Married To A Stranger

Karthik Pov:

“Karthik?” her voice came out as a mere whisper as if she was fighting herself to talk. I know, I should’ve told her before our marriage or at least when she met her father. But I know she wasn’t ready to face all these things… yet. She needed to be strong emotionally. She would be an emotional mess if she knew how they took her away and how she ended up with Tej and his parents.

A shatter of glass brought me out of the reverie. She knocked down a glass while trying to get up. Her face was pale, and she was trembling like a leaf, the Sreesha I witnessed a few hours ago was gone. The bubbly and cheerful Sreesha is not there anymore instead a vulnerable one replaced her. Whose eyes were showing nothing but emptiness? The love for me was replaced by hurt.

“Sree” I try to get her attention; her back was facing me.

“You knew” she accused.

“Yes,” I said closing my eyes.

“How long?” She asked.

“From the day we met in your house,” I said clenching my teeth. It hurts me knowing what she is going through right now.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She turned with an emotionless mask on her face.

“I was about to-” she cut me off by yelling “when were you planning to tell me? Huh? Did you even consider telling me or you want to bury this so-called truth? You did nothing but keeping things from me while asking me to trust you at the same time. And I did. I did trust you, more than anyone, more than myself” she whispered the last part.

I tried to reach her, but she backed away like she doesn’t want me anywhere near her.

“Do you even love me or it was just an act?” She asked me, looking into my eyes, it hurts. Those words hurt more than a knife could do. The person whom I loved my entire life was asking me if my love for her was true.

It hurt me like hell.

That is when I stopped reaching for her. She doubted my love for her. Is it her fault? I did hide a lot of things from her, but with good intentions. To keep her safe.

I turned to see her only to witness my worst nightmare, she’s in his arms while he was consoling her. She is a sobbing mess but all I could think about the olden days. It felt like déjà vu.

The same thing I witnessed when we were in college. Tears threatened to fall out of my eyes, but I couldn’t do that to myself. I can’t humiliate myself anymore.

“I’ll wait outside,” I said sighing dejectedly turning around to leave.

“She will be there in a few minutes,” he said.

I nodded before leaving them alone.

I messed up.

No. I’m a mess.

What if she chooses him again?

Sreesha Pov:

My biological parents?

That means the people who I was living with were not my birth parents. Now I understood why they never wanted me to call them mom and dad. Why they hated me so much. Who wants an orphan anyway?

Did Tej know too?

Of course, he knew, he was the one who forced me to marry Kartik in the first place.

“How long?” I asked him, not facing him.

“From the day we met in your house,” he said.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked him, closing my eyes.

“I was about to-” I cut him off saying “when were you planning to tell me? Huh? Did you even plan to tell me, or you want to bury this so-called truth? You did nothing but keeping things from me while asking me to trust you at the same time. And I did. I did trust you, more than anyone, more than myself” my voice cracked at the end.

It’s true. I trusted him more than myself. I shouldn’t have believed anyone in the first place. My brother betrayed me.

Own brother?

Am I allowed to call him my brother?

He’s not even my brother.

What if he rejects to call me di from now?

Can I bare it? Did he even love me?

Did Karthik ever love me? He said that he loved me, right? But what if it was an act too?

“Do you even love me or it was just an act?” I asked him, turning around, immediately regretted when I saw hurt pass through his eyes which he didn’t try to mask.

He’s hurt.

I hurt him.

But I’m broken.

I couldn’t bare if everything acts and I would probably die.

That was when I broke down and turned into a sobbing mess. Karthik was still in shock for the words I said. A pair of arms wrapped around me and a soothing voice whispering, ‘everything will be alright’.

“I will wait outside ” his voice sounded defeated.

“She will be there in a few minutes,” Manoj said still consoling me.

“You know Siri, I always think of him as a threat even when I know you loved me. He was everywhere. Each time I saw him around you, I wanted to fight him. You know who used to stop me?” I shook my head no “Tej” now my full attention is on him. “He used to say that he was not a threat and we would end up together if we meant to be”.

“When I couldn’t take it anymore, I confronted Karthik. He didn’t fight with me but said he loved you enough to give up on you if that means you will be happy with me forever” my heart did a somersault hearing those words “he threatened me saying he would take you away from me. You want to know his exact words?” I nodded biting my lower lip.

“I’m leaving because she chose you not because I don’t love her anymore. Don’t you think I won’t be back, because I will. I will take her away from you even if she shed a tear because of you. I’ll try to conquer her heart after taking her with me even if she is married and has kids with you. So, don’t think to marry her will make her yours. You will live until you make her happy… Dare hurt her I will strangle your neck with my bare hands ” he said laughing.

“You know I always admired him for his little speech, people may think it was absurd, but when I heard his words, I started respecting him. He loved you enough to leave you for your happiness, Siri. Not his, but yours. If it isn’t for him, I would have died with the guilt for leaving you alone, but I know he will come after you no matter what. I was weak enough to give in to my mother’s threats. At that time, I want her to be safe even if it means leaving you, but on the other hand, he chose you.”

“Now, you tell me, Siri, don’t you think he loves you?” He asked giving me a small, sad smile.

He loves me.

Of course, he loves me!

I’m such an Idiot to doubt him. He did nothing but love me. God! How am I going to look at him after what I said? He will hate me from now. He would leave me.

“God! What have I done? I said those stupid things to him, and he’s gone now. He told me that he wanted to tell me something very important after our honeymoon and I said I trusted him enough to wait. He will hate me forever for doubting him now. What if he thinks I didn’t deserve him and went after another girl? What if he leaves me here? What if he thinks I don’t-” Manoj started laughing like a stupid.

“Why are you laughing at my misery stupid?” I yelled at him.

“You love him,” he said giving me a small smile.

“Yeah. It’s not rocket science you Maron, of course, I love my husband. Who wouldn’t? He’s such a caring husband I love him to moon and back” I said rolling my eyes at him.

“I’m happy for you Siri,” he said with a genuine smile. Guilt consumed me for thinking wrong about him.

“All you have to do is, trust him,” he said supporting me to stand up.

“I want to be happy for you too, Manoj, ” I said giving him a small smile “you need to move on” I added.

“Now I know that you’re happy, I will try to move on but promise me you will be my friend forever,” he said taking my hands into his.

“I will. But on one condition.” I said seriously.

“What is it?” He asked nervously.

“I want all my portraits. Every single one.” I said fidgeting with my fingers. I know his works worth a lot, but he can’t move on with my paintings near him “And you have to promise me you will never paint me unless it is with my husband and I want one now” I demanded.

“I know what you’re trying to do” giving me a half-smile “Give me your current address I’ll send all these paintings to you. Now let’s go and find your husband before he ends up killing me” he said winking at me.

“Yeah. Let’s go” I said walking towards the door.

“What the-” Manoj said looking at something in front of him.

But I knew better than to think; otherwise, my husband stood there consoling some girl while she was crying. Before I know what is happening Manoj took the girl into his arms and started examining her face and hands…

He cares for her.

The look on his face was the same look that he used to look at me when we were in a relationship.

So, he doesn’t have to look for a girl, after all, she’s already in his life. All he has to do is realise his love for her.

And Karthik looked relieved?