Loveless Beauty (Completed)

Chapter XXIV: Family Drama Part II

"First we are three. Not so many." Yuvaan Jha mocked me. "One is your brother and one is your___" he cleared his throat before he mumbled, "husband."

He had a glimpse of our married life the last time I was in their flat. Totally enthralling. I wish him to go back to his original version of Yuvaan Jha's. Where he doesn't give a damn to people around him. 

I waited for Gashmir to be offended. He always had this thing against me living with him. But he was holding his head in his hands which were resting on the table. 

"Don't you and Gashmir live together before?! Then what's wrong now?!" As daddu Shenoy asked calmly, I got what was wrong. Why did Gashmir have his head in his hands?!

We almost forgot that we were pretending to live together. We spilled all the beans that were in the pod. Panicked, I looked to Gashmir who had his eyes already set on me. He had no expression on his face as he continued to stare at me. Unknowingly we almost disclosed our relationship that we were hiding. Do we have to hide the reality of our marriage anymore?! Cause the purpose was fulfilled. I mean, they did it to save and find my parents. 

 

Also, the reason I chose to come here was to tell the truth of our relationship. And ask for freedom. I and Gashmir’s life freedom. From this secret marriage. And God has given the chance.

Without breaking my eye contact with Gashmir I finally declared, "we don't."

The room fell silent as the clicking of utensils and chatter stopped. I closed my eyes and when I opened I looked at daddu. His composure was disturbing my senses as he sat serene. Did he not hear me or did he not get what I said?!

Some looked confused, some relaxed as I dropped the bomb. My heart thumps as the clock ticks in the kitchen. Both raise my nothing but anxiety. But the old man wasn't doing anything to end it. He so elegantly put the spoon in his hand on the table. With the cloth beside, wipe his mouth which had got nothing stuck, then his hands. His hands weren't even dirty. He did use a spoon to eat. 

Like the Jyotiraditya Shenoy he was, he leisurely dropped another bomb, "I knew."

And here I thought I will have the last word this time. How could I when the Shenoys are still breathing the same air as I?!

Gashmir jerked his neck faster than anyone could blink. He spurted out, "you knew?!"

"Have you both taken me as a fool?!" Was the only thing he said. Neither Gashmir nor I dared to ask further. Cause we knew we screwed up enough.

But the shrew had to make matters worse, she casually spoke like it was her marriage. "It doesn't matter now, does it?! The purpose of their marriage has been served. I don't think it's right for them to still pretend then."

"That's not for you to decide," daddu Shenoy's stern voice shut that witch. Good. Still, I felt like punching Era for even having a mouth. But for the first time she talked to the point, instead of twisting it. I won't let it go in vain.

"She wasn't wrong," I said.

"Wait! What are you talking about?! You both were pretending this whole time! As in you are not married?!" Perplexed, Aunt Malvika uttered in disbelief. 

"Keya it would be better to expand the scenario further for us," Ahana Jha requested. 

I gulped, keeping my eyes down, this was not what I imagined to reveal my secret marriage life. But there was no meaning in hiding it anymore.

"We have never been like a married couple. We lived separately, I at university hostel and Gashmir in his flat. We remain strangers at college. We were hiding our marriage from the beginning. Nobody knew we were married at all." I said what needed to be said. 

Uncle Shenoy opened his mouth then closed it, repeating the action quite a few times, resembling Nemo. However, Aunt Malvika cleared her confusion, "That's because Gashmir wants to focus on his career. You both agreed to keep it low. How__ I mean why would you pretend?!"

I looked at Gashmir, who has decided to become a mute. I sigh, "That was just an excuse, I think. But we were never into it."