"I hated waiting for someone and here I am waiting for you to come home."
It had been five days since she last saw Atharva. Her heart ached thinking where he'd been spending his nights and with whom. She didn't want to suspect him but somehow it felt plausible as to why he wanted them to stay away from each other. He loved another woman. If that was the case, Aahana needed answers, and she was determined to get it from him. She could not live under the same roof with silence between them. She refused to do so.
And she knew if she waited any longer, it would be impossible to reach him.
It was 2:00 AM, which meant Atharva should be home anytime. At least she hoped he would show up. Like the last few days, she had nothing to do, so after cleaning the house and cooking, she sat in the drawing-room and watched various movies while waiting for Atharva until she was bored and fell asleep. After all, for how long could she repeat the same routine? She longed to go back to work and help her father in business. She was well educated, having earned her bachelor's in Economics and master's in Business Finance.
Letting out a sigh, she tried to focus on the screen and soon enough, she heard the jingling of keys before the door opened and Atharva entered.
He hadn't seen her yet, or maybe he was ignoring her again. She watched him take off his shoes and socks, then place them on the shelf. Without glancing around, he started walking in the direction of his room.
Aahana's eyes narrowed at his retreating figure, and she chuckled. "Not today, Atharva."
Cursing under his breath, he stopped. "I already told—"
"Look at me when we speak." Aahana stood up from the couch and folded her arms across her chest. "I don't give a crap about what you say or think. The truth won't change. We got married, didn't we?"
Atharva glared at the wall in front of him, battling with his inner self which wanted to escape. Slowly, he turned around to face her but maintained his focus on her chin.
"What do you want?" he asked, running his fingers through his hair.
"Why are you running away from me?" Aahana was not going to leave until he explained himself. She had given him too much space already, no more.
"I am not," he stated in a cold tone. "I agreed to the wedding only because my father blackmailed me."
She froze. "What?"
"Yes, otherwise he would have given the company to Nisha."
Aahana didn't know what to say. She wasn't prepared for this revelation. If her dad came to know, he would make the Saxena family pay for their lies. "Did you not see my picture? I-I thought you agreed because you like me." She didn't sound confident anymore.
"Do you really expect someone to like you based on a picture?"
"So... you don't..." She was hurting and breaking again.
He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I don't like you."
His words stung deep in her heart. She drew a few shaky breaths. "Look at me, please." Her voice was soft and quiet, almost pleading.
"I am already looking at you," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.
That infuriated her and she marched towards him. "Look into my eyes."
He didn't.
"Is there someone else in your life?" Aahana demanded, feeling tears pool into her eyes. When he didn't answer, she closed the little space between them and clasped his hand in hers.
"Stay away from me!" He inhaled sharply and yanked his hand free, staggering backward as if her touch burned him. His breathing turned erratic and he felt cold all of a sudden.
"What's wrong?" Her eyes widened when he began to tremble.
"Please le-leave m-me alone," he barely managed to utter as the same, traumatic events of his past gripped him in its vile clutches.
She winced at his expression. He looked like he was in a lot of pain and she wished she could do something to help him. But she didn't know what was going on.
"Go!"
She stared at him one last time before scurrying to her room and slamming the door shut.
He loosened his tie and slipped off his suit jacket, tossing it carelessly beside him as he slid on the carpeted floor and rested his head against the wall outside his bedroom. Taking out the tablet from his pocket, he swallowed it. He felt somewhat better after that but he didn't have the energy to go inside his room. And soon, his eyelids felt heavy and he drifted off to sleep, despite the terrible aching of his head.
That very morning when Aahana woke up, she found him on his doorstep. Her eyes widened and she rushed towards him, worrying if something terrible happened to him.
The sudden change in him yesterday hadn't gone unnoticed by her and she was more puzzled now.
"Atharva?" she called softly, kneeling to his level and patting his cheek gently only to realize he was asleep. "Why are you sleeping here?"
He groaned and turned his head to the other side, making his hair fall over his forehead.
She couldn't help but smile slightly as she smoothed out his hair. In person, he looked even more handsome. The picture she had seen was just a glimpse of Atharva but the real him was here. His soft, untamed chestnut brown hair, olive skin, long eyelashes framing his closed eyes which sat under his thick eyebrows, sculpted nose, parted full lips, high cheekbones, and sturdy jawline covered with a hint of a beard. Everything seemed the definition of perfection and she could not take her eyes off him.
She bit her lower lip and hesitantly traced the contour of his face with her fingers, watching his eyebrows furrow.
Her smile grew and she called him again, this time shaking his shoulder. "Wake up. You need to go to the office. Atharva? Come on."
His eyes shot open in confusion and widened in sheer shock when he came face-to-face with Aahana. His breath hitched in his throat and he had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
She had a bright smile plastered on her angelic face as she stared at him with her wide, dark brown eyes. Not only was the name beautiful but so was she. It looked like she had just woken up but still managed to look so good. Her rich, long, straight raven hair framed her heart-shaped face perfectly.
"Are you okay?" she asked him gently, and for the first time, he managed to keep eye contact with a female, nodding silently.
She stood up and extended her hand for him to take which snapped him out of his reverie and he pinned her with a glare. Getting up himself, he grabbed his jacket from the floor and went to his room, closing the door on her face.
Aahana's smile turned into a frown. She stood shell shocked at his behavior and was about to go inside and teach him some manners when her eyes landed on the floor. There was a round, white tablet and her eyebrows knitted in turmoil. She picked it and held it between her fingers.
She didn't recognize the medicine but for sure it belonged to Atharva. He was sitting here in the first place, and maybe it fell out of his pocket. She wanted to ask him directly, but she knew he would tell her nothing. She needed to find out what was wrong with him. His behavior was quite strange and yesterday night, the way he was trembling was not a good sign.
Invading someone's privacy was not what she liked but curiosity got the best of her and she decided to go to the nearby drug store later today and ask about the medicine.
Rushing back to her room, she hid the tablet in a small piece of paper and chucked it inside her purse.
Then she went to the kitchen, knowing Atharva would be ready for breakfast anytime. She knew he wouldn't want to see her, so she prepared the breakfast for him and after placing it on the table, she walked back to her room.
Finishing her morning business, she pulled on her high-waisted jeans and crop tops, and then grabbing her purse and keys, she slipped into her shoes and hurried to the shop.
The chemist couldn't identify the medicine as there was no bill or packet, but when he looked closer, he found an imprint code and immediately checked in his list of medicines.
"Who is taking these pills?" he asked, handing it back to her.
Aahana seemed to be contemplating whether or not to tell him but she told anyway. "My husband."
The chemist nodded. "This is an antidepressant."
She just stared at him.
Keep reading to know more about their journey. And please do vote!❤