Akash ji has been acting strange lately. I've asked him multiple times what's wrong, but he just keeps saying "nothing" and maintains his distance. For the past two days, he has barely spoken to me.
Right now, he is in his study room—one I didn't even know existed until I saw him disappearing into it. This house is enormous.
I am downstairs in the kitchen, helping Maa prepare dinner while Adhya, as usual, chatters away about her college events.
Suddenly, a loud noise erupts from the hall. Startled, we rush out, only to find Sasur ji shouting Akash ji's name.
Within moments, Akash ji sprints down the stairs.
"Kya hua?" he asks breathlessly. "What happened?"
Sasur ji's face is red with anger.
"Main yeh kya sun raha hoon, Sarpanch saab? Pura gaon baat kar raha hai ki kisi ne dulhe ko behosh karne ki koshish ki thi shaadi ke din! Isi wajah se woh mandap tak nahi pahuncha! Aur ab woh apni patni wapas chahta hai—kehta hai ki dono ek doosre se pyaar karte hain aur alag nahi reh sakte!"
"What am I hearing, Sarpanch saab? The entire village is talking about how someone tried to drug the groom on the wedding day! That's why he couldn't reach the mandap! And now, he wants his wife back—says they love each other and can't stay apart!" He said, pointing towards me.
My breath catches in my throat. The words hit like a slap.
Vinay... lodged a complaint? That I should be sent back to him?
Sasur ji turns to Akash ji, his gaze cold and unwavering.
"Phir kya soch raha hai tu? Iss ladki ko bech do yahan se!" "Then what are you thinking? Send this girl off from here!"
His words feel like a punch to my chest. Tears well up in my eyes.
Akash ji keeps looking down without saying a word.
I couldn't help it—I let out a sob.
Then, Bua spoke from the side, her tone laced with sarcasm.
"Acha, toh kisi ne usse behosh kar diya tha? Matlab uski koi galti nahi thi!" "Oh, so someone drugged him? That means he wasn't at fault!"
She turned to Akash ji, her voice sharper now.
"Akash, tumne isse sirf iss liye shaadi ki kyunki yeh bechari thi, hai na? Koi isse shaadi karne ko tayyar nahi tha! Toh ab jab iska asli mangetar wapas aana chahta hai, jo kehta hai ki yeh dono ek doosre se pyaar karte hain, toh phir dikkat kya hai?" "Akash, you only married her because she was helpless, right? Because no one else would marry her! Now, if her real fiancé wants her back and says they love each other, then what's the problem?"
"Koi mujhe toh poochhe ki main usse pyaar karti hoon ya nahi!" I thought bitterly. "Will anyone even ask me if I love him or not?"
Dadi let out a loud sigh, shaking her head as if this was all too much.
"Baat toh sach hai. Humare ghar ka rivaaz hai ki bahu bade ghar se aaye. Gareebon ki betiyon ko sambhalna hamara kaam thodi hai!" "She's right. In our family, daughters-in-law should come from wealthy households. It's not our job to take care of poor girls!"
She scoffed, her sharp gaze falling on me.
"Aur waise bhi, jo ladki apne pehle waale se itna pyaar karti thi, woh humare Akash ki wafadar kaise hogi?" "And anyway, a girl who loved her first fiancé so much—how will she ever stay loyal to Akash?"
Her words sent a cold shiver down my spine, but she wasn't done yet.
"Kaun jaane yeh kitni pavitra hai ya nahi!" "Who knows if she's even pure or not?"
My chest tightened with shame. My hands clenched into fists, but my voice refused to come out.
Akash ji suddenly shouted, his voice echoing through the hall.
"Bas! Koi kuch nahi kahega!" "Enough! No one will say a word!"
He took a deep breath, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.
"Main sab sambhal lunga. Aapko chinta karne ki koi wajah nahi hai." "I will take care of everything. There is no reason for you to worry."
Then, his voice turned firm, almost threatening.
