Third Person's POV

Waking up the following morning, Nandini climbs down from the couch.

While walking toward her suitcase at the corner of the room to get the change of clothes for the day, she looks at Vikrant sleeping on the bed.

She takes a deep breath, remembering how he apologized to her last night.

His apology had been sincere, so she knew he meant every word he said. But she can't forgive him just like that.

She knows he has a reason behind getting tied to her in this marriage, but no matter the reason, she can't forget he snatched her one chance at a happy marriage, of having one happy family she had dreamed of since her teenage years.

Shaking her head at those thoughts, she opens her suitcase to take out her clothes.

*****

Vikrant opens his eyes, hissing as he feels a splitting headache from the hangover.

Pressing on his temple, he tries to remember the events of last night, but he can only remember drinking a few glasses of whiskey in the bar he usually frequents.

Other than that, his mind is entirely blank.

He climbs down from the bed, and as he walks toward the bathroom, he sees Nandini step out at the same time.

He takes a deep breath as his feet halt while he looks at her.

Her wet hair, some clinging to her face and some clinging to her neck, the face devoid of makeup showing the innocent glowing freshness on her face, everything about her too pure.

This is the reason why he has been feeling guilty.

He doesn't know what, but there is something in her that exudes innocence. Something in her that pricks his conscience for doing wrong to her.

That's why he has been trying to be cold toward her, wanting to make himself believe that she is cunning so he'll stop feeling so damn guilty every time he looks at her.

She has also not asked him any questions yet. Not one question about why he married her if he didn't want to give her the rights as his wife. Not one question regarding the reason behind getting her tied to this unwanted marriage.

He snaps out of his thoughts when she clears her throat, drawing his attention.

"You came home late last night, and you were drunk out of your senses," Nandini begins calmly, but Vikrant feels irritated due to her words.

"Don't forget I have not given you any rights as my wife. So, you don't get to nag me about drinking or coming late." He grits his teeth, not knowing why he is getting so annoyed by that one question.

It can be because he has recently had so many things on his mind. The anger toward Myra, the guilt of bringing Nandini into this marriage, the sadness of his broken heart, and the betrayal from Raghav.

All these emotions seem to have jumbled up in his mind, taking away his ability to have a stable mood. One moment, he feels angry, then guilty the very next moment, and annoyed the very next.

"I'm not nagging you. I'm just stating what happened last night," Nandini says. "And as you said, I don't have any rights as your wife. So, I, too, don't want to fulfill any duty of being your wife.

"That is why, next time you come home drunken out of your senses, you can spend the night on the floor or wherever your swaying body takes you. Don't expect me to tend to you or put you in bed."

Saying that, Nandini walks toward the dressing table to get ready, whereas Vikrant just stands there, too stumped to say anything.

He doesn't know whether to be impressed or annoyed by this girl.

This chit of a girl has the guts to speak the way no one has ever spoken to him before.

"Look, Nandini, I—" He starts saying but gets interrupted by her.

"There is one more thing I wanted to tell you. I'll be going out of the house starting today to give interviews for the job," she says, looking at the mirror as she fixes her hair. "As our marriage will be over as soon as you achieve what you want from it, I need to be independent before that happens. I don't want to be homeless or penniless once I leave this house."

"Is this your way of asking alimony from me? Saying you will be homeless or penniless, so I will give a share of my property and money once we file for divorce?"

Vikrant knows that isn't what she means, but he needs to find something to convince himself that she isn't as virtuous as she looks.

"I don't know how your brain functions, but you must stop getting other meanings from my direct sentences." She tells him. "Let me clarify what I meant to put your mind at ease. I want to do a job, so I'll have some money with me when I leave this house."

Putting the comb back on the dressing table, she turns to face him.

"All I want from you is divorce because I don't want to stay in this marriage where I'm refused to be acknowledged as a wife. So, once your reason for getting married to me is fulfilled, let me know. And please keep in mind that I won't ask even a single penny from you, Mr. Sisodiya, let alone a share from your property," Nandini finishes and Vikrant again feels stumped by her.

He had thought he would offer her some money to divorce him and get out of his life quietly, but she wants nothing from him.

If she were greedy or cunning, she would have asked for half of his property and would have dragged him to court to fight if he had refused.

But she wants to be independent so she can look after herself.

Suddenly, a thought clouds his mind, and he voices his confusion to Nandini.

"Why would you be homeless and penniless? You have your parents. You can go to them after our divorce."

Although he can't fathom why he is taking so much interest in her life, he still waits for her reply.

Nandini feels a searing pain in her heart at the mention of her parents.

She knows they would refuse to shelter her if she returned to them. They had been tolerating her before Vivek's death, but after his death, she had seen the resentment for her in their eyes.

Once, her mother had even shouted at her, saying it would have been better if she were dead instead of Vivek.

Her father was also in the room then, and she had seen it on his face. That he, too, wished for that. For his son to be alive and daughter to be dead instead of him.

It had been just a day before her marriage, and at that moment, she had truly felt the loss of her parents. That was when she had thought she would only have her husband and in-laws in the name of family.

But at that time, she didn't know even her husband and his family would not be hers.

When Vikrant has refused to accept her as his wife, how can she think of him and his parents as her family?

That is why she is truly alone in this world now.

But she can't say this to Vikrant, can she?

So, keeping a stoic face, she replies to him, "It should be none of your business where I would go after our divorce. As I don't have any right to question you, you also don't have any right to interfere in my life. Remember that."

Vikrant frowns at Nandini's words. This time, her reply doesn't fuel his anger. Instead, the angst he had seen in her eyes while she was contemplating her reply roused in him something akin to protectiveness toward her.

He had seen vulnerability in her expression and demeanor for a moment before she masked it with stoicism. But a moment had been enough for him to see it.

He can't deny it anymore. There is something about this girl that he needs to decode.

He wonders if this is really her or if she is putting on some act to get to him.

It should not have mattered to him, but it does, and he needs to do something about it.

There is already too much going on in his life, and he can't add this puzzle to it and make himself more restless than he already is.

There is only one solution to this. He realizes and stops Nandini when he sees her about to leave the room.

"Work in my office as my assistant," he says, noticing a surprised expression marring her face when she hears him.