This is the longest chapter I have ever written.
I'm receiving a lot of hate because of this book. There are many people who don't like the plot, so I can suggest they just drop the book if they want to hate it.
I'm not setting any targets, but I still hope you will vote.
Words count: 4175
Aaravi's pov:
I woke up in the morning and went towards the washroom. After doing my business there, I moved to the closet. After changing into a green saree, I applied vermillion and wore bangles and anklets.
I just love bangles and anklets.
I moved to the kitchen and made breakfast for myself. Since he isn't home, I didn't make breakfast for him.
After eating breakfast, I went back to the room and took a book from my luggage. I looked around to find a place to put my book, and after seeing a bookshelf in the room, I arranged my books there. Then I took a book and sat on the bed, as I have my practical exam in two months.
As a medical student, we have to study day and night.
Being a medical student is not easy.
I never wanted to become a doctor, but it was my parents' wish to see their daughter become a doctor. After their death, I want to fulfill their wish because if they are somewhere, they would find some peace.
I smiled.
Flashback
"Papa, Papa!" I yelled my father's name.
"Yes, princess," Papa scooped me in his arms as I giggled.
"I love you," I giggled loudly.
"I love you too, princess," Papa laughed.
"Does only Papa get his princess's love? Shouldn't Mumma get some love too?" Mom said, and I giggled again.
"Ooffho Mumma, I love you, but a little less than Papa," I said in a sweet voice.
"Yeah, my princess loves me more than you," Papa mocked Mumma.
I giggled.
"Shut up, Abhishek. I know my daughter loves me more than anyone," Mumma scolded Papa.
"Princess, tell your mom that you love your Dadda most," Papa asked me with a pout on his lips.
"I love the most is da- Bhaiya," I said and jumped from Dadda's arms, ran towards my brother, and hugged him. He was standing and looking at us with lots of love in his eyes.
"Ouch, that hurts, princess," Papa said, pretending to be hurt.
I giggled.
Mom came to me.
"So my daughter loves her brother more than anyone?" Mom asked and started tickling me.
"Tell me, princess, who do you love the most?" she asked while tickling me.
"You, hahaha, Mumma, you, please stop now, hahaha," I said while laughing.
Flashback ends
I smiled bitterly as tears flowed from my eyes.
"I miss you, Papa and Mumma," I sobbed.
"Please come back to me," another sob left my mouth.
"Life has become so difficult without you, Mumma and Papa," I sobbed.
"Abh mujhe kaun batayega ki kaun galat hai kaun sahi hai mujhe kaun batayega ki khana theek time pe kha lena kaun kahega dhyaan rakhne ke liye kaun kahega ki tu jo bhi kar rahi hai woh sahi kar rahi," I cried my heart out.
( Now who will tell me what is right and what is wrong? Who will remind me to eat on time? Who will tell me to take care of myself? Who will assure me that whatever I'm doing is right? )
"Kaun mujhe Lori sunake sulayega kaun mujhe aapne haatho se khana khilayega kaun mujhe mere forehead pe kiss karega abh main sooke uthti hoon kaun mujhe godd mein leke pura house ghumayega,"I sobbed," I sobbed.
( Who will sing me a lullaby to sleep? Who will feed me with their hands? Who will kiss my forehead when I wake up? Who will carry me in their arms and show me around the house?. )
"I miss you so much, Dad and Mom."
"Please come back to us," I mumbled, and a sob left my mouth.
"Please, if not for me, then for Bhaiya," I muttered.
"Because he has become completely alone after you left," I sobbed.
"Please come back," I yelled and cried.
"He's completely broken inside. Even if he doesn't show it, I know because I'm his sister," I smiled sadly.
I got up from the bed, took out a photo of Mumma and Papa, and sat back down on the bed.
"You know, Mumma and Papa, after you both left, Bhaiya has taken very good care of me, just like you used to. He never lets me feel your absence," I praised my brother as I talked to my parents after a long time.
I talk to my parents through the photo, sharing my thoughts and asking them if I'm right or wrong.
Strange, isn't it?
I used to think it was strange when I saw someone talking to a photo like this.