"Aur yaad rakhna, yeh ab bhi iss ghar ki bahu hai. Toh behtar hoga ki koi bhi isse taane maarne ki galti na kare. Warna mujhse bura koi nahi hoga." "And remember, she is still the daughter-in-law of this house. So, it's better if no one dares to taunt her. Otherwise, you will have to face my wrath."
He fixed his eyes on Bua and Dadi, making it clear that his words were meant for them.
By now, I was crying. My whole body trembled, but Adhya held me, giving me quiet support. Maa stood frozen, too shocked to react.
Bua and Dadi, however, exchanged smirks before turning away and leaving the room.
Adhya gently guided me back to my room, whispering words of comfort.
Akash ji wandered through the village, his mind racing with everything that had happened over the past two days.
Flashback
That morning, he had left home after breakfast, his heart feeling light. A small smile played on his lips as he thought about returning to his home soon.
Akash and his friend Vivek were heading to the Panchayat office in a jeep when his eyes fell on Vinay, who stood near the gate, waiting.
His blood boiled at the sight of him. This was the man who had left Avani behind. But as much as he hated him, a small part of him knew that if not for Vinay's absence, Avani wouldn't be his today.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the jeep and gestured for Vinay to come inside his office.
Once inside, Akash crossed his arms, his eyes sharp and questioning.
"Kya hua, Vinay? Kyun aaye ho yahan?" "What happened, Vinay? Why are you here?"
Vinay clenched his fists, his expression serious.
"Sarpanch Ji, mujhe meri biwi chahiye." "Sarpanch Ji, I want my wife back."
Akash's jaw tightened, his fists clenching.
"Kya? Phir se?" he said in a low, threatening voice. "What? Again?"
Vinay exhaled sharply and spoke firmly.
"Mujhe Avani se pyaar hai. Main usse chhod kar nahi gaya tha, kisi ne mujhe behosh kar diya tha! Mujhe toh hosh aane ke baad pata chala ki meri jagah kisi aur ne le li!" "I love Avani. I didn't leave her—I was drugged! When I regained consciousness, I found out that someone else had taken my place!"
Akash's glare intensified, but before he could speak, Vinay continued.
"Aur tum toh sarpanch ho! Tumhe yeh sab theek lagta hai? Tum jaante ho ki hum dono ek doosre se pyaar karte hain. Phir bhi tumne yeh shaadi kyun ki?" "And you're the sarpanch! Does this seem right to you? You know that Avani and I love each other. Then why did you marry her?"
The words hit Akash like a punch to the gut.
"Avani loves him...?"
For a moment, everything stilled in his mind. Had he been so blinded by his own feelings that he never even considered what she wanted? Had she truly loved Vinay?
His heart clenched, but he quickly masked his emotions. He would not let her go.
A cold silence stretched between them. Then, Akash finally spoke, his voice steady but firm.
"Woh ab meri patni hai. Yeh kabhi nahi hoga." "She is my wife now. That will never happen."
Vinay gritted his teeth. "Tum zabardasti kar rahe ho!" "You are forcing this!"
Akash met his gaze with a steely determination.
"Main sirf apni patni ko apne saath rakh raha hoon." "I am only keeping my wife with me."
Vinay opened his mouth to argue, but Akash cut him off.
"Yeh baat yahin khatam ho gayi, Vinay. Ab jao." "This conversation ends here, Vinay. Now leave."
Present
Vinay must have spread this rumor all over the village.
How do I even resolve this?
I need to ask Avani what she truly feels.
I wanted to ask her how she felt that night, but... I feared her answer. What if she still loves him? What if all my dreams of being with her were just that—dreams?
I've been putting this off for too long, but now there's no choice.
I've seen her with Vinay near the college, talking—like they were already a part of each other's world. I thought maybe she really liked him, and that's why they were engaged.
For years, I kept my love for her hidden, thinking it was something I should never act on, especially when I saw them so happy together. But now, when I thought we would finally have our chance, this—this whole situation has turned everything upside down.
Fear crept through my body as I reached home and entered the room to find Avani sitting on the bed, her tear-filled eyes locked onto mine.
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