Third Person's POV

Seated at the dining table, Siddharth, Nishitha, and Vikrant wait for Nandini to bring the sweet dish she has cooked in the house for the first time.

"Mom, is it really necessary for me to taste that dish? I'm getting late for the office," Vikrant asks, tapping his fingers impatiently on the dining table.

"You got married just yesterday, Vikrant. I don't understand why you can't take a few days off from the office so you can spend some time with your wife." Nishitha shakes her head at her son's thoughtlessness. "And to answer your question. Yes, it's important that you taste that dish. Nandini is your wife now, and she'll feel bad if her husband doesn't taste the first dish she made at her in-laws' house."

"Your Mom is right," Siddharth agrees. "And why are you going to the office, anyways? I had told you to take two weeks off after your wedding."

"I can't take two weeks off, Dad. We have many new projects underway, and I need to be present in the meetings with the clients for them to go smoothly without any hiccups," Vikrant lies, knowing he can't give the real reason to his parents.

After all, how can he tell them he isn't taking any day off because Nandini and this wedding mean nothing to him?

"You are the CEO of our company. It's fine if you are not physically present in the office for a few days. Get someone else to handle those meetings and work remotely for two weeks. That way, you'll be able to spend some time with Nandini and remotely supervise the projects, too," Siddharth says, his tone implying that what he said was more of an order than a suggestion.

Vikrant straightens up, trying but failing to devise an excuse to give to his father so he can avoid staying home and spending time with Nandini.

Thankfully, he is saved from doing it when Nandini walks out of the kitchen, carrying a large bowl of kheer in her hand.

Keeping the bowl on the table, she fills the smaller serving bowls one by one and serves them.

"The kheer is delicious," Siddharth praises Nandini, putting another spoonful in his mouth.

"Yes. So creamy and flavorful," Nishitha agrees, smiling at Nandini.

Nandini smiles back at them, but her smile dims when she notices Vikrant eating the dish disinterestedly. He was picking at it, hardly putting it in his mouth.

Come on, Nandini. He has made your status in his life clear. Why should you care if he likes the dish or not? Nodding at her thought, she tries to shake off her disappointment.

"Vikrant, won't you say anything? The kheer is delectable, isn't it?" Nishitha probes Vikrant to praise Nandini, but he just shrugs.

"It's alright, Mom. Too sweet for me, actually," he replies, and Nishitha feels terrible when she notices Nandini surreptitiously swiping her hand over the corner of her eyes.

"That's it, Vikrant. This type of insensitive behavior will not be tolerated. You are married now, and you need to understand your responsibilities toward your wife," she berates her son.

"I have decided that you won't go to the office today. Take the two weeks off and go on a honeymoon with Nandini," Siddharth says, his voice solemn and firm.

Getting irritated, Vikrant is about to shout that he isn't interested in going on a honeymoon, but Nandini speaks before he can say anything.

"It's ok, Mom, Dad. Vikrant told me last night how important it is for him to go to the office. We can go on a honeymoon some other time."

Although his jaw twitches in annoyance when he hears Nandini call his parents mom and dad, Vikrant doesn't say anything.

Noticing his parents about to argue about what Nandini said, he quickly stands up from the chair and says, "Now that I have tasted the dish, I'm going to the office."

He then turns to Nandini. "Would you walk with me to my car? I need to talk with you before going to the office."

Nishitha and Siddharth smile at that. They liked that Vikrant wanted to spend a few moments with Nandini before going to the office.

Their smiles widen when Nandini nods, and both of them head out of the house together.

*****

Once outside the house, Vikrant solemnly regards Nandini, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I don't know what you are trying to achieve by showing my parents how understanding you are, but I want to let you know that none of your games will work on me. This marriage and you will always mean nothing to me. Never forget that."

Nandini folds her arms over her chest and tries to seem unaffected by Vikrant's words.

His harsh words have started to bring back bad memories from her past. Yet, she maintains a strong front because she knows she can't let him see her vulnerability. After all, he seemed like someone who would take full advantage of it.

"I'm a simple girl, Mr. Vikrant Sisodiya, and I don't play any games. I'm not like you, who doesn't care how his actions and words can hurt others," she tells him, trying to sound calm despite her heart thudding furiously against her chest. "And anyway, my refusal to go on a honeymoon with you was not to show your parents how understanding I am. I did it for myself. I did it because I don't want to go anywhere with you."

"That's good then. Always remember your position as being unwanted in my life, and never expect anything from me or this marriage."

With that said, Vikrant opens his car door and climbs inside, driving away, not noticing the tears that escaped Nandini's eyes due to his harsh words.

*****

"Why do our parents hate me, Vivek?" Nandini sobbed with her head resting upon her brother's shoulder.

"They don't hate you. It is just that-" Vivek tried to reassure her, but she interrupted him.

