Unveiled promises

.06.

×Have an unhappy married life×

|RUHI|

"You're getting married, for heaven's sake; you won't find another man like him. You should be grateful he chose you," my mother's words echoed in my mind.

"He's decided to make you a partner in his business; what more do you think you deserve?" My father, who measures everything by money, had said.

"We will no more consider you as our daughter if you said no." He added.

Aarav this and Aarav that!

I never thought I'd say this, but today, I miss my brother more than ever. He might not have been the most expressive, but his mere presence was enough for me to carry on.

I gazed at my hands, where his name was inscribed. I swear I will make him pay for every tear I've shed. There's something unsettling about his sudden change in behavior, as if he has a hidden agenda. The man who couldn't even glance at someone in distress now seems to be showing an entirely different side.

I tried to wipe away my tears with my sleeves, the mehendi still wet. "Vahini sahiba, may I assist you?" Kabir's voice broke through my thoughts, and he placed a covered dish in front of me.

He sat down and gently helped me clean my eyes. "I know you're going to miss your family, but you're gaining me as your brother-something worth cherishing," he said, and I managed a smile.

His effort to lift my spirits was appreciated, especially since it was the longest sentence I had heard him speak. "You're the sweetest," I replied, and he smiled in return.

"Well, I know it was Aarav's responsibility to do all this, but a brother can take care of his sister too, right?" he asked. I nodded in agreement.

"Then please, eat this. I know you haven't had anything since your engagement," he said, and I realized he was right, though I couldn't muster any hunger.

"I'm not hungry," I said.

"I hesitate to ask, but do you really love Aarav?" he inquired. I considered confiding in him, but then remembered he was Aarav's brother before being my friend.

Perhaps he, like Aarav, is simply good at pretending. "No, he loves me," I said, trying to smile.
He made me eat with his own hands and placed the dish aside after.

"Ok have a good night, tomorrow you will be part of our family so welcome." He said with a smile and I smiled at him too.

As Kabir quietly left the room, Aarav stormed in, his presence dominating the space with an air of barely restrained irritation. His eyes locked onto me with a mixture of cold determination and barely hidden disdain.

"I thought I'd check in," Aarav said, his voice carrying a thinly veiled edge. "See how you're adjusting to this new reality."

I looked up from where I sat, a sardonic smile on my lips. "Oh, how kind of you. It's almost touching how you're pretending to care. But let's be honest here-this marriage is nothing more than a way for you to salvage your bruised ego. You couldn't handle being rejected, so you orchestrated this whole charade to force me into it."

Aarav's face tightened, his patience wearing thin. "This isn't about my ego. This is about making sure everything aligns properly for both our families. Your attempt to belittle the situation only shows how little you understand."

I raised an eyebrow, leaning back in my chair with a mocking air. "Is that so? Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you were so desperate to prove a point that you manipulated the circumstances to get what you wanted. You turned a personal failure into a public spectacle. Bravo."