by M. V. Kasi
“Sia,” he said. “Are you still having those dreams?” Dr. Patel’s tone had changed considerably. It was tempered like he was carefully placing the syllables to not agitate her.
She knew he was concerned that she would relapse again, due to the added stress of pregnancy, and the upcoming marriage.
“Yes. A lot more frequently now,” she whispered.
“Tell me what happened in your dreams.”
She took a deep breath before continuing. “It started as always. I was asleep when I heard the lock turn…”
She was up most night telling Dr. Patel about the dream or rather the recurring nightmare. As years had progressed, those dreams had gotten less frequent. But from the past year, after finding out the truth, those dreams became much more frequent.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
IT WAS HER wedding day and Sia was running late.
She had been up the whole night.
The previous evening, she had visited Varun, thinking she’d be there only for a brief while. But as soon as she opened his bedroom door and saw him, she ended up spending the entire night next to him, awake and anxious.
She hated running late.
Over the past three years, she had made it a point to always be on time for everything. Because she had realized that time was an unbendable constant and annoyingly stubborn. No matter how hard she had tried, it would not bend to her will.
How she desperately wished the next seven months to move really fast, so her baby was born, and she could finally begin her hunt. But time was going to move excruciating slow, making her have an added stress of living with a man who hated her.
She knew she had to toughen up and deal with it. Recalling Varun from last night, and her own past memories was enough to toughen her.
A sudden loud horn made her jump, adding to her frustration.
The traffic in Hyderabad was a mess. The cars and two wheelers kept honking insistently as though the rest of the vehicles would part magically giving them the way.
“Relax Sia,” said Anjali, sensing her agitation.
“I hate being late,” Sia said quietly, even though her fingers tapping on the car window gave away her nervousness.
“It’s not a big deal. They’ll wait. They have to, since you are the bride,” Anjali joked.
It was a big deal! The voice in her mind shouted, even as her paranoia began to work overtime.
All it took was one time. One single moment when she walked into her wedding late, and then everything would change. Nothing was impossible. There could be parallel paths to everything life dealt you with. Things that could happen. Things that would happen. All it took was one freaking moment—
“Sia, stop over-thinking it! You’ll be fine.”
Anjali knew how some of her messed up mind worked.
Must stop worrying. It’s not good for the baby. Must stop worrying.
Sia tried to distract herself by repeating that. She stared at Anjali’s sari with interest. It was a simple yet pretty classy one, and Anjali even wore some light jewellery that was suitable for the occasion.
Unlike her own attire.
She didn’t have time to wear her sari or jewellery early that morning. She had donned a loose fitting, long sleeveless tunic that she preferred these days. And her wedding attire was kept in a bag, lying in the backseat of the car.
Anjali had helped her shop a couple of days ago. She had even helped her pack the bag along with a make-up kit.
When she had told Anjali that she was getting married to Ajay, who was also the father of her child, Anjali, there were no questions asked. Which was why she and Anjali got along so well during their college days.
They hadn’t been best of friends or anything. And she knew quite well that she was incapable of forming a bond with any other human. But she and Anjali had a decent friendship, maintaining a respectable distance.
While Anjali had been the studious kind whose nose was buried in the books, she had been the party girl. And now, it was ironic how Anjali was the one asking her to relax and to enjoy life a little.
“Ready?” Anjali asked her as the car stopped in front of the wedding hall.
“Yup. Showtime,” she said drily.
She looked at herself in the car mirror. For someone who had been threatened that the marriage would be a match made in hell, she supposed she looked calm enough.
She stepped out of the car, and went towards the decorated dais where Ajay and a lot of wedding guests were waiting impatiently for her.
“Are you the bride?” asked the priest.
“No. I’m Anjali, the bride’s friend,” said Anjali.
“I’m the bride. Sorry to keeping you all waiting. I’ll be back in ten minutes,” said Sia, before disappearing into the changing room next to the dais.
Ajay hadn’t acknowledged her, and she caught the look of irritation pass on his face as he saw her attire.
She noticed how he had dressed for the wedding. He looked like prince charming in his white and red traditional wear that included a fancy turban. But unfortunately, this particular Prince Charming had to marry the Wicked Witch instead of his sweet princess. And this particular Prince Charming was also scowling as his not-so-eager bride, while waiting impatiently for her to hurry along. Yup, Hollywood, Bollywood or any other Wood to that matter, wouldn’t be calling him to play the romantic hero anytime soon.
It was quite strange that Ajay had insisted on a big wedding with a traditional ceremony. Why declare to the whole world about his newfound misery, she didn’t know. But she hadn’t put up a fight, and agreed to it readily because she needed the proof of their wedding for the future.
A few minutes later, she came out dressed as a bride, or as close to a bride as possible. The blank expression she wore, didn’t exactly declare to the whole world that she was a shy or an eager, blushing bride.
She moved towards the dais, feeling so tensed that she almost felt like she needed a paper bag to hyperventilate into.
