Doomed From The Start: A Marriage Agreement

chapter 19: something different

A R Y A

It was another long day at work. As a CEO, balancing the demands of the board, employees, and stakeholders, I had a lot of work on my shoulders, and finding a moment of peace amidst my busy schedule was challenging. By the time I managed to escape from the clutches of work, exhaustion clung to me like a second skin. All I craved was a moment of solitude and a decent meal.

After exiting my office building, I drove my way to Tasha's apartment. Usually, we don't see each other much, but the past few days, Tasha has been acting weird. She had been insistent that I spend all my evenings with her, and I had a feeling it had something to do with Jaanvi living in my house now. It's as if she doesn't want me anywhere near Jaanvi, although she justified it by saying she wanted to spend more time with me as we rarely get to see each other. Her sudden affection was a bit unnerving, but I don't have time to be bothered by it.

As I left my office and headed to Tasha's place, my exhaustion seemed to weigh me down even more. It had been one of those days where work just never seemed to end, and all I needed was a quiet evening.

I parked my SUV at her entrance and took the lift to her floor. I let myself into her apartment, as usual, since she rarely answered the door. When I walked inside, she was seated at the dining table, engrossed in her phone.

"Hey," I greeted her since she still didn't acknowledge my presence. Tasha didn't look up at me as she replied with an absent-minded "hey," just like she had done the past few days.

I sighed, feeling a pang of dejection in my chest as I placed the take-out bag on the table in front of her.

"I brought dinner," I tried again, hoping she'd finally acknowledge me and give me her attention. It's been a tough day, and Tasha's casual ignorance is grating on my nerves.

Tasha again chose not to say anything back; instead, she went with a non-committal "hmm." Not once did she look up to greet me or ask about my day.

Some days it just feels like I'm the only one who's trying to hold our relationship stable, and that she isn't even trying at all. It bothered me that we didn't have the same level of emotional connection that other couples seemed to share.

But I quickly pushed those thoughts aside; I knew Tasha could get into one of these moods. Despite everything, she was still my girlfriend.

Since Tasha was in no hurry to spend time with me now, I checked my watch, and the promise I made to Jaanvi about dinner rushed back to my mind. It's almost 6 in the evening now, and I had promised her that I'd be there on time.

So without bothering with a proper goodbye, I said, "Okay, enjoy your dinner. I'm going home early today," and turned and started walking towards the door as I made my way out of her kitchen.

Tasha's eyes snapped toward me as quick as a lightning bolt at the mention of home.

"Why are you leaving so soon?" she inquired, her eyes narrowing. I paused and took a deep breath, already dreading this forthcoming conversation.

Squaring my shoulders, I answered her question, "Jaanvi is making dinner for me tonight, and I promised to come," I confessed to her honestly, not wanting to lie to my girlfriend.

Tasha frowned, her tone laced with accusation as she responded, "Why do you want to have dinner with her? Aren't I your girlfriend?"

I let out a sigh, muttering under my breath, "It's just dinner, Tasha. She offered to cook, and I said okay."

Tasha continued to press, her tone carrying more frustration, "But why?"

"She's been alone in the house all this time. I feel bad for everything I've done to her," I attempted to explain. "Besides, if we are going to live in the same home for the next few months, we should have a sort of companionship to make things easier."