Fitoor | ✓

03 | Teen

A/N- Thank you so much for getting this book to 1k! This chapter is dedicated to Gina (ginawriter), one of the most talented authors here. Go check her out! <3 Also, the chapters are going to be short but there are going to be many. The first reason being, I really don't have much time to write and i struggle to post and be regular. The second reason is I want to take this slow, this is a new territory for me and i need to do it well. thank you for understanding.

much love, aashix

03 | Teen

Words meddle with emotions and burn hearts. What other reason would it be that Lekh would come and meet Tara when no one was home.

"We need to talk." Lekh's voice was stoic but his eyes cheated him. His eyes displayed fear, disgust, anger and worthlessness. Tara didn't need to be told it was her mother-in-law's work. She was the artist to a perfect sorrowful painting.

Tara stopped folding the laundry, she was assigned various chores these days. Chores that could easily be managed by the help of the house. "What is it?" I know exactly what.

Lekh's eyes wandered to her stomach, she knew he knew.

"We should get married." He said in a manner very typical of him. Lekh didn't waste time, he was always spoke to the point and got his job done. Tara knew that this job was not voluntary though.

While Kartavya and Tara had been married for quite a while, she had never really talked to Lekh. She got along well with their sisters, but Lekh wasn't ever there. He was like the moon of Eid, he seldom showed himself. And when he did, his presence was always quiet but still loud. He was mostly drowned in work, he was a successful businessman. And though, he officially lived in this house, he was always away on business, more than often without a need. Everyone knew Lekh didn't like living here, everyone knew he didn't really have a choice.

Tara knew something had happened, something before she got married and came to this house. That event was a ghost in this house, it always had a haunting presence. She'd tried asking Kartavya once, when they were newly married but he'd just shaken his head and said it was not his place to say. Tara was hurt and more than that she felt it was odd. What could have happened that was so bad to make Lekh what he was like today.

Lekh never spoke to his parents with a straight face, only ever spoke to them when really necessary or when they spoke to him. The only people he ever talked to with a decent demeanour were his siblings. As for Tara, Lekh behaved like she didn't even exist. She could count on her fingers the number of times they had interacted.

Finally, after a long pause, Tara sighed. "No, we should not." She said simply. She didn't really want to have this conversation. She got easily tired these days and then with her mother-in-law constantly handing her chores nothing was easy anymore. Her back hurt and she just felt uncomfortable all the time.

Lekh must have sensed her unease because he asked if she was fine.

"I'm fine." She replied. "Look, I really don't want to have this conversation. We have spoken like two times ever since I have known you. My husband hasn't been dead for even a month and I am carrying a child I have no idea how I am going to raise. Please don't make things worse for me."

Lekh could practically hear her pain and aggravation, and that's why he knew it was important. He couldn't let his mother ruin another life. Not again. Never again.

It was painful to think about it, a lump formed in his throat. Funny, how we make ourselves so strong that people think we are emotionless, so strong that we feel our heart has stopped feeling, and yet, yet every time we are reminded of that one thing that changed it all, we break. And maybe that's when we know we still aren't over it.

Lekh clenched his jaws. "You don't know how you are going to raise your child because you can't." He said. Tara turned to him and left her work. Her back was hurting, she had to visit the doctor. Something felt wrong inside her.

"Excuse me?"

Her forehead started sweating, it felt hot and it was January.

"Let's get real Tara, you haven't even attended college. What will you do but be dependent on Mom and Dad? And you and I both know you'd rather marry me than let your in laws take over your life and your kid's. or perhaps you'd runaway, but again, what will you do? How will you earn? Will you wash dishes and keep the baby in a straw hut and deny him the legacy of a rich family? No really, I want to know your plan."

Tara was stunned. Lekh was attacking her and she couldn't say anything because he was right. She didn't attend college. She didn't have parents of her own. She couldn't go to her brother's house because of the several rules put up by the society. She couldn't fend for herself. And for the umpteenth number of time in her life she felt helpless. And then she felt dizzy.

And then she fell.