Faasla

Five

His mom showed up uninvited at the doorstep the next morning.

Well, technically speaking, she doesn't need an invitation because she's his mom. She's family.

But technicalities and logic doesn't work between him and I. We're not normal. He's not normal. And at this point, nor am I.

I held the door open and stared at her - utterly startled - for a good thirty seconds. I began sweating out of nowhere and my heart raced in my chest.

"Hi, Navya!", his mom walks in with a warm smile, gulping me into a hug. As odd as it sounds, I'm meeting her for the first time after the wedding. His family never showed up for any rituals, nor did they drop in to see if I was doing okay. It took them more than a week to remember that their only son's living out there in the city with a wife, whom he doesn't love.

I have just one simple question - does his mom and dad know about the whole drama? The question lingers at the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it back in because her warmth towards me makes me think that she's oblivious about the situation.

"Darsh kept saying that the two of you will come visit us soon for the past one week, but you never showed up so I thought I'll come meet you today!", his mom walks in and a younger woman trails behind her, holding a baby in her arms, who dosed off on her shoulder.

I'm honestly too scared and shocked to say anything right. I simply welcome them with a smile, as a thousand thoughts run through my mind.

"She's Payal, Darshan's cousin. She missed the wedding because she was in another city. And that's her baby - Hari", his mom introduces and I smile at her, too.

"Where's Darsh?", Payal looks around and at this point, I figured out that I'm doomed.

Where's Darsh? Good question. I wish I knew, Payal. He's probably in some restaurant, flirting with a random girl. Or even worse, he could be in a hotel with someone. The possibilities are endless since it's her playboy cousin.

What's the most believable lie I could come up with?

"Studio!", it takes me a moment I figure something out. "He's probably at the studio. Actually, he left early in the morning and I was still asleep so I don't really know", I build up on the lie.

"His studio is his first love! I hope you're not jealous!", Payal teases and I force a laugh. What's there to be jealous about? He doesn't even love me. There's no room for competition.

"Darsh said that you went for a movie last night. How was it?", his mom questions. God, he has ruthlessly lied about us to his family and that proves one thing - they're clueless about the contract.

And what lies! We went for a movie together? Aunty, we haven't even walked into the kitchen together. If he's in the living room, I walk in the exact opposite direction. I repel your son.

Calm down, Nivi. Hold your thoughts.

"The movie was---", I take a pause.

What movie are we talking about? I'm not even updated about the latest releases. "---it was okay. I liked it", I shrug, tugging my sleeves. "Darsh said you hated it!", Payal furrows her eyebrows in confusion. Wow. I fucked up. I panic for a brief moment, but purse my lips and take a deep breath in. It's not that bad, I can fix it.

"Really? It must've been a misunderstanding. Actually, he hated it but I loved it. You mixed it up", I cover up. "I hated it, though. It was a typical love story", Payal shares her point of view and honestly, I still have absolutely no idea what we're talking about. It's like flashing a colour at a blind person and asking them to tell which colour it is.

"Your baby! How old is she?", I divert the topic, right away, before his cousin takes a deeper dig at the movie I've no idea about. "She's turning one next month", she smiles. "She's adorable", I smile. "Has Darsh told you about her?", Payal question, throwing me back into a difficult situation. God, this is a lot more draining than I thought.

Do I agree, or not? If I agree, she's definitely the kind of person who will ask for details. That's dangerous. And wait, why am I going through this all alone? Where's the contract-obsessed devil?

"Actually, he's been really busy so we couldn't talk much", I shrug slowly. "Hari is a piece of Darshan's heart. He chose her name and God does he love her! In a while, you'll watch her face light up when she sees him. We call her Chachu ki Jaan. The moment you say that, she starts giggling!", Payal narrates and I'm certainly not buying that story. This man has emotions and a heart? What bullshit. That's such white lies. She's definitely making it up to make her egoistic cousin the good guy in the picture. Little does she know that I know his true face.

I excused myself from the living and staggered my way to the kitchen with my phone, in the name of making them a cup of coffee. Right away, I dial Darshan's number for the first time ever and I thought he wouldn't even answer my call, but a thousand rings later - he does.

"Your mom's here", no hi or hello, I get straight to the point. "Oh fuck. Mom and dad?", he breathes. "Your mom, Payal and her baby", I answer. "And?", he cues.

"They're constantly asking me where you are!", I tell him.

"And?", he repeats.

"I lied to them that you're in the studio", I exhale. "That's not a lie. I'm actually in the studio", he argues. "Sure", I smirk. "What do you mean by sure?", he questions. "Sure means Sure. There's no hidden meaning", I say back. "No, shit! I didn't know I brought an Oxford Dictionary home", he utters back, sarcastically. "Even I didn't know I was being married off to a scammer. Do you see me complaining?", I slam back. "You can't complain because that scammer is paying you", he argues. "That still makes him a shitty person", I slam back and we fall silent for a split second.

Day nine of our marriage and we've somehow maintained our streak of arguments only. We still haven't had a conversation with each other. We've never been nice to each other. It has always been the hard glare, or the loud stomps on the ground or the banging doors. Long story short, he yells at me or I yell at him. Or we yell at each other at the same time. It's a mental asylum disguised as a Penthouse.

"Tell them I'm on my way and---don't say anything stupid", he warns me. "Something stupid?", I echo. "You mean, don't even think of telling your mom that you've forced me to sign a contract to live with you, right? I'm not as heartless as you are, Darshan Raval. I know the kind of heartbreak your mom would go through when she finds out that you're not who she thinks she is!", I tell him.

"It's high time you move past that thought. You're not doing it for free!", he argues. "Did you leave me with a choice?", I question. "Did I tell you to fucking stay?", he questions back. There we go. Again.

"And I'm not the only bad person here. However the circumstances were, you chose - I repeat, you - Navya Patel - chose - to sign the contract. How are you going to justify that to people who would anyways think you're here for the money?", he puts me in a tough situation. "You can go to the top of a building and yell on the top of your lungs that I forced you into this, but that'll bring the spotlight on you. Not me", I could picture his arrogant smirk.

"Where's Darsh?", a voice emerges from behind and I'm guessing it's his cousin - Payal. I swallow the words that dangled at the tip of my tongue, clenching the phone tight.

"He's coming. He's stuck in traffic", I breathe, wearing a forceful smile and cut the call on his face.

♡

[Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii. I MISSED YOU ALL SO MUCH. I'm so sorry for ghosting for a while. I had psychiatric rounds and it was honestly one of the most mentally draining things EVER. But here I am!

How did you like the chapter??? Share your views and I'll get back to you ASAP <3 all my heart and love, Nashhhhh ]