Third Person's POV
Seated at the dining table, Siddharth, Nishitha, and Manik are waiting for Nandini to bring the sweet dish she has made in the house for the first time.
"Mom, is it really necessary for me to taste that dish? I am getting late for the office," Manik says, tapping his fingers impatiently on the dining table.
Nishitha sighs when she hears her son. "You got married just yesterday, Manik. First of all, I don't understand why you can't take a few days off from the office so you can spend some time with Nandini.
"And second, yes, it is important that you taste that dish. Nandini is your wife now, and she will feel bad if her husband does not taste the first dish she made at her in-laws' house."
"Your Mom is right, Manik. Why are you going to the office, anyways? I had told you to take two weeks off after your wedding," Siddharth adds, looking at Manik.
"I can’t take two weeks off, Dad. We have so many new deals on the way. I need to be present in all the meetings for those deals as I had been overlooking all those projects," Manik lies, knowing he cannot give the real reason to his parents.
After all, how will he say that he is not taking any day off because Nandini and this wedding mean nothing to him? He only got married to take revenge on Myra and Raghav.
"It is our own office, Manik. I don't think you need to be physically present at the office. You can work remotely and talk with the staff when needed.
"That way, you can spend some time with Nandini and also remotely supervise the projects and see if the employees needed any help with the projects," Siddharth tells Manik, and Nishitha too nods.
Both of them expectantly looking at their son, hoping he would agree to stay back and spend some time with Nandini so the newly weds can slowly become comfortable around each other.
Manik gazes at his parents' expectant faces. He tries to think but is unable to come up with any excuse to give them to avoid staying home and spending time with Nandini.
Thankfully, he is saved from answering his parents when Nandini walks out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl of Kheer in her hand.
Keeping the bowl on the table, she fills the serving bowls one by one and serves them to Siddharth, Nishitha, and Manik.
"The Kheer is delicious, Nandini," Siddharth praises Nandini, putting another spoonful in his mouth, and she smiles at him.
"Yes. It is absolutely delicious. So creamy and flavorful," Nishitha also praises Nandini’s dish as she continues eating.
But both Siddharth and Nishitha frown as they see Manik uninterestedly eating the Kheer and not saying even one word to praise his wife’s first cooked dish.
"Manik, won't you say anything? The Kheer is delicious, isn't it?" Nishitha probes Manik to praise Nandini, but he just sighs.
"It is alright, Mom. Too sweet for me, actually," Manik replies, and Nishitha feels bad when she sees Nandini's smile falter due to it.
"That's it, Manik. This type of insensitive behavior will not be tolerated. You are married now, and you need to understand your responsibilities toward your wife," Nishitha says to Manik sternly.
"That is why you are not going to the office today. You will be taking two weeks off and going on your honeymoon with Nandini," Siddharth adds, his voice solemn and firm.
Feeling the anger rise within him, Manik is about to tell his parents he will not be going anywhere with Nandini, but he stops when Nandini starts speaking before he can.
"It is ok, Mom, Dad. Actually, Manik told me last night how important it is for him to go to the office. We can go on honeymoon some other time," Nandini says with a slight smile on her face.
Although his jaw twitches in annoyance when he hears Nandini call his parents Mom and Dad, Manik does not say anything.
Seeing his parents about to argue to what Nandini said, he stands from the chair and looks at his parents. "Now that I have tasted the dish, I am going to the office."
Saying that to his parents, Manik turns to Nandini. "Would you walk with me to my car? I need to talk with you before going to the office."
Nishitha and Siddharth smile, seeing Manik wanting to spend some time with Nandini before going to the office.
Their smiles widen when Nandini nods, and both of them walk away together.
***********
Once outside the house, Manik looks at Nandini, narrowing his eyes at her.
"I do not know what you are trying to do by calling my parents Mom and Dad and showing them how understanding you are. But know that none of your games will work. This marriage and you will always mean nothing to me. It would be better for you if you never forget that."
Nandini folds her hands over her chest and looks steadily at Manik.
"I am a simple girl, Mr. Manik Sisodiya, and I do not play any games. After all, I am not like you, who does not care how his actions and words would hurt others.
"And anyway, I am not showing how understanding I am. I said that to your parents because I do not want to go anywhere with you. So, I did it for myself. Don't be under any illusion that I did it for you."
Nandini fists her hands, her heart racing as she tries to seem unaffected by Manik's words.
Him saying that she means nothing to him brings back bad memories from her past, but she cannot not let him see her vulnerability, lest he takes advantage of it.
"Ok, that's good then. Always remember your position as being unwanted in my life, and never expect anything from me or this marriage."
With that said, Manik opens the door of his car and climbs inside, driving away, not seeing the tears that escape Nandini's eyes due to what he said.
***********
"Why do Maa and Papa hate me, Vivek?" Nandini asks Vivek tearily, her head resting upon his shoulder.
