The Intolerable Rajvanshis [On Hold]

14.ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛꜱ

The breakfast table crackled with tension. Arisha's gaze remained steadfastly averted, and she refused to utter a single word to Aarnav. He persisted, desperate for an explanation, but she remained resolute in her silence. The palpable strain hung in the air, witnessed by everyone present. Yet, they chose to maintain their silence, recognizing that this was a private matter between the couple.

"You went to the interview that day, right?" Arzoo, her sister, broke the silence.

"I got the job," Arisha mumbled quietly.

"Really?" Arzoo jumped in her seat with excitement, then looked around, smiling sheepishly. "You always wanted to be a lawyer, after all. Your dreams have come true."

"That's great news! Why didn't you tell us?" Anupriya chimed in.

Rajath, her father-in-law, intervened. "Give her some space. Interviews can be overwhelming. Which law firm, my dear?"

Arisha hesitated, then replied, "The AR Law Associates."

Aarnav, her husband, abruptly cut in. His voice, usually steady, now carried an odd pitch. "That's nice." His eyes bore into hers, and Arisha wondered what lay behind that sudden change. Her eyes, usually soft and understanding, now held a hint of wariness. It was as if she were silently questioning his sudden change in tone. Aarnav, caught off guard, shifted uncomfortably in his chair, unable to meet her gaze.

Arhaan walked into the breakfast area, meticulously adjusting the cufflinks of his shirt. He was all set to head to the office.

"Breakfast kare bina kaha ja raha hai?(Where are you going without having breakfast?)" His mother's voice cut through the room, a mix of concern and sternness.

"Mom, I have a lot of work to finish—" Arhaan began to explain.

"Chup chap khana kha, (Quietly eat your food.)" Anupriya, his mother, interrupted in a threatening tone.

"Thik hai.(Okay)" Arhaan sighed and reluctantly took a seat at the table.

Arzoo giggled at the interaction. "Kya yaar bhabhi, you are laughing at my pitiful state," she teased.

She scoffed, "I told you to call me by my name."

"Ab bhaiya se shaadi ho hi gayi hai toh bhabhi toh bulana hi padega" ("Now that you're married to my brother, I'll have to call you sister-in-law"), Arhaan teased her.

"I don't care, call me by my name," Arzoo retorted. One good thing that came out of this marriage is that both the sisters gained a new friend: Arhaan, their brother-in-law. This irked their husband a lot.

"Fine," he raised his hand in surrender. "By the way, bhaiya, why did you buy a whole-ass jewellery collection?"

Armaan remained quiet for some time while everyone's questioning faces looked at him.