One shots

Marriage for money

Marriage for money. Yes, that's what this is. I cannot believe why I am the most unlucky girl in this world. I lost my mother in child birth. I am nothing less than a burden on my father and step mother. My step sister hates my very presence. My only hope was to get married to a decent person who would like me, respect me and love me for the person I am. Here goes that dream down the drain! I guess some people are just not destined to be loved.

Tears streamed unbidden down my face. I don't even know what I want to do now. What do I expect from this marriage?  How can I trust him? How can I live with him? What if he just sells me to the next highest bidder?

"Manvi..." I hear my name and turn around. I see him - my so called husband dressed in the white and golden kurta Dadi had selected for him with so much love. He has no right to wear that. He has no right to be here, with me. No right to be married to me. I turn around wiping my tears noticing he had locked the door to the bedroom suite.  I stand in the balcony adamantly - stupidly thinking that this is not a part of our honeymoon suite or a part of the marriage thrust upon me. As if by standing outside the suite, I have some say in choosing to be out of both those things.

To actually think that this is the first time I am alone with my husband! I had thought about this moment so many times - thought about how romantic this was going to be, all the things he might say to me.  I dreamed about this night being the sweetest night of my life. And now? Now, I don't even want to look at him!

"I am sorry you had to hear that conversation between me and your father."

"...not as sorry as I am to have married you." I spat bitterly.

"I deserve that." he replies in a low guilty voice.

"I don't deserve this Mr. Virat Vadera."

"Manvi, I may have married you for money. I have my reasons for doing that. But, I respect this marriage just the same. You are my responsibility from today. My Mom loved you the day she saw you. I think you are a nice girl. I will be loyal and true to you. "

"How much did my father pay to make you say that to me?" I turn around and glare  into his eyes. He doesn't wince. He stares right back into my eyes angrily.

"You should get some rest. We are flying back to Mumbai first thing tomorrow morning." he tells me and walks back inside.

I stood there for god knows how long, just staring into the cold, bitter never ending night that my life has turned out to be. The tears just wouldn't just stop.

~

"Come inside." I hear his voice after a while.

I stand adamantly refusing to even look at him.

"Come inside, Manvi." he repeats and this time it felt more authoritative, almost like an order. I turn my head to side and look at him from the corner of my eye. 

"...please." he adds. "You must be freezing."

I walk inside and he slides the balcony door close. I walk inside not because he asked me but because I was really freezing. My hands were already stone cold. "Jeez...I have been on the phone for almost 2 hours . Can't believe you were out all this time! Do you want to freeze to death? Here...." he passes me a shawl. "...you should sit by the fire." he points to the fireplace in the corner of the room which I readily accept.

~

I was sitting by the fire warming my hands and rubbing them from time to time. He comes with a thicker throw and holds it out to me. I look up. My tears had dried since the only thought in my head since the last ten minutes was that  I am probably going to die from the cold. He opens the throw and puts it gingerly around me. I suppress a sniffle and readily grab the material with a tight fist pulling it around me tightly.  Since I see that he was still standing over me, I look back up at him.