"No, Nandini. They do not hate you. It is just that—" Vivek tries to reassure her, but she interrupts him.
"They do hate me, Vivek. Ever since I can remember, they have been indifferent towards me. And I had heard Maa talking with her friend one day. She said that she did not want to give birth to me.
"How could she say that? Just because I am a girl?" Nandini sobs more as she recalls the cold shoulder her parents gave her a while back.
They had gone out of town, owing to the conference that Papa had to attend, and had returned after a week.
Both she and Vivek had been waiting eagerly for them.
They arrived an hour back, and while they met lovingly with Vivek, giving him many gifts they brought for him, they did not even look at her, let alone talk with her affectionately or give her any gift.
"Do not say that, Nandini. It is not like that," Vivek says to her, and that snaps Nandini's patience.
Standing up from the couch, she walks to the room's window.
She first takes a few deep breaths to calm herself, but when that does not work, she angrily turns toward Vivek and starts speaking.
"Why can't I say that, Vivek? It is the truth, isn't it? They both love you dearly, so you won't ever understand my pain.
"You won't ever understand how it feels not to be loved by your own parents. You won't ever understand how it feels when your parents leave no opportunity to show you how much unwanted you are to them. You won't ever understand it."
Nandini furiously wipes her tears and turns away, looking out of the window.
Vivek sighs, hearing Nandini, and walks to her.
Reaching where she was standing, he keeps his hand over her shoulder.
"You are right, Nandini. I won't understand your pain because I have not suffered it. But I can see how much it hurts you. And although I am not sure if I will ever be able to convince Maa and Papa to accept you, I promise you that I will always be by your side.
"Your brother has always loved you, Nandini, and he will always keep loving you. As long as I am alive, you will never be alone or unwanted in this world."
Her back leaning against the bathroom wall as she sits beneath the shower head with her knees pressed against her chest, Nandini sobs, remembering her brother's words from the past.
"Now that you are not with me, Vivek, I am all alone in this world."
Nandini keeps sobbing as her current situation sinks into her.
She had tried to be strong. She had tried not to feel hurt by the fact that Manik did not want her as his wife, but no matter how much she tried, she could not entirely remove the pain of being an unwanted wife.
Maybe it will be ok with time. Perhaps she will move on as the days will pass by.
But right now, she feels immense pressure in her heart. The pressure as the ever-present claws of loneliness squeezes her heart more.
"I should not have expected anything. I should have known better than to think I could be happy in my life."
Her cries increases as she recounts all the times her parents made her feel unwanted. The way they used to taunt her, the blatant way they used to favor Vivek all the time and remain indifferent toward her.
As time had passed by and as she had matured, she had started dreaming about a loving husband who would want her.
She used to dream about starting a family with that husband who would cherish her.
She had even dreamed about having children with her kind and loving husband and had vowed to love them equally, regardless of their gender. She did not want her child to suffer the pain of being unwanted by their parents as she had suffered.
But all her dreams got crushed the moment Manik threw those bitter words at her.
'Why did my parents hate me so much that they shunned me this way, getting me married to a man who did not want me, let alone love me?'
This question has been swirling in her mind ever since her wedding night, and she is still unable to digest that her parents did this to her.
"Am I so unlovable that my parents could not love me even when they are the ones who brought me to this world? Is my being a girl so wrong that I was made to feel unwanted my whole life?
"Do I not deserve happiness in my life? Why am I being punished at every turn in my life? Why? Why? Why?" Nandini cries, asking those questions aloud, but sadly, as always, she does not get any answer.
***********
Sitting on the chair in his office, Manik twirls the paperweight in his hand, his mind focused on Nandini's behavior and words.
Last night, when he told her about their marriage being unwanted to him, she did not throw any tantrums as he had expected. She was quiet the whole night and in the morning too.
He had seen her red face when she walked out of the bathroom in the morning, and knew she had been crying.
Although he felt a twinge of guilt in his heart, knowing he was the reason behind her tears, he shrugged it off, not wanting to get affected by it.
He knows he is doing wrong with Nandini, but he has no other choice.
Myra has bruised his ego by cheating on him.
Raghav has betrayed his trust by having an affair with his girlfriend.
So, he needs to show those two how dire the consequences will be when you cross Manik Sisodiya.
And for that, he is ready to go to any limits.
'Are you sure, Manik? Do you think it is right to hurt Nandini to get your revenge on Myra and Raghav? What is her fault in all this?' His heart tries to reason with him, but Manik shakes his head.
"Even though it is not right, I must do it. I need to take my revenge, and it does not matter to me if Nandini gets hurt along the way. She means nothing to me, after all," He says aloud, but frowns when he does not hear the firm conviction in his own voice.
'Why am I thinking about that girl? I do not know anything about her except her name, and she means nothing to me. Then why is she invading my thoughts?' Manik wonders, closing his eyes, seeing Nandini's teary face flash beneath his closed eyelids.