"Happy Married Life, Shivya Pathak" I weakly smiled seeing my condition, mangalsutra dangling in my neck, vermilion in hair and both hands filled with gold bangles.
"Come out quickly or do you want me to break the gate," my husband knocked again...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Oh my God! what happened?" Mummy ji gasped, her hand flying to her mouth the instant her eyes fell on me. The brass thali of aarti in her hand rattled as she quickly set it down in the mandir before rushing toward me.
All eyes in the hall were suddenly on me, their gazes heavy, almost suffocating. They looked at me as though I had stumbled back home covered in blood, not with a simple bump on my head.
She hit her head on the vanity table," Vedant answered before I could open my mouth. His voice carried that easy, practiced steadiness, but I could sense the edge beneath it "By mistake"
Why was he sounding so pissed off ? Calm down, bruh. I'm the one who is feeling the pain.
"Galti se lag gayi ya aapne dhakka de diya?" Shaurya's brow arched, and his tone, casual on the surface, held the sharpness of a blade hidden beneath silk. He even took a step back, his expression mocking, as though daring Vedant to react.
"Pichhe kyun jaa raha hai? Humare saamne aao hum batate hai" Vedant's words were clipped, controlled, but the tightness in his jaw betrayed the anger simmering underneath.
(Why are you going backwards? Come in front of me, I will tell you)
Shaurya's lips curved faintly, though his eyes remained cold. "What is the need to come in front? You can tell me from there too."
I felt myself shrinking under its weight. I wasn't used to being the reason for such pointed words being exchanged, and the throbbing in my head only made it worse.
Papa jee raised his head from the newspaper he was reading "Bahu, thoda aas-paas dekh kar chala karo,"
I nodded quickly, wanting to dissolve into the background, but my eyes drifted to the kitchen where I spotted Devi's mother working quietly with the other maids.
Dadi is in her room maybe so I thought this is the perfect chance if I want to talk to Gauri. I had wanted to ask her about yesterday, about why Devi had been crying.
I was about to walk toward the kitchen when his voice stopped me.
"Where are you going" My feet froze as though the words themselves had pulled invisible strings around me. Slowly, I turned my head to look at Vedant.
"To the kitchen," I said softly, the word catching in my lips like a child caught sneaking sweets.
"There's no need to go anywhere," he said, his voice even, steady, but unyielding. "Others can take care of breakfast. You just sit down "
"It's okay," I replied quickly, a touch of stubbornness in my voice. "I just want to help them-"
But he cut me off, stepping closer but not too much, his voice dropping into that gruff softness, as though he feared the world might overhear. "Shivya. Abhi lagi haina aapko sir mein? Kitchen mein jayengi aur phir se lag jaayegi."
