BOUNDED BY FATE

Chapter 2: The Unseen Barrier

The morning light streamed through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Aisha woke with a start, momentarily forgetting where she was. The unfamiliar surroundings quickly reminded her that this was no longer her home; this was Kabir Malhotra's mansion. Her husband's mansion. The thought felt strange, foreign. She had barely spoken to him the day before, their wedding night spent in separate rooms like strangers.

Aisha pulled herself out of bed, the events of the previous day weighing heavily on her mind. The house was eerily quiet as she got ready, the silence stretching like an invisible barrier between her and the life she had known before. Everything about her new home screamed wealth and luxury, but it was devoid of warmth, of life.

She descended the grand staircase, her steps hesitant. As she reached the bottom, one of the maids appeared, offering her a polite smile.

"Good morning, Mrs. Malhotra," she greeted, her voice respectful but distant. "Would you like breakfast to be served in the dining room?"

Aisha nodded, feeling out of place even in her own home. "Yes, please. Is... is Kabir here?"

The maid hesitated for a moment before responding. "Mr. Malhotra has already left for work, ma'am. He had an early meeting."

Of course, Aisha thought. Kabir didn't waste time with formalities. The marriage was just another transaction for him, and now that it was done, he had moved on, back to his world of power and business. The thought stung more than she cared to admit.

She followed the maid into the sprawling dining room, where an elaborate breakfast had been laid out - more food than she could ever possibly eat alone. Aisha took a seat at the large table, the emptiness of the room amplifying her loneliness. The silence was deafening, and for the first time, she felt truly lost.

After nibbling on a few pieces of fruit, Aisha decided to explore the house. She wandered through the vast halls, admiring the artwork and the opulent decor, but none of it felt like home. Every room was perfectly designed, as if it were meant to be seen but not lived in. There were no personal touches, no warmth to be found in the sterile perfection of it all.

Eventually, Aisha found herself standing outside Kabir's office - the one room she hadn't ventured into yet. The heavy wooden door was slightly ajar, revealing a glimpse of the space inside. She hesitated for a moment before gently pushing it open.

The room was large, lined with bookshelves filled with thick, leather-bound volumes. A sleek, modern desk sat at the center, papers neatly stacked on one side. Everything was perfectly in place, just like Kabir himself.

Aisha stepped further inside, her eyes drawn to a photo on the far side of the desk. It was a picture of a young Kabir, his expression far more relaxed than the cold mask he wore now. He was standing with an older couple - his parents, Aisha guessed. There was a softness in his eyes that she hadn't seen since meeting him.

Before she could dwell on the thought, a voice interrupted her.

"You're not supposed to be in here."

Aisha spun around to find Kabir standing in the doorway, his expression hard. He had returned home without her even hearing him enter. He looked every bit the man she had married - impeccably dressed, his jaw set in a way that made him look unapproachable.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, feeling a rush of embarrassment. "I was just-"

"I don't need explanations," Kabir cut her off, his voice cold. "Just stay out of my office."

Aisha blinked, the sting of his words hitting harder than she had expected. She took a step back, her heart sinking as the distance between them felt even greater now. Kabir's eyes briefly flickered to the photograph she had been looking at, his expression tightening even more.

"I'll remember that," she said quietly, turning to leave. But as she reached the door, something inside her snapped, and she stopped.

"Why are you like this?" she asked, her voice soft but trembling with the weight of her frustration. "You didn't want this marriage, I get that. But you could at least try to be civil. I'm not the enemy here, Kabir."

He stared at her, his face a mask of indifference. "I'm not interested in playing the role of a perfect husband, Aisha. This marriage is a formality, nothing more."

"Maybe for you," Aisha shot back, her emotions bubbling to the surface. "But it's my life too. Do you even care how I feel in all of this? Do you care at all?"

For the briefest moment, something flickered in Kabir's eyes - a flash of vulnerability, perhaps - but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. He straightened, his voice cold and controlled as ever.

"You knew what you were getting into," he said. "This was an arrangement, nothing more. If you expect anything beyond that, you'll only be disappointed."

Aisha swallowed hard, her chest tightening with a mixture of anger and sadness. "I didn't ask for a fairytale, Kabir. But I didn't ask to be treated like I don't exist either."

Without waiting for his response, she turned and left the office, her footsteps echoing down the empty hallway. She wasn't sure where she was going, only that she needed to get away from him - from the coldness that seemed to suffocate her every time they spoke.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of silence. Aisha stayed in her room, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. She knew Kabir was distant, but experiencing it firsthand was far more painful than she had anticipated. She had hoped, foolishly perhaps, that there was more to him than the cold exterior he showed the world. But now, it seemed that hope was slipping away.

That night, as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, Aisha made a decision. She had entered this marriage knowing it wouldn't be easy, but she wasn't going to let Kabir's indifference break her. If he thought he could keep her at a distance forever, he was wrong.

Aisha wasn't going to give up on him - not yet. There was something behind that cold gaze, something deeper, and she was determined to find it. Even if it meant breaking through walls he had spent a lifetime building.

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End of Chapter 2