Let's meet again for the first time.
Her mother shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Who will marry you now, when people get to know you were left by Vikram?" Before I could even process what I was doing, the words left my mouth.
"I wil...
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AARAV'S POV
I have been given the responsibility to drive Anika to her mother's house for pagh phera ritual. I shifted her mother in this city so if Anika ever feels she wants to visit her she can, and also she's concerned about her mother's health, no matter how angry I am with her I don't like seeing her sad, it makes my heart ache. She fought with me, when I informed her of it, but I shut her up by reminding her that we actually married for her mother's health. And instead of thanking me she taunted me, blaming me I shifted her mother here so that she can leave me alone for a while, I don't care she can think whatever she wants to. I have been standing here, leaning against the car, since ten minutes, but my wife is nowhere to be seen.
I don't understand what's taking so much time. She finally emerges from the door. As my eyes settle on Anika, my breath catches in my throat. The black kurti she's wearing hugs her figure in all the right places, accentuating her curves and making my heart race. For a moment, I find myself lost in the sight of her, but I quickly shake myself out of it.
"You're finally here," I say, trying to sound nonchalant, though my voice comes out a bit strained.
Her steps falters as she looks at me. "What are you doing here?" She asks, her voice sharp. I feel a pang of irritation at her tone. "Why do you think I'm here?" I say, my voice low and harsh. "Obviously I am here to leave you at your mother's house."
She strides towards me, and stands in front of me. She's easily a foot smaller than me, she looks up at me, her eyes narrow, her mouth opening and closing but no words come out of it, then she points a finger at me, "I can go by myself, I don't need you to drive." Her finger pokes my chest and I grab her wrist, my grip firm. "Don't push me," I growl, irritation building up inside me. But I am also attracted to her fiery version. "I didn't ask if you needed it or not. I'm going to drive you there, whether you like it or not."
She tries to pull her wrist away, but my grip tightens. I'm not letting go that easy. "You're my responsibility now," I say, my voice hard. "So you have no choice but to accept my help." I open the passenger door, "get in." I command. "No" She folds her hands, her breasts moving up with the movement, I suck in a breath, "Now! Anika." I breath heavily.
"Make me-" I covered her mouth quickly, "you don't want to finish that sentence Anika." I warn.
Her eyes widened as I cover her mouth, a hint of shock mixed with something else that I can't quite identify. I stand there, her breath coming out in short puffs against my hand. I can feel the tension between us, her body so close to mine but still resisting me. I hate how she always manages to push my buttons, making me want to take control of her, make her submit to me. But I try to keep my thoughts in check, reminding myself that she is my wife, more than that, I can't touch her without her permission. I move back, creating some distance between us, her gaze lingers on me for a moment but she gets in this time. I sigh closing the door. This is so hard, to have her so near, but so far at the same time. I take a seat in the driving seat, igniting the engine.
As I drive, the car ride is steeped in a heavy silence. The road ahead is a blur, the monotony of the passing scenery doing nothing to ease the tension between us. Anika sits beside me, her hands clenched in her lap, eyes fixed on the passing landscape. I can feel the weight of her unspoken words pressing down on us.
"You must be happy," she says suddenly, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "I’m going away, you will have freedom from me."
Inside, my heart aches with so many unspoken words. I've lived without you for 12 years, Anika. You have no idea how hard that was. Every day felt like wandering through a dry desert, desperately needing some comfort that never came. Nights were endless, haunted by the sound of your laughter and the memories of promises we made when we were young and foolish.
I remember sitting by the phone every afternoon, hoping you'd call. The silence that followed was a painful reminder that you had moved on, leaving me with no regret, leaving me to deal with my broken heart alone.
I glance at her again, and she meets my gaze for a moment before looking away. She doesn’t know how I spent those years, the darkness that settled over my life like an unending storm. She wasn't there for me when I needed her the most.
I look back at the road, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Yeah, I will be very happy," I reply, my voice sounding colder than I intended. The lie tastes bitter on my tongue.
As we pull up to her house, I cut the engine and sit there for a moment, staring at the steering wheel. "We’re here," I say finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
She nods, reaching for the door handle. "Thank you," she says, her tone devoid of any warmth. As I see her disappearing into the house, I feel a pang of sadness, a sense of loss that I can’t shake. I have lived without you, Anika, and I’ve survived. But surviving isn’t living, and the void you left behind is a chasm that no amount of time can fill. I can’t forgive you, and I can’t forget. And that’s the saddest part of all.
Author's note: I am so sorry for being late. I had to post yesterday I know but the first thing in morning I read was that Liam Payne had passed away and I was just so in denial, he's been a very important part of the lowest phase of my life and it felt very personal. So I didn't want to do anything, I hope you'll understand. Thank you. I also hope he rests easy because he deserves that no matter what. Love:)
