Breathtakingly Divine.

That’s what I thought of her in the lehenga.

I am waiting for her in the living room so that she can get ready without any discomfort and then she descended from the stairs. It felt like a fairy is descending from heaven to grace the earth with her presence.

I was so hurt knowing that she doesn’t drink coffee or milk or tea and let me think like that for almost three months. We were becoming good friends and my stupid mind started to think that finally we can have a relationship.

That incident showed me how wrong I was. It reminded me that there will never be a relation. She just thinks that I am her boss and she is living in my house temporarily. It grounded me. She will always treat me ass her sister’s fiancee not her husband.

I also know that she is not comfortable living with me. She is always so stiff even when she is sleeping. She doesn’t evn dare to move a toe.

She called Karthik by his name in just a month. I thought she will naturally drop that “sir" once she gets close to me. Even after being with me in the same room for almost two months she still calls me sir. It is as if she is reminding herself that I am just her superior at work.

That is the reason I didn’t want to take her to the engagement. She doesn’t even consider this a marriage, then how will she face the relatives?

It’s been just three months since our marriage and that scandal of the night will still be fresh in everyone’s mind. Not to mention this will be our first official appearance as a couple. There will be a lot of back talk and whisperings around us. I don’t know how she will take all that. So, I tried to stop my mom but she feeling guilt towards my family said that we will go before I had a chance to stop her.

When we entered the event room, I could feel people’s eyes on us. I can feel them scrutinizing our every movement.

“See, they are not even walking together. I bet they will get a divorce in another three months. Forced marriages will never work. She is not even letting him walk with her", we heard as soon as we sat at our seats.

I know it would be humiliating for me to listen to this. I so want to give a reply to them. But, I didn’t. Because, once the divorce really happens, I have to listen to this anyway.

“They are not even talking with each other"

“ He wanted a model, now he has to be satisfied with her younger sister"

“There must be something wrrong with him. That’s why the bride ran away”

I clenched my fist listening all the taunts. I observed her sitting silently looking at her lap not even blinking her eyes. We are sitting because still the function is going on. Once the rings are exchanged, we need to mingle with everyone. I don’t know whether she will be able to manage this. It’s a wrong decision coming here.

Just then the rings were exchanged and I nudged her with my elbow. She looked at me as if she is in a daze. I signalled her that we should go talk to my relatives. She nodded and we both stood up.

When I turned to go towards the stage, she held my hand. When I looked at her face, she gave a dazzling smile.

“Arjun, why are you looking at me like that? Come, let’s greet everyone" she mock scolded me.

I had to literally collect my jaw from the floor.

“Close your mouth and don’t give me that look or else we need to book a room in this hotel itself” she told me, should I say seductively?

I can see people looking at us. But she is not bothered by that. She then interlinked our fingers and led me confidently towards the stage.

She made everyone shut their mouth including me with just two statements. She defended me in front of everyone.

I can feel her hand shaking in mine. I know it is a big thing for her to do in front of everyone.

I don’t know whether I should be happy or sad.

She is taking my side because she doesn’t want anyone to say such things about me, not because she actually likes me. She is just being my black knight.

Even if we gave answers to them it will come back and bite us in the future when we are actually divorced. They will then criticise more cruelly than this.

Even though I wanted to take my hand back, I didn’t because it will embarrass her in front of everyone. I want her hold my hand because she wants to, not because she has to show everyone that we are together.

I know she is doing this because of me. I should be thankful. But I can’t help feeling disappointed.

Throughout the function, she didn’t leave my hand. After that, no one spoke anything about us. She spoke with everyone and gave them befitting comebacks showing a sweet smile on her face. No one will imagine that she can make people shut their mouths with her sweet smile and confident comebacks.

How did she control her sassy mouth in front of me these days?

She is talking with one of my cousins and I absent mindedly looked at our intertwined hands. Her hand is small but she has long fingers. She doesn’t have nails or nail polish as we are doctors and having nails while doing surgeries is a big no-no.

She also doesn’t have any rings on her hand. She didn’t even wear our engagement ring. But then, I remembered that we were never engaged. Directly married.

She might have had some dreams about her marriage and her fiancee. She didn’t get to fulfill any of them because of me.

What kind of person she wanted to marry?

Did she wanted to have an arranged marriage or love marriage?

Did she and Sid would have been together?

What kind of wedding did she want?

The more I thought about all this, the more I got infuriated because of the act she is putting on.

I don’t know whether I am more angry or more sad.

Sad because she is stuck with me despite wanting a divorce. Angry because she is giving a reason for the people to ridicule us even more in the future when she actually leaves me.

Once everyone left us, she left my hand and asked, “let’s go, sir?”

This made me see red. Why call me sir again when you just announced to everyone that you want to go to the hotel with me?

I know I am being a jerk and before I can control the words left my mouth.

“Do you want to go home or you want me to book a room in this hotel?” my voice held a sneer, annoyance, anger and disgust without intending to.

And then all hell broke loose.