The Marriage Contract

72 - What's Mine is Yours

"State Bank of India?" Akshara turned to look at Abhimanyu quizzically as they pulled into the parking lot.

"I just have a quick meeting with the bank manager. It shouldn't take long." Abhimanyu shrugged casually.

"Oh, okay. I can stay in the car if you'd like if it's going to be a quick in an out thing?" Akshara asked innocently.

"I actually don't know how long it'll take. In case he has other clients waiting. And I don't want you to melt in the boiling heat." He joked.

"Okay." She replied, unsuspectingly as they both stepped out of the car.

Abhimanyu looked over at Akshara as they walked up the stairs of the bank building. It had been just yesterday when Richa had announced the contract null and void. She also had sent a follow up email finalizing the details, outlining that her services had been terminated.

Akshara had not said anything regarding the money matters again but Abhimanyu knew that the financial burden was weighing at the back of her head.

So he was going to remove finances and money matters from their relationship forever.

~*~

"Sir, Ma'am, thank you for coming in. Please take a seat." The manger, Sahil Patel outstretched his hand, calling Akshara and Abhimanyu into his office.

Abhimanyu pulled Akshara's chair out for her, waiting for her to take a seat. Once Akshara was settled, Abhimanyu took his seat beside her.

"Thank you for seeing us so late minute, Mr. Patel." Abhimanyu shook hands with Sahil Patel.

"No problem, Mr. Birla. You are one of our most important clients. We always have time for our best clients." Sahil Patel took a deep breath before opening up a file folder. "So as we talked over the phone, I have drawn up the paperwork to the terms and conditions you asked for." He placed a neatly stapled set of documents in front of Abhimanyu. "You can ready over them and let me know if anything needs to be altered."

"Thank you." Abhimanyu grabbed the documents and quickly began skimming through it. He read the fine print throughly, not bothered by it, except for the one name he was looking for: Akshara Birla.

"While you are reading through the contract, may I grab a piece of ID from both you and Ma'am?" The bank manager asked.

Abhimanyu was quick to take out his driver's license and hand it over to the manager. Akshara on the other hand was confused about why a piece of her ID was needed for Abhimanyu's financial matters.

"Ma'am?" The bank manager asked.

Abhimanyu turned to look pointedly towards her. "Akshara?"

Uneasily, Akshara opened her crossbody bag, took out her wallet and handed the bank manger her driver's license.

"I'll be right back after making photocopies."

"Abhi, but why do they need my ID?" She asked him quizzically after the manager had left the room.

"You'll find out soon enough," Was Abhimanyu's only response.

The manager came back shortly and returned Akshara and Abhimanyu's IDs back to them. "Sir, we normally don't do this, but since you are one of our most privileged clients, I am just going to be a bit more lenient. Ma'am name on her ID is listed as Akshara Goenka which does not match the one on the documents listing her as Akshara Birla. However, I am still going to follow through with the paperwork, so whenever you both are feeling comfortable, you can always email me with a picture of her updated ID. Doesn't have to be now, it can be whenever."