The idea of any kind of commitment made her feel like she was being strangled. She had wanted to get married for a reason, but she wanted to live with a husband as much as she wanted to get shot by a gun in the head. And Ajay’s constant scowl wasn’t helping either.
Just deal with it! I know he wasn’t supposed to be a part of your life, but roll with the plan.
Her heart was picking up speed, banging wildly against her chest. A thin layer of sweat had also formed over her skin.
She wasn’t ready. But she didn’t have a choice.
‘Oh god! Save me somehow!’ she pleaded.
But god must be not listening. Because he had never heard from her before. Maybe it was her punishment for not praying at all. For not ever bothering to attend any of the religious functions that her aunt held at their home. And also for not bothering to attend the ones that people had invited her to, over the months. She wasn’t particularly interested in faith, and she didn’t think her problems could be solved through prayers.
Soon, she was seated in front of Ajay. Both of them didn’t speak or look at each other through the ceremony. They just kept repeating after the priest and following his instructions.
A photographer kept clicking away, asking them to smile and relax. But he stopped asking them when she and Ajay gave him cold warning looks.
The entire situation was pretty ironic. Considering how she absolutely loved wedding videos and photographs. But she loved watching wedding videos of strangers who loved each other and looked excited to marry each other. It was one of her hidden, pathetic, indulges—to live vicariously through others.
Thankfully, her wedding ceremony was simple enough and got over relatively quickly.
Soon, Ajay and she had to get up to greet their guests. Apart from Anjali, all the other guests were from his side. Luckily, Ajay hadn’t even bothered to ask her why she had just one guest, and she hadn’t bothered to provide him with a reason either.
Just before the guests began to approach them, she laid a hand on
his arm to draw his attention. He looked at her hand touching him and she dropped it from him.
“How long will this farce continue?” she asked him quietly, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence between them. She was getting tired and impatient. Her morning sickness was curbed temporarily, but she didn’t know if it would last that way for long.
“As long as it takes and as long as I ask you to.” His reply was delivered in an indifferent tone that was beginning to get onto her nerves.
“I really don’t care for smiling at people I don’t actually know. I just want to get out of here,” she said.
He finally looked at her face. And it wasn’t with a pleasant smile or even with a concerned look. He looked cold and hostile.
“I’m not enjoying this either. Maybe you should have thought that through, before climbing on top of me with sabotaged condoms,” he grated softly. She knew that no one else heard what he had said, but her face heated up in embarrassment at the crudely delivered statement.
A few middle aged women were smiling warmly, mistaking her embarrassment to be shyness of a blushing bride. “Congratulations!” they said.
“Thank you,” she replied coolly, pulling in her calmness.
“We were Ajay’s school teachers. You must tell us how you two met. It must be pretty romantic. We always knew Ajay was a special boy who would end up with a special girl.”
She felt a twinge of guilt again.
Ajay smiled at the women. “We’ll give you all the details later. The Colonel is looking impatient to meet my wife. We’ll be right back,” he said before holding her elbow and dragging her towards the guest seating.
Ajay knew he looked agitated. But he couldn’t drum up any sort of enthusiasm towards the wedding. He had insisted on a formal ceremony because he didn’t want to get married quietly like a nobody. He wanted a wedding album. He wanted a wedding video. He wanted to show it to his son or daughter whenever they asked for it. Make it seem like they were wanted and as normal for them as possible.
He looked at Sia who looked as though she was attending a funeral.
“I want you to look happy and make it seem like this is a love match. Most of these people mean a lot to me, and they want to see me happy and settled. They’ll be crushed to know that I ended up marrying a manipulative woman who was simply using me.”
He knew he sounded angry, but he didn’t care to soothe her nerves at that point. He also knew he should at least follow his own advice, and put on a show himself to display some affection towards her.
But all he could feel was rage.
Wiping all the expression from his face as he approached an old man in a wheelchair, he stopped. He pulled a chair opposite to the old man and gestured at Sia to be seated.
She looked at him in surprise at the basic courtesy he had offered.
Damn her for that.
He had always been polite and considerate around her. But why the hell was she making him feel like she was the one suffering?
“So you are Sia, the girl for whom he had ditched Jo,” the colonel exclaimed, watching her shrewdly. His wrinkled face was assessing her.
“Yes,” she replied politely.
“You are a pretty little thing. But do you deserve to be Ajay’s wife? Better than our Jo?”
“Sia is my wife now. How is your health these days?” he asked The Colonel, before the topic got out of hand.
“How do you suppose? I’m doing great at eighty. I still keep my mind sharp by teaching the kids at the academy. Some of them are as smart as you were at their age.”
“I’ll visit you soon,” he told The Colonel with a smile.
“You better.”
“I always keep my promises,” he replied with a fond smile as he held The Colonel’s wrinkled hand.
The colonel tugged his hand back and began to cough loudly. “My medicine. It’s in the car,” he said, gesturing.
