My Life is a Soap Opera

20. Fuck 'em bitches.

I quickly grabbed the nearest shirt from his closet and threw it at him along with a pair of trousers.

"This is all your fault." He huffed quickly getting into his trousers.

"Sure, sure. Because I was the one acting like a stripper." I snapped as I buttoned the shirt I was wearing.

"You were supposed to be the strong one!" He muttered putting his shirt on.

"I have the self-restraint of a kid in a candy store around you!" I grabbed a pair of his trousers from his closet.

I swear the show writer is just trying to save money by making me wear everyone else's clothes.

"Yeah, well that didn't seem like the case during the last month or so."

"Come on. Not this again. I literally explained that to you already."

"The explanation seems rather contradictory now, doesn't it." He grumbled fumbling with his tie.

"Babu!" Ritwik's mom's voice called out. It was clear that she was right outside the door.

"Yes, Ma. Just a second." He turned back to me and held up his tie. "Help me."

"You gotta learn how to tie this." I took it off him and put it around my neck to tie the knot as quickly as possible while his mom called out a couple more times. Then I put it around his neck and fixed it while he fixed the collar of the shirt I was wearing.

"Does Pratyush know you still can't tie a tie?"

"No. He thinks I managed to learn and he was very proud of me. So, don't expect me to confess anytime soon."

"You're a child." I rolled my eyes.

"And now you're married to that child. Deal with it." He winked at me.

"Babu! Open the door!" His mother screamed again.

"Go on, Babu. Open the door." I teased him as I stepped towards the left to go the washroom.

He caught my elbow. "Where are you going?"

"To the washroom. Do you think your mom will be able to handle the shock of realising we dressed together."

He shoved me towards the washroom. "Go!"

I flipped him off and locked myself up in the washroom. I heard the door open and his mother's voice worriedly asking if he was alright and what took him so long. I swear men's mothers are so overdramatic. Especially those of married men. Or maybe I had bad experiences.

Whatever.

I washed my face and put my hair in a messy but professional looking bun. I quickly checked the rest of my outfit. Ritwik wasn't lying when he said I'd look ridiculous. It was clear that shirt was definitely not my size. The pants kept falling off.

I had to go home. I needed my clothes and my mother needed to know her fucking place. She needed to know that being married didn't mean she could just decide I'd wear only traditional and expect me to stick to it.

I walked out of the washroom just in time to hear his mother ask with disgust, "Where is the girl?"

"Present, ma'am."

When they turned to look at me, it was quite weird. Ritwik, his mother,his aunts and uncles along with Kaju moved their heads in sync.

What's it with them always moving like a herd?

"You shameless girl!" Kaju's mother hissed.

"We have established that multiple times. So what now?" I didn't have the patience for either of them.

"You uncultur-"

"Boudi! Why are you talking to her like that? What did she do?" Surya's mother came to my aid.

"What did she do? What did she do? She has no shame changing in my son's room!"

I briefly wondered what would she do if she knew exactly what else I planned on doing in her son's room or what I had previously done. I had to fight the urge to laugh at the thought of her going purple in the face and wailing that I corrupted her son.

"It is her room too." Kaju quitely mumbled.

"How many times do I have to tell you to not talk when el-"

"Are hoping to get away with whatever they do. Never call an elder out. They don't like that." I interrupted my rude mother-in-law.

"The audacity you have to speak like this with Boudi!" Kaju's mother's nostrils flared in anger. "You are corrupting our children. You should be kicked out of this house."

"I don't get paid for this." I muttered massaging my temple. I began to walk out of the room when Ritwik's mother grabbed my elbow.

"Where do you think you're going dressed like that?"

"Work."

"Work? Babu?" To my surprise it was sweet Mrs. Namita Sinha, Surya's mother.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Ritwik stiffen up. He knew he was in for it. He couldn't escape it anymore.

"She's my assistant." He replied cautiously.

"Was. She was your assistant. The women of our family don't work outside." The annoying Mrs. Deepa announced like it was supposed to be something to be proud of. I didn't care that she was proud of the tradition. It was the fact that it was clear that she expected me to be proud of it.

"Please, let go of my hand, Mrs. Sinha."

"You're not going anywhere. Change into some decent clothes."

I ground my teeth in irritation. I wanted to ask her why she allowed her son to have those clothes if they were inappropriate. But in the end she was my boss' mother and I knew better than to provoke her anymore.

"Please, let go of my hand."

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Yes."

She let go of my hand. I picked my hand bag and stepped out of the room making sure not to step on the spilled food. I turned to boss. "The meeting starts in an hour. I'll prepare the conference room."

He nodded. "Do you have the notes?"

I nodded.

"You're not preparing any conference rooms. You will change and go to the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone." Ritwik's mother ordered me. "And Babu, I will talk you later."

When she turned back to me, I responded. "I already made breakfast but don't expect it everyday. I'm not your cook."

"You will make breakfast, lunch and dinner like every other woman of this family. I'm ordering you."

"No. You're not my boss. You don't order me." Not wanting to deal with them anymore, I turned around to leave.

"Babu, did you hear what she's saying? Tell her to stop. She can't go. She'll destroy our reputation! Stop her!"

"Ma, she needs to leave now. Her reporting time is half an hour before mine." Ritwik tried to reason with his mother.

"Are you hearing yourself?! Reporting time? She's not allowed to work!"

I felt anger bubble through me. It wasn't the ancient times where women weren't allowed to work by law anymore. She couldn't just order me. The fucking audacity of that woman.

"Stop. I said STOP." I ignored both Ritwik and Kaju's mothers.

Fuck 'em bitches.