The Unwanted Bride

20 - Loves Yug

Typed: 17/12/2023
Chapter 20: Loves Yug

Author's POV:

Her husband clenched his teeth to stop himself from telling her to pack more clothes. Khushi had only packed a small luggage. She expected to return back home—Yug's house—in a week at the least. She didn't.

When Khushi stepped out of his car and clutched her handbag, ready to open the car's boot and take her luggage out, Yug told her to leave it. He opens the boot and takes her black luggage out, shutting the car's boot loudly. He signals her with his eyes to approach her father's house as he locks the car.

She doesn't want to go back, especially unannounced but it's probably for the better. He needs time. Anybody in his situation would do the same. How long does he need? That's something she doesn't know the answer to.

As they walk up the two flights of stairs, the both remain silent. It's like they don't know how to breathe too. When she knocks, her father instantly opens. His face has both a smile and amusement seeing his daughter and son-in-law. Then his eyes landed on Yug's hand that gripped her bag.

"How have you been?" He asks Yug. He pulls Khushi inside the house, that was his way of greeting and hugging her. Yug thought it was odd but he couldn't care less. Whether his father-in-law had hugged his wife or not, it made no difference because he still hated him. He was the reason behind Khushi's pain.

He doesn't greet or answer his father-in-law's questions. He simply walks in with an acknowledging nod. Placing the luggage on the ground, he addresses his stepmother-in-law with a bow when she walks into the living room. "Khushi's here to spend some time with her family."

She feels like a puppet, being told what to do and how to act. That's how she's been all her life, even now. Now when she thought she could finally breathe the same air as others. She doesn't meet her parent's eyes. She keeps them on her husband's jaw as he stands beside her, tall and straight, speaking to her parents.

"Oh," is all her father says. He stares from his daughter to his son-in-law and he knows something is wrong. His daughter's face says it all.

Instead of her father, her stepmother says, "you should have told us you were coming." She eyes Khushi, unhappy with the unannounced visit then back at her son-in-law, gently smiling, "it's okay, though, I can quickly make dinner."

He waves his hand, gesturing her not to worry. He doesn't smile, he has no energy to. His face remains hard and bristle as he speaks, "please don't. I'm in a hurry. I just came to," he did the mistake of turning his gaze slightly to his wife and when he found hers on his, he quickly moved his eyes to his in-laws. His stomach felt tight with guilt. "I came to drop Khushi off safely. Now," he glances at his watch, "I shall leave, I'm getting late."

They tried to reason with him but Yug was stern with his decision. "Okay fine, next time you are having dinner with us, though." He nods at his mother-in-law, impatient to get out of the house and disappear somewhere in Delhi because his home wouldn't feel the same without his wife. "Khushi, go drop him to his car."

"No, it's fine."

"No, it's absolutely not fine. Khushi, go," she listens to her mother and leaves her bags inside the house, walking out. Yug reluctantly follows her, he doesn't want to create a scene. He prefers peace.

Yug bumps into Khushi's back when she suddenly stops on the ground floor. "When am I coming back, Yug?"

He moves back, creating enough space between them. He signs, massaging his temple, "I don't know." He loosens his tie and unbuttons the first three buttons of his white dress shirt. "You should have packed more clothes." He hopes she gets the hint.