chapter 9

Pari made a friend very quickly. Kamla tai. She found out that the man who was carrying a bag of vegetables was her husband. Currently, she is in the dining room and talking to Kamla as she's cutting vegetables for dinner." Doesn't Saha- I mean, your Sahib has more family? He lives here alone?"Kamla smiled, " no. He has a big family but he is not very close to them except his grandmother and of course mother."" Father?" She asked confusedly.Kamla shrugged her shoulders, " he never shared this topic with us but whenever he gets drunk, he mumbles about how his father ruined his childhood."That's bad..She didn't expect this." You know, he used to go to a brothel frequently. Everyone was so worried. Because of her, his family used to fight a lot with him. Don't know what black magic that brothel girl had done on him," Kamla scoffed.Pari shifted uncomfortably on her seat and gulped before uttering, " oh."This meant that her past was not going to leave her alone. Wherever she would go she would be afraid that someone might recognize her.Kamla continued, " but I guess he stopped going because he found you. I am glad he did. Otherwise his father would have tied him up with that rat."" Rat?"Kamla added with pure hatred in eyes," his fiancee who is not going to be his wife now. She came here twice and showed so much attitude in his absence. She is a double-faced woman, ready to fool my innocent Sahib with her stupid flirting skills."" Oh," Pari uttered.Kamla smiled suddenly and asked, " how did you two meet?"And here comes the question which never fails to leave her anxious. She cleared her throat, " uhm.. just-"" Kamla? Kamla Rani?"Her husband, Mahavir came." Is your work done? I need your help."" Okay okay, coming."Mahavir went back into the kitchen and Kamla picked up the plates then stood up." Let's talk later, okay? My husband can't move a plate without me."She smiled and nodded. Kamla went to the kitchen. She discovered many silly arguments between this couple in a very short time. Kamla loves to irritate her husband but he doesn't get angry. They have no children of their own so when they had a shortage of money, they found a cooking job at Vikrant's house through a friend and came here. It's been 2 years since they were with him.The food was soon ready. Vikrant did not feel like eating so Pari ate alone. She watched him sitting in the living room and puffing cigarettes while typing something on his laptop. He doesn't not feel like eating but has enough cravings to smoke?She shook her head in disbelief and hurriedly finished her food then went to her bedroom to sleep. She checked her cupboard and found a decent night dress so she put that on before turning the lights off and going to lay on the bed.Vikrant tossed and turned on his bed. The room is dark. The air conditioner is working fine but still he is unable to sleep. Has this happened before? Hmm. Whenever he missed Pari, he would go to the brothel and get a good sleep with her, even if it was for a few hours.But he was able to sleep even without her. But now he has come to know that Pari is in the room next to his and now she is his wife, so he is feeling very restless.Dealing enough with this frustration, he got down from the bed and turned the air conditioner off before going to Pari's bedroom with keys.The door was expectedly locked so he used the key to unlock it and went inside. His eyes landed on her figure and he felt immense peace. He took slow and steady steps to her and carefully put the keys on the nightstand.Pari, who almost drifted into her dreamland, slowly opened her eyes when she felt bed dipping beside her. She recognised the presence. She is used to this feeling.He slipped into her duvet and she inhaled as he wrapped his arm around her waist and shifted closer to her until his front touched her back. They were quite comfortable with one another but this time, it felt different. Probably because of a change in the relationship. They have got a new name.He felt his nerves calming down, inhaling the fragrance of her hair." You are not asleep?"He found out and closed his eyes. His deep soothing voice sent chills to her. She gulped and replied in a low voice, " no. I..I took a nap at noon. Y..you?"She cursed herself for stammering. He smiled slightly and chose to lie as well," Same reason."She slowly turned on her back and he opened his eyes to look at her face. His arm felt heavy on her stomach but she cared less." You have not told anyone about my background?"" Didn't find it important," he said." It is," she said and he knitted his eyebrows.She added, " what if they find it from some other person? What if they start looking down on me?"" All you should care about is me."She cracked her eyebrows together hearing a different response from him." Hmm?"" Me, your husband doesn't care about all this shit. So, all you should care about is me. Let them say whatever they want. Whoever tries to point a finger at you, I will keep them far away from our lives."" And your family? What will you say to them?"" Who's going to tell them and it's not a very important discussion. I