After a month and half of their meeting, Karthik and Sindhu got married. In the 45 days of their courtship, never once did they talk to each other. Once the marriage ceremony was over, Sindhu left to her in-laws house with her husband where both of them will be spending the next three days and nights.

Sitting on the floor, alone in one of the rooms, Sindhu thought about the previous night, when she got married. Her friends were very happy seeing her tying the knot. Her best friend Hemanth couldn't be there since he is away, doing M.S in US. However, she was happy to see her aunt after a long time though she looked very uncomfortable. She could see the tension between her dad and her aunt. For years, she tried to change that but nothing worked out.

After few hours of torture from boring relatives who came to see Sindhu and talked all the nonsense about world, she was finally free. But her happiness didn't last long when her mother in law Seetha came to tell her to get ready for her wedding night.

After showering, Seetha helped her in getting ready.

"Don't be tensed. It will be alright" Seetha advised her.

Easy for you to say, Sindhu thought bitterly.

After Sindhu had a light dinner, Seetha took her to another room and stopped outside before saying "Good Luck"

Sindhu knew she needed all the luck for a life with Karthik Narayan and she understood exactly why her mom in law said that.

As she was walking through the door into the room, she felt like being in a Mission Impossible film.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to change your husband back to his old self and make him fall in love with you.

Piece of cake, she thought sarcastically.

Locking the door, she walked towards her husband who is lying down on bed with his eyes open.

"Hey" Sindhu greeted, not knowing what else to say.

Karthik turned his eyes to her and glared at her.

How romantic!!!!

Sighing, she walked towards the bed stand and sipped water from the glass on it. She felt very tired with all the wedding preparations and ceremonies in the last few weeks and wanted to have a good nap today.

She sat on the edge of the bed and was about to lie down when she heard Karthik "What are you doing?"

"What humans do at nights. You know they sleep; that's what I am doing now" she said coolly,in a sarcastic voice, trying to keep her irritation off her voice.

"I know that" He hissed at her, equally irritated "But why are you sleeping on my bed?"

"Your bed? Is there a name on it?" she asked sweetly when all she wanted to do was smack his head as hard as possible.

"No, but it's mine and I don't want you sleeping on it" he replied, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Well, there is only one bed and I am not sleeping on the floor" she explained, emphasizing each and every word.

"Why not?"

"Because I get back pain if I sleep on the floor" she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Doesn't matter to me. Now, get down" he ordered.

Their first fight after marriage. Great.

"I won't. If you have a problem with me sleeping on the same bed as you, then please feel free to get out" she replied sweetly.

Karthik continued glaring at her while she lied down on the bed and pulled the comforter over her.

"Good night" she said and closed her eyes.

Karthik anticipated his next move for few minutes but nothing came to his mind. He so wanted to sleep on the floor but he never felt comfortable sleeping there. With no other option left, he switched off the lights and lied down beside her.

For hours, he couldn't sleep with his wife constantly squirming beside him. She turned sides frequently. One minute she would be facing him and the next, she would be facing the wall opposite to him. She is a bad sleeper; no, a terrible one actually.

At least, she is not snoring; he thought gratefully.

During the early hours, he finally slept.

When Sindhu woke up the next morning, it was only 6 O' clock. She found Karthik sleeping peacefully beside her, at the extreme edge of the bed. Even if he moved half an inch, he will fall down. She felt guilty for making him uncomfortable. If she didn't have back problems, she would have listened to him and slept on the floor happily. That way, he would be less angry at her.

He looked peaceful and very cute now. Why can't he be like that all the time?

Pushing her thoughts away, she got up quietly and walked out of the room without making noise.

She went to kitchen to grab a tea and found her mother in law, already preparing it.

"Can I have some too?" she asked, looking at her hopefully.

Seetha smiled "Of course"

Sindhu sat on the kitchen counter feeling bored and awkward for making Seetha prepare tea for her. In her defense, it's not her house and is only the second day of her marriage.