"They do hate me. Ever since I can remember, they have been indifferent towards me. And I had heard Maa talking with her friend one day. She said she didn't want to give birth to me." She sniffled, squeezing her eyes shut to let the tears pour out. "You saw how they behaved with me earlier, didn't you? They shouted at me just because I rushed to them and hugged them."

Their parents had gone out of town, owing to the conference that their father had to attend, and had returned after a week.

She and Vivek had been waiting eagerly for them.

When they arrived an hour back, she ran to them and hugged them tightly, murmuring that she missed them. But they shoved her back and shouted at her for clutching them tightly enough to hurt them.

Pained by their scolding, she had mumbled an apology and had stood back, watching them meet lovingly with Vivek and showering him with many gifts they had brought for him.

They didn't even look at her after scolding her, let alone talk with her affectionately or give her a gift.

"Don't say that. It isn't like that," Vivek said to her, and that snapped Nandini's patience.

Standing up from the couch, she walked to the room's window.

She first took a few deep breaths to calm herself, but when that didn't work, she angrily strode toward Vivek and started speaking.

"Why can't I say that? It's the truth, isn't it?" She smiled ruefully. "They love you dearly, so you will never understand my pain. You won't ever understand how it feels not to be loved by your parents. You won't ever understand how it feels when your parents leave no opportunity to show you how much unwanted you are to them. You won't ever understand it."

Nandini furiously wiped her tears and turned away, looking out the window.

Walking to her, Vivek kept a comforting hand over her shoulder. "You are right. I won't understand your pain because I have not suffered it. But I can see how much it hurts you. And although I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to convince our parents to accept you, I promise you that I'll always be by your side. Your brother has always loved you, Nandini, and will always keep loving you. As long as I'm alive, you'll never be alone in this world."

With her back leaning against the bathroom wall, as she sits beneath the shower head with her knees pressed against her chest, Nandini sobs, remembering her brother's words from the past.

"Now that you are not with me, Vivek, I'm all alone in this world."

She keeps sobbing as her current situation sinks into her.

She had tried to be strong. She had tried not to feel hurt by the fact that Vikrant didn't want her as his wife, but no matter how much she tried, she could not entirely remove the pain evoked by his bitter words.

Maybe it will be ok with time. Perhaps she'll move on as the days pass by.

But right now, she feels immense pressure in her heart. The pressure as the ever-present claws of loneliness squeezes her heart more.

"I should not have expected anything. I should have known better than to think I could be happy."

Her cries increase as she recounts all the times her parents made her feel like she was nothing to them. The way they used to taunt her, the blatant way they used to always favor Vivek and remain indifferent towards her.

As time passed and she matured, she started dreaming about starting a family with a loving husband who would cherish her.

She had even dreamed about having children and vowed to love them equally regardless of their gender. She didn't want them to suffer the pain of being unwanted by their parents as she had suffered.

But all her dreams got crushed when Vikrant spat those hurtful words at her.

Why did my parents hate me so much that they shunned me this way, getting me married to a man who didn't want me, let alone love me?

This question has been swirling in her mind ever since her wedding night, and she is still unable to digest that her parents did this to her.

"Am I so unlovable that they could never love me even when they are the ones who brought me to this world? Is my being a girl so wrong that I was made to feel unwanted my whole life? Do I not deserve happiness in my life? Why am I being punished at every turn in my life? Why? Why? Why?" She cries, asking those questions aloud, but sadly, as always, she doesn't get any answer.

*****

Leaning back on the chair in his office, Vikrant twirls the paperweight in his hand, his mind focused on Nandini's behavior and words.

Last night, when he told her about their marriage holding no significance for him, she didn't throw any tantrums as he had expected. She was quiet the whole night and didn't ask any questions in the morning either.

Noticing her red face when she stepped out of the bathroom in the morning, he realized she had been crying.

Although he had felt a twinge of guilt in his heart, knowing he was the reason behind her tears, he shrugged it off, not wanting to get affected by it.

He knows he is doing wrong with Nandini, but he can't stop now.

Myra has bruised his ego by cheating on him. Raghav has betrayed his trust by having an affair with his girlfriend. That's why he needs to show those two how dire the consequences of crossing Vikrant Sisodiya can be.

And for that, he is ready to go to any limits.

Are you sure, Vikrant? Do you think it is right to hurt Nandini to get your revenge on Myra and Raghav? What is her fault in all this? His heart tries to reason with him, but he shakes his head.

"Even though it isn't right, I must do it. I need to take my revenge, and it doesn't matter to me if Nandini gets hurt along the way. She means nothing to me, after all," He says aloud but frowns when he doesn't hear the firm conviction in his voice.

Why am I thinking about that girl? I don't know anything about her except her name, and she means nothing to me. Why the hell does she keep invading my thoughts? He wonders, closing his eyes but opening them the next moment when Nandini's teary face flashes beneath his closed eyelids.