Nandini

"Are you sure you are fine, Nandini? We can call Dr. Mehta again if you are not feeling well," Mom says to me, and Dad nods, agreeing with her.

"I'm fine, Mom. And Dr. Mehta came just two hours back. She told me I no longer had a fever. So, there is nothing to worry about," I reply, careful not to reveal what the doctor told me about seeing a psychiatrist.

According to her, my fever yesterday was due to mental stress.

"Our body and mind are interconnected. When something bothers our mind, it manifests in our body, sometimes as a headache or fever. I think that's the case with you too, which is why I'm suggesting a psychiatric consultation for you," she had said.

I had nodded absentmindedly at her advice because I had no intention of visiting a psychiatrist.

It isn't because I think the doctor is wrong. But because I'm not ready for it. I know I need therapy, but having therapy means facing my inner demons, and I know for sure I'm not ready to do it yet.

Although it makes me a coward, I feel keeping my nightmarish memories and experiences at the back of my mind will be easier than facing them. Because if I open that box once, there will be no turning back. I'll have to go through that pain, that hurt again. And I'll have no one by my side to take support from.

Support is another luxury many people are given so freely that they often take it for granted. If only they knew how much people who don't have it crave it.

The thought makes my heart clench painfully, but I jolt out of it when I hear Vikrant speak.

"Are you sure Dr. Mehta didn't say anything else?"

Hearing his question, I narrow my eyes at him.

I had requested Dr. Mehta not to tell anyone in the family about my need for the psychiatric consultation, and she had agreed.

Did she tell Vikrant about it?

I want to tell him to mind his own business and not to interfere in mine, but Mom and Dad are also in the room, and I can't possibly tell him that in front of them.

Why does he care anyways? After all, he had told me not to bother him with my sob story anymore.

"Will you only keep staring at me instead of answering my question?" Vikrant asks me when I remain silent for a while.

I'm not surprised by his rude tone because I'm used to it. But Mom gasps, looking disapprovingly at him.

"Is that the way to talk with your wife, Vikrant?" She asks him.

I bite my bottom lip, controlling myself from chuckling.

This is nothing, Mom. If only you knew how your son talks with me when we are alone.

"I'm just concerned for her. That's why I asked her. I didn't mean to sound rude," Vikrant tells his mother, and I'm surprised at how convincing he sounds.

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought he was concerned for me.

But I do know better. I know he doesn't give two hoots about me, let alone be worried about me.

"No, Vikrant, Dr. Mehta didn't say anything else. She only told me to take a rest for a few hours today. She also said I'll be able to return to normal work and physical activities starting tomorrow." I lie and frown when I notice a look on his face that tells me he is not convinced by my reply.

*****

Vikrant

"You have two weeks, Manish. I want you to use all your means. I'll pay you double the amount than usual. But I want you to find out everything about Nandini's brother, including his death. Do you understand?"

After hearing his positive response, I hang up and put the phone on the table.

Standing from my chair, I walk to the window of my study, looking out at the clouded sky of the night as I recall Nandini's screams of agony from last night.

I feel disgusted by how her parents treated her. I simply cannot fathom how a mother could not love her daughter. How could a father not care about his daughter? Just how?

Maybe it's because I have been brought up by loving parents. I can't even imagine the hurt she must have felt at not being accepted by her parents. But I could feel her pain last night. Her voice had been dipped in such sadness that each word from her mouth stabbed my heart.

I don't know why I'm thinking about her pain and why it is affecting me. It might be because I feel guilty for what I did to her.

"You snatched my one chance at the happiness of having a good husband and family."

She had said that to me once, and I had shrugged it off, not thinking much about it.

How could I have known then that she had been unwanted by her parents all her life and had wanted a family and husband who would love and want her after the marriage?

I sigh deeply as that thought pricks at my conscience, but I try to shake off that feeling.

What's done is done. I can't do anything about Nandini being my wife now.

And I definitely can't go back on taking revenge on Myra and Raghav. After all, they must know what they will get after betraying me. The wheels of my revenge plan are already running, and soon, I will bring them both to their knees.

About Nandini, the only thing I can do is find out about what happened with her brother, find out about that disgusting molester, and hope to provide justice to her and her brother.

That will be my payback to her for getting her bound to this unwanted marriage.

As her thoughts invaded my mind again, I recalled what she had said earlier about Dr. Mehta only advising her to rest.

But I know the doctor should also have suggested her regarding the psychiatric consultation. After all, she had told me about it last night.

Then why did Nandini lie about Dr. Mehta not saying anything else to her other than her needing to rest for a few hours?

*****

Third Person's POV

Vikrant enters his bedroom, his demeanor hesitant because he doesn't know how to face Nandini.

It had been easier before he knew her truth. He could just assume she was a greedy girl who was after his money. With that assumption, he didn't feel guilty about dragging her into his revenge game and had no qualms about facing her with his head held high.