"You slept well?" Seetha asked her.

"It was OK. This place is new to me and I tried various angles to feel comfortable on that bed. I don't think Karthik had a nice sleep either with me tossing and turning every few minutes"

"How is he with you?" she asked softly.

Sindhu sighed "You mean, apart from infuriating and arrogant?"

Seetha chuckled "You know it's going to be tough"

She nodded. She knew all of this is going to happen.

"He is a good man. Trust me" Seetha repeated her lines, the same lines she told Sindhu on their first meeting.

Sindhu nodded again remembering that day.

After her conversation with Karthik, she was confused about the decision to take. That was when, she talked to Seetha for the first time.

"He was different one time, you know. He was alive, cheerful and always smiling. He became a better person being with Tulasi"

"Her name is Tulasi?" Sindhu asked quietly.

Seetha nodded with a frown "I met her only once. She is a good woman and I gave my blessings to both of them. After all, I wanted my son to be happy"

"Then why did she marry someone else?"

"She was forced into arranged marriage by her family. You know how things work out here. Karthik could do nothing about it"

"So he changed? Just like that?"

"He planned everything for a life with her. He loved her so much that he changed a lot of things about himself for her" Seetha explained.

Sindhu listened intently, feeling sympathetic for him. She knew he was a good man and that minute, she made up her decision.

Sindhu was brought to the present when she heard Seetha "Here's your Tea"

"Thanks auntie"

Seetha only smiled. And so taking the opportunity, Sindhu asked "You think everything's going to work out?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, will he ever accept me?" Sindhu voiced her doubts, looking towards the kitchen's entrance making sure Karthik is not anywhere nearby.

"Of course he will" Seetha replied, in what seemed as confidence to her.

Still, she had her doubts.

"I wouldn't have requested you to marry him if I hadn't thought about it" Seetha answered as if reading her mind.

I would have said yes even if you haven't asked me to, Sindhu thought of replying but stayed silent. She didn't want Seetha to know that.

She was sipping her tea silently when Karthik came walking into the room with a frown and an irritated look on his face.

"Want some tea?" Seetha asked, looking at her son.

"Yes please. I have terrible head ache" he replied, irritation never leaving his face.

"Why?" his mom asked looking at him, concerned.

"Thanks to a certain someone who occupied three-fourth of the bed and couldn't sleep still" he said looking annoyed.

Sindhu felt angry; really angry. That is not something you say to your mom about your wife. But beyond anger, she was hurt.

She wanted to say, it was him who slept several feet away from her, to maintain distance; but, said nothing trying to hide the hurt look on her face.

She quietly left the room to get ready. A lot of people will be coming to their house to see the new bride. And she is supposed to cook something for the first time in her in-laws house today.

The day was spent meeting a lot of visitors. Few of them were neighbors while few were relatives from Karthik's parents' side.

Everyone loved her. Or at least it seemed to her.

She even cooked lunch along with Seetha for about fifteen people. Karthik's dad loved her food so much. So was everyone there who praised her and for the first time ever, she felt glad to be a good cook. She even thanked her mom mentally for pestering her to learn cooking.

After the day ended, Sindhu felt very tired that all she wanted to do is sleep. But she remembered Karthik's words in the morning and felt hurt again. As much as the thought of sleeping on the floor made her uneasy, she had no choice.

When she found the room empty, she opened the cupboards and searched for blankets. After she found one, she picked a pillow from the bed and made her sleeping arrangements on the floor.

Switching off the lights, she quietly laid down and closed her eyes. After few minutes, she heard someone's footsteps in the room. The lights were switched on and a click of the door was heard. She didn't want Karthik to know she was awake and so didn't open her eyes.

After a few minutes, Sindhu heard him switch off the lights followed by a creak sound on the bed.

He didn't even ask me if I am comfortable, she thought bitterly. Not that she expected him to, but she hoped so.

The same process repeated the next night.

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Pic of Sindhu is attached

- JANAKI S