Sleep was about to consume me when a sudden shattering sound jolted me awake. My heart pounded against my ribs as I blinked, disoriented. My vision was blurry without my specs, but I could make out a tall figure standing at the threshold of the door.
Squinting, I reached for my glasses on the side table, sliding them on hastily.
And that's when I saw him clearly.
Advait stood there, disheveled, his sherwani slightly undone, his grip tight around the neck of a broken bottle of alcohol. The shattered pieces glistened on the floor beneath him, catching the dim light of the bedside lamp. His red, intoxicated eyes were boring into me, dark and unreadable.
Before I could react, he strode toward me in long, unsteady steps and yanked me off the couch. The sudden force threw me off balance, making me stumble.
"Bhagwan ji, subha tak ruk nahi sakta tha kya? Naya kalesh karne ka aur koi time nahi mila? Kam se kam meri neend toh puri hone dete..."
I was still in my thoughts when his fingers dug into my arms, pulling me back to reality.
"Why the hell did you agree to marry me?" he shouted, his voice raw with anger. "I warned you to deny it, but you didn't!"
I swallowed, forcing myself to stay calm. "I told youβI can't. And if you didn't want this marriage, you should have denied it yourself."
It took every ounce of courage to say that. Looking at him in this state, a part of me dreaded what he might do next.
He let out a bitter laugh, his grip tightening. "Oh, you 'can't' or you didn't want to? You were blinded by the luxury, weren't you? A gold digger like you would never say no."
"Oh, Mr. Ambani," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "It was your Dadi who sent the proposal. And if you were so against this marriage, you should have been a man and denied it yourself instead of putting on this gentlemanly act now."
"I was forced!" he yelled.
"So was I!"
I matched his tone, my frustration spilling over. I knew if this continued any longer, I'd end up crying. God, that's the problemβI cry when I'm angry, and people mistake it for weakness. But not today. Today, I won't break.
He chuckled darkly. "Forced? No. You were compelled... by your greed."
"I'm not here by choice either, but don't forgetβ"
Before I could finish, he cut me off.
"Enough of this nonsense. I don't want to see you in my room. Get out."
He grabbed my wrist and turned toward the door, shoving me.
Hard.
I lost my footing, stumbling backward as my back crashed against the wooden doorframe. My specs slid down my nose but didn't fall. A sharp sting shot through my shoulder, but the pain barely registered.
For a moment, everything blurred. The pain. The anger. The sheer audacity of this man.
And thenβ
Rage.
White-hot and unforgiving.
I took a slow, deliberate step forward, my hand finding the heavy ceramic vase on the side table.
Before he could react, I hurled it straight at him.
The vase whizzed past his head, missing him by an inch before crashing against the wall behind him. The sound of shattering ceramic echoed in the room.
He stilled. His eyes, still clouded by alcohol, widened slightlyβshock momentarily overtaking the rage.
I dusted off my hands and stepped even closer, until we were face-to-face.
"Next time, Mr. Singhania," I whispered, my voice steady and cutting, "if you lay a hand on me, I won't miss."
I didn't wait for his response. Adjusting my specs, I turned on my heels and walked out, leaving him standing amidst the shards of glass and his own stunned silence.
I wandered through the corridor aimlessly, my mind clouded with anger and frustration. That's when I noticed the stairs. Without thinking, I climbed up, my steps heavy, until I reached the terrace.
The open sky stretched above me, vast and endless, its quiet presence calming the storm inside me. And then, without warning, the dam broke.
Tears spilled down my cheeks, silent at first, but soon turning into quiet sobs. I couldn't help itβI needed to let it out. This marriage wasn't my choice; it was my compulsion. A promise bound me to it, a promise I had to fulfill.
My so-called familyβcruel and selfishβhad left me with no room to refuse. It's not that I couldn't go against them, but they had something... or rather, someoneβsomeone who was truly mine to protect, to cherish. And I would take him back. No matter what it took, I would get him away from those heartless people.
Just six months.
