UNREQUITED

Prologue

"I'm hungry, pull over at Mcdonalds," Kushi finally spoke and broke her silence.

"Now...?Are you kidding me?" Karan made a face and drove faster.

"I'm serious, stop the car," She clarified sternly and looked out the window.

"Funny you didn't eat at your own wedding," He remarked as they neared the eatery.

"I wasn't hungry back then, so can you please pull over or I'll jump," She protested and hit her hand against the dashboard angrily.

Tired of her stubbornness, he suddenly brought the car to a screeching halt in the middle of the busy street. Without saying a word he waited patiently until she stepped out in all her finery. Not caring to look back, he drove ahead while she traced her way back to the eatery she had spotted earlier

Unfazed by the odd stares and lewd comments she received, she strutted under the street lights, in her heavy bridal dress. Kushi was a sight not to be missed. She turned heads and grabbed everyone's attention as she stepped in the eatery. It wasn't every night that you'd see a newly married bride step in to satisfy her hunger pangs. The patrons and staff gave her weird looks and laughed behind her back her while she casually looked for a table. Being overcrowded as usual, she had no option but to share one with an unsuspecting man.

"Is that the new burger from the commercial?" She asked the man seated across the table while he just stared at her expensive bridal jewelry. "Hello, I'm talking to you?" she snapped her fingers and pulled him out of his daze. Too tongue tied to say anything, he continued staring until she resorted to the waiter.

"I'll have what he's having," She asserted confidently and glanced at the city skyline.

As she stared through the glass pane, she noticed her own reflection and flinched. Feeling repulsed at seeing the heavily decked lady, she took off her jewelry one at a time and placed it on the table. When the food arrived, she happily ate till her heart's content and handed over her wedding ring at the cashier. "Keep the change," she said and left the place resonating with the clinking oh her paayal.

Not far away, Karan stood by the railings separating the sea and the promenade. The sea mist brushed his face as he stared at the Bandra – Worli Sea Link. Toying with his wedding ring, he re-evaluated his decision of marrying Kushi and deliberately dropped it.

"Bhaiya ruko!" She alerted the auto rickshaw driver to stop and got off.

Her bangles clinked and cut through the silence of the neighborhood as she stood outside his apartment. Engulfed by a train of memories, her kohl eyes swelled with tears as she gazed up at his window. "Why did we stop talking?" she whispered in anguish and felt like it was just yesterday when they were introduced to each other.

"Madamji!" The driver called out and snapped her out of her thoughts.

Giving him an assuring look, she looked for a stone and before he knew it, flung it at the window. The strays barked violently and disrupted the peace in the neighborhood when the window shattered. "Oh shucks ! Wrong window!" Kushi cringed at her lousy aim and rushed in the auto rickshaw before the security guard could see her. "Stop staring at my face and drive faster!" she yelled as he picked up speed.

Mortified that she had broken someone else's window, she suddenly broke into a hysterical laugh and scared the poor driver. Wanting to get rid of her as soon as possible, he asked her where exactly she was planning on getting off. Unsure, she reluctantly texted Karan for his residential address.

"Why do you want that?" he sent the address and enquired in the following text.

"Coz here comes the bride..." she texted and lit a cigarette before blowing a cloud of smoke.