"An Unconventional Commitment"

"Mr Devil"

◍⁠•𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐀'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕•⁠◍

I rushed to the kitchen as soon as dadi told me to make a sweet dish. I didn't know how to cook, but I couldn't say no to her. She was so kind and loving to me. She didn't know that I was not really married to Anubhav. She didn't know that we had a contract.

I searched the kitchen for the ingredients. I found some rice, milk, sugar, and nuts. I didn't know what else to add. I took out my phone and searched for a YouTube video on how to make kheer, a sweet dish. I followed the instructions and put the rice and milk in a pot. I stirred it and waited for it to boil.

Anubhav came into the kitchen.I quickly hid my phone behind me. I didn't want him to see that I was watching a video. I didn't want him to know that I didn't know how to cook. I didn't want him to think that I was a fool.
I didn't know what cardamom was. I had never heard of it before. I looked around the kitchen, hoping to find it. I didn't see anything that looked like cardamom.

Anubhav came back to the kitchen. He was talking to someone on the phone. He said, "You want to make kheer? It's very easy to make. Do as I tell you." on the phone.

He started to explain the recipe to his friend. He said the same things that the video had said. He said the same things that I had done. He was trying to help me. He was trying to be nice to me. But I didn't appreciate it. I didn't like him. I hated him. He had lied to me. He had paid me. He had used me. He had made me do things that I didn't want to do. He had made me lie to his dadi, who was so sweet to me. He had made me live a lie with him, without knowing the truth.

I followed his instructions and finished the kheer. I turned off the stove and poured the kheer into three bowls. One for dadi, one for Aarush, and one for Anubhav. I added some sugar and nuts to the first two bowls. I added a lot of salt to the last one. I wanted to make him regret it. I wanted to make him suffer.

I took the bowls to the dining table. Dadi and Aarush were already there. They smiled and thanked me. They tasted the kheer and said it was delicious. They blessed me and praised me. They didn't know that I had made it with the help of a video and Anubhav. They didn't know that I had put salt in Anubhav's bowl.

After breakfast, I headed to Aarush's room and found Anubhav and Aarush deeply engrossed in play. Curious and wanting to join the fun, I asked if I could be a part of their game, and to my delight, Anubhav welcomed me. We decided on hide and seek, where Aarush and I hid while Anubhav searched for us. Laughter echoed through the room as we played peek-a-boo, and Aarush's constant giggles brought an unexpected joy that warmed my heart. I couldn't explain why, but his infectious laughter made me inexplicably happy.

Anubhav eventually announced it was time for Aarush's bath. Taking a chance, I suggested helping, and after a moment of hesitation, Anubhav agreed, mentioning that Aarush could be fussy about baths. Surprisingly, Aarush showed no resistance when I took charge - no tantrums whatsoever. We played a bit more, and soon Aarush drifted off to sleep in my lap. Maybe he found comfort there. It was a simple yet special moment that made me feel a connection growing between us.

As soon as Anubhav went to work, I hurriedly laid aarush on his bed, which I was reluctant to do, but my legs were aching from his nap on my lap. Then I went downstairs and saw dadi watching tv.

I walked downstairs and saw dadi sitting alone on the sofa, watching tv. I wondered what she was watching and if she was enjoying it. I decided to join her and strike up a conversation. "Kya hua dadi, yaha aap akele baithkar tv dekh rahe ho?" I asked her cheerfully. She turned to me with a faint smile and a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Kya Karu buddhi jo ho gayi hun, kisi ke pass itna waqt kaha ki woh mere sath waqt bitaye to mai tv dekh kar hi apna samay bitati hoon." She said. I felt a pang of sadness in my heart. She had everything a person could ask for - a big house, food, clothes, family - but she lacked the one thing that mattered most - companionship. She must have felt so lonely after dadu passed away.