"Pain had never felt so tormenting, as if nothing could save her from breaking, again and again.

Reaching home, she slumped on the bed and buried her face in her palms to stifle her tears. But nothing seemed to work as her vision blurred again and tears rolled down her cheeks. She choked back a sob and shook her head. This was not what she wished for.

She wanted a happy life. Arranged marriages were very common and she had seen couples fall in love with her own eyes. Her parents were one of the best examples. But unlike her relationship which was on the edge, they were immensely happy, still wrapped up in love. Her only fault was, she didn't think of meeting Atharva. She trusted her inner voice and her family. Courtship would have let her know the kind of person he was and it would have been so much simpler to reject the marriage proposal.

With a defeated sigh, she decided to take a bath. Grabbing her bathrobe, she walked to the bathroom and locked the door. She stood beneath the showerhead and opened the tap, letting the cold water cascade down her body. Her eyes closed and she thought about everything transpiring in her life; how she was before her marriage and what she had become. Gone was the bubbly, optimistic Aahana she knew, replaced by a gloomy and vulnerable girl she never wanted to be.

Her life had become a living hell.

She'd demystify Atharva but only if she could know him, everything about him.

Turning off the shower, she draped herself in the fluffy, black robe and stepped out of the bathroom. Nobody was home, so she didn't care about clothes. She quickly dried her hair, applied some moisturizer, and made her way to the kitchen to prepare her comfort drink, hot chocolate. Once she was done, she walked back to her room and grabbed her laptop, opening various clothing sites. She needed a distraction and shopping seemed the right thing to do. But nothing trendy caught her eyes and she was about to close it when a thought popped in her mind.

She typed his name and clicked on images. Atharva looked like a typical businessman, all smart and handsome with no smiles. Curiosity got the best of her and she went to the news section to read about him. Although he was successful, and on the front page of several business magazines as 'The Sexiest Billionaire', there was very little information about his personal life. He was never seen with women, no matter the parties or events he attended. He travelled to places only with Pranav or alone. A few articles questioned his sexual orientation. He was speculated to be gay but there was no response from Atharva. Aahana bit her lower lip and tried to not think about it but it kept coming back.

"Are they having an affair?" she muttered, swallowing the lump in her throat before mentally slapping herself for jumping to the conclusion. Maybe he was too busy handling business and never got around to begin a relationship.

But again, not a single woman? It sounded so surreal, for everyone had desires. There was no denying that she desired Atharva.

Or maybe something else was going on with him. She recalled the antidepressant and her fingers paused on the keyboard.

What was she supposed to do?

Feeling frustrated, she shut the laptop and gazed into space. She wanted to kick herself so badly when various thoughts crowded her mind, forging new reasons for why he was distant.

Unable to take it any longer, she called Jay.

"Hey, sweetpea!" he answered. "Finally got the time to call your best friend?"

Aahana rolled her eyes. "You sound hurt," she replied sarcastically. "Didn't you see me during my wedding preparation and ceremony?"

"You were there?" Jay gasped like he couldn't believe her. "I only recall this hotshot male named Atharva."

She chuckled and shook her head. "That hotshot is my husband, you know. Now shut up and meet me at our usual place."

"Is he coming too?" Jay asked, his voice filled with hope. "I will be there in 10."

"Nope," she said. "Only your best friend."

"Damn." He actually sounded sad and Aahana scoffed, already knowing about her best friend's attraction towards her husband. "Can you bring him next time?"

"Jay!" Aahana groaned. "He is my man, so stop." She ended the call and hurled the phone inside her bag.

She looked down at herself and made a quick dash to her closet. After changing into blue skinny jeans and white off-shoulder tops, she ran a comb through her hair and applied a coat of lip balm.

The drive to Sunshine cafe took around fifteen minutes. It wasn't anything fancy, only a small cafe away from the main street. The interior was well-designed and neat, giving off a very relaxed vibe. She loved the coffee and baked goodies they sold. It had become Jay and her space to gossip, cry, laugh and celebrate.

The aroma of butter and cream instantly hit her nostrils as soon as she walked through the wooden door. She looked around and noticed Jay sitting at their usual spot, his eyes directed towards his phone.

Her lips tugged upwards into a grin, and she rushed to him. Luckily, he turned towards her just as she pounced on him, nearly knocking him out of the chair.

"Easy there, sweetpea." Jay laughed and hugged her back.

She pulled away and sat down, staring at him. "How are you?"

"Good as always." He tugged a loose strand behind her ear. "But you aren't, I guess."

Aahana sighed. "You guessed right. I am just so...lonely."

Jay raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Ain't your husband entertaining you?"

Aahana's face crumbled into grimaces of agony and she looked away. Jay placed his hand over hers and gave it a light squeeze.

"H-he is not interested in me."

"What do you mean?" His eyes widened, disbelief and rage clearly visible in them. "Is he cheating on you with another woman?"

Aahana snorted and shook her head, muttering, "It would have been so much better if there was another woman in his life. At least I would know he is straight."

Blinking, Jay gaped at her. "He is gay?"

Aahana nodded hesitantly.

"Wow," Jay commented, looking dazed. "You should have told me before your marriage. I would have loved to go down and dirty with him."

"Jay!" Aahana warned, hitting his arm but a small smile made its way across her face and into her eyes. "You will never change."

He smirked and winked at her, but his expression turned serious. "Tell me how'd you know this."

"It's been around two weeks since our wedding but Atharva hardly comes home. We haven't spoken much and what hurts me is, he doesn't look at me at all." A pained expression morphed on her face and she blinked away the tears which were ready to spill at any moment now. "His office is filled with male staff only. And his PA said he doesn't like girls."

"Oh."

Aahana glared at him with watery eyes. "That is all you got to say?"

Jay smiled sheepishly, then frowned. "Honestly sweetpea, that doesn't prove he is gay. I am gay, but it's not like I stay away from female species. Look at you, a woman and my best friend. I think he has some issues? A bad breakup in the past perhaps? You don't stay away from women just because you are interested in men."

"I understand but—"

"Don't jump to silly conclusions. How about you ask him directly to clear the confusion?"

Aahana thought for a split second before nodding. She wanted to tell him about the blackmail stuff but he had a big mouth. She was afraid he would spill the beans to her family and cause mayhem. "I will. But if he is, I have no other choice but to divorce him." Her voice cracked, and she couldn't stop the traitor tears that escaped her eyes, followed by more until she started to sob hysterically.

"Don't worry. I am sure things will come around." His arms enveloped her quivering form for a comforting and reassuring hug. Aahana closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest, relaxing under his familiar touch. When they pulled away, he smiled at her. "And you know, I am always there for you."

"I know." Aahana sniffed, giving a weak smile. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue and wiped the dried tears from her cheeks. "Let's order?"

"Our usual."