The Foster child

Chapter -22.

Prithvi knocked on the door a few times. When Dharani didn't open the door, he called her

Prithvi:
“ Dharani, open the door. Dharani… Dharani…”.

Dharani opened the door. She was in her casual night wear.  A peach color oversized  t- shirt and sky blue color track pants. Her hair was tied up in a bun. She just had a face wash. She didn't wipe her face dry completely as her hair was stuck to her forehead and her cheeks.

Prithvi closed the door and kept the food plate on the side table. He walked to her side and stood a few cm away from her. He tried to touch her cheeks but Dharani denied his touch. He caught her wrist and kept the bindi in between her eyebrows which got misplaced due to the face wash. 

He took her to the bed and made her sit on it. He gave her the plate and gestured to her to have her food. Dharani was very angry at him. He turned her down when she proposed to him earlier. Then why did he marry her now. Is it because he pitied her. She hates being pathetic. She doesn't need anyone's sympathy and not to forget the person who turned her down. 

Tears leaked out of her eyes remembering this  . She wiped them harshly and said to Prithvi in a hoarse voice. 

Dharani:
“ Thanks for your help. You can go back to your room “.

Prithvi was angry with her behavior. But he composed himself and tried to speak with patience. 

Prithvi:
“ You have your food first . I will leave this room when you are done eating “.

Dharani:
“ I am not a kid. I know when I should have my meals. Why are you so bothered about me?. Don't  worry I will not die if I don't have my food for a day”.

Prithvi :
“ Dharani!.  One more word  from your mouth, I will sew it. Don't piss me off. 
You don't believe me, then try me. 

I came here to have a friendly conversation with you, but you only know how to make me angry. 
Here, have your food. You need energy at least to listen to what I  speak.”

Dharani:
“ You need not talk to me. I don't want to have food. Take the plate with you and go out of this room. Thanks for your concern”.

Saying this she tried to walk past him. Prithvi caught her forearm. Made her sit back on the bed. He pulled a chair and took the plate from the side table and started feeding her. Dharani tried to resist but one look from Prithvi made her gulp the food without any resistance.
Once she was done with eating, Prithvi washed his hands and gave a water bottle to Dharani, who has  her fill and stared at him.

Prithvi took a deep breath and asked her calmly,

Prithvi:
“ Why are you so angry at me?. This is what you  wanted, right. Now we are  married . In Fact you should be happy. But, here you are crying your eyes out as if you lost something precious in your life. “

Dharani:
“ Why should I feel happy, if I was married to you. Don't think so highly of yourself .”

Prithvi :
“ So you don't love me. Then why did you propose to me? Is that a prank?. What about the diary then”.

Dharani closed  her eyes. She took a deep breath and said

Dharani:
“  It is true that I loved you. But you turned me down. I said I would wait for you till entity. But, you rejected me mercilessly. Now, when my marriage was at stake, you pitied me and married . I don't need your sympathy “.

Prithvi :
“ Dharani you took it all  in a wrong way. It is not that I pitied you and married. Listen to me..”

Dharani:
“ Oho, it's not pity or sympathy. Then why did you marry me? Do you love me now?. Huh. Tell me.”