Chronicles Of My Darling Husband | ✓

55. Saksathkriya (Part 5)

Follow me on Instagram for story-related updates, some creative content and to rant your heart out - handle is- suganthii.writes

--

"Kant, what corner of the world have you been hiding in for the past fifteen days?" Jagdish quipped as he walked into Chandrakant's office, his eyes scanning the unexpectedly tidy space.

Jagdish halted in his tracks, taken aback by the sight before him. Chandrakant, who usually embraced a more rugged look, was now the picture of sophistication, his shoulder-length hair neatly tied back in a ponytail. Swapping his casual gear for a plain white shirt paired with a loose-fitting coat, he looked every inch the polished professional, complete with a tasteful leather watch. Jagdish felt like he was staring at a refined, almost unrecognizable version of a man he thought he knew. It was as if Chandrakant had stepped out of a transformation montage in a movie, leaving Jagdish to wonder what prompted such a drastic change.

"I needed to head back home," Chandrakant said with a firm tone, his eyes glued to the file in his hands, "Ran into a bit of an emergency."

Jagdish's concern deepened. "Is everything alright? How are your parents?"

Chandrakant flashed a forced smile, "Don't sweat it, they're all good."

"What exactly was the emergency?" Jagdish probed, eyebrows raised in confusion. "If everything was supposedly hunky-dory, what dragged you away from your beloved desk?" Chandrakant was known for being practically welded to his work, so it must've been something major—or at least Jagdish hoped it was.

"Maa played matchmaker," Chandrakant started, his smile slipping into a more somber look. "She lined up a potential match and insisted I meet her."

Jagdish paused, letting the silence marinate before he spoke, then snapped his mouth shut like a clam, picking his words with care. "Weren't you always the guy who'd rather swim with sharks than dive into an arranged marriage? Why the sudden change to meet a girl?"

Chandrakant set the file down and chuckled lightly. "Fucker, shouldn't you be happy that I'm even considering marriage?"

"You've always been the maverick, bucking societal norms," Jagdish retorted. "Kant, playing the perfect role was never your style."

"When did we pivot from law to psychology? What's your hourly rate for this therapy session, huh?" Chandrakant shot back with a sarcastic grin.

"You're making my case for me," Jagdish shrugged, casually leaning against the desk littered with files. "Why agree to this arrangement?"

"Look, Jaggy, my parents are getting older, and although they've never forced me into anything, the least I can do is oblige them this once."

"And this is how you choose to do it?" Jagdish asked incredulously. "What happened to your principle that love should come first?"

"Even amendments are subject to change," Chandrakant replied dryly.

Jagdish chuckled, "And what about Devika?"

"What about her?" Chandrakant's attempt to appear indifferent was betrayed by a slight clench of his jaw.

"I thought you were head over heels for her, playing Devdas to your Paro."

Chandrakant raised an eyebrow. "Devdas? Really?" He let out a laugh dismissively, "Just a phase of folly, really. Six months down the drain, that's all."

"Kant, are you hiding something?" Jagdish pressed. "Even Sana's been fretting over you a lot these days."

"Sana should focus on Unni; her priorities are all over the place," Chandrakant scoffed.

"Come on, Kant, you know Sana. She cares about you."

"Whatever."

"Have you heard about Devika? She got so plastered she took a nasty fall and ended up all bruised. It's unbelievable how reckless she can be. Prasanna nearly lost it, thought someone had roughed her up."

Chandrakant inhaled sharply. "Young and irresponsible. Probably wasn't thinking straight."

"Yeah." Jagdish took a moment. "So, how did your meeting with the potential Mrs. go?"

"It was fine," Chandrakant answered, rather flatly.

"Fine as in 'let's see who else is out there' fine, or 'she might be the one' fine?" Jagdish probed, eyebrow raised.

"She's too young... I asked my parents to find someone a bit older, at least twenty-five."

"But Devika is only twenty-two."

Chandrakant gritted his teeth. "Look, Devika was never really in the picture, can we drop her name from this saga?"

"If that's true, why get so worked up?" Prasanna's voice suddenly filled the room, her petite figure commanding the space. She stepped closer and tenderly touched Chandrakant's face, noticing some bruises. "What happened here?"

He swatted her hand away. "Stop nagging," he barked, "Village life isn't exactly a pastoral paradise, you know!"

"Raise your voice at me again, you asshole, I dare you!" Prasanna yelled, cutting him off mid-rant. "Fucker, you have any idea how stressed I was?"

Chandrakant glanced down, "Sorry."

She pulled him into a hug. "It's alright. Just don't turn off your phone next time."

He cracked a smile, "Got it."

Unni popped his head into the room, "Hey! Since Kant's made a grand re-entry, how about we hit the town? Might as well throw a double wedding bash while we're at it?"

Prasanna turned and shot him a look. "Your mind's always on booze, isn't it?"

"And you," he winked, earning eye rolls from Chandrakant and Jagdish at his flamboyant display of affection.

--

A/N

Sure, I'm the author, but believe me, there are times I'd love to shake some sense into my own characters... Take Chandrakant, for example! What on earth is he thinking? Ugh, it drives me nuts!

"Sadka" might not match this chapter perfectly, but to me, it kind of sums up the emotional rollercoaster Chandrakant is on with Devika. Seriously, the last thing I want is for him to hate her.

Vote share comment :)