Unwanted [COMPLETED]

Chapter 31

Nandini

"You look so beautiful, Nandini. Perfect." Mom smiles, looking at me in the mirror while clasping the blue ruby necklace on my nape.

I smile back at her, grateful to her for helping me get ready. This is my first time wearing this kind of gown and going to a party.

Maa and Papa used to go to business parties, but they only used to take Vivek with them.

There was one time I had asked them to take me with them, not wanting to be home alone at night as I used to get scared.

But they berated me so harshly that time, telling me they didn't want to get embarrassed by taking me—a girl with no manner to talk and eat—with them.

I had cried for hours that night, cursing myself for being such a nuisance to my parents.

I was young and naive then. I used to think I was in the wrong. I used to believe they would have taken me with them if I had only known how to talk or eat.

During that time, it didn't cross my mind that if they thought I didn't know how to do such things, being my parents, it was their duty to teach me such things.

It was before I knew I was their unwanted daughter. That's why, at that time, I could not comprehend why they were indifferent toward me. I could not understand why they scolded me too harshly whenever I made even the smallest of mistakes, why they used to be nonchalant to my tears whenever I cried.

A few years later, I heard my mother talking with her friend, and I understood the reason for their behavior toward me. I cried a lot that day, only stopping when Vivek consoled me. He reassured me that I would always be his dear sister, no matter what.

"What happened, Nandini? Why are you getting emotional?" Mom asks me, and I blink away my tears.

"Nothing, Mom. Just got lost thinking about some random things," I tell her, shaking those memories off my mind.

This is my first time attending a party, and I want to enjoy this night. I won't let anything dampen my mood.

Still, there is a nagging feeling in my heart. Vivek's thought is again swirling in my mind as it has been for the last few days.

I don't know why, but I'm unable to shake the foreboding feeling clawing at my heart.

"Vikrant is going to definitely swoon after seeing you tonight. I'm sure he won't be able to take his eyes off you," Mom tells me, and I smile mildly at her.

I'm unsure if Vikrant would even properly look at me, let alone give such a reaction.

Yes, he has been nicer toward me recently, and I'm sure his guilt is prompting him to be that way.

His culpability of ruining my life to get his revenge is slowly chewing at his conscience, unable to let him be happy even after achieving what he wanted to achieve by marrying me.

That's also the only reason why he wants to give our marriage a chance.

I'm not entirely sure what it is between him and me, but nowadays, I have started feeling more comfortable with him. I have started opening up to him, which confuses and scares me.

It confuses me because I'm not sure why I feel comfortable with him, and it scares me because I know whatever it is, it isn't going to last.

Sooner or later, his guilt will start decreasing, getting to the point that it will no longer bother him. That will be the day when he'll again tell me to get out of his life.

After all, he has been doing everything on his whim from the beginning—be it marrying me for his revenge, declaring me as an unwanted wife on our wedding night, and then suddenly telling me about wanting to give our marriage a chance after succeeding in taking his revenge.