Pooja's P.O.V
"Why? Aren't you serious?"
I can see his body going rigid and him clenching and unclenching his hand at his side's. I stare at him waiting for him to speak. After two or three minutes he turns his face to look at me and decides to speak.
"I know, Megha would have already told you how they had been searching for a girl for me to marry. Why do you think all the girls they found rejected me?", I shrug and he continues, "Well, I told them to. And Pooja please understand I have been meaning to tell you this all before the marriage but somehow my parents caught up and they were hell bent on getting me married to you this time. My father even threatened to disown me."
Suddenly I feel as if my intestines were twisting painfully and someone had kept a heavy rock on my chest. God, I wish nothing is going to be bad.
"Pooja, I'm in love with someone else.", I open and close my mouth but no sound comes and I feel like my throat was burning. Shit has to always happen in my life. "I already did tell my parents about my affair three years back and they didn't agree. Whenever I asked them why they would always tell me I wouldn't understand. For three years I had been working hard for their approval but all they did was force me into another marriage."
I bite my lips hard as my eyes starts filling up. He didn't dare look at me spoke and I was thankful for that. I slowly take a deep breathe to calm my nerves before forcing myself to speak.
"So where does this put me? I understand that I'm supposed to be your wife only when we have family around but other than that what am I to you?"
"Pooja I'm really sorry. But please understand my situation. I know you would like to call me names, beat me up or whatever but please.............", he kept on rambling with his pleas and sorries, but my ears had already turned deaf.
Why does life has to play all it's games on me? I was so happy. So happy that at least I would have a family that would love me. Indeed I have my brother and sister but have a life of their own.
"Where does this put me, Arjun?", my voice harder than I intended to be.
He shuts his mouth and silently think about my question. I watch his face which clearly express all his emotions, from pain to anger to guilt to worry. He then looks up at me. I try hard not to laugh in this situation but his expression just lets a small smile to slip on to my face. For a 27 year old guy he looked like he was about to cry.
But seeing my smile boosts his confidence and with a small hint of hope he stretches his hand towards me for a handshake and asks,
"Can we be friends?"
Out of every ending I didn't expect my first night to end like this.
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I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling. It was still dark except for the glow of the rising sun through the curtains. Last night after agreeing to be friends Arjun had got an extra pillow and kept it in middle of the bed saying he wanted me to be comfortable. I really did appreciate it since I had no idea where I was supposed to sleep if we were friends and I can't sleep in another room because whole of his family, from his grandmother to parents, uncles and their wives and kids, were all staying in the same house. No not a house it was a freaking mansion with two 4BHK guesthouses a few meters away. Megha did tell me what to expect but all my expectations were thrown into air.
I pick up my phone, from the small table which was near the head of the bed, to see that it was only 5:00. I get up and walk to the closet to check for a pair of workout clothes and there three and also surprisingly a pale blue colour yoga mat. Megha did know what all to buy for me. Then I head to the bathroom to freshen up and change my clothes. Megha did tell me about all bedrooms in the mansion having a balcony. I look around the room and see one side of the room was completely covered in curtains.
I slowly walk there with the yoga mat in one hand and move the curtains to see glass walls and door. I open the doors to see two chairs and a small team table in the middle. I walk towards the railing and saw the most beautiful scenery, a patch of grassland with a small park and kids toys and with picnic tables and chairs littered, along with a speck of pine forest at the end. Guess that is the backyard. The cold breeze was so refreshing I felt all my nerves calming.
I shift the chairs and tea table to a corner and start my usual routine of yoga for half an hour and then classical dance. Before playing the song for dance I make sure the balcony door was closed, i don't want to wake him up. I play the song on my phone at a low volume so only I would be able to hear it. Classical dance was something that my grandparents insisted that every girl in the family learn. Even Megha had to start learning after coming into my house. I had a tutor come thrice a week at home, whom my grandparents had sent from the countryside to the city, when my parents made no effort to abide by their wish.
After spending another hour dancing, I get a fresh set of clothes from my closet and head to take a bath. After bathing and comfortably dressed in a black and red sari which was not too formal or too casual because I have to go to work I thought why not get dressed now. It was already 7:00 and if I had to reach work on time I'll have to get started at least by 9:30, since the mansion was outside the city and had a half an hour drive to the city. Completing my outfit with a pair of black bangles on one had and a silver watch on the other, which my brother had gifted me on my 20th birthday, and a small silver pendant with teardrop earrings and finally apply my eyeliner and a small red bindi and leave my long hair open.
Arjun was already awake and taking his bath. I decide to go downstairs to see almost everyone awake and already dressed and the kids waiting at the dining table in their uniform. As soon as I reach downstairs Ma, Arjun's mother, notices me and rushes towards me.
