Marriage In The Pink City

Chapter 27

Namaste
Chapter 27

Abhimaan carefully carried Tanushree in his arms, her fragile frame feeling lighter than ever. As he descended the stairs, her parents hovered in worry, but she stared blankly into the distance, her face void of any emotion. Gently, he laid her on the bed, tucking a pillow behind her head. 

Her mother knelt beside her, holding her hand tightly. “Laado, why? What were you thinking? How could you even—” she choked up, unable to finish her sentence. 

Her father placed a trembling hand on her shoulder. “Beta, talk to us... please.” 

But Tanushree didn’t respond, didn’t even blink. She looked through them as if they weren’t there. 

“Can I have a moment with her? Alone?” Abhimaan asked, his voice soft but firm. 

Her parents exchanged hesitant glances, unsure whether to trust him, but eventually, they nodded and stepped out of the room. 

Abhimaan let out a heavy sigh, pulling a chair closer to the bed. As he glanced down, he noticed a deep scratch on her ankle, blood trickling down. His chest tightened at the sight. He looked around, spotting a first aid box on a nearby shelf. 

“You’re hurt,” he murmured, kneeling beside her. 

Tanushree remained unresponsive, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. 

He opened the box, took out antiseptic and cotton, and gently reached for her foot. As soon as he touched her ankle, she flinched and pulled her leg back. 

“Please, Tanu,” he pleaded, his voice breaking. “Let me clean it. It’s bleeding.” 

Still, she refused to look at him. 

Abhimaan swallowed hard, his hands trembling as he tried again. “Had I come a moment later… I would’ve lost you. I would’ve lost you both. Why would you do that? Why, Tanu?” 

Her eyes glistened, tears pooling but refusing to fall. She stayed quiet for a moment longer, before finally whispering, her voice cracked and broken, “That would have been the best…..Where did I go wrong?” 

His hands froze, the cotton slipping from his fingers. 

“What have I ever done to you to treat me like… like a piece of crap?” she continued, her voice rising slightly, her pain finally spilling over. 

He tried to speak, but she didn’t let him. 

“You could’ve just said it, Abhimaan! That you didn’t want to marry me. That you were ashamed of me—of my education, my family’s financial background.” Her voice broke further as tears streamed down her face. “You could’ve just said you didn’t want me. That you were already in love with someone else. Someone who fit perfectly beside you. Someone like her.” 

Abhimaan’s throat tightened as he listened, guilt crashing over him like a tidal wave. He reached out to touch her hand, but she pulled away, clutching the sheets like they were her only lifeline. 

“Tanu… I—” he began, his voice shaking, but he couldn’t find the words. 

Abhimaan sat frozen, his hands limp on his lap, words stuck in his throat. 

Tanushree’s voice trembled, each word laced with years of bottled-up anguish. “Do you know what people in your circle call me? Gawar. Gold digger. Illiterate. They whisper it at parties, snicker behind my back. And you? You don’t even defend me. You see me the same way they do, don’t you?”