A Symphony Of Silence And Storm

Marry or Leave your job

The following morning, after a tense breakfast, Annika found herself in the study with her grandfather, Rituraj and Arnav. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken disappointment. Annika stood before them, head hung low, the weight of her recent collapse heavy on her shoulders. She knew her actions had caused them worry and anger, and she dreaded the conversation that was about to unfold.

Silence stretched, filled only with the ticking of a grandfather clock. Annika finally broke the tension, her voice laced with remorse. "Dadu, I'm so sorry," she began. "I promise, this won't happen again. I'll take better care of myself."

Rituraj raised a hand, silencing her. His gaze flickered to Arnav, a flicker of frustration passing between them. "Arnav," he said curtly, "tell me, how many times have we heard this before?"

Arnav's voice crackled with barely contained anger. "Six, Dadu," he replied. "Six times she's promised the same thing, and six times she's fainted under the pressure of work."

Rituraj's expression hardened.  He looked at Annika with a mixture of disappointment and anger.  "Annika," he said sternly, "you haven't taken our warnings seriously.  Your health shouldn't be treated like a game.  This is the sixth time you've fainted from work stress.  The doctor warned you about this, yet you chose to ignore it."

"Dadu, it's not like that," Annika interjected, her voice trembling.  "I care about all of you deeply.  I promise, I won't make this mistake again."

Rituraj scoffed. "Promises? I've heard them all before, Annika. Remember our last agreement? If you made the same mistake again, I'd have a say in your marriage. Well, consider this my decision: you're getting married."

Annika's brow furrowed. "Married? Dadu, that's ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous?" Rituraj boomed, his voice laced with frustration. "Don't you see the pattern here? You need stability, Annika. Call your ex-husband. Talk things out. Get married again, if he's not already taken. Otherwise, I'll find you a suitable match myself. Two weeks later is my birthday, and I want to meet the man before that who'll be taking care of you. Is that understood?"

Annika's breath hitched. "But Dadu," she stammered, "I don't want to get married! Not to my ex-husband, not to anyone."

"There are no buts, Annika," Rituraj countered, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Do you remember how you were treated after your parents passed? I won't let Aadhya face that same fate. If you're not there for her, at least her father would be."

Annika's heart pounded. "Dadu, I'll always be with Aadhya," she pleaded. "She won't lose her parents like I lost mine."

Rituraj's eyes held a steely glint. "Annika," he said, his voice low and firm, "you have two weeks. Either you get married, or you leave your job. The choice is yours."

Annika felt trapped, caught between two impossible options. Her mind raced, searching for a solution that wouldn't shatter her life. Rituraj, his face unreadable, gestured towards the door.

"Go," he said, his voice devoid of warmth. "Settle whatever needs settling. Now."

With a heavy heart, Annika rose and left the room, leaving behind a trail of unspoken pleas and a looming ultimatum. The weight of the decision pressed upon her, threatening to suffocate her. She had two weeks to choose between her career and a marriage she didn't want.

After hours of deliberation, Annika formulated a plan. She announced to her family that she was heading to Mumbai to bring back her ex-husband. With a heavy heart, she left Aadhya at the Singhania Mansion, promising her a reunion with her father. Aadhya, brimming with excitement at the prospect of meeting this unknown figure, readily accepted the explanation.

In Mumbai, Annika secured a hotel room and immediately contacted Kavya to share her scheme. The plan was simple: find an actor to pose as her ex-husband, stage a fake marriage, and present him to the family as such a nuisance that they'd practically beg him to leave.  Annika, Kavya, Shreya, and Ishita embarked on a series of interviews, but none of the potential candidates fit the bill.

Eight days flew by, leaving them with only six days until Rituraj's birthday, the deadline looming large. Finally, on the eight day, they found a man who seemed perfect for the role. Annika tasked Kavya with contacting a hacker friend to create a fake marriage certificate – a six-year-old document to solidify the illusion of a long-standing marriage.

That night, a frantic call from Kavya shattered Annika's fragile plan. "Di," Kavya exclaimed, "the fake certificate can't be made!"

Annika's heart lurched. "Why not?" she demanded.

"The official website shows you're already married," Kavya explained, a tremor in her voice.

Annika's world tilted on its axis. "Married? To whom?" she rasped, a cold dread creeping in.

A beat of silence hung in the air before Kavya spoke again, her voice barely a whisper. "Umm, di, you're married to Shivay Singh Oberoi. It seems you never finalized the divorce with Shivay Bhaiya."

Annika's jaw dropped.  This was a revelation that threw her entire plan into disarray.  "But… but I signed the papers!" she protested.  "The court sent a confirmation letter too!".

"Ask your friend to check the court website," she then instructed, her voice tight. "See if the divorce is finalized. Maybe they approved it, but the marriage registry hasn't updated their records."

Kavya disconnected the call, leaving Annika to stew in her growing anxiety. Ten agonizing minutes later, the phone rang again.

"Di," Kavya said, her voice laced with concern." It seems the final divorce hearing was cancelled because neither you nor Shivay Bhaiya showed up.  They interpreted it as a desire to reconcile and terminated the proceedings."

Annika cursed under her breath. The plan was falling apart at the seams. Bringing in a random actor was out of the question – Arnav knew Shivay, and any attempt to deceive them would be exposed. Exhausted and defeated, she slumped onto the bed. Sleep, however elusive, offered the only solace at the moment. Tomorrow, she had to find a way to convince Shivay to play along with her outrageous scheme.