Just Roommates

wifely duties

"Arjun, what was that down stairs, do you have to make it so evident that our marriage is not a marriage!"

"Why, did i shatter your dreams of making this marriage last for 6 months" Arjun said blatantly as he poured himself some water from the jug, his back facing Diya

"Why do you keep pointing this out to me huh? Don't you get how much all of us need it! your company, my company, our dad's companies! Dont you see it? Goenka's needs it just as much! you think Im having a gala time over here!?"

"and since when did you decide that Goenka's needs it? or is it that you need it for the Goenka's?" Arjun said, still calm and composed

"Excuse me, Why would I need it for the Goenka's, what do you-"

Arjun turned around, now facing Diya as he sipped some water from the glass, "Well how else do you plan to make your financial arrangements?"

"Financial arrangements, what are talk-" she was interrupted with the sound of a splash followed by glass shattering. She placed her hands on her ears and screamed out "Are you stupid! wasn't hurting my foot enough! What's wrong with you, it could've hit me-"

Arjun briskly walked towards her, held her shoulders rigidly, gritted his teeth and said, "You knew about it right! All about it? you did right !?" he shook her

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT"

"ABOUT YOUR SO CALLED "PLAN" AND  YOUR SELFISH MOTIVE TO MARRY ME AND RUIN MY LIFE! YOU PLANNED IT ALL WITH YOUR SISTER RIGHT?"

"Selfish motive? I'm doing this for the benefit of everyone!"

"You're still lying, how do I forget, tum sab ek jaisi hoti ho! khudgarz! so self centered and selfish!"

"Tum sab? What do you mean? My sister and I!? haan hain hum selfish! Is there anything wrong in wanting our own happiness before others!"

"Wanting your happiness and ignoring the pain of others right!?"

"Ignore? Arjun, do you have a better way out!? Dont just blame me, ask your parents, your father, my parents, will they be okay with this annulment idea of yours? In the next 15 days there is the launch, do you have no idea how hard everyone has worked on this! oh yeah, how would you know, you're a saint right!?" Screamed out Diya followed by a whisper, "Born in a silver spoon and knows no struggle" 

Realizing that she had been audible to Arjun, she immediately regretted it but looked away. She knew that she had no right to comment on anyone's journey yet her ego clashed with her morals in the intense fight

"Right, you want this marriage so bad no? Don't bring others into this, what about your own selfish motives!" Arjun said referring to the alimony context that mehul had filled his head with 

"Arjun I have so much at stake! I have worked so hard for this all my life! I can't let you take this away from me, even if it means sticking out with you for 6 months or like whatever!" Diya bellowed unaware of what arjun was referring to 

Arjun let out a suppressed laughter dipped in sarcasm, "6 months? miss Diya Gupta, I may be born with a silver spoon and may not have seen any 'struggle' par mein bhi  MBA hoon, even I know my management very well, you don't want an annulment right? okay fine, In the next 2 months if you don't ask me for a divorce on no significant grounds, toh fir mera naam bhi Arjun Goenka nahi! Selfish, you Gupta sisters have taught me to be selfish right, well now even I am going to ignore the pain of others too for my happiness!" Arjun said with a smile as he moved towards Diya and the proximity between their faces decreased. Their cheeks touched and Diya stiffened, she moved away by a step as her back touched the wall.

"Why Miss Gupta, you don't seem very able to complete your wifely duties?" Arjun whispered and then loudly added "Should this be the basis for our divorce or annulment?"

"If this kind of selfish new makes you happy then here you go!" Diya said furiously as she pulled open the first two buttons of her top. Arjun was reluctant, he didn't even look at Diya that way, how could he have even said something like that! He moved away. Diya looked away.

"No no, miss gupta, or should I say Mrs. Diya Arjun Goenka? I hope that sounds fine" in a tone that was enough to instigate Diya who retaliated, "I am not changing my surname!"

"Right, but isn't that one of your wifely duties? My happiness will be derived from you fulfilling all the little wifely duties, remember what you told me when you were interrogating me for your sister, What did you ask? uhhhhhh, oh yes, will you force my sister to conform to the patriachal norms and wifely duties? you really hate those wifely duties right?"

"No way! I will never, and you cant use me not changing my surname or 'not fulfilling your patriachal wifely duties' on legal grounds!"

"We're way beyond the legalities now Diya, your family really cares about reputation now, tsk tsk tsk tsk what will the world say when they find out that your sister eloped with her lover on her wedding day? log kya kahenge?"

"OH GOD! you would never do that, she was your fiancee at some point! did you not feel anything for her!?"

"Did she feel nothing for me when she ran away!?" Arjun said in a fit of rage. 

Both of them paused thinking of how they had both really thought wrongly well of each other! There was a fire of loathing waiting to be anguished. 

"you can fulfill your wifely duties and stay for however long, but i'll make sure you don't!"

"Well thank god Meeta ran away, she couldn't have handled the transformation in your persona, I don't ever know how I found you suitable for your sister!" She spat

"I was sorry for you till yesterday but maybe it wasn't worth it!" scoffed Arjun as he turned away to leave the room he also added, "One more thing, today you were wearing slippers when the glass broke, tomorrow, you may not, beware!" and slammed the door.

Diya was left there, shocked and distraught! What plan had Arjun been talking about! How had things turned so bad and what wifely duties will she have to do now!? She was in a terrible state of turmoil, she crept on to the bed, slid under the covers and began thinking of the better times.

-

The wooden flooring wreaked as  the sky remained thunder struck and the clouds wouldn't budge from showering. A little girl sat with the support of the wall, her clutching her knees to her chest as tears rolled down her bubbly cheeks. She seemed afraid as the wooden door in front of her resounded of an altercation, presumably between her parents. Suddenly there was a loud sound of the shattering of glass, as if all the windows had been broken. The little girl with both her hands, pressed her ears. 

Diya suddenly woke up panting and sweating.