And now, when these things happen to me, I understand.
Circumstances can make you find comfort in things that once seemed strange to you.
I share everything with them, thinking my parents are listening and understanding me, and I ask for their opinion.
"You know, Bhaiya didn't even go to college festivals, and when his friends invited him to parties, he would deny them because he was worried about me. He would worry if I was eating, taking my medicine, sleeping on time, or doing something else. And you know what, Mumma and Papa? Bhaiya sometimes even helped me with science, even when he wasn't feeling well. He would bring me milk late at night when I was studying," I said everything.
"You know, if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been able to crack the medical entrance exam."
"He even cried whenever I got hurt," I laughed, recalling the past.
"Okay Mom and Dad, you will also laugh when I tell you this," I laughed.
"You know, once a guy followed me from school to my house, and when Bhaiya found out, he beat that guy up so badly that the next day, the guy was too scared to come to school and transferred to another school."
"I scolded Bhaiya for that, asking why he beat up the guy, and you know what he said? He said he would protect me from anyone who came near me with bad intentions," I laughed.
"He is my real superhero," I smiled.
Suddenly, my phone rang, and I stopped talking to my parents.
"I will talk to you later, Mom and Dad," I said, placing the photo under the pillow.
I picked up my phone and put it to my ear.
"Hello, who's this?" I asked.
"Hello, Bhabhi, it's Aah-haa, Mom, leave my ear," said the voice on the other side.
It was Aahana, my sister-in-law.
"Hello Aaravi beta, how are you?" Aunty asked.
"I'm fine, Aunty. How are you? How is everyone at home?" I asked.
"What, Aunty? I'm not your Aunty. Call me Mom like Nikshant, Aahana, and Aarav do, understood?" Aunty, I mean Mom, scolded me.
"Okay, Mo-m," my voice cracked as I said that word.
"I called to let you know that Nikshant will pick you up soon because you need to go to your parents' house," Mom said, and my heart skipped a beat.
"But why do I need to go?" I asked Mom, as I didn't want to go to that house.
"It's a ritual, beta, and you also need to come back here in the evening," Mom said softly, and a sense of relief washed over me.
"Bhabhi, come quickly, I'll be waiting for you," Aahana yelled, and a laugh escaped from my mouth.
"Yes, I'll come soon," I said, laughing.
She has a sweet manner of speaking, but her brother has a bitter mannerâhe always says something bitter when he speaks.
Bitter gourd, indeed!
I shrugged off my thoughts about him and rose from the bed, moved the pillow aside, took out the photo, and placed it carefully on the side table. Then, I went to get ready because it was 1 PM, and he would be arriving soon.
I opened the wardrobe, took out a red saree, and put it on. I stood in front of the mirror.
I applied moisturizer and lip balm as I don't like putting on makeup. I like my natural face. I put a bindi on my forehead, wore matching bangles, and made a bun with my hair.
I looked in the mirror and smiled at my reflection.
"You're looking good, not bad, Aaravi."
I moved away from the mirror and sat down on the bed. I took my phone and messaged Shreya for the notes since I hadn't gone to college for a week because of this marriage and all.
I heard the sound of the car and got up from the bed. I went downstairs, knowing it must be my husband. I went down the stairs, left the house, locked the door, and got into the car.
"Tumhari chhot kaisi hai abh,"he asked.
I looked at my hand, which still had blisters, as I had removed the bandage. I don't need his help; I can take care of myself. And I certainly don't want help from the one who caused this injury.
I chuckled to myself.
" Zakham dene wale ko marham lagate huye sobha nahi deti,"I faintly chuckled.
I said those words, and after that, he didn't say anything. The whole ride was silent and awkward.
â·â â¿â â·
As the car parked in front of the house, my heart began beating rapidly.
I spent all my life in this house, but there are no good memories, only terrible ones.
I can't call this house a home because there is no home without my parents.
I stepped out of the car and slowly started walking to the entrance door. I turned back to see if he was coming or not, but all my expectations were in vain. He just left me and drove away.
Don't feel bad, Aaravi.