Six months of this marriage, and then I would be free. Free to live on my own terms, away from this chaos, away from him.
With a sigh, I sank to the ground, leaning against the cool wall. My gaze drifted toward the sky, the stars, the moonβsilent witnesses to my turmoil. But they would also witness the future Vrinda. The one who would rise above all this. The one who would build her own life despite the storms surrounding her.
A sharp pain shot through my shoulder, snapping me back to reality. I winced as the memory resurfacedβhis rough push, the way I had stumbled. A string of curses in pure Hindi brewed on my tongue, ready to spill outβ
But I held back.
"Nahi, Vrinda. Kisi aur ki wajah se apni zubaan kyun gandi kare?"
Still, I couldn't help but mutter under my breath, "Bewakoof gadha..."
God, I needed to stop thinking about him. With a tired sigh, I lay down on the cold floor. The chill seeped into my skin, making the pain in my shoulder throb even more. My immune system was weakβI caught colds and fevers too easily. Great. Just great. Let's hope I don't fall sick on top of everything else.
With that last thought, exhaustion finally pulled me under, and sleep consumed me.
The early morning rays fell on my face, pulling me from sleep. My body ached, stiff from the cold, and a sharp pain shot through my shoulder as I shifted slightly. I winced. It was worse than before.
I sat up slowly, disoriented, my mind still clouded with exhaustion. For a moment, I just stared ahead, lost. The terrace had given me a brief escape, but now reality was back, waiting for me.
I needed to go back, at least to get my clothes. With that thought, I forced myself to stand and started making my way downstairs.
Halfway down, the memory of last night hit me like a bolt of lightning.
I had thrown a vase at him.
I froze.
"Bhagwan ji, maine yeh kya kar diya?" My hands flew to my mouth as panic set in. Why did I have to act like a full-on heroine?
What if it had actually hit him?
Oh god. The wedding night would've turned into an all-out war. Agar sach mein lag jati toh?Β
But what was the use of panicking now? Jab chidiya chug gayi khet.
With a deep breath, I continued walking, my steps hesitant. Soon, I reached the room and knocked softly. No response.
Assuming he wasn't inside, I decided to freshen up quickly and leave. I'd figure out my accommodation later.
I entered and was about to step into the closet whenβ
He walked out.
I froze.
He was in his gym clothes, his slightly messy hair only adding to his ruggedness. His muscles flexed as he moved, his presence commanding.
For a moment, I couldn't look away.
I won't lieβhandsome men do attract me. And he? He was breathtaking. The kind of man whose mere existence could make heads turn.
But attraction had its limits.
Character held more weight for me.
And after last night, his had already left a sour taste in my mouth.
I wasn't someone who could admire beauty while ignoring the person behind it. Yeh rang-roop toh kabhi dhal jana hai, par charitra hamesha jagmagata hai.
Lost in thought, I hadn't realized when he had moved closer.
His deep voice pulled me back.
"Sorry."
That's what I heard, and I froze. I even shook my ear with my index finger, wondering if it had stopped working properly.
HeβAdvait Singhaniaβthe arrogant man who had acted like an absolute devil last nightβwas apologizing to me?
But then I heard it again.
"I shouldn't have pushed you. It was really wrong. I was drunk... I know I shouldn't blame my state for such behavior."
"Bhagwan ji, kya aapne inhe aadhi raat ko badal diya, ya sach mein inka hriday parivartan ho gaya hai?"
(God, did you switch him at midnight, or has he really had a change of heart?)
But just as quickly, reality came crashing back.
"That doesn't mean my thoughts about you have changed. I apologized because what I did was wrong, nothing more."
"Lo, kutte ki dum bhala kabhi seedhi ho sakti hai kya?"
(A dog's tail can never be straight.) Right on cue, he proved my thoughts right.
"And let me be clearβthis marriage is just for namesake. Don't expect anything from me except loyalty. Just six months, and this drama will be over."
With that, he walked out of the room, leaving behind an apology that changed nothing.
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