I think? It would be better if you clear things on your own, leaving no space for any misleading ideas," his father said.

"It's not just about you, Mr. Prithvi Chauhan. The decisions you make, whom you let enter your life, whom you let go—it's about the whole empire, the entire reputation of our hotels. It all depends on your actions. Your actions don't solely change your life, but everyone's," Yashvardhan, Prithvi's father, declared.

"Personally, I'm very happy that, for the very first time, I see my son getting defeated in front of me. My whole life, I waited for this moment to see the colors of my son's face when he finally accepts his fate. The way he hates our royal status, our family dynamics, the way I tried to convey to him every time. Play tricks to get him to kneel down, accepting his reality, to live with that like others," Yashvardhan said in a cold voice.

"But being the head of this household, it's my duty. I need to, I want to show my disappointment on behalf of everyone. You couldn't just make anyone the bahu of this house. Everyone had expectations when it came to your 'wife.' We had our expectations, your mother has hers. Everyone had. What have you gotten when you decided to make a normal girl a Chauhan household bahu? I'm asking one last time. Do I finally take this that Prithvi Chauhan, who had this big pride about how he never mixed professional life with his personal feelings, like his father, has finally changed? Has he started taking decisions on impulse? Has he, who took his father as a bad example and hated him for the same reason, finally gone?" Yashvardhan said, looking at Prithvi.

Prithvi finally spoke, "I'm the same, the same Prithvi, and I've never been defeated in front of you. I will never accept that hollow title or tag or anything related to your royal privilege. I will never forget that," Prithvi stopped.

His father looked at him, raising his eyebrow, and Prithvi changed his statement, not mentioning the past again. "And Dad, we aren't the same. Never take me as the same as you. Even my shadow could never be. I said never. I never mix things or use privilege like you did," Prithvi spoke, looking at his father but not directly into his eyes.

His expression was colder and stiffer than before.

"Then explain your behavior. Am I a fool to not see you doing the same things we did?" his father said.

"No, it's not the same thing. I repeat myself, It will never be," Prithvi stated, not wanting to ever admit defeat in front of his father, not wanting to see his victorious smile, not wanting to lose himself and follow the same steps as his father.

His jaw clenched as he continued, "I did what was different from you. I did all that because I saw a big opportunity from a business mindset to get that business under my control. By owning the majority stocks of that company, Jairaaj Jamwal's business idea was thriving. I took a good look before taking the risk. But if I had given him an offer or proposed a business proposal, he would have directly said no. But by marrying his daughter, I built a hold on him. And marrying his daughter was just a deal for me, a repayment I had to make for what I saw as a profit in the future. She was just a deal," Prithvi uttered without realizing that someone could be listening to him.

He either lied or just stated the truth; we couldn't assume. But one thing was sure, he couldn't see his father winning. Or being similar to him.

He then stated confidently to Yashvardhan, "You should look out at your political career. I know my business, and we aren't the same. We can never be," emotionlessly

"But for that, it was such a cheap strategy to just make any girl our Khandan bahu. Your companion, not anyone can be put into that position. What about—" his father spoke, convinced with Prithvi's statements.

But his face turned into shock as the sound of something breaking followed in the room.

Niharika stood there, having listened to everything, unconsciously dropping the tray she held in place of Vanshi. As the tray hit the floor, she nervously sat down, picking up the broken pieces—a shattered reflection of her hopes scattered on the ground.

Meanwhile, Prithvi, who had turned around just after stating everything emotionlessly, now looked shocked, fearful, and terror covered his face.

He took his hand out of his pocket, forming it into a fist, as he realized he said something he shouldn't have, and she heard something she never was supposed to.

As he saw her sitting, not looking at him, not even giving a single glance, he clenched his fist even tighter, his eyes filled with self-directed curses.

Not only Prithvi but his father, Yashvardhan, also looked shocked—who were confident just a minute ago, now concernedly looking at the girl.

Yashvardhan said, "Leave that. Someone else will pick it up. You'll hurt yourself."

Hurt? She was already hurt. What would some tiny pieces of a broken cup do? She didn't listen to him and kept nervously picking up the pieces.

Yashvardhan said again, "Leave it; it's not your work," looking at the girl.

His face showed guilt for saying something he shouldn't have to her.

He shouted looking towards the gate, "Girdhar! Vanshi! Suman! Where's everyone?" looking at the girl.

