Nitya

As I pace in the room, my fingers twist the edge of my saree's pallu—a telltale sign of my nervousness.

I feel my heart pounding in my chest every time I wonder how Prathamji will react after finding out what happened between Maaji and me today.

On one hand, I feel my confidence growing because I stood up for myself, no matter how difficult it was for me to do that, but on the other hand, I feel a knot of unease in my stomach.

I hope Prathamji will understand my reason instead of berating me for talking back with Maaji.

Her cruel words, her constant belittling—it had become too much for me to handle. I just could not take it anymore. I had to push back and make it clear that I would not tolerate being treated that way any longer.

Prathamji has been my rock through everything that happened. He's been gentle and kind, always there when I needed him.

That's why I want to believe he'll understand why I stood up to Maaji today. I want to believe he'll see that I could not let her walk all over me anymore, that I had to defend myself.

But a part of me is still unsure.

What if he didn't understand? What if he thought I was too harsh on his mother?

Those questions in my mind make my chest tighten with worry.

Although Prathamji had also shouted at Maaji and Chachiji when they taunted me with their cruel words, I don't know how he will react when he finds out I too did the same. After all, he is the son of this house and I am the daughter in law.

He had told me in the beginning of our marriage that he loves his family and wants me to love and respect them too.

But that had been too early on, Nitya. And now, after facing many things together, surely, he'll want to hear your side of the story too instead of being angry at you based on what Maaji will tell him.

Realizing that's true, I take a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves that are dancing in my stomach.

I remind myself of the strength I'm trying to find within me. I have been through so much, endured so much, yet have come out the other side.

I can handle this too.

My heart skips a beat when I hear the sound of the room's door opening, and I turn toward it to see Prathamji stepping inside the room.

His face is calm, but there is something about his demeanor that feels off. His shoulders are a bit tense, his eyes darting around as if he is trying to gather his thoughts. He looks distracted, almost like he is somewhere else entirely.

"Prathamji," I call softly, trying to gauge his food. "Are you fine?"

He looks at me, his eyes meeting mine.

For a moment, he doesn't say anything, just stands there with a strange expression on his face. I can't quite decipher that expression—it's a mix of concern and something else, something I can't put my finger on.

"I'm fine," he replies, though his voice sounds distant. "Maa told me about what happened today."

Nerves flares within me. "What did she say?"

"She said you shouted at her and were disrespectful to her," he says, and walking over to where I'm standing, he reaches out and takes my hand. "And I told her if she wants your respect, she'll have to earn it."

Relief floods through me, a wave of tension releasing from my body. "You do understand why I did what I did, don't you?"

He nods, squeezing my hand gently. "I do." He gives me a small smile. "You stood up for yourself, and I'm proud of you for it."

Hearing those words from him feels like a balm to my soul.

I didn't care about what Maaji thought about me after I disrespected her. She deserved every bit of it. But yes, I was worried about how Prathamji would react. I was afraid if he would be upset or disappointed with me.

"Thank you for understanding," I say, squeezing his hand back.

But as I continue looking at him, my relief is tempered by a concern.

There is a strange look in his eyes, that distracted air about him. He is fidgeting a little, his gaze drifting away from mine as if he is lost in thoughts.

"Are you really fine?" I ask him. "You seem distracted."

He blinks, as if snapping back to present. "Yes, of course, I'm fine," he insists, but his voice is a bit too quick, too forced. "There was too much work at the factory today. I'm exhausted."

Peering at him, I find I don't believe him. I feel like something is bothering him.

"You can tell me if something has happened, Prathamji," I press. "Whatever it is, I'm here for you."

He hesitates, his eyes flicking away again. For a moment, I think he is going to tell me, but then he shakes his head, giving me a tight smile.

"It's really nothing, Nitya. Just some work stuff. I don't want to burden you with it."

I want to believe him, but there is a pit forming in my stomach, a gnawing sense of unease.

Why won't he tell me what's going on?

"Okay," I say, even though I'm not convinced. "But if there's anything you want to talk about, I'm right here."

He stiffly nods at me, and releases my hand from his hold.

"I'll go and freshen up," he says, about to turn away, but I stop him.

"Yash bhaiyya had called today," I tell him, carefully watching his face. His expression is still somewhat distracted, but his attention is fully on me now.

"How is he feeling now?"

"A lot better," I reply. "He insisted on coming here tomorrow. He and Maa wants to meet me."

"Of course. They must be worried about you."

"They are," I tell him, and take a deep breath, preparing myself for the discussion I needed to have with me. "Shall I go back with them tomorrow?"

Prathamji's eyes narrow as he processes my words. "Why would you go back with them?"

I swallow, feeling my nerves coil slightly in my stomach. "I... I had left this house before Uday took me."

"That was before, Nitya. You aren't going anywhere now," he says, his voice sharper and louder.

"Why?" I counter. "Why should I stay? After all, you had told me you would only ever see me as your responsibility. That me being or not being with me doesn't matter to you. That you'll never accept me as your wife."

My words hang heavily between us, and I brace myself for his response. But instead of agreement, what I see in his eyes is something else entirely—something akin to hurt.

He raises his hands, as if to hold my arms, but hesitates for a moment before letting the hands fall to his sides.

Understanding why he did so, I step closer to him. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

He sighs and steps even closer, our bodies almost touching, and leans forward to rest his forehead against mine as his hands softly grips my arms.

"I was a fool, Nitya," he says, his breath fanning my face. "A fool to not realize you had become much more than a mere responsibility to me."

My heart skips a beat at his words. I can hardly believe what I'm hearing.

All I want to do is, give in, lean into him further, kiss him, and tell him I love him. But, I take a step back, freeing myself from his hold and regarding him thoughtfully.

When he had wanted to tell me about Sandhya before, I had stopped him. My heart had been too bruised then to listen to him speaking about her. But I feel its time now. Time to clarify everything and then decide what step to take next.

"I want to know about Sandhya," I tell him. "I need to know and understand where she stands in your life and where I stand."

Prathamji tenses, his expression darkening. I can see him trying to avoid my gaze, his jaw clenching tightly.

"I don't want to talk about her right now," he says quietly, almost pleadingly.

"But I want to," I counter. "It's important that I know. For me, for us, