She literally walked into a pit of troubles the day she first came this side of the city. Despite all of their shouts and yells, the car didn't slow a bit. The doors were locked and the windows were up. No one could probably hear them from outside. But when the car turned up on the Jagadish Street a few minutes later, she realized where exactly it was headed. Once the realization washed over her, she took the initiative to calm her parents herself.

At first, she couldn't believe they would go this far and practically abduct her whole family. But then, who was she kidding! These men were powerful. Perhaps, it was no big deal for them. So, she just stayed quiet and texted Ashwin from her phone. Hopefully, he will see the message before it was too late.

The cab rolled inside the drive through and came to a halt before the villa's main door. The driver politely asked them to get out which they did but not before her parents gave the man an earful. The driver unloaded their luggage himself without giving them relenting before he got back inside the car and left the vicinity.

Shreya took a hold of one of the bags' handle, and pulled it towards the exist gate. Her parents copied her and walked behind her. But before they could exit, two black cars entered through the gate and stopped just a few feet away from them. She recognized the people as soon as they got out of the cars. Rishi and Vijay climbed out of the first car. From the other one, Neil, Irfan, Rafi got off and blocked the way out immediately. Rishi approached her quietly while Vijay said heavily, "Can we please talk inside?"

"Shreya?" Trishna called out her name in a manner so that she could get some kind of response from her. Because, since she understood where these all were heading, she didn't pronounce a single word. Although her mind was a chaotic mess, her face showed no sign of it. It remained stoic and hard to read.

Shreya took a brief glance at her mother before focusing a hard stare on the old man in front of her. "I did not expect people like you can adapt these deceitful ways to get things done. But to be honest, I am not surprised. I can as well assume the outcome if I take any kind of legal actions against you. So, I wouldn't try that either. But let me tell you one thing. You can never make me feel guilty for something which I've never done. No matter how much torture I'll have to go through, I'll never take the blame for something I did not do."

"I know that. We all know that. But I don't want to extend this conversation outside. Let's talk inside. Shall we?" He gestured towards the main door of the villa. Trishna lightly touched on her shoulder. After a momentary pause, she blinked and averted her gaze.

"Alright." A defeated sigh left her which went unnoticed by everyone except one person.

Inside, the ambience was thicker.

Priyasha and Abhiraj were already waiting for them in the hall. Tiyasha and Ritu were also there who gave her judging eyes which wasn't any more surprising to her. But when Priyasha asked them to leave, they openly threw disgusted glances at her way before leaving.

"Shreya," Priyasha started, "let us talk inside my husband's office. Rishi, stay back."

Rishi nodded and went upstairs. Probably, to Tiyasha's room.

Dibyendu interrupted, "I don't understand, why are you forcing us to do things which we don't want to do? Isn't my daughter's infamy enough? We are done here. It was my mistake to leave my hometown in the first place." He conjoined his palms and begged, "Please, let us go. We don't want anything from you. Just let us live in peace."

"Papa!" She found herself guilty for her father's shame and defeat.

"Mr. Mitra," Abhiraj said. "Damage once done, cannot be erased. We can only rectify some parts of it. Please, co-operate with us. I want your daughter to weigh things out before taking any decision."

Priyasha added in a pleading tone, "Please Shreya. I wouldn't have agreed to my husband's deceitful way of bringing you here, if it wasn't a matter of my son's future. And yours too. I am being selfish here I know, but know that, I mean you well."

Shreya noticed the slight crack in her voice before the latter was able to recover. Trishna and Dibyendu exchanged some unspoken words while they made eye contact before Trishna said, "We can spare fifteen minutes at most. We have a train to board. Please understand our desperation. I can only expect this much understanding from high class people like you."

Shreya made eye contact with her mother; her gaze accused her mother's decision. She did not want to spend a single minute in this house. It was a torture to breath in the same air these deceptive people breathed.

Trishna reached and held her hand as an assurance which wasn't working at this point. Shreya couldn't understand exactly why was still standing here and listening to them.

Vijay cleared his throat and said, "Please come this way." He gestured towards the left wing. Shreya knew Abhiraj's office was at first floor while Abhimanyu worked in the ground floor.