Finally! He acknowledged her presence.

But Prithvi, on the other hand, kept looking at her with horror.

She continued to pick, shaking and looking continuously at the floor.

Finally, she got up, looked up, meeting Prithvi's eyes for a moment.

His eyes held the fear of breaking something that was never meant to be tied together, while her eyes held nothing—no emotions, no feelings, no disappointment, just nothing.

They were a blank gaze.

While Prithvi's eyes still held hope and a fear—this time, more intense. The fear that, please God, she didn't hear anything. But then his hopes were shattered, scattered the same way in pieces as her was.

when she looked towards his father and said, "I... I'm s..o.orry. I ov...e..erheard e..e..everyth...i..ing. I w..wasn't s..s.sup..posed to. Th...e..en I d.did worse—b...b.broke th...i..is tray. I'm s...sorry f..or--" clutching her dupatta tightly.

His father, again feeling a little guilty, in realization of his mistake, said, "No, it's okay," stated, while she did not even glance in prithvi direction, holding back her tears, and she ran away from there.

Prithvi stood there, grounded. His father turned toward him, blurting out, "Prithvi, you created this mess now. Handle it beforehand, reception."

But Prithvi wasn't listening; he looked lost, staring in the direction she had run away. His father was gone too.

He stood there on his ground, blurting out, "What did I do? She heard everything."

***

Niharika's POV:

After struggling to control myself, I entered the room, locked the door, and made my way through the whole hallway, desperately trying not to cry in front of anyone.

I couldn't hold back any longer. My eyelids felt heavy with the weight of his words, and I broke down, leaning against the door.

"Marrying his daughter was just a deal for me. A repayment I had to pay for what I see as profit."

"She is just a deal—replacement."

His words were tearing my soul, making my heart bleed, making it hard to accept the painful truth.

"I'm j...just a d...e..eal for h..h.im."

"No....t..thing, j...u..ust a d..eal!"

"A..n..nd all t...h..hose th..i..ings he d.did w..e..ere f.o..or?"

No, Niharika, you misunderstood once again. That concern wasn't for you but for a fellow human—a kind gesture towards another human. And you thought, you fool.

I cried, my hand covering my mouth, tears escaping freely.

"Y..oo..ou fool, m..m..isunde....rsto.od his a...c..ctions as his fe..e..elings towards you, c...c.concern for y..y..o.ou."

Even a blind person could differentiate between a kind gesture and love, but you fool.

I sobbed, taking long breaths.

Why would a person like him like a girl like you? You were concocting things in your mind, unintentionally hurting no one but yourself. What are you, a blockhead? An idiot? How could you come to your own conclusions when he clearly stated on our very first night that he doesn't like you, or simply hates you for your reality?

I wiped my tears, but they kept coming, flowing as if they planned in advance to stay longer.

"B..b.ut he s...said he w..wou..ld pr..r..otect me. H..h..e wo...o.uld ne..e..ver let m..me get h..u..urt. It felt r..eal, n..n.ot like a d..deal."

No, Niharika, no. Again, you're making a fool of yourself. No one will come to protect you. You need to stand up for yourself. If his words were genuine, then why is he the one hurting you after making such a significant statement? Why is he the first person to do so? Why are you crying here, hiding from everyone? It was a lie.

"A l...lie?" I muttered, sobbing, shaking my head in denial.

"No..no"

Its not time to hide away and cry out my miserable life. Why am I always crying? I need to stand for myself, ask him how he could play with me. Who is he to treat me like just a deal replacement?

"Ye..s," I wiped my tears, subconsciously nodding my head.

I heard a knock on the door and got up, clearing my tears. But could I clear the trace of my condition, its visibility, and how his statement had affected me?

I opened the door, and he entered the room, not saying a word. 'Huh! What a pathetic life I had; everyone around me just pities me.' I moved towards him, looking into his eyes.

"W..was th...hat all t..true?" I asked.

"Why?" he said, and it hurt.

But he seemed unaffected, acting as if he didn't care. I guess it's true; I'm the only one making up things.

"H..how co...o.uld y...ou?" I started, and tears started coming again, not stopping.

"Could I what?" he said, looking at me in visible frustration.

"Yo...u ma..r..rried me for P-p-profit?" I stated, feeling a lot of chains twisting inside my heart with every word I uttered.

