(𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬)
Growing up in an environment filled with failed and dysfunctional arrange marriages, the only thing Avika wished for herself was to never enter one. Yet in the end she found herself goi...
Today, after hearing his wife saying that she would not be returning home and staying with her mother, he knew the feeling was back. He didn't want to go home anymore.
At first when she called him, he grew excited thinking she was finally taking a step towards their relationship but as he listened to her, his mood grew somber and he was sulky. Yes, he didn't get to touch her or hold her but at least he could see her. Now even that wasn't possible.
•ᴗ•
Kiaan entered his room and sighed. The room was empty and dull. He didn't like it.
He wanted to see Avika at the dressing table doing her night routine, he wanted to tease her and then watch her expressions. She would either glare at him or roll her eyes or even blush sometimes. He has even caught her staring at him and while he wished to tease her about it, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable so he let it go.
As he plopped on his bed and tried to sleep, his mind went to the conversation they had few weeks back. He remembered how Avika had mentioned she didn't want an arrange marriage which could be a pretty normal thing to hope for, he felt like her dislike towards arrange marriages stemmed from somewhere else.
He wanted to know her story.
Kiaan turned and twisted on his bed trying to get some sleep but seems like it wasn't going to happen anytime soon. He groaned in annoyance before picking up his phone and calling his wife without another thought.
Avika picked up on the fourth ring and he sighed in relief. "Avika," He whispered and could only hear her breathing on the other end. "I'm sorry for calling so late. I just—I just wanted to tell you that I miss you." He confessed, waiting for her to say something.
"Aap soye nahi abhi tak?" He heard her hushed voice and a smile formed on his lips hearing her voice. "Aap bhi toh nahi soyi." He pointed out.
(You haven't slept?) (You haven't either.)
"How would you know? I was sleeping and you woke me up." She retorted.
"Aapki aawaz se lagta nahi ki aap so rahi thi." Kiaan mused, enjoying the banter.
(It doesn't seem like you were sleeping from your voice.)
"Aap—aap phone rakhiye." Avika scolded him and he laughed as the line went dead. God, she was so cute.
(You—You hang up.)
Maybe he could sleep now.
•ᴗ•
Avika was in the kitchen helping her mother with dinner when she heard the door opening. Both she and Ishika stiffened. She didn't want to face that man but she knew she had to for her mother.
She looked at Ishika, "Are you going to talk to him tonight?"
Ishika gave her a determined look and nodded. They lapsed into silence after that, continuing to prepare the food. Eventually, Nitish Mehra, her father stepped into the kitchen and noticed Avika.
"Aree Avika, tu kab aayi?" He asked and she took a deep breath before turning around to face him. "Kyu jaan-na hai aapko?" She counter-questioned and watched as his smile fell and his eyes darted behind her, towards her mother. Then without another word he turned around and left.
(Oh, Avika when did you come?) (Why do you want to know?)
Dinner was awkward and Avika only prayed that her mother would have the strength to talk to him. She made her sleeping arrangements in the living room, glancing at the room time and again. She could hear their voices but not clearly. Only she knew how she was stopping herself from barging in there and taking the matter in her own hands. But she also knew that it wasn't her battle to fight. She would support her yes, but she couldn't fight for her.
It was when she laid down, her phone rang displaying her husband's name. He was just messing with her but mostly she was avoiding his confession because honestly, she hadn't even thought about him from the moment she got here. All her focus was on her mother and nothing else.
And even if she did miss him, she wasn't going to tell him that.
After she hung up, her mind started planning of what was supposed to be done now that her mother had decided not to stay with her father. She needed to find a lawyer. But she knew no one—Yug! She could ask if he knows someone who could take up her mother's case.
Or should she ask Kiaan?
Because honestly, the logically right thing to do would be to discuss the matter with her husband and even take his advice but neither was her marriage normal nor was her relationship with her husband.
She might ask him about a lawyer or two—The bedroom door opened and Ishika stalked out with her pillow and blanket. She dumped it beside Avika before starting to arrange another sleeping mattress next to her.
Avika only watched in silence knowing her mother's temper would be hot. So, she only let her do whatever she wanted and kept quiet. After laying there in silence for a few minutes, two of them lost in their own thoughts, Ishika decided to break the silence.
"He refused." Avika's body tensed at her words and she slightly shifted so that she could face her mother. "Aapne kya kaha?" She asked.
(What did you say?)
"I told him I want a divorce and that I won't stay with him anymore." She paused as if recollecting the scene in her mind while her daughter waited for her to complete her words. "He said I could do whatever I can but he won't let me go." Ishika repeated the exact words her husband threw at her with no ounce of shame. Her fight was going to last long and she knew it very well.
But now she was tired of not fighting and living like a corpse, so she was going to fight and do whatever it took to get her happiness.
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I know this is a short and kinda boring chapter but count this as a filler chapter.
I'm actually busy preparing for my moving. And since I'm leaving next Sunday, there's a lot I have to do so, the updates are going to be late.