But now, when he knows her truth, it will be hard for him to face her.

"How are you feeling now?" He asks when he sees Nandini sitting on the recliner beside the bed with a book in her hand.

"I'm fine," she replies, her demeanor stiff and rigid.

"And how is your fever now? If you still have a high temperature, make sure to take a tablet of paracetamol," Vikrant says, and Nandini tightens her hold on the book she is reading.

Besides that reaction, she doesn't give him any other response.

Getting the hint that she doesn't want to talk with him, he is about to walk away when he remembers something.

"The maid told me you didn't eat your dinner properly. That's why I have asked her to prepare soup for you," he tells her. "Dr. Mehta has advised you to eat and drink adequately. Otherwise, the weakness will linger."

"I don't want the soup," Nandini counters. "And by the way, why are you concerned about my lingering weakness? Are you worried I will again skip office due to it and cause you inconvenience?"

"I'm already too tired today and don't want to argue with you. The soup will be brought here soon. When I return after taking a shower, that bowl should be empty."

At his words, Nandini grits her teeth but doesn't say anything.

Assuming she has agreed to drink soup, Vikrant takes his clothes from the cupboard and heads to the bathroom to take a shower.

*****

After stepping out of the bathroom, Vikrant slightly smiles when he sees the empty bowl on the table in front of Nandini.

"Good. You drank the soup," he says.

Nandini smiles sweetly at him. "You might want to check your cupboard."

Frowning, he opens his cupboard, feeling shocked when he sees soup splashed all over his clothes.

"What the hell have you done?" He asks Nandini, glaring at her.

Closing the book, Nandini stands from the recliner. "You told me the bowl should be empty when you return. You didn't tell me how I should empty it."

Vikrant is about to shout at her but takes a few deep breaths and runs his hand through his hair to calm himself. After all, he did spoil her life in a bid to take his revenge. So, he can let her get away with spoiling his clothes.

"As I said earlier, I'm too tired after having back-to-back meetings in the office." He sighs. "I'll get the staff to clean the cupboard. Once that's done, you can take the bed, and I'll sleep on the couch."

He is about to head out of the room to call the staff when Nandini stops him.

"What the hell are you playing at?" She asks, stepping closer to him.

"What do you mean?"

"You told me you didn't want to hear my sob story in the morning. You said you didn't care. And I accepted it because I know I mean nothing to you." She folds her hands over her chest. "But then, you pretended to be concerned for me in front of your parents. I accepted that, too, because I know we need to keep up this façade of being a happy couple in front of them."

Narrowing her eyes, she gazes at him as if scrutinizing him. "But we are alone now. So, why are you pretending? Asking me if I'm fine, inquiring about my fever, telling your staff to prepare soup for me, not getting angry even after I spoiled your entire wardrobe, and now, going out of your way and taking the couch to sleep so I can sleep on the bed. Why are you doing it?"

"Look, Nandini, I—" Vikrant begins to say but gets interrupted by Nandini.

"Oh, I get it. You feel pity for me, don't you? That's why you are going out of the way to be nice to me." She glares at him. "After what I told you yesterday and how you reacted in the morning, you must feel guilty. That's why you must be thinking, 'Oh, poor Nandini, unwanted by her parents and me. I should at least throw some crumbs of concern toward her.' Isn't that right, Mr. Sisodiya?" She asks, her eyes holding nothing other than anger for Vikrant.

"You are misunderstanding—" He starts saying but is again cut off by Nandini.

"I'm not misunderstanding anything. In fact, finally, I have understood everything. You are trying to alleviate your guilt of binding me to this meaningless relationship with you by pretending to be concerned for me," she says. "But let me tell you one thing clearly, Mr. Sisodiya. No matter what you do, you will always be someone who snatched my chance of getting a loving family. Someone who destroyed my happily ever after that I always dreamt of."

She pauses for a few seconds, looking thoughtful, and her lips curl into a wry smile. "Let's say I didn't have a bad past. Let's say my parents loved me, no one molested me, and my brother was still alive. Would you still have been considerate toward me? Would you still have been nice to me as you are pretending to be now?"

She shakes her head when Vikrant doesn't reply. "You would not have, Mr. Sisodiya. If that had not happened to me or if you didn't know my truth, you would have continued being rude to me, having no qualms about destroying my life for your motives.

"So, please, keep your fake sympathy to yourself, and don't you dare throw those lame pieces of concern at me because I don't want it. You mind your business, and let me take charge of my life. I don't care about your life and your matters, and I don't want you to interfere in my matters. I hope I'm clear."

Saying that, Nandini takes a pillow and a blanket from the bed. Then, walking to the corner of the room, she places them on the couch there and lies down. Closing her eyes, she hopes to get some sleep tonight as she'll need to get up early tomorrow morning to go to the office.

Meanwhile, Vikrant stands rooted on his spot, watching Nandini sleep on the couch, feeling too stunned to say anything.