Don't feel bad.
I rang the bell, and after a second, the door opened, and I saw the maid.
At least my aunt didn't open the door.
I smiled at the maid, but she just ignored me and stepped aside to let me in.
I went inside.
I sat on the sofa and looked at the maid.
"Is Chachi not at home?" I asked.
"No, she went to a kitty party. She'll be back in a little while," she said. I just nodded.
Aaravi, you'll be gone before she arrives.
"Can you please bring me a glass of water?" I requested.
"I'm not your maid that you can order around," the maid said rudely and walked away.
Well, what did you expect from this house besides rudeness?
I got up and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water for myself.
I took a glass, poured water into it, and gulped it down in one go.
I sighed.
I moved back to the sofa, took my phone, and turned it on. I dialed Veer bhaiya's number.
After ringing, he didn't pick up the phone.
He must be busy, Aaravi.
I made a sad face.
My phone rang, and I looked at it, a smile appearing on my face.
"Helâ," Veer Bhaiya cut me off and said, "Princess, are you fine? Is he treating you well? Tell me if he isn't, and I'll arrange a divorce for you," Veer Bhaiya asked concernedly. I pressed my lips into a thin line and then took a deep breath.
There was a silence for a few seconds.
"Princess, are you there?" Veer Bhaiya asked again.
"Yes, Bhai, he is treating me well," I lied.
I'm sorry, Bhaiya, I can't tell you the truth.
I'm sorry for the lie.
"Are you sure, Princess?" Bhaiya asked again.
"Yes, Bhaiya," I said.
"And sorry, I was in a meeting, so I couldn't take your call," Bhaiya apologized.
"No, no, Bhaiya, you don't have to say sorry," I hurriedly said.
"What are you doing? Did you eat your breakfast and lunch?" I smiled at his concern.
"Yes, Bhaiya, and did you have your lunch?" I asked.
"Umm, I told you I was in a meeting, so I didn't have my lunch," he replied. I knew he might have skipped his lunch.
"Now go and eat. You can't skip your lunch daily because of meetings and all," I said sternly.
"Okay, my highness," I chuckled at his words.
"Yeah, okay, now I'll hang up," I said.
"Okay, bye, Princess," Bhaiya said and ended the call.
I closed my eyes and slowly drifted into sleep.
A noise came, and I slowly opened my eyes.
"Was I asleep?" I asked myself.
"No, you were just lying there with your eyes closed," a taunting voice echoed through the hall. My eyes widened as I looked in the direction of the voice. It was my aunt.
Hell, Aaravi, how could you fall asleep?
"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you not to come to this house?" she screamed.
Could she scream a little less?
"Answer me! Why are you standing there silently? Don't you have a tongue?" she screamed again.
I'm going to go deaf.
"Mom said it was a ritual and that I had to come here," I said while clutching my saree tightly.
"So just because it's a ritual, you thought you could come here unannounced?" she yelled.
"Damn it, it's been only two days since you left your husband here and went away. And what did I tell you? Not to step into this house again, but no, you had to listen to me. Why don't you just go and die?" I flinched and clutched my saare tightly
"Watch your tongue, Mrs. Sachdeva, when you're talking to my wife. Otherwise, it won't take me two minutes to cut it off,' A roaring voice came, and I turned my head to see who it was.
When I saw it was my husband, a lone tear escaped from my eyes.
He walked toward me and grabbed my hands tightly.
I felt warmth and relief as I held his hand tightly.
"And I am warning you, Mrs. Sachdeva, again: if you shout at my wife again, it won't be good for you," he warned and moved out of the house.
I was looking at our intertwined hands.
My hands looked so so small in his big, rough hands.
I didn't even realize a small smile had appeared on my face as I looked at our intertwined hands.
A million butterflies were dancing in my stomach.
An unknown feeling came to my heart, giving me unfamiliar sensations, and then went away.
My cheeks heated up.
I had completely forgotten that my aunt was yelling at me.
"Do I need to carry you to the car?" he said emotionlessly.
"No... no, I can get in myself," I stammered a little and got into the car.
He also got into the car and drove away.
