In Dhairya's and Aashika's room.

As the first ray of sun made it's way through the window, the brightness a clear contrast to the swirl of darkness residing inside the couple's heart, Dhairya opened his eyes, his body stiff with the lack of sleep last night. He looked at the other side of the bed finding his newly wed wife sleeping. Looking at her, anger washed over his senses. 

He quickly got up, grabbing the nearest jug of water spilling the content on Aashika's face.

Aashika got up abruptly wiping her face, trying to gasp for air. She opened her eyes only to find her husband standing in front of her with a smug look on his face.

"How dare you step on my bed", he asked with a hushed malicious tone taking slow and measured steps towards her.

[Author: Abhi ka badla baad me nikala jaayega Dhairya babu]

He roughly wiped the waterdrops from her face and looked into her eyes with furry. But today he saw Aashika glaring at him rather than being scared.

"You have the audacity to glare now", he mocked only to receive a smirk from her

His eyes narrowed at her. 

"Do you think I am scared of you", Aashika spoke up in a challenging tone. 

His brows furrowed listening to her.

"What do you mean?", he asked her, confusion evident in his tone.

Aashika wiped of the remaining water off her face.

"Well first of all, I am your wife and I don't care you consider it or not but it's my right to sleep on the bed or anywhere else I want too", she declared.

"Secondly, thanks", she said smiling".

Dhairya now looked really confused. A woman who witnessed the death of someone whom she loved, just a day before, got married forcefully on the very same day was now smiling as if nothing at all happened.

"Why?", he asked.

"I am up early without an alarm so thankyou", she thanked him smirking.

He looked visibly frustrated.

"Are you the same woman whom I married yesterday?", he asked, his tone full of frustration.

Aashika's expression visibly changed, she looked taken aback for a moment.

"You shouldn't care", she spoke with gritted teeth.

"I don't intend too.", he retorted.

She got up from the bed, looking at him for one last time before stomping off towards the washroom.

'WHAT WAS THAT, IS SHE A BIPOLAR?', he thought in daze.

***********************************************************************************************

Inayat's and Zain's room

The washroom door creaked open, as Inayat emerged out from a shower, her petite frame draped in an exquisite red Banarasi saree. She went near the vanity table, removing the towel from her hair as she used it to dry her hair with it. 

Her thoughts drifted towards the short encounter she had with her mother in law early this morning.

MORNING (4 AM)

Inayat twisted and turned on the bed, her mind playing dreadful scenes of her demons chasing her. She was sweating profusely, her frame shaking slightly.

She woke up with a jerk, gasping for air. This was normal for her. She had hardly been able to sleep ever since her childhood. 3 to 4 hours of sleep which too got interrupted by frequent nightmares.

Her eyes instinctively went towards the other side of bed. Zain wasn't there.

She thought about his ware bouts as she got off the bed, ready to start her day. She firstly went downstairs to grab a glass of water.

She reached the kitchen, turning on the RO to fill her glass. The sound of water filling the glass echoed through the silent kitchen. 

She quenched her thirst, turning around to exit the kitchen when she found her mother in law looking at her. Her gaze held a mixture of recognition, longing and guilt? She looked at her from top to bottom.

"You are up ?", she asked, her voice soft like honey.

"Yes", she said touching her feet.

She blessed her.

No further words were shared, Inayat left the kitchen moving towards her room.

************************************

Back  to present.

She was getting ready thinking all this when Zain entered the room after his regular work out.

He wasn't much of a gym person but he had a well maintained, toned body.

He was drenched in sweat, an evidence of his workout. He looked towards the mirror.

He was mesmerized by her beauty, innocence dripped off her face unlike her demeanor.  her long brown curls which were wet were sticking to  her back. Her waist on display due to the saree.

Zain averted his gaze from her. Why was she effecting her so much? 

Inayat turned towards him. 

"AAP?", she asked

"hmm ... I'll freshen up, you shall go downstairs I suppose. Sarla aunty will guide you for some rituals I think.", he spoke, his eyes looking everywhere but her.

Inayat nodded before putting on her earring. She got up, now fully dressed and ready. Her hair line adorned with vermillion and neck with a nutiple chain, signs that she was now a married woman.

She walked downstairs only to find the house maid waiting for her. 

"Namaste madam.", she greated her with joined hands.

Inayat nodded at her while making her way to the kitchen.

She looked around taking in the features of the modular kitchen.

"Sarla kaki,take out the materials needed to make kheer", Inayat asked her tone commanding.

Sarla came in taking out the materials needed for kheer.

After her departure, Aashika entered cladded in a peach chiffon saree. She looked ethedral. The saree hugged her curves perfectly, her hips swayed as she entered the kitchen.

Inayat and Aashika looked at each other.

Inayat steped closer to her, her steps measured and planed. She gently touched her cheek where she had slapped her.

"The bruises are gone ?", she whispered.

Aashika nodded, her eyes downcast as she couldn't bear her sister's gaze.

"Go and chop the nuts, I'll boil the milk and prepare the rest of the kheer", she declared her tone commanding as always.

They both started working in silence preparing kheer for their pehli rasoi.

Soon they were done with all the preparations.

They now were setting up the dining table, when their father in law entered the hall. He was dressed up in his crisp business suit ready to leave for his work. He was the current chairman of 'THE OBEROI ESTATE.'