"No...w..w, w..whom sh..o..ould w..we h..hate? M..e.e or y..you? Th...a..at w..as just Y-Y-your re...ason. You sti...ll ma...r..rried me e..even after k...k.nowing m...my r..reality," I said, but he didn't even look guilty for his actions.

"Yes!" he said.

I felt a pang of pain on my left side; it hurt.

"Yes, so what?" he said, taking my wrist, pulling it, and pinning me to the door, looking into my eyes.

"I'm not a knight, Who will rescue you from darkness? and we are not in a fairytale." he stated, emotionlessly.

Even as I looked into his eyes, they remained cold. Maybe there was never any emotion. Maybe he never had concern. It was just me imagining my own little happiness inside my brain.

"Y...you k...n..now I h..ate you, e...e....even mo...o..re th..a..an I d..did my o...own fa...mily," I said, maybe hoping it would make him feel a little guilty, but no.

He chose to ignore my words. "I hate you more than you do, from my core," he said, then eyeing me from head to toe, he continued, "You don't even match my standards. I don't know what happened to me, why I even married you for that company. I should never. I regret it," he stated.

It was enough for my ears; it was enough to break me again and again. Now I didn't want to hear anything or expect anything from him. Ever!

"Pl....e..ase st...o...op," I said, tightly closing my eyes.

"No, why? Let me clear—"

"Pl...ea..s..sse."

"No, I would have never—"

(THE DOOR OPENS, AND HE ENTERS, FOLLOWING THE SOUND)

Niharika blinked, meeting his eyes, then looked down, realizing that all this while, she was feeding her dog, but her thoughts, she herself, were lost somewhere else.

She gets up, and he enters the room, closing the door behind him.

Moving towards her to confront her, his eyes looked desperate to explain himself, as if he had to say those things cause he couldn't just to see his father winning with a victorious smile.

On the other side, Niharika's whole face told a different story—pale, without emotion, her eyes showing no feelings.

She moved towards the cupboard, and he followed her.

"I meant—" he started speaking, but Niharika, closing her eyes tightly, took a long breath, knowing what was coming.

She turned around to face him and said, "S..sit."

"What?" he said in confusion, not understanding her actions.

He prepared himself for something different.

"Sit h..here," she said, pointing towards the bed, and he took his seat in silence. She placed a first aid box on the bed and sat down.

He just kept looking at her in metaphysical silence.

"Ap..p..ka ha..ath ka..i..ise hein, let m..m.ee dress y.,.our wo..u.und," she said, pointing towards his hand, and his gaze followed the direction of her finger.

Then he looked at her in disbelief, thinking, 'What kind of a girl is she? How could she ask—'

She took his hand and undressed his wound, looking at it.

She stated, "It's he...a...aling. Y..y.ou should dr..e..ess it m..o..ore of..t...ten," nodding her head.

While Prithvi couldn't muster the courage to utter a single word, at first, he might have thought it would be simple. He would just say whatever the truth was. But now, his face showed that he couldn't justify his actions; her words, her actions left him speechless at life each and every moment.

He kept looking at her while she applied ointment to his wound.

But then he pulled his hand away, growing impatient.

The impatience planted on his face, and she snapped her head up.

He began, "Tumhe kya kisi baat ka fark yeh bura nahi lagta?"

Niharika didn't reply.

She again took his hand, applying ointment while looking down.

"I just told Dad I married you for a deal. Don't you have a grudge against me? Don't you want to slap me for saying those things?" he asked, looking down at her, hoping for a reply.

He couldn't find any clue in her eyes. Now, only her reply could settle the storm inside him. He waited patiently for her to reply, while impatience grew within him with each passing second.

She finally replied."La..g.gta h...ai n..a," she said, finally looking up, not avoiding eye contact. She was looking into his eyes, but he couldn't feel any complaints in her gaze. 'Did she have no hopes from him?'

Growing more annoyed by her dry reply, he took her hand, pulling her closer to him, thinking this might affect her in some way. His grip tightened, conveying a sense of urgency and desperation.

"Then curse me, slap me," he insisted, his voice tinged with frustration. "I'm giving you permission to use your rights on me. Hit me, make complaints like, 'How dare I try to treat you like things? Who gives me the right to treat your life as mere play?' Right, do that."