"Why didn't you say anything to your aunt?" he asked, making me nervous.
"Because she is older than me," I said, looking at my lap.
"Yeah, I know she's older than you, but that doesn't mean she can tell you to die," he said, tightening his grip on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. I gulped because he was right; she doesn't have the right to say that to me.
"Has she said things like this to you before?" he asked, and I looked at him.
"Y-yes," I nervously said.
"So why don't you stand up for yourself? And when she was yelling at you, why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you respond when she told you to die?" he yelled, making me flinch.
"Things have happened in my life that make it hard for me to speak up against her," I said, looking out of the car. A lone tear escaped from my eye, which I quickly wiped away.
"Is your aunt the reason for your panic attacks, or is it something else?" he suddenly asked, and my eyes widened as I felt my hands tremble.
"You can tell me if you are comfortable," he said softly. I tightly clutched my saree.
"I'm... not comfortable right now," I said, trembling slightly but composing myself.
"Okay, okay, I'm not forcing you," he said, letting out a chuckle.
How did he know I have panic attacks? How?
"How did you get to know that I have panic attacks?" I looked towards him.
"Oh, last night when I bandaged your wounds, you were saying 'leave me,'" I tightly closed my eyes.
"Did something serious happen to you?" he asked curiously.
"You have no right to know because you said I'm nothing to you. I'm only and solely your servant, so I don't think you have the right to know anything about a servant's life," I said emotionlessly.
"Yeah, you are right. You are my servant, solely my servant. Good to hear that you remember that," he said, his jaw clenching and unclenching.
He didn't ask anything further, and I sighed in relief and face-palmed myself.
I didn't want to sound rude, but all those flashbacks came to my eyes like a reel, and that triggered me.
"Get out of the car," he said, his voice sounding frustrated.
"Huh?" I asked nervously.
Is he going to leave me in the middle of the road?
"Do I need to carry you inside the house?" he exclaimed.
"Are we home?" I asked, blinking my eyes at him.
"Yes, and if you would kindly step out, we can go inside the house," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
I hurriedly stepped out of the car, and a sharp pain shot through my foot. Then I realized my foot was hurting and saw a little blood coming out.
This is not the right time for blood.
"Let's go," he said. He didn't even look at me, let alone my feet.
It hurts.
I don't know why, but.
It does.
I started walking behind him and looked at the mansion. It was white with a fountain in front. Overall, the mansion was very beautiful (rich things).
We were standing outside the house, and he rang the bell. After a few seconds, mom opened the door with a wide smile on her face as we were about to step inside.
"Wait, don't come inside yet," mom said sweetly.
"Why, mom?" my curious husband asked.
"Be quiet. You brought my daughter home after two days, so I need to perform the rituals," mom scolded my husband, and I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.
"Aahana, bring the aarti plate and aalta (red liquid) quickly," mom yelled.
"Coming, mom," Aahana said, handing the aarti plate to mom and placing the aalta on the ground.
Mom moved the aarti plate around us and then applied a tika.
"May no evil eye fall on my children," she said, moving a lit red chili around us.
"Aaravi, dear, come step onto the aalta with your feet like Lakshmi," she said.
My attention was caught by her words, Lakshmi.
Lakshmi, am I?
I stepped onto the aalta and walked inside the house.
"Come, dear, sit down," mom said. I saw dadi, Aahana. I bent down to touch mom's feet, but she stopped me halfway.
"Daughters don't touch feet; you are the Lakshmi of this house," she said and hugged me. I hugged her back, feeling a motherly warmth. My eyes filled with tears.
She pulled away from the hug, and I suddenly missed the motherly warmth.
"Hey dear, why are you crying?" she asked, cupping my face with her palms.
"Nothing mom, just missing my mom because she used to hug me just like this," I said with a painful smile.
"Can I hug you once more?" I asked hesitantly.
"Oh, my dear, you can hug me whenever you want. You are my daughter just like Aahana," she said. I hugged her tightly this time.
"Do you only want to hug your mom or are you not going to hug this dadi too?" dadi said dramatically. I chuckled at her words.
