Married To A Stranger

Sreesha POV:

“Pack some essentials, you’re going to your parent’s house,” he said, righting his shirt cuffs casually like he didn’t just drop a bomb on my head.

‘I hope you’re happy now, you nasty stupid good for nothing senseless brain. Why do you always have to be right?’

‘Told you, not to get your hopes too high. He’s is a man, what do you expect from him? Just because he said a few good words to warm your heart doesn’t mean he is some ideal guy! Remember even Lord Rama asked Goddess Sita to prove her innocence. When God himself couldn’t hold to his promise of protecting his wife forever, how do you expect your husband, who you just met a few weeks ago not to hurt you? Marriage is bound to hurt you one day or the other. It is just matter of time. Now stop whining and do as he says before he lashes out at you’ my oh so awesome brain chided at my heart.

Even though it exaggerated a bit, I couldn’t help but agree with it. It does know a thing or two about marriage.

“Sree, what are you still doing here? Why are you looking so pale? Are you not feeling well?” He said touching my forehead to check my temperature.

‘As if you care! ‘ my brain sneered at him.

‘Shut up! ‘ my heart yelled at it, still recovering from the little ache he just caused.

“Did I say something wrong?” He asked, hurt flashed in his eyes. I stared at him confused.

As if sensing my confusing stare, he added: “you just yelled at me to shut up”.

Omg! I did it again!

Would someone teach me how to talk in my head, not at the person in front of me? This weird habit always drags me into some dangerous shit.

“I-I’m sorry” I mumbled.

“It’s okay. But tell me what’s wrong” he asked standing just a few inches away.

“I was just yelling at my brain” I mumbled and sighed.

He stilled at his place.

“B-Brain?” He stuttered I nodded vigorously. “Why?” He added recovering from my fantastic answer.

“It always fights with my heart. And that stupid thing always has to be right, can you believe it?

It always breaks my little heart saying harsh words to that poor thing. You know it even suggested me to elope with my teddy bear, to escape our marriage. I almost did as it said, if my poor little heart didn’t suggest me to think about Tej ” I said pouting.

Karthik glanced at me from tip to toe before bursting into fits of laughter clutching both the sides of his stomach.

You freaking Himalayas! what the heck are you waiting for? Meltdown now! I don’t care if you had to ruin a few states and countries in the process. I repeat, Melt now!

I’ve been staring at him all the time he laughed. His laughter was so infectious that I almost run to get the antibacterial lotion.

“Stop laughing at me” I mumbled half-heartedly, I don’t want him to stop.

‘Now he will definitely book a super fancy place in a mental asylum for you, Sreesha. You just told him one of the biggest secrets of your life. Now he will have a piece of strong evidence to get rid of you legally’

‘You started it! You are the reason for our stupid hopeless banters, and you dare to blame Sreesha for that? Our poor Sreesha has to pay for the things you say. You heartless monster!’

‘Eww, I don’t want you anywhere near me. All you try to do is creating unnecessary feelings which are not your work! Why don’t you just pump and purify the blood and function properly?’

‘I curse you! I curse you from the bottom of my ‘Ventricles”

‘I curse you right back from the bottom of my ‘Cerebellum”

A snap of fingers shut both of them with so much difficulty. I sighed.

“You’ve been making faces – smiling innocently – are they fighting again?” He said mirth playing in his eyes. I nodded helplessly. He laughed again.

“Wish I could hear them. So, I’d know what’s going on in that pretty head of yours. I admire your brain for suggesting eloping with your Teddy bear, but I like your heart more for stopping you from eloping” he said grinning ear to ear.

He said he likes me!! I repeat he likes me MORE!!!

And he admires me duh!

“I know right! I Love Mr. Cuddles so much. It was a gift from Tej on my 18th birthday.” I grinned recalling those days, Tej had to save his 6 months of pocket money for my birthday gift.

“Mr. Cuddles? ” he asked, his eyes dancing in amusement.

“The teddy bear” I announced merrily.

He didn’t say anything. He just stood there looking at me with some unknown emotion in his eyes. There is something different about his eyes, and the way he stares at me did not give me creeps like others. It was more like the assurance of comfort, security and…?

He cleared his throat making me stumble back to the real world, where he was still waiting for me pack my luggage.

Is it because of the rejection he faced last night?

But he wasn’t angry at me for that, was he?

“It is getting late, why don’t you go, pack then? ” he said pulling his iPhone out.

He is serious about sending me to my parents, isn’t he? What did I do? Shall I ask him for a reason? What if he thinks I was defying him?

He told you to demand him for answers, didn’t he? If you’re too afraid to demand, just plead him not to send you to your parents.

