The Charming Bluff!

1. Unwanted Us!

I controlled my tears back the moment he tied the nuptial chain around my neck, though this chain is the most precious jewel for a woman but from today it had turned the most unwanted truth of my life. Yes I was getting married! But to a man with whom I never imagined my life with! The only thing I knew about him was his name! Manik Malhotra. The first time I had tried initiating a conversation between both of us he was rude as hell. After which my heart sank only on the mere thought of marrying him but destiny had its own plans and here I am standing today in front of him as his almost wife. The voice of the priest broke my thoughts. Manik filled my partition with vermillion and a lone tear rolled down from my eyes. I quickly held the ocean of tears which were about to flow! If at all I hadn't held them back everything would've turned upside down because a lot of businessmen and Manik's clients were present on our occasion. I couldn't let the secret of our marriage be revealed like this. After completing the seven vows we were legally declared husband and wife! I, Nandini Murthy was now Nandini Manik Malhotra unwantedly. Manik's friends hugged and congratulated us on this newly built relationship after which some of his friends took me to his room, OUR room. Alya and Mukti chuckled predicting my future in the next few hours. Little did they know what it would be like. They left after a little of their teasing session and I wandered around exploring the ever so huge room which seemed royal in every manner! The bed was decorated with rose petals which formed a red heart in the center with candles around it making it even more sensual!

I sat on one of the couches placed in the room and gazed at the henna in my hands. The color had turned maroonish brown and my mind rushed down the memory lane when some girls teased me saying the darker the color, the deeper the love! Love? The word which once seemed like forever to me was now nothing but only a four letter thing! Love about which I was told that it is the most purest feeling in the world ,which makes you conquer the world , which gives you immense happiness.But for me Love is nothing but a feeling which only hurts, which brought only tonnes of sadness and a never ending feeling for my own self. Yes I hated myself for falling in love, for falling for the wrong guy, for believing each and every word of his! I was to be blamed for all of this Love Shit! I wiped the tears off my face which were half dried by now and gathered myself. It had been an hour or so but Manik wasn't back yet. He must be avoiding me which was quite obvious because he felt I was the most hurtful reality of his life. I unpacked my bag and made place for my clothes in one of the wadrobe in his room which was exactly next to his! Manik barged in the room and shot daggers at me as he noticed me fidgeting with the wadrobe. "What are you doing with my wadrobe?" He asked me in his stern voice. "Woh I was.... I was setting up my stuff" He pushed me aside and threw my clothes away vacanting his shelf. "Yeh kya kar rahe ho tum?" I asked him on his cruel actions. "Yeh mera cupboard hai, only I am allowed to place my stuff here! You get it?" My temper raised hearing him after which it did not take me a minute to open his cupboard and I did the same by throwing his clothes out. "How dare you?" He screamed with his voice reaching at its peak and eyes burning in anger. "Why? Only you have the right to behave in this way? Listen Mr.Manik Malhotra I am your legally wedded wife and I have the equal right on each and every thing that belongs to you! If you talk to me rudely I do the same" He stepped towards me pointing his index finger "Listen you....." He stopped in between as I gave him my famous looks and he went ahead lying on the bed. He pushed and cleared the petals which were decorated so beautifully a while back and covered himself with the duvet! Such a monster he was! He did not have the manners to ask me to sleep! Even if it was out of formality. Huh What was I expecting and that too from whom? My so called "Husband". I changed myself into the night suit and headed towards the bed when I noticed him sleeping peacefully. I adjusted my pillow a little away from him when his eyes shot open! "What made you think you can sleep here?" I heard and the devil was awake! I turned to look at him and found him pushing my pillow! "What do you mean?" I questioned him because not even for a second I had thought of something of this kind. "What I mean is if you think I'll let you sleep here then you have a misunderstanding wifey! There" He showed me the couch and indicated me to sleep there! "I am not interested in sleeping besides you! I was only arranging the bed. God alone knows what all you must be doing in your sleep! Snore or no even worse hit other people?" I accused him and controlled my laughter. "Excuse me! Sab Tumhari tarah nahi hote? Got it! Now move I am sleepy and I am tired too waise hi aaj bohot bada kaam kiya hai tum jaisi piddhi se shaadi" And I had got a new name! "Piddhi Kisse Kaha tumne? Aur shaadi sirf tumne ki hai kya? Even I am hell tired" I looked at him trying to scare him but of no use. "I guess Tumhare alava yahan koi aur hai nahi! And piddhi bi tum hi lagti ho" I pouted and picked up my pillow leaving for the couch. "Eiffel Tower kahin ka" I muttered under my breath but my bad luck. "I heard it" He again replied. "Will you let me be in peace?" I shouted and how could he leave a chance of arguing with me. "Peace ki baat tum toh karo hi mat! I've lost it because of you." I switched off the lights showing him a deaf ear. But to my dismay he switched it on again. "Arggh Switch off the lights and let me sleep" I shouted at him for disturbing my sleep. "No" He replied sternly. I switched it off and turned to the other side but he again he repeated the same thing. This went on for more 10 times after which he confessed "I can't sleep in dark" my eyes widened at his statement and he lowered his eyes on spitting out the truth. He then stopped arguing and switched on his side of the lamp and let me sleep peacefully. Though I acted to be asleep but deep inside my heart cried on this unwanted relationship. This was just the start and I had to spend my entire lifetime with this man who seemed to be least interested in me. Even I was but I never blamed him for the situations that forced us to take this step. I couldn't even expect a friendly behaviour from his side let alone a husband wife relationship. I needed someone to assure me that I would be able to carry on like this each day but unfortunately I had no one! I so needed someone to hug me close and cuddle me patting my back and making me fall asleep in his arms but all my dreams washed away! My dream man turned out to remain a dream man forever. Each time I thought the future of this marraige it only scared me from the inside! A woman expects her husband to be her soul mate but here I had nothing of that sort. Tears spilled out of my eyes and I turned around to find him sleeping. I stared at him for a while as if expecting him to come and hop on me saying that he was there for me, but then I explained myself that it would never happen in this lifetime!I had to carry on with this unwanted and forced relationship and even if for once I stumbled everything would fall apart! Manik was hurt equally because neither of us wanted this day to arrive. One thing which I promised myself was I would never hurt him! He wouldn't face any problems from my side! Never!
I was in no mood of sleeping, But due to the day's tiredness sleep occupied me. I was mentally so drained out that I din't want to think about what would happen in my future or maybe the next morning itself. But life had given me a lesson or maybe my richness had given that to wear a fake smile always irrespective of your inner turmoil or else you would definitely become a laughing stock of media and I couldn't risk my reputation at any cost because I had worked a lot hard to become the NM yes!! The Nandini Murthy. The best designer of New York and that was all done by myself not because of my ruthless and heartless step father or his money.
Aiyappa please keep everything okay and good tomorrow I prayed to my lord and slept.

Okay readers! We both sisters thought of combining our ideas and penning it down here in a combined account! I know this is a small chapter but we thought of continuing it only if you'll like it! Do leave your reviews☺❤