know everything about you. If they want to accept you, then it's okay. If not, I don't care."She shook her head side by side, " I do not want to be a home breaker. After marrying you, I have already broken a girl's heart. Now, if your family starts fighting with you against you, I won't be able to bear it."" I told you, I do not care-"" But I do," she interrupted him.She took a pause of 10 seconds before continuing," I know the pain of not having a family. Elders should have their hands on your head. And I don't want to be called a woman who takes a son away from his family."She found a bit of anger reflecting in his deep brown eyes. She couldn't help but to recall her words. Did she say something wrong?" I don't freaking care. Stop being insecure. I will handle everything-"" But-"" No more discussion," he interrupted her and closed his eyes to sleep.She sighed softly and turned her back at him. She placed her palm under her cheek and felt his fingers tracing the circle on her clothed belly. He is surely thinking of something or fighting a battle in his mind.He got so lost in his thoughts that he forgot where his hand was moving. Her heart beat increased as he opened the strings of her shrug and touched her silk cloth underneath.She gulped and tried holding his hand but felt too scared to do so. What will he think? She should not stop him from doing whatever he wants. He has rights on her as a husband.She squeezed her eyes shut as his hand moved closer to her breast but he stopped just an inch below when he felt her muscles becoming stiff. He opened his eyes and realised what he was doing." Oh shit," he murmured and grabbed her shoulder then turned her on her back.He lifted his upper body a little and cupped her cheek." Pari, open your eyes. I swear I wasn't thinking straight."She still did not open her eyes." Pari, open your eyes please.."He requested and she finally opened her eyes." I am sorry. I am really sorry. I was in deep thoughts and didn't realise," he sighed, " sorry."She gulped and shook her head, " don't be. You are my.. husband now so you can do whatever you want."He knitted his eyebrows hearing her hesitance filled words. She is herself not convinced by such a mind set so it only means, someone forcefully pushed all these thoughts into her mind." Look into my eyes," he said and applied a gentle pressure on her cheek. She looked into his eyes." Neither I am a rapist, nor you are a slave."She blinked her eyelashes as he added," Patni ho tum hamari. Pura haq hai tumhe mana karne ka. Tumhari ichha ke bina kabhi kuch nahi karne vale hum."( You are my wife. You have the full right to refuse me. I won't do anything against your wish.)When she did not reply, he asked, " samajh gayi?"( Did you understand?)She nodded." In words."" J..ji."He patted her cheek, " good girl. Throw this thrash out of your mind. I did not touch you before our wedding and won't touch you without your consent after our wedding either."He lay on his place and placed his arm on her waist, " but don't stop me from doing this. I cannot sleep properly otherwise."He muttered the last sentence which she failed to hear because she was too busy recalling his words. He had scared her for a few moments but the very next moment he made her understand that she was thinking so wrongly.She chewed her lower lip to suppress her smile and when he closed his eyes, she finally let the smile carve on her lips.The difference between the earlier Vikrant and the current Vikrant is that this Vikrant has started speaking clearly. He is giving her so many reasons to never leave his hand and stick close to him. No one treated her like this after her parents left.She closed her eyes and eventually drifted into her dreamland.....Pari grabbed her mobile from the nightstand and sat on the bed. She tapped on the gallery and scrolled down to his picture which she clicked. Only she knows how much her fingers were itching to put this photo on the wallpaper. But she did not do this thinking that Vikrant might see it. Who knows what he will think then?She put the phone aside and went downstairs. Upon asking a servant, she found out he was gone to work. Her ears heard the sounds of breaking news so she made her way to the living room.Kamla was watching the news.Her mouth hung open seeing herself in the news but her face was not visible. The reporters have received only two or three pictures of their wedding in the temple. Who must have clicked all this without his permission?" Your husband sent these photos to them."She startled hearing a voice and turned her head behind. It was the same man. Uhm, Gautam. Yes." He can do such a thing himself. Without his permission, no one can even leak the picture of the carpet in his house," he added.Gautam had a bit of an apple and Pari asked, " why did he do this?"" Kalesh ke liye," Gautam replied.( for quarrel.)" Hn?"Gautam shrugged his shoulders, " By now his family must have found out about your marriage. His father must be very furious and finding ways to talk to his son. I am telling you the truth, your husband has created a ruckus between two families. His father will lose the deal and Vikrant will lose a bold girl as well."She looked at the television.The business tycoon, Vikrant Agnihotri married a mysterious girl in a temple.Why did he do this? Was he unhappy in the arranged marriage?He was about to marry a very rich girl from a wealthy family.They showed the picture of his ex-fiancee and like Gautam said, she's really beautiful and bold.What is happening in the Agnihotri family?Gautam changed the news channel." Aaj shaam ko bahut mazaa aane vala hai," he said and played a sports channel.( There will be a lot of fun in the evening.)" Why?"She asked confusedly." There is going to be a fight at home today and I am going to have a lot of fun," he grinned.She made a displeasing expression, " By the way, are you his brother?"He shrugged his shoulders, " sort of."" Bahurani?"Kamla came and Pari looked at her." Do you want to have breakfast now?"Pari nodded and followed her. As Gautam claimed, it means there's going to be a fuss in the house in the evening. She was scared of this only. She hates arguments. Why did Vikrant not keep their wedding a secret and announce it to the whole world?She finished the breakfast and went upstairs to her bedroom. When she opened her social media page, many videos of their wedding flooded the reels section.She checked the comments of the most liked video.Whyyyyy?What the hell is happening?Just rich people and their stupid ways for publicity.Why didn't he show the Bride's picture?He lost the diamond in the search for gold.Dhwani was damn beautiful, bro!I WANTED TO MARRY HIM.HE BROKE MY HEART!I HATE THIS GIRL ALREADY!Dhawani would have looked beautiful with him.Damn!She closed the comment section and scrolled reels. She wasted her good time and when she realised what she had been doing for the past 30 minutes, she quickly put the mobile aside and got up from the bed.She stretched her arms and went out of the bedroom. She doesn't really have much to do. She stopped outside his bedroom and thought of checking it once.She twisted the doorknob and stepped inside. Her eyes engulfed the scene of the grey bedroom, matching his vibe perfectly. She looked at the huge photo frame above his master bed.He is sitting on a chair like a king and it looks as if he is looking into the soul of the photographer. His gaze is very intimidating.She knitted her eyebrows, finding his bedroom messy. As she can't stand the mess and doesn't have work to do, she started cleaning his house. She realised no one has cleaned photographs from some days that is why dust has made their place on them.She grabbed wet clothes and stood on the stool then climbed on it and started cleaning the frames. When she was done cleaning the last frame, she got down from the stool but lost her balance due to the mat." Oh oh oh.."She moved backward and tried hard to control her balance but failed and fell on her butt on the ground. She hissed and rubbed her hips then stood up.She smiled the very second, seeing his room clean and sparkling. She put the broom and mop back on their place then washed her hands in the bathroom and returned to the bedroom.She went to her bedroom to take some rest.Time skipped to noon and she frowned when she heard the muffle sounds of Vikrant shouting at someone." Is he home?"She got down from the bed and went out of the room and eventually climbed the stairs slowly." Who the hell touched my things? Did I ask anyone to clean my damn room?"All the servants looked down out of fear." Sahib, we..did not do anything," one of them said and flinched when he shouted at her," Then did my soul go to clean the room? Quickly! Whoever has messed up with my things, step forward."No one came forward." So you all guys want to be fired-"Vikrant stepped when a soft and fearful voice interrupted him." Ji vo."( uhm, I.)He turned his head behind to look at his wife. She seemed scared. Perhaps she witnessed him yelling at servants." I..I cleaned the room. Everything was so messed up so I..I- I didn't know, you do not allow.."" It's alright. Tell me, where have you put my blue file which was on the bed?"The Servant's mouth hung open because of the way he changed his expression and both too. Pari glanced at Servants then back at him. She thought he would scream at her as well." Uhm, I will bring it."He hummed and she went upstairs hurriedly. He faced the servants again and frowned when they all glared at him." What the- get back to work!"" Hn hn," they said in unison and walked away from there.Kamla chuckled and went away from there as well. He shook his head in disbelief. The sounds of anklets indicated that Pari was coming downstairs. So, he turned around and she reached before him." Is this the one?"She handed him the file and he hummed." Thank you," he turned to leave." Uhm, lunch?"She asked hesitantly. He stopped on his track, " no-"he pinched the bridge of his nose and changed his decision, " did you have lunch?"He turned around. She shook her head negatively." Let's have it together," he said and went to the dining room followed by her.⋆༺✷༻⋆To be continued..Read in scrollstack as early access.