His Unwilling Bride | COMPLETED ✓

✿ FIRST MORNING ✿

RABYA

I ran my eyes through the clock and found it half past six in the morning. I've just came out of the shower and wore a red saree. It took me fifteen minutes to figure out how to drap it properly around my body. I didn't want to wear all these heavy gold jewelleries but it is supposed to be my first day after the marriage. I took a pinch of vermillion and filled it in between the partition of my head.

I covered my forehead with veil and looked at myself in the mirror. I couldn't help but despise myself. I was supposed to wear the distinction hat on my head not this regressive veil.

Wetting my dry lips, I casted a glance at my husband who was asleep on the couch. Am I supposed to wake him up? I shook my head in reluctance. I don't want to do this. So, instead, I walked out of his room to the kitchen.

I thought that this was early but his house was full of rush. The servants were busy in kitchen.

"Cover your face properly." A woman in her fifties came to me and adjusted the veil to cover all of my face.

I came to know that she was some distant relative of Adhrit Chauhan. And that his house was temporarily full of his relatives who apparently came for his marriage and will stay here for couple of days. I digested the information that there's no near family of Adhrit. His parents are dead. He stays in this big haveli alone. His father was a zamindar and so was his grandfather. Technically he owns the village.

Two more women approached me. "You're already late for the breakfast. Prepare something sweet. It's your first day in the kitchen."

I nodded.

I cooked halwa and was about to serve it on the breakfast table along with the lot's of other food made my the house helpers, I was asked to adjust my veil and pull it till my chin. My lips twitched in discomfort. I'm not even able to see clearly and my face itches due to summer heat.

Soon, the men sat on the dinning table. And then Adhrit Chauhan entered, taking the seat on the centre. I was asked to serve the halwa. Fumbling with my breath, I served the dish. I stood next to him in anticipation. I wanted to let my face breathe freely. He tasted the sweet dish and then stood up and turned to me. My lips parted in worry but then he took out a bundle of five hundred rupee notes and after moving it over my head, he gave those money to one of the servants.

Everyone beamed at his action while I stood there dumbfounded. I spent most of my life trying to earn money for my family and here this man used it as an antidote to evil eyes? I despise this place even more.

Once the men were done with the breakfast, the women sat on the floor and started having their breakfast. I couldn't— I just couldn't take this anymore. I excused myself telling that I'm not feeling well to which I was teased about my wedding night. I tried to fake a smile but I failed, miserably.

When I was back in the room, I quickly took off my veil and released a sharp breath. What is this place? How can people still live like this even in the twenty first century? I was allowed to study for God's sake and here the women aren't even allowed to sit on the same dinning as men to have food?

I rested my head against the bedpost and yawned. I was hoping to take a short nap but then the door flew open. I quickly composed myself and was about to pull the veil over my head when I saw it was none other than my husband.

"Why didn't you have your breakfast?" He asked.

"I wasn't hungry.” I answered.

He nodded and left the room only to return back in couple of minutes. He reached for his pocket and took out a small packet of biscuits. He handed it to me. I raised my brows in confusion only to realise from his expressions that he sneaked the biscuit to me secretly.

“I can't bring the breakfast here. Take it.”

“It's okay, I'm not hungry.” I hesitated.

But he put the the biscuit on the bed and then went to sit on the couch. Scratching the back of his head, he released a deep sigh. “Just few days and everyone will be back to their place.”

But will it make everything normal? I'd be wearing Saree and gold jewelleries all the time, waking up in the dawn, never stepping out of the house. Nothing will be normal ever. This marriage, I wasn't supposed to be tied up into this. I was supposed to work and earn. I was supposed to be independent not merely restrict my identity as someone's wife.

“Have you done your schooling?”

“Yes, till tenth standard.” I lied. My Aunt told me not to tell him the truth. Apparently no man likes his wife to be educated more than him. Her words not mine.

“What about you?” I asked, wondering what it'd be like to be born in rich family? There would be no problem with the money for having higher education, no?

“I've failed in twelfth standard. Couldn't clear my board exams.” He replied.

My eyes widened in disbelief. “Oh.” I said, mentally laughing at my fate.

A/N

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