Tangled Fates

.01.

AISHA

I watched as he let every promise slip away, leaving me feeling abandoned and disillusioned.

He was the one who vowed to never leave my side, promising to whisk me away to his world where solitude would be a distant memory.

True to his word, he transported me into his realm, only to eventually abandon me, leaving me to face loneliness once more.

It was he who taught me to live for myself, yet he is the one who left me alone to fend for myself.

It's been a year I got married to him and it's been a year he never even looked at me.

In my own home, I could at least sense their hate towards me, but here, nobody even acknowledges my existence.

I'm like a forgotten book on a dusty shelf, untouched and overlooked, lost in the background of everyone's attention.

Perhaps it's because I'm not part of their circle, or maybe it's because of my different religion. It could also be because I'm not deemed a suitable match for their son, who is flawless in every aspect.

At 6:00 am this morning, I was dressed in a green saree, my hair neatly braided and adorned with vermilion applied between the parting, along with a small dot on my forehead. As I looked into the mirror, I look in my reflection.

I waited for him to emerge from the washroom, hoping he might glance in my direction or call out to me with that same affectionate tone.

Door opened revealing him there drying his hair with towel. He didn't glanced at me and went near dressing mirror.

" Arjun ji." I called him standing just beside him." Arjun ji." I called him again. " Hmm." He just hummed without turning back.

" Today is college's cultural event and.." I was saying when he placed some money on the table. " I..I don't need this." I said but he didn't said anything and combing his hair went out of the room.

I sat down on the bed, looking at that piece of paper, his so called money, the supposed link between us. 

I smiled, never would I have guessed he was once the person who stood outside my house every night just to hear my voice, who used to write me letters just to ask my well being.

Who forced him to take me away from my wedding? Who forced him to fight with his own family for me? Who forced him to marry me against everyone's will? No one!

I can't believe he changed, I don't want to believe.

" Aisha." I heard knock on the door. It was Avika di. Despite being elder than me she is married to my younger brother in law, Abhimanyu bhaiya.

" Coming." I replied and opened the door. " Ldai Hui hai Arjun se?" She asked as soon as I opened the door.
[You and Arjun faught with each other?]

People have to talk for fighting. Whenever I try to talk with him, he simply ignores my presence like he did some minutes before.

" Where are you lost?" She held my arm and I shrugged off my thoughts. " Come fast, pooja tumhe karni hai." She said.

We both went downstairs and he was standing ahead of everyone and today was my turn to perform Aarti, which basically I learnt with so much difficulty.

Greeting everyone and getting ignored also, I went ahead and stood beside him. He looked at me and smiled, I tried to smile but couldn't.

I struggle to emulate his facade; he effortlessly plays the part of the ideal husband in front of everyone, adding to his family's disdain for me. Only three people in this family extends kindness towards me.

Performing some rituals, I stood at a side while Avika di distributed the Prasad among everyone.

Another reason of everyone hating me is my elder sister. She is getting married to Aditya bhaiya, which is obviously opposed by everyone but there is no other option also.

" Aisha." Maa called me suddenly.
" Ji.." I asked. " Don't go to college today. Your family is coming home. We need to prepare a lot." She said.

" It's her first day of final year. Let her go maa, I will handle everything." Avika di said smiling.
" I was saying for her benefit, she would be able to meet her family." Maa said.

" It's fine, I will not go today." I replied. I went in kitchen with Avika di. She started preparing for snacks and I stood there looking for what should I do.

It took me long time to learn about everyone's preferences and food choices and then how to make everything perfectly.

" Bhabhi, can you please handle this, I will do any other thing." Avika di said. This is another weird thing that in presence of elders she don't call me by name and I address her by her name.

Whenever I look at her, I realise where I am lacking. She is loved by everyone in this family. She is the idol daughter in law for them.

She was professor in my college but after her marriage she left her work. Even Abhi bhaiya asked her not to buy she did. She wanted to focus on her family first.

She is confident even if she oppose anyone, no one says anything to her because she can shut down anyone. Even her husband never allows anyone to say anything to her.

Preparing everything I went back to our, his room. He was doing something with his files. I noticed the money was still on the same place.

" My family is coming home." I said to him only to see how he reacts.
" I know." He replied.
" What if I went back with them?" I asked, he looked up and in a second looked back in his files.

" You can." He replied. I just smiled, it feels so different to see someone changing like this. He knows that they don't even talk with me because I chose him over them.

" Won't you stop me?" I asked and he went out without replying.

I looked around and felt everything similar to the day, I came in this house. Everyone said many things about me but he stood like a shield in front of me. He was not like this.

Even with lots of people around, this heart still feels alone. Despite being with everyone, there's a sense of loneliness that sticks around. It's like being in a busy room where everyone's talking, but you still feel like something's missing inside.

Looking back, the hurt caused by my family, even though it was physical, made me feel noticed and acknowledged. Now, in the wider world, I miss that sense of belonging they gave me.

His siblings are good, Abhimanyu bhaiya his real brother, talks very less with everyone so with me.
Aditya bhaiya, his uncle's son, he is the one who acknowledge my presence and tries his best to make me feel happy.

At times, one finds themselves yearning for past hardships, as the current circumstances prove to be even more unbearable.

~~~

This is the first chapter and short one.

Do tell me what do you think, looks interesting or not?

B'by