Ishita glared at the asleep dushyant piercingly, she couldn't help but feel rage flare up inside of her, as she took off her veil angrily, and forced out and threw away every piece of jewellery adorned on her. she couldn't help but feel resentful for being put away to a place she was not at all needed in. 

the expensive jewellery in her hand felt extremely worthless, she wanted to throw it all away, but didn't. Instead she just lied on her back, stared at the ceiling that now appeared in her sight, the fan oscillated with such drudgery that it seemed to match her disappointment. 

she looked over to dushyant once again, didn't he feel like saying anything to her? she felt so unwanted, holding such little value, she was as good as worthless, she was only worth the indifference. she couldn't help but wonder, why did he even marry her? 

she was slowly starting to realise that she was going to have a marriage where she was going to be completely lonely. a tear ended up shedding from her eye again, she didn't even had to bother wiping it or even hiding it, just let it be, there was something oddly peaceful about it. 

                                                                       ***

purvi stared at the clock, as she realised it was close to striking midnight. she had been sitting by the dinning table for over hours, the food had been warmed thrice, it was just her plate and his, but she couldn't help but feel it would be all in vain. 

suddenly, she heard keys jingle into the lock of the main door, alerting her to sit up straight, as he was finally here. she was about to pick up the food to go warm it for one, final time, but unfortunately, a loud thud accompanied, making her concerned, as even the keys fell down, as she could hear, making her rush outside. 

she opened the door, only to find that kavin had fallen at the doorstep. she was confused, kneeling down, as she looked carefully, and found him to be unconscious. she shook him a bit to see if he was okay, only for the smell of alcohol to start becoming more apparent. 

she shook her head in disbelief, before she grabbed him by the arm, resting his on her shoulder to carry him inside, after locking the door shut. 

the smell of alcohol was utterly unbearable to her, but she ended up somehow carrying him to their room, and making him lie on the bed. his eyes didn't open once, making it clear he had passed out. 

she took one more glance of the food she had made, lying on the dinning table, realising it was all going to waste. 

                                                                          ***

Ishita had surprisingly fallen asleep, maybe it was the exhaustion of utter misery that the past days had fully comprised of. she ended up feeling some hot air coming inside the room, opening her eyes due to her sleep being disturbed, she found out that she was left completely alone on the bed. dushyant was nowhere to be found, and he had clearly left the door of the room open on his way out. 

she ended up getting out of bed, and walking to the door to see what was happening. she found out that dushyant was still in his sherwani, although he had let it lose now, revealing the vest he was wearing inside. he was moving to and fro the living room, with a baby in his arms, that he was constantly swinging around, as the baby was only letting out small coo sounds. she was finally asleep, as it grew quiet after a while, and he embraced her close to his chest, relieved as he turned around to find ishita in his sight.

she didn't know what to say or how to react, or how she should even feel, only for him to let out a small, awkward smile, after he mouthed a small 'sorry', it seemed forced, out of ingenuine cordiality. she let out a exaggerated polite smile too, before going inside, not knowing what else to do.

she closed the door of her room, and rested her back on it, closing her eyes shut as she took a long sigh, trying to comprehend what had just happened. 

"tum kya kar rahe ho!" exclaimed his sister, as loud as she could in a whisper, as ishita ended up hearing it. 

"jia jaag gayi thi raat ko, soti nahi mere bina, ro rahi thi...aapne bhi isse akele chod diya..." argued back dushyant enraged, still trying to keep his volume low for the sleeping baby. 

"arre, tumhe ishita ke paas hona chahiye...aaj sohagraat hai tumhari!" argued back his elder sister. 

"aapke kehne pe maine shaadi karli hai, par aap mujhse usse nibhane ka natak nahi karwa sakti..." stated dushyant bluntly, as ishita felt a pinch in her heart hearing it, his coldness made so much sense. 

"dekho, woh bas 20 saal ki ladki hai...nazook hai, zyada samajh bhi nahi hai, tumhari inn harkaton ka usse bahaut zyada bura lagega..." his sister attempted to explain. 

"aur aapko laga tha woh jia ki maa ban payegi? main, main aankhein nahi mila paa raha hoon usse, aapne mujhse kisi aisi ladki se shaadi karne ko majboor kardiya jisse dene ke liye mere paas kuch nahi hai...aur dukh ki baat yeh hai ki usse kabhi janne ko hi nahi milega ki usne khoya kya hai! usne zindagi dekhi hi kahan thi, joh humne usse cheen li..." vented out dushyant his frustration. 

"dushyant..." attempted his sister to offer consolation. 

"sone de ab isse....kuch der mein uthke doodh peeti hai, tab tak thoda aaram karna chahta hoon." stated dushyant, as he had handed over the baby girl to his sister and started to walk towards the room.

 ishita who had been listening everything standing by the door, ended up quickly sitting by the bed, so that he wouldn't know she had heard everything.

                                                                     ***

Purvi was cleaning up in the kitchen, only for her to suddenly feel like someone was behind her. she turned back only to find an old middle aged lady. 

"maa, aap soyi nahi?" asked purvi, as her mother in law smiled politely.

"woh paani peene uthi, phir dekha kitchen ki light chal rahi hai toh..." she responded, as purvi nodded. 

She ended up placing her hand on purvi's shoulder, giving her a warm smile. 

"beta main jaanti ho, aaj toh bas tumhari shaadi ka dusra din hua hai...abhi toh tum logon saara samay saath hi bitana chahiye....par..." attempted her mother in law to offer consolation, but purvi wasn't receptive. 

"kavin toh humari pehli raat bhi mere paas nahi baitha...ab toh bas, subha kaam pe jaata hai bina kuch kahe, aur raat ko aata hai peekar, jab kuch kehne ke layak rehta nahi...par main bhi kaise soch sakti thi ki ek zabardasti ki shaadi mein iske alawa kuch milega?" responded purvi, bitterly letting out her resentment in a harsh voice, before leaving. 

                                                                               ***

dushyant entered the room through the door that jolted open, as he found ishita seated on the bed awkwardly. he let out a long sigh before he shut the door and took prancing steps towards the bed, to sit next to her. she let out a tight lipped forced smile, so did he, before looking away. 

"ishita, main, maafi mangana chahta hoon aapse. yeh shaadi, woh nahi ho paayegi, jaisi aap sochke aayi thi....aur sach kahoon, toh mujhe yeh shaadi accept hi karne mein shayad bahaut samay lag jayein...main ek, pati ka pyaar nahi de sakta aapko, ya khair kisiko bhi...meri biwi ab iss duniya mein nahi hai, aur main woh jagah kisi aur ko nahi de sakta...haan, aap meri beti ki maa ban sakti hai...par, usse zyada kuch nahi." stated dushyant clearly, in a very firm tone, as he tried to hold back emotionally. ishita only scoffed at him.

"shaadi toh main yeh shayad kabhi na maan paon..." remarked ishita bleakly, making dushyant look at her perplexed.

She realised this and glanced back at him with an unwilling smile, as he was starting to realise they were sailling the same boat.