Loving the Nightmare ✅

Chapter: 11

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
                 
                                         -  I Corinthians

Misha's POV:

Finally, the day I had often underestimated arrived, a day I thought wouldn't come. Deep down, I knew it would, but the speed of its arrival caught me off guard.

Marriage brings joy, but for a girl, it also brings the pain of leaving her parents' house. The thought of leaving my parents, this house, and my room filled my eyes with tears. I have been crying continuously; the tears refused to stop.

"Stop it, girl. Don't make them cry more. Also, you look like a ghost right now. Stop scaring everyone," Siddhi said and squeezed me in a hug. Her words, though teasing, offered a sweet comfort.

"I will miss you," she finally said, breaking the humorous facade.

"I will miss you too. Do call me if you need something," I replied, receiving a nod.

"Same goes for you, sister," she said and opened the car door for me. Varun's car! I gave my parents a last hug for that night and sat inside. Varun was next to me, Janvi in the passenger seat, and I assumed Isha was with Varun's mom. Oops, she is my mother-in-law now. What will I call her? I should wait and find out.

"I'm too tired," Janvi said, pretending to sleep. I smiled through the rear mirror and looked outside the window. The rest of the drive was full of silence; that silence killed me from inside, making me ponder things I shouldn't.

Soon, the car stopped. I realized we were home, surrounded by flowers and lights. Truly beautiful. After years of stalking Varun, I never found out where he lived, but I knew his room's interior from his mirror selfies. This was the first time I saw the exterior, and I loved it. I wondered if his room was the same or redesigned.

"We are here," Janvi said, breaking my thoughts. Varun was the first to get out of the car, stopped by aunties and some teenage girls.

"Let's go, Bhabhi," Janvi said, making me blush.

"Oh god, you are blushing already," she teased, and together, we went towards the door where Varun was standing.

"Now, both of you hold hands and enter," an aunt said, Varun's paternal aunt. Will he hold my hand? Unsure, I decided to wait. Janvi, sensing our hesitation, put my hand in his. My body shivered at the contact; he didn't hold it, and I was afraid to let go, so I quickly took hold of it. His hands were as cold as ice, making me wonder. Is he okay? It is difficult for him, but I want him to be okay. I don't want him to stress over anything.

As we reached the center of their living room, he let go of my hand. I felt hurt but quickly composed myself, admiring the beautiful interior. Varun's mom asked us to sit.

"Please sit and make yourself comfortable," she said, making me sit next to Varun, who moved away.

"Sit down, Varun," his mom ordered.

"There's one more ritual left, and then you can go to sleep," she continued.

"Mom, you said..." Varun began, showing his mood to argue, but she stopped him.

"Last one I promise," she said and went away.

"Janvi, where's Isha?" Varun asked, and Janvi pointed to Isha with their aunt.

After that, there was silence again, an uncomfortable one. Something inside me made me panic. Even with all the air conditioners, I felt sweat forming on my forehead. What is wrong with me? I wiped it and joined the ritual.

It was my favorite, where we find a ring in a metal utensil filled with water and flowers. When younger, I always thought of making my husband win. Laughing at my past thoughts, I sat in front of that big metal bowl.

"Start," Janvi said, and she dipped Varun's hand in the water. He wasn't even moving his hand, which made me pretty sure that he is not okay and definitely not interested in all this. Okay, I understand this must be hurting him. I searched for the ring and finally got it. As a ritual, everyone made me slide it onto Varun's finger. As I saw his hand, I remembered the incident during our marriage where we were supposed to exchange rings. His ring finger already had a ring, which he refused to remove, so I had to slide it onto another finger. Maybe that's Tanvi's ring. I was hurt, but again I had to let it go.

"Shall I go now?" Varun asked his mom once we got up to leave.

"Give me 5 minutes. I need to talk with you," she said.

"Janvi, please take Misha to her room," she added. Something was wrong.

"Here we are!" Janvi said, opening the door.

"Varun's room, which is now your room too," she said. The decorations caught me off guard, the room resembling those from movies for the first night of marriage.

"Girls, we should leave now," Janvi said, everyone departing except her.

"Bhabhi," she said, taking my hand. Her eyes showed hope and happiness.

"Thank you so much," she hugged me, leaving and closing the door. Why did she thank me? I turned to the bed and saw something that immediately brought tears to my eyes. Why, god, why?

The room was bathed in a soft, romantic glow from the dim lights and scented candles. The bed, adorned with various flowers, looked like a scene out of a fairytale. My heart raced as I took in the overwhelming beauty of the room. It was a mix of emotions—overwhelming happiness, nervousness, and a tinge of sadness.

I approached the bed, and there, placed delicately, was a photograph. It was a picture of Varun and Tanvi, smiling, seemingly lost in a moment of pure joy. My heart sank, and a lump formed in my throat. .

As the weight of the revelation settled in, I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. They streamed down my face, blurring the image before me. The room that initially seemed like a haven transformed into a battleground of emotions. The sweet scent of candles became suffocating, and the dim lights cast shadows that mirrored the turmoil within me.

In that moment, I felt a whirlwind of emotions—love for Varun, confusion about his past, and a fear of potential heartbreak. The room, once a sanctuary of love, now echoed with the silent cries of a heart trying to understand a truth it never expected.

As I wiped away the tears, I couldn't help but question the meaning of this unexpected discovery. The room, filled with the fragrance of flowers and the remnants of shattered illusions, became a symbol of the complexities that lay ahead. The journey into this new chapter had taken an unforeseen turn, leaving me to navigate through uncharted territory, both in love and in heartache.

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