The help standing behind the wheelchair immediately started to move, but The Colonel stopped him. “No, wait. Go get me some warm water. Ajay can get my medicines from the car.”
Ajay knew that the colonel wanted to grill Sia and was faking the cough. But he still nodded and left them to go towards the parking lot.
Sia was decidedly uncomfortable with The Colonel’s shrewd eyes assessing her.
“So, Sia Sampath. Do you come from money?” he asked.
“What?”
“Do you come from a rich family?”
She hesitated before replying, “I don’t have a family. But yes, I have money.”
“More than my Ajay?”
“Yes. More than him.”
“Hmm. So you didn’t trap him for his money or seeing his ambition, then.”
She nodded, even though it was partly a lie. She did trap Ajay.
“Now that you are his wife, I want you to make sure he is always happy. Growing up, he didn’t have a woman’s soft touch. I was rather harsh with him and my son, thinking that it would toughen them, and prepare them for the real world. But now, I regret not showing them any affection. I was almost glad when he told me that he was marrying Jo, because she had a family who loved him.”
A lump formed in her throat as she struggled to reply calmly. “I…will do my best.”
The Colonel snorted. “Your best better be good. I’ll keep an eye on you, and I don’t want to hear any complaints from my boy. He’s usually forthcoming and chatty. But today, he is unusually quiet.”
Luckily, Ajay had returned with the cough medicines which The Colonel didn’t need any more. Not once did he cough while warning her to keep his adoptive son happy.
“I have been talking to your wife, Ajay. I want you to promise me that you’ll treat her well. Watch out for her and make her the priority in your life.”
“Of course. I will always make sure I’m around her and watching her,” Ajay replied pleasantly.
She caught the not-so-subtle threat, but remained calm.
“Go get your wife some food now. She looks like she might faint. It’s not good for a pregnant woman to be without food for this long. And also stop threatening her.”
There was a stunned silence.
“That’s not—”
The Colonel snorted. “I could see you glare coldly at your new wife from here during the wedding.”
“And you!” The Colonel turned to Sia. “My boy here can be quite a hothead sometimes. And each and every time he’s angry, you better learn to kick back. It takes two to make a baby. Whatever happened until now between the both of you, forget everything and start over. Even the most unlikely matches have long and happy married lives. Give your child a chance to grow up in a good environment. Because believe me, when you are my age, you’ll know the importance of a family and a companion.”
The Colonel lectured them some more until his help arrived and wheeled him away.
After that, Ajay continued to introduce her to his friends and acquaintances. And there were a lot of them. He had mentioned casually to her that he had invited only his close acquaintances.
After a while, she was so tired that she nodded mechanically at the guests, not bothering to even shake hands.
A couple of hours later, it was over finally, and most of the guests had left.
“I’m heading home with Anjali,” she informed Ajay.
Luckily, Ajay didn’t argue on insist that they leave together.
“Fine. I’ll wrap up and join you at your place,” he said.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MARRIED!
Ajay still couldn’t believe that he was now a married man. And that Sia was now his lawfully wedded wife.
He watched her as she began to walk away from the wedding avenue.
She might be manipulative and selfish to the core inside, but on the outside she was breathtaking. Even though she had hurriedly gotten ready for the wedding, his guests—including the priest couldn’t take their eyes off her.
It still amazed him that god had gone through so much t
rouble to create such a masterpiece, only to hand over her soul to the devil. Or maybe she traded her soul for all those so called millions she had inherited. The ones she had tried bribing him with.
She had mailed a blank check to his office, along with a long elaborate contract for a pre-nup. He had gone through the document closely and had requested several changes. And when he looked at the note on top of the check, it had said, ‘wedding expenses’.
He was quite outraged and tore the check up. He hated how she had tried to tempt him with her money. She was partly right in thinking that with the kind of money she had offered, his company could easily catapult to the big leagues, much faster than it usually took with cautious investors. But he didn’t want her money. It had never been about the money.
And his attraction to her wasn’t entirely because of her looks either.
Sia was classically good-looking, no doubt about that. But the dead expression behind those eyes, made you want to—both run away and also know all her secrets. Her eyes looked soulless. Almost like if one were to look deep enough, they would see things that they weren’t prepared to handle.
And like a helpless moth to a flame, he had been extremely fascinated by them, and her. To the point of obsession…
Ajay shook his head not wanting to go there.
Instead he focused on winding up things at the wedding avenue, and heading to Sia’s house with a few pair of clothes in his car. He would move completely once he knew what awaited him at her house.
He didn’t really care that a few people gossiped about him and Sia not leaving in the same car. They had seen her leave with her friend. He didn’t want to stop her because she had looked really tired.
Soon, he reached Sia’s house. Parking the car in the front, he went towards the main door and rang the doorbell. He knew she could see him on the camera on phone.
A few minutes later, the door was answered by her friend Anjali, who looked really worried.
“Sia is tired and not feeling that well. She’s in the kitchen.”
He followed behind her and stopped abruptly.
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