They quietly followed them upstairs until they were inside Abhiraj's room. The room was spacious. There was a big table filled with files and a computer. Behind the table, there was a huge canvas with the sanskrit shloka, "Karmanye vadhikaraste, ma phaleshu kadachana." A couch was at the left side, beside which there was a pot of cactus. Her eyes couldn't examine the rest of the interior as they landed on the man sitting at the table by himself. Although his back was facing the door, she could recognize him nonetheless.

Abhiraj went ahead followed by his wife and said, "Abhimanyu, have you gone through the contract?"

Abhimanyu raised his head from the file he was reading and put it down on the table when he heard his father. Priyasha reached forward and caressed her son's head lovingly. "They are here," she said.

Abhimanyu stood up before turning around and focusing his unwavering gaze through his spectacles on Shreya. His eyebrow scar was visible and somehow, it seemed to mock her. He put his hands in his trousers pocket without breaking eye contact.

Vijay urged, "Shreya, come."

Trishna pushed on her back slightly when she didn't budge for longer than necessary.

Meanwhile, Shreya's emotions were going haywire seeing the culprit of her defamation in front of her. Her career was practically demolished because of this man. She never thought that the man she somehow felt attracted to, deceived her like that. She could certainly believe it was in fact, his plan since the beginning. Otherwise, nothing explains the appearance of the camera in his bedroom. Why'd he even brought her there when she was intoxicated and practically out of her mind? She could never forget that this man was the reason for whom she became the victim of misunderstanding. Even Tiyasha and Ritu were loathing her now. Thoughts like that clouded her mind and took over her conscience in a flash.

As she took some steps forward closing the distance between them, without thinking twice, she raised her hand and slapped the man standing in front of her. His usual stoic demeanor didn't change much but others present in the room was caught off guard at her sudden attack.

Both Priyasha and Vijay called aloud her name while her parents pulled her away from Abhimanyu. She stared at him with resentment as her eyes welled up remembering all the humiliation, she had gone through because of him.

"Why didn't you tell me anything? I asked you!" She complained in a broken voice while from her peripheral vision, she saw Abhiraj caught a hold of her wife and prevented herself from coming forward.

Vijay was about to say something, but Abhimanyu raised a hand and stopped him. Instead, he said in his monotoned, even voice, "Let's discuss the contract. Have a seat everyone." There was no trace of guilt. Why was he like this? Now she could understand Gyan's frustration towards him. Being with him is definitely suffocating.

Trishna pulled Shreya away and sat down on the couch along with her. Others remained standing.

Abhiraj started, "What happened was definitely a conspiracy against us. I don't think, my son has any personal enmity with anyone. It could be a business opponent. But outsiders do not have access to our private property. Then how come Abhimanyu's bedroom had the exposure to that camera? We are investigating the case. I don't want to approach this issue legally without having solid evidence. I have discussed the situation with my lawyer and the inspector who's investigating the case."

He paused momentarily and took a quick glance at his wife. "But the rumors are still spreading. It's been two weeks and media are still navigating the clip across the web. We're trying to ban the clip as soon as possible. And then, Isha proposed this settlement that could shut down the rumors for good."

Priyasha nodded affirmatively and took over from her husband. "I can only think of this solution because it's the easiest one and it'll erase the defamation, if not all, at least to some extent. Shreya, I mean you well. You're like my daughter. I'd never have agreed if it wasn't in your favor."

Dibyendu asked, "Can you please come to the point. We're running out of time. I don't want to know if it was a battle between you and your business opponent. It's my daughter who's suffering for doing nothing wrong."

"I understand Mr. Mitra. I was just..."

Dibyendu raised his hand. "Please, tell us clearly what solution you've landed upon."

Priyasha took a deep breath and said quietly, "I want your daughter to marry my son."

Abhiraj added, "For one year."

"What?" Trishna sprang up from her seat. "What made you come up with such an illogical solution? Marriage... for one year? What nonsense is that?"

"It's for one year because I want your daughter to live happily afterwards. Because if it is for lifetime, she'll suffer even more."

"And how come you're the one to decide that?" Trishna rightfully raised her voice. Dibyendu came forward and caught her hand to calm her down while she added, "My daughter isn't worthless if you think so. I'll find a good husband for her who'd pamper her for life. We do not agree with your absurd settlement!"

"Maa, calm down," Shreya said faintly which was easily overheard by everyone. Tears didn't seem to stop somehow. She didn't even know which hurt her more. The video clip controversy or this suggestion of contract marriage.