I don't feel like I've only met these people four times.
I broke the hug and went to dadi, bending down to touch her feet, but she also stopped me halfway.
"I said for hugging, not for touching my feet," dadi said and hugged me.
"Bhabhi, I'm here too," Aahana whined like a child. I went to her and hugged her.
"Bhabhi, you know I have so much to tell you," Aahana exclaimed happily.
"Not now, Aahana," Mom said to Aahana.
"Okay, Mom," Aahana obeyed.
"Alright, Aaravi beta, since it's your first time here, you need to do the first cooking ritual today. Just make something sweet, and the maids will take care of the rest," Mom said.
"Come with me, I'll show you where the kitchen is," Mom said, and she went to show me the kitchen. I followed her.
"This is the kitchen. If you need any help, just let me know," she said, and I nodded.
I started making kheer.
I searched for the ingredients and began making the kheer.
A 40 minutes later, the kheer was ready. I served it in a bowl, garnished it with cashews, and brought it to the dining table. Dinner time had also arrived.
After placing everything on the table, everyone came.
Everyone arrived one by one, but one person was missing.
"Aahana, Aarav bhai is not here," I asked Aahana.
"Oh, Aarav bhai went to London for a meeting," Aahana said.
"Oh," I replied.
I felt someoneâs gaze on me and looked up to see hazel green eyes staring into my soul. I quickly looked away.
When I looked into his hazel green eyes, I felt a strange sensation in my stomach, something I had never felt before.
After serving everyone, I looked around to see their reactions to the kheer.
"Aarav, why are you standing? Sit down and have dinner," Grandma said. I also sat in the chair next to Nikshant and began eating.
"Bhabi, this is so good.Can you make it for me every day?" Aahana asked sweetly.
"Yes, Aaravi, it tastes very good," Mom and Grandma said together.
"Aahana, Aaravi is not a servant here who will make kheer for you every day," Mom scolded Aahana.
"No, Mom, I donât mind making it every day," I said to Mom.
"Aahana, tell me what you would like to eat, and I will make it for you," I offered.
"Aww, Bhabi, you are so sweet," Aahana said happily.
I still felt a strong gaze on me, which made me nervous.
"Aarav, take this," Mom handed me her bangles.
"But Mom," I tried to refuse.
"This is a gift from me for your pehli rasoi ," Mom said and placed the bangles in my hand.
"Bhabi, this is for you," Aahana said, handing me a pink velvet box.
"But Aahana," I tried to speak.
"You served me such delicious kheer. I wanted to give you this as a thank you," my eyes welled up with tears because of the love they were showing me.
"Nikshant, didnât you bring anything for Aaravi?" Mom asked.
"No, Mom," my husband replied with no emotion on his face.
"I will give her something," he said.
"Aaravi, this is from me," Grandma handed an envelope.
"What is this, Grandma?" I asked curiously.
"Honeymoon tickets," Grandma said, and I choked on my food.
"What?" my husband said.
"What? Yes, honeymoon tickets to Singapore. You both are going in two days," Grandma said, and my eyes widened.
"But Grandma, I have some work here," he tried to make excuses.
"Yes, Grandma, I also have practical exams," I also tried to make excuses.
"What I said will be done. You two are going for a honeymoon, and I want good news after you return from your honeymoon," Grandma concluded.
I looked at him, and he looked at me. His eyes were red, and sparks were flying from them. When I saw his eyes, my soul trembled.
I gulped and looked away.
My hands trembled as he stood up and climbed the stairs with his long legs. I simply watched his disappearing figure.
"Aaravu, you should go to your room now. Take the left turn and then the right. The room on the right is yours," Mom said. I got up from the chair and slowly climbed the stairs towards the room.
As soon as I entered the room, someone grabbed me and pinned me against the wall.
Hereâs an update for you all:
I hope you liked the chapter.
Please let me know if youâre enjoying the story or not so I can adjust it accordingly. If there are any mistakes, I can correct them.
You can tell me through Instagram or in the comments section; I really enjoy reading your comments.
Instagram ID: reeewrts
Follow me for updates and spoilers.