"Good morning dad", Aashika wished him cheerfully touching his feet for blessings followed by Inayat.

"Khush rahiye beta", he blessed his daughter in laws further asking about their wellbeing. Aashika seemed cheerful today, as if she forgot about everything that happened a day before. 

Shrikant noticed this change but let it go.

"Wouldn't mom join us for breakfast?", Inayat asked him.

Shrikant's facial expression changed to angony. 

"She doesn't care.", he spoke coldly.

To say Inayat was confused would have been an understatement. She knew the complexities of the Oberoi family but this was beyond what she thought. 

Zain made his way downstairs. The sound of his boots catching the attention of everyone downstairs.

"Good morning dad", he wished and got a small nod in return.

He sat on the dining table ready to have his breakfast, but he stopped not finding his brother on the table.

"Aashika. where is Dhairya?", he asked in his heavy voice.

' As if I know, mar rha hoga khi', she thought.🤡🤡

But responded with a forced smile.

"Woh aa rhe honge bhaiya"

Soon Dhairya too joined them, cladded in a crisp white shirt and navy blue pants, looking devilishly handsome.

He sat down on the table, waiting for the food to be served.

"Good morning everyone", he wished particularly his dad.

They started having the food. The kheer was now served by Aashika to everyone.

Before anyone could start having it, Astha entered dressed professionally leaving for her work.

"Mom, won't you have breakfast?",Aashika asked her.

She turned behind looking at her for a moment before speaking.

"I usually have my meals in the office.", she told and DHAIRYA rolled his eyes.

Before Aashika could speak any further,  she received a glare from Inayat which made her shut up really quick.

They continued having their food but none of the men praised their culinary skills except their FIL who gave a line of compliment before thanking for the meal.

The conversation in OBEROI mansion was always such formal. Nobody bothered having some time with family.

Everyone left the mansion for their respective work. Inayat too changed into her work attair leaving for her office.

"Don't you dare to cause any trouble", she warns Aashika before leaving.

Aashika was now left all alone. She decided to paint something. Her mind was already a huge mess after all the things happening.

She went into her bedroom, taking out her belongings she started setting up her canvas focusing on her new work.
************************************

The first person to return home was DHAIRYA.

He was all worked up and tired due to continuous meetings and work load. He made his way upstairs towards his room.

He opened the door walking inside only to find his wife sleeping on a chair with her head resting on the table top.

DHAIRYA shook his head. He couldn't help but notice how appealing she looked while sleeping.

He moved closer to her work desk, admiring her sleeping figure. He looked at her intently. Her face glowed in the dim lighted room, lips slightly parted and forehead slightly creased. His gaze fell on her canvas which awfully caught his attention. 

He lifted up the canvas analyzing the picture from different angles.

It was a dark theme picture of a woman wearing white clothes had red blood patches on her clothes and face, she was grinning like a maniac holding fingers of a dead man. The man was covered in blood just like the dead body they saw in the wedding. The woman's face was still incomplete. She had kept her feet on the dead man's chest.

The picture was really disturbing to look at.

Dhairya had worked closely with Inayat in mafia related business. As much as he knew Inayat, he could tell she can never kill someone herself. Not like she was scared of blood, but she had made a some kind of a vow which she never shared with anyone.

Whenever she had to kill someone, she hired people who would torture the person in front of her eyes.

So how could she kill someone herself.

Dhairya believed, she must have had hired someone for this purpose, but now looking at the painting he had many questions swirling in his brain.

What had happened that night? this question lingered in his mind.

********************************************************************

I was making my way towards the mansion. The only thought in my mind was of Inayat and her strange behavior.

I knew Inayat since a very long time. We have been business partners for as long as 5 years now. As much as I know her, she is really detached from her family even her sister. And I  find her highly ungrateful for that.

I, who never received proper attention and love as a child, always craved for it, and she even though getting it from someone took it for granted.

Those emotionless eyes hold something deep and hard to contemplate. She was the mystery I never wanted to solve, but now that I have her, I can't help wondering.

I reached the mansion . Along with my car entered one more Range Rover which was of Inayat. 

Both of us came out of our respective car at the same time. She looked at me with her dead eyes.

I nodded at her as if asking her to proceed which she seemed to understand.

We both directly went into our rooms. 

"You can change in the closet, I'll wait outside till then", she nodded at my words entering inside the washroom.

Slipping out of her attire, she let the warm water cascade down her body washing away her exhaustion, her mind full of thoughts and consequences her actions could lead too.

She then put on some comfortable clothes getting out of the closet.

As she entered her room, she saw Zain talking to someone in a hushed tone. 

She neared him to eavesdrop his conversation but failed as he swiftly turned around, holding her by wrists. His grip was firm yet gentle but the eyes held disapproval.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop Mrs. Oberoi", he whispered into her ears making her shiver at his deep husky voice.

She composed herself before replying....

" Why? shouldn't I be aware of what 'MY HUSBAND' is hiding from me".

Zain let out a chuckle taking her off guards, his grip tightening a little on her hands yet not painful.

"Not like 'MY WIFE', isn't hiding several things from me, Ardhangini", he hushed.    

"w....what d.do you mean?", she stuttered.

"You know very well", he whispered before leaving her hands storming away to the closet leaving Inayat startled and tangled in the maze of her thoughts.

********************************************************************

SOOO guysssss 2100 words approx.....

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