"Dear, did you sleep well? I know you would be tired with everything yesterday. You could have slept in, you know. There isn't any hurry to go back to work. Your boss would understand taking a leave right afte....."
"Ma.", I stop her from rambling with a small smile. Now it's really clear from where Arjun gets the habit of rambling.
"What did you just call me?", her mouth slightly open and eyes wide.
"Ma. Is there something wrong?", I ask with a little tension in my voice. What if she doesn't like me?
Before I could over think she pulls me into a hug, "You are the best daughter-in-law!"
"What about me?", we turn to see Megha close to us with a childish pout and one hand clutching her chest in mock pain. She too is dressed in formals, a navy blue pencil skirt and light blue blouse. She was working as a CS in a multinational company.
"Come here.", Ma gestures her to come closer with a wide smile and pulls us both into a hug.
"Seriously mom! You forget about your boys when you got two daughter-in-law?", Our group hug was interrupted by none other than Ajay. Arjun was right behind him and offers me a small smile. I smile back and just when Ma was about to talk Trisha, Arjun's younger sister comes and calls us telling everyone was waiting for us at the table.
At the head of the table was Arjun's dad to his right Arjun's grandmother, whom everyone calls Nani, Ajay, Megha, then his uncles and aunts and their kids. While on the right there was Ma, Arjun, me, Tanisha and Trisha, his twin sisters and more of his uncles and aunts and their kids. The breakfast was not so quiet as, the men discussing business while ladies were all round gossiping and kids wailing telling 'I don't want this, I don't want that'. I busied myself talking to Trisha and Tani. Back home with my parents whenever everyone were present at the table things used to be quite tensed and no one made a single noise.
I was ready to go to work with Megha, since my office was on the way to hers, when Ma stopped me. Telling me to wait a second she rushes to somewhere and comes back within a minute with a small circular box in her hand. She called Arjun to come and stand there with us. She opened the box and that's when I realise I forgot to wear sindoor. It was a must in our custom for married women to wear sindoor on their forhead. She asks Arjun to apply it on my forehead and I swear I saw an evil glint in her eyes. She was trying to play matchmaker. When a husband applies sindoor for his wife on her forehead it is meant to have a stronger bond in their relationship. Logic of which I still didn't understand. I may see him as my husband but for him I will only be a good friend. But this thought just made my determination stronger.
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It was close to my lunch break when my phone rang, an unknown number.
"Hello."
"Pooja?"
"Yes?"
"Ah. This is Arjun."
"Oh. Hey. How did you get my number?", I ask a little puzzled.
"Megha. I wanted you to meet someone. So where are you planning on having lunch?", I already had an idea whom he wanted me to meet with.
"Ok. There's this nice restaurant right opposite my office building. Maybe we could meet there?", Ma had insisted us to take lunch with us, but before I could reply Arjun had popped out of no where and rejected her offer telling we had planned to eat together outside.
"Ok I'll be there in an hour. Bye."
"Bye."
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I had been waiting for 5 minutes and choose to sit on one of the lunch tables set outside the restaurant, when I saw him along with a woman. She was gorgeous, like those models you see in magazines. I wave at them so they could see me. The one thing that disturbed me wasn't that she was gorgeous and I was no where near her but the fact that his hands were tightly wrapped around her waist. Don't be jealous Pooja, she is his girlfriend, my mind reasons with me. But not for long, I smirk inside my head at my mind.
When they reach close to our table I stand up smiling and stretch my hand towards her for a handshake, "Hi. I'm Pooja Kashyap."
She takes my hand and smiles, but the way her hand tenses I can say she is least happy to see me, "Hi. Renuka Trivedi."
I then do the most unexpected thing pull her into a hug, leaving both her and Arjun shocked. It was kind of a sorry hug, because you know after all I was going to steal her boyfriend. But hey you can't blame me he is my husband.
We take our seats and order and start having lunch. All the while she was pushing my buttons but I didn't let that affect me or let my brave facade fall. It really hurt. Knowing that all the while she was faking and he was too blind to see through it. One could tell he practically adored her from the way he was looking at her without taking his eyes off and the goofy smile of his.
Her stories went from how she and Arjun met at college, how he helped her finance through it and he offered a job at his company and she jumped on it, and was now the HR manager at his company. She even boasted about how he had given her his credit card for her to use and blah blah blah. But one thing I appreciate is how Arjun's parents saw that she was only with him for his money and fame and didn't let her in the family. I wish Arjun would also see this sooner than later.
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Bit of a long chapter but enjoy reading......