Aranya POV:

Next day as usual, I was busy in the kitchen early in the morning when I heard the doorbell ring. Since the maid was fired from her job and juliana had gone to the cemetary so obviously now it's my duty to open it. Walking towards the gigantic door, I slowly opened it to see the devil standing there with the briefcase in his hand and the two buttons of his shirt were undone while his hair was all ruffled. He looked past me and entered inside the house as if I didn't existed there...

"Mariya!! Mariya!!",he started shouting her name. I also didn't bother to tell him that she was fired by his dear mother yesterday. Why should I care for this jerk?

Dragging my feet towards the kitchen, I again engrossed myself in cooking, preparing uttapam for myself. I loved uttapam but I never made it myself. It was always mamma who prepared it for me but since she wasn't here so I was making it with the help of YouTube.

"Where is everyone?",I heard his chilly voice behind me. I shrugged and started mixing the batter. Should I fear his anger? He doesn't give a shit about me even when he willingly had tied the nuptial chain around my neck, binding me to him till eternity. He didn't even thought for a while before making out with another woman. Though we don't love each other, even hate looking at each other's faces but the vows we took in front of the holy fire needs to be respected. I'm not that submissive type and neither I'm gonna surrender without fighting. If he'll again raise his hand than I'll seek the help of police but I'm not gonna let him crumble my confidence, my dignity and my identity. Neither I'm gonna let him enjoy his nights in the arms of whores when I'm working my ass off in this house.

"Are you deaf or you're willingly trying to ignore me b*tch?",he growled and obviously his words sharp as needle was directly aimed at my heart. I decided to keep my mouth closed till he atleast apologise for hitting me and fucking his whore. I walked towards the gas stove and keeping the sauce pan on it, I started oiling it's surface.

I could hear his footsteps approaching towards me. My heartbeat started elevating abruptly though I was trying really hard to keep myself calm. He stopped just a mere inch away from me and I could feel his minty breath fanning on my neck. But suddenly something unexpected happened. He encircled his massive arms around my waist and abruptly pulled me against his chest. The sudden impact made me lose my balance and I ended up leaning against his body with he tightly hugging my body from behind while hiding his face in the crook of my neck. Gaining my composure, I tried to remove his hands from my stomach but in response, he tightened his grip even more...

He started sniffling my hair which was tied in a high messy bun and lightly pecking my nape, he murmured "I'm sorry!"

"Your sorry will not heal the physical and the mental scars that you've gifted me as my wedding gift!",I spat sighing.

"Huh, I'm not sorry for that neither I'll ever be...I'm sorry for f*cking my girlfriend without telling you. Next time I'll ask your permission for having s*x with her as you're my wife... Aren't you?!",he replied emotionlessly while putting pressure on the word wife.

"I appreciate your loyalty and next time, I'll do the same",I replied bitterly while swallowing the emotions that were swirling in my mind. He immediately tensed hearing my words and I could feel a cold dark aura surrounding him.

"I know you're a wh**e but I won't let you wh**e around with men. I don't want my reputation to be spoilt by the scandals of my slu**y wife f$cking men outside!!!",he whispered near my ear and in the end, he harshly bit my earlobe.

"Ahh!",a shriek escaped my lips...

"You'll just act like a good wife in front of the world and a good wh**e inside the closed doors if you want your family to be safe but remember only my personal wh**e! And don't get jealous of my beautiful and sexy girlfriend", He said and abruptly pushing me aside, leisurely walking out of the kitchen with his hands ducked inside his pocket.

"I'll sell that b*tch and you both to the brothel if you ever tried to meet her and that's my promise to you, Mr. Malhotra and if you ever tried to threaten my family than always remember one thing that revenge is a two edged sword. I won't hesitate to hurt your dear family and by that you can understand about whom I'm talking about!",I said with a smirk not fearing his cold dark eyes that were glaring at me with immense anger from the threshold.

"And you listen babe that If you tried to even harm a hair of my mother or my girlfriend than I'll burn you and your family alive!!",he roared like a raging lion and strode upstairs to his room with heavy steps. I let out a heavy sigh and tears again started flowing down my cheeks. I'm not still habitual to his harsh and humiliating words. I've never imagined my life to turn into a living hell but I'm a survivor who'll not end up taking her own life or end up in mental hospital. I'll fight till I make him completely mine...I'll fight till I save my family...I'll fight till he and his mother be punished for their sins...I'll fight till I get my lost dignity and respect back in this house as a queen. I'll fight because I know that's it's easy to walk away from the problems rather than facing it with endurance. Because even if I'll try my best to escape from his clutches than it's almost impossible because he's utterly powerful and he'll soon find me out and even if he failed, he won't show any mercy on my family...The only option is to anyhow win his heart so that he can spare my family's life. There's no way out.

***After few minutes***

"Your family is very desperate to see you",he said in a mocking tone as soon as I stepped into the room. I looked at him who was sitting on the bed and was busy typing something on his phone.

I hummed in response and went into the shower. After about twenty five minutes, I came out of the washroom wearing a long sleeved black printed floral sundress. Walking towards my dressing table, I picked the brush from the table and started brushing my hair when I noticed him looking at me through the mirror. Reaching out for the vermilion powder, he applied a pinch of it on my forehead and whispered while brushing his stubble against my neck "If they'll ask you to stay there then you'll straightly deny them by making any excuse! Do you get it?", I was flabbergasted by his words. So now he'll control my freedom too? I nodded nevertheless and again started brushing my hair blankly...

After few minutes of sitting in deafening silence in his car, I finally reached my home. He dropped me there and immediately drove away without even bothering to enter inside the house.

"You've got eyebags under your eyes and your face is also dim. Has he done something to you, Aru?",my mother asked pampering me. She was massaging my hair with her fingertips, with my head in her lap and for the first time, I was finding comfort and peace. Her question made my heart constrict painfully in my chest and I felt like opening up everything in front of her, Everything that he did to me. Innumerous times he raised his hand on me, innumerous times he insulted me and innumerous times he hurt my feelings just within a span of three days. I'm the most ill fated Bride and the most unlucky daughter who cannot ever share her grief with her deaf tormentor of a husband nor her helpless family...

"I-I'm fine mamma. Actually I...I couldn't sleep p-properly because of attending the we-wedding functions and rituals...",I lied trying to control the the tears that started blurring my vision...

She was my solace away from the cage where just for a moment I can breathe the air of freedom though my wings are clipped. But I fear not tearing it away even if it means to crawl and get away from the prison.