His words hung in the tense air, thick with unresolved emotions. He scanned her eyes again, searching for any sign of reaction. Her eyes softened momentarily, a fleeting glimpse of vulnerability, before they clouded over again, her expression inscrutable.

He pulled her even closer, their bodies almost touching, the tension palpable between them. Their breaths mingled, hot and heavy, as he joined his head with hers, their gazes locked in a silent battle of wills. She tried to maintain her composure, fighting against the overwhelming surge of emotions threatening to engulf her.

In a voice heavy with emotion, he implored, "Please, whatever you want to say, just say it. I prepared myself for your confrontation, for your complaints, not you holding back. Don't give me a guilt trip by acting like that. Let it out and be done, like I do whenever I have complaints with you."

Desperation showed in his eyes, but would that change what Niharika's mind had concluded? No, the injury she had was much more than that, couldn't be explained in some words and be done.

In response, she just said, "N..o.o," removed her hand from his, and created distance between them by disjoining their heads, sitting back straight.

"H..a..aan! f..a...ark p..p.adta hai," she confessed, her voice cracking a little. She closed both her eyes tightly, as if surrendering to her feelings.

"Ma...g..gar si..r..rf," she looked up into his eyes, this time not guarding her emotions. This time, she was making a complaint, warning him to stay away from her.

"Sirf a...pno ki ba...ato ka, uu..u.nki baat ka b..u..ura lagta hai, jin...k..ka sa....a...aath, j...j..jinse u..u.meed ho. A..aur ap, woh ch..h..hodo ya...ahaan fark l...agn..e..e.e ke l...l..iye koi u..m..e..eed hi na...ahi hai, aur na hi k...k..abhi hogi, be...c..cause I'm j-j-just n..not anyt..hhing in yo..ur life," she said with a sad voice.

Then, they both fell silent. He didn't ask anything; what would he ask when she left no room for questions? She had made it clear that she expected nothing from him, never saw him as someone of her own.

Another abnormal silence followed.

"A..nnd it's do..o..ne," she said, looking up again into his eyes.

His eyes widened in fear, his face showed terror.

He might be thinking, 'What does she mean by "done"? Is everything between them over?'

"What?" he uttered in a mix of fear and shock.

"Dr...e..essing yo..o..ur w...o..ound!" she said, and he looked down, realizing their time was up. Now she would move again; it was obvious she just didn't want to see him. She would leave him, and he wondered how he could make her stay with him. Should he tell her? It was never a deal; he was never interested in any kind of business relationship with her father. But he did it for her. Even after every proof, truth aligned in front of him, he chose her. He chased her, even if it was his useless challenge. He did it for her. But would she believe him if he told her his side of the story?

Maybe they needed to be opened up. But another problem arose. What did he do for her? What did he even give her? On what basis would she believe him, not the statement he made to his father? On what basis again she her trust on him? He married her forcefully, when she wasn't even in her senses. She had to go through a lot every day. She was running away with her freedom, but then he caged her dreams, her will, her freedom. Everything he snatched away, intentionally or in misunderstanding. It doesn't matter. In the end she was the one suffering.

"Fr...o..om no...w..w on, N-never d...o..o these ty..y..pes of t...h..hings for m..me. Yes, y..o..ou said you di...d it for other re..a..asons, b..b..but fo..ol me, thou..u..ght it was for m..e. Ne..ver ev..e..er h..hurt yo..u..urself fo..r..r me," she said with a heavy voice, which looked about to crack.

And He looked at her in a way like he wanted to tell her he indeed did it for her. But again, would she believe him if he said so? There was no way she would believe him because he's the one who told her not to think any other way.

"J...j..ust sim...ply d..o..o not do A..A.anything f...or me. N.....ow I know th..ee reason too, so, we sh..o..ould beh..ave mat..u..urely, live ind...e..ependently," she stated.

'Now it was Prithvi's time; it was his time to feel hurt, feel the same pain she felt because her words were sharp, making everything clear between them, leaving no room this time for the imagination of a happily ever after 'us.''

She got up, and he followed her, looking down at her.

"A..n..nd just te..l..lling you, I d..don't care if y...y..you h..have a deal or a..a..nything," she said, and with that, she turned around, pressing her lips together, while he looked at her in utter shock, her figure disappearing.

She went outside, wiping a lone tear that escaped his way from her eyes.