“Please don’t send me to them. Did I do anything wrong? Please tell me what I did, so I can correct myself. But please don’t send me back.” I pleaded to him.

He drew his eyebrows together in… confusion? What is there to confuse?

“You think, I’m sending you to your parents forever? ” I nodded “It is a ritual, Sreesha -he sighed, shaking his head, giving me a defeated smile- You need to spend the day in your parents’ house as a ritual. After everything I said last night, you still think that low of me? You’re my wife Sreesha, not some rugged doll to throw away when I get tired of playing with it. What should I do to make you think straight?” I blinked.

He is not getting rid of me!!!

That is all you heard?

I was about to nod, but my head was locked between two palms. Heat surged through my body, making the blood rush to my cheeks which made them as red as a ripe tomato.

He was too close to me, yet too far. His face was just a few inches away from mine. His gaze flickered to my lips making them tremble.

I am not ready for this step yet!

He is your husband; he can do whatever he wants.

A shiver ran through my spine… what if…?

“You’re my wife, Sreesha. You belong here, right beside me. What should I do to make you understand that? Sure, we might not like each other… err… yet. But remember one thing, I’m not like your father and would never be like him. I don’t want to send you back to that house, but mom said this particular ritual is essential. If you don’t want to go, all you have is do is, saying ‘no’. I would never force you into anything. You have every right to live your life like you want, of course with me beside you.” He ended sighing.

Does he know how his words affect me? Of course, he doesn’t!

Does he know how he manages to raise my heartbeat ten times faster than the normal speed with just saying the words ‘my wife’? Who is responsible if I get a cardiac arrest at this early age?

Does he have any freaking idea what he is doing to my judgmental brain with his every little speech? Of course not!

“Now stop fighting with the most essential parts in your body and get ready, only if you want to follow the ritual or we can spend some alone time here in our home,” he said giving me a knowing look.

“I’ll go get ready” saying that, I stuttered back to his room.

After locking his house, he extended his hand to me. He placed something cold and hard in my palm.

Keys!

“Now, it is your responsibility to care of our home” a whirlwind of emotions swirled within me. A tear slipped out without my knowledge.

Many people may think I was exaggerating, but this one gesture gives the assurance you needed, trust being one of them. He trusts me enough to provide the master key of his house.

Our! Remember, he said Our home!

“Don’t bother returning them, they stay with you and I’ve another set with me” he said showing me another set of keys. I nodded.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

We reached my parent’s house in his car. The car seems kind of expensive, how much he earns again?

Karthik knocked at the door and waited. My mother opened the door and invited us inside. My father appeared just in time. We took their blessings.

My father invited Karthik to his study and I followed my mother to the kitchen. I prepared coffee for both of them.

I can feel my mother’s eyes on me scrutinizing my every move. I can see her raise an eyebrow from my peripheral view, while I was making black coffee. She figured it is for Karthik as no one in this house likes black coffee.

I knocked twice before entering the study balanced a tray full of snacks in one hand and coffee tray in the another.

When Karthik looked at me, he immediately stood up to help me. He took one tray from me and placed on the table himself. I can sense my father’s eyes narrowing on Karthik’s every move.

“Thank you,” he said smiling. That snapped my father’s last string of patience and asked (ordered) Karthik to sit and let me do my work.

“She is your wife. There is no need to say sorry or thank you to her. It is her duty to take care of you and your needs” my father advised him.

“She is my wife, and that is the exact reason why I thanked her. She is not my employee to order around. Yes, it is her duty to take care of me, but it is also my responsibility to take care of her as well” he replied coolly taking a seat in front of my father confidence oozing around him.

My father glared at him and asked me to get out of the room, not so politely.

After talking to my father, he makes his way to me and kissed my forehead before leaving me alone with me, with my parents who were looking at me like hungry vultures.

My father muttered something about today’s generations ruining the traditions and not respecting elders.

My mother held my wrist tightly making me hiss in pain “Didn’t I tell you to respect elders? That act that you just pulled is not allowed in this house. Don’t you ever repeat that, Sreesha. I’m serious about it” she said, gritting her teeth. I nodded before leaving her alone.

I entered my old room, which was my safe heaven until yesterday. I lay on my bed and hugged Mr Cuddles tightly near my heart before letting my tears fall freely.

After crying my heart out, I lay there numbly thinking about the reasons why they are treating me like I was nothing but a worthless scum.

A knock at my door distracted me from wallowing in self-pity.

I unlocked my door to reveal someone who I’m not ready to face, yet.

“Tej” I said, my voice is no less than ice.