And then, there was Abhimanyu Roy, who didn't seem to be fazed by anything at all. She raised her eyes and glanced at him only to find him looking at the pot of cactus. His snug-fit waistcoat over the full sleeve shirt made him look even more striking. His hands were buried in his pockets. He looked aloof. As if, he's got all the time in this world.

While the elders were busy talking among themselves, he lazily, rather stoically waited for them to come to a decision. How could he leave such an important decision of his life on others? Like he had no say in it. Whereas, this thought itself was very disturbing, rather nerve-wrecking to her.

She heard Priyasha say, "I know what I am saying Mrs. Mitra. We want her good, that's why we made this contract. If you know the reason behind this, you'd probably thank me later."

"What?" Trishna huffed in disbelief. "What made you..."

"Maa! Let me talk." It was time for her to intervene. "I'll listen to Mrs. Roy. I'm very tired of this entire thing." When she saw Trishna trying to deny her, she added, "Trust me. I'll listen to whatever she has to say, then we'll leave."

Trishna closed her mouth with a visible frown on her face.

Shreya turned towards Priyasha. Before doing so, she took a brief glance at Abhimanyu and saw him already staring at her.

Priyasha nodded at her. "Manyu, will you be alright while I tell them everything?"

He nodded slightly for once.

"Very well." Priyasha turned and looked straight in the eyes of Shreya. "I never thought I had to reveal this secret in this kind of urgency."

Secret. What secret?

"I have hidden this secret inside my heart for so many years and never once told it to anyone. Not even my husband. I know I was being selfish, but everything I did, it was from a mother's perspective. I didn't want my son to feel left out. He has already spent majority of his life alone and away from his family. I didn't want he'd face the same for the rest of his life. Plus, if everyone knew the truth, it might have been a topic of debate among the board of members and the outcome wouldn't have been in Manyu's favor. Yes, I did everything selfishly. Because, Manyu is our firstborn. He's our love child. If my husband knew about his disorder, he'd have broken down inside more than he'd have let it show."

From her peripheral vision, Shreya noticed Abhiraj's eyes wavered for a friction of second as he averted his gaze. Vijay noticed his discomfort. He placed a hand on his shoulder before squeezing it lightly.

Priyasha continued, "But, last night I didn't have any other options than to talk to Abhiraj and Vijay. Just because things turned out way worse than I ever thought was possible and you are also involved, they agreed to take the risk." She momentarily paused and glanced at Trishna and Dibyendu's way before her eyes shifted back on Shreya. "I know, if this information leaked outside this room, it might bring chaos to the business world. People are aiming the position of CEO of Permabell, and let me tell you, they are not good people. But for you, we are taking this risk."

"Can you come to the point?" Trishna asked. Irritation dripping from her voice. Shreya knew she was least interested in knowing their business background and more focused on the contractual marriage. Was that even a thing?

"Since my husband has connections, he can make this happen under the special marriage act, but you both need to be consensual." Priyasha threw a pointed stare at Shreya. "After a year, you can avail mutual divorce within six months."

"If you want me to get married to your son, why are you even pushing it towards divorce beforehand? If you want good for me, why can't you see me as your daughter in law more than a year? Your words and intention aren't matching Mrs. Roy." Shreya clenched her fists in balls as her tears dried out on her cheeks.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Everything was wrong.

"It's not like that, Shreya. I like you. We all like you. But..."

Shreya interrupted, "Your son doesn't like me. I know. Then why are you being so generous towards me? Leave me to my fate."

"You aren't understanding Shreya. It is not what you're interpreting."

Shreya took a quick glance at Abhimanyu and observed his unfazed expression. Her chest ached so painfully that it was becoming nearly impossible to stand on her feet. She felt like collapsing. As if she was under a giant rock that was squeezing out her life.

Priyasha continued hurriedly, "If the marriage lasts longer, you'll hurt the most among all of us. Cause, my son has schizoid personality disorder. He's unable to provide all those marital needs, every spouse seeks in a relationship."

As if struck by lightning, she gasped and took a step back. Her mouth dropped open before she covered it and shook her head repetitively in order to convince herself, she heard it wrong.

It couldn't be!

No!

~~~

Author's note: Although I'll provide a detailed background of the above stated psychological condition, I'll give you this homework to look it up on web. :) I know, I know! I write fucked up characters. But... you love them anyway. XD