The Unwanted Bride

11 - A Promise

They didn't spear him another glance or give him another opportunity to speak. They walked out on him. They'd just left.

He gazed at his brother, approaching him. Begging him to stay. "This isn't the right Khushi. I was shown the other Khushi's photo. The one who ordered coffee in Goa. The one you called childish, remember?"

Harsh is as confused as before. "I don't know what you're on about bhai. We all saw the photo—the woman Ma and Papa met—was Khushi Gupta. Your wife. This is the Khushi you were expected to marry, the one whose photo you saw. This is the Khushi who is a lawyer, is sophisticated, diplomatic, the one you've been calling and messaging." His hands are on his brother's shoulder, shaking him.

Yug's dealt with a lot of revolution in one night that he finds it hard to believe his brother too. He tries to wiggle out of his brother's hold, but Harsh doesn't let him. He swings his head away from his younger brother. "No. I was shown the other Khushi's photo."

"Show me who."

He wants to go to his bedroom and get the photo frame, but he can't bring himself to face Khushi. She's angry and so is he but it feels as if he's the one in the wrong. Clearly, he is. He is wrong according to his own family; then how can he be angry with her? "I can't deal with this right now."

He storms off to his brother's room, approaching his bed. Harsh follows, "this isn't your room."

"I'm aware," is his unceremonious reply. Yug was at times infamous for his strong views and unceremonious manners with certain people who didn't agree with him. It seemed Harsh had fallen in that list of people. "I'm not going in there. I've just—" he mumbles something undignified under his breath. "I've just told her she's not the woman I expected to marry. Do you think she wants me in the room?"

Harsh's eyebrows arch at the honesty. "Are you trying to say you're afraid of your wife?" It's almost hilarious to him.

Yug throws him an impolite look. "I'm not afraid, I'm considerate enough to know that no sane man will walk into a bedroom with an angry wife whose just been told, 'oh, I wasn't thinking of you as my bride.'"

Harsh saw the point, although his body was still stressed. "I think you're right, but this is messy."

Yug doesn't bother nodding, though he agrees. The next line comes across abruptly, almost to himself, "and she's a fucking lawyer."

Despite the tension, the horrified look on his brother's face and the extraordinary circumstances, Khushi's profession was an icing on the cake, and it made Harsh slightly smile. He slightly smiled because he realized the intensity of the situation.

Leaving his brother in his bedroom, Harsh knocked on Khushi's bedroom door but didn't go inside. He couldn't bring himself to look at her painful face. "Bhai's in my room tonight." He informed her. The situation was already delicate with probably a lot of anger from her side, and Harsh didn't want it to increase because of any misunderstandings.

When he didn't hear a word from her, he just exhaled outside the room. "I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. My parents will be here tomorrow morning to sort it out," he paused, waiting for a sound from her, confirming that she was listening. There's none but he continues. "Please rest. You and Bhai both need it."

They both needed rest, albeit they got none that night.

~

Khushi's father had left early in the morning to reach Yug's residence upon receiving an urgent phone call from his son-in-law's father. The living room was tense when the discussion began. Khushi sat next to her father, anticipating the truth.