Aaradhya's POV
The Roka ceremony went smoothly, with only close family members in attendance. However, the need to maintain appearances as royalty still lingered. It's frustrating—I can't even curse them out like I used to, because now I'm one of them. But as long as Sharvansh is by my side, it's bearable. Yet, he can't always be there for me. Right now, he's standing with his brothers, and Ruhani Masi has left for her home for a few days. Dadi Sa's health isn't the best, so she retired to her room after the rituals. And here I am, stuck sitting among these ladies. I can't help but wish Dhriti was here with me.
Amidst the chatter of the ladies, Amisha's voice cut through with a saccharine tone, "Aaradhya, how do you manage so much work? Office during the day and then household chores too. Do you even have time for your husband?"
I understood the implication behind her words, but I simply plastered on a fake smile and replied, "Yes, I manage to find time."
"Batao, ab toh apne pati ke liye bhi time nikalna padta hai. Humare toh din bhi unhi se shuru, aur raat unhi pe khatam," Savita aunty chimed in.
(Tell me, now you have to set aside time for your husband too. Our days begin and end with our husbands,)
"Par ab kya kar sakte hai? Sharvansh ko toh batane vala tha nahi, aur ab toh usne shaadi karli. Hum toh chahte the ki usse bahut saara pyaar dene vali patni mile. Par bichare ko intezar karna padta hai, ki kab uski patni free ho," Anita aunty added.
(Now what can we do? Sharvansh grew up without anyone to guide him, and now that he's married, we were hoping he would have a wife who would shower him with love. But now, poor thing has to wait for his wife to be free and give him some attention,)
On any other day, their words wouldn't have affected me, but today they felt like heavy weights crushing down on me. I knew I loved Sharvansh more than anything, but their words clouded my mind. I had no idea what Sharvansh wanted. He had gone through the effort of buying me a bouquet, arranging a date for us, while I couldn't even find the time to give him attention.
Doubt gnawed at me as I pondered over these questions. Sharvansh had always been considerate, always asking about my preferences and desires. Yet, I found myself incapable of reciprocating his efforts.
Was I becoming a burden on him?
What if he started to find me irritating?
The fear of him finding me irritating haunted me.
What if my shortcomings drove a wedge between us?
What if he grew tired of my inadequacies and decided to cut me off from his life?
The mere thought of losing him sent shivers down my spine. I couldn't bear the idea of being separated from the one person who had brought so much light into my life.
When I heard his voice, "Kaki Sa Aaradhya ka humari zindagi me hona hi kaafi hai," I looked at my side to found him, his eyes darkend in anger, "aur hum chahenge ki aap log Rani Sa se soch samajh kar baat karen, unhe zara si bhi dard ho yeh hum sahan nhi karnege,"
(Kaki Sa, Aaradhya's presence in our lives is more than enough, and we would appreciate it if you and others speak to Rani Sa with understanding. I won't tolerate even a hint of distress for her,)
He took my hand, pulling me away from the suffocating atmosphere of judgment and scrutiny. In his touch, I found solace, a sense of security that washed away all my worries.
His words were like a lifeline, pulling me away from the suffocating weight of my fears.
I took a deep breath, attempting to calm myself before responding, "It's alright, Rana Sa."
ČTEŠ
Ambivalence
RomanceHe forced her to marry, not caring about the circumstances. He was obsessed with her, but refused to accept it. He claimed to hate, he vowed to make her his and she has to be his till the end of her life. She who wanted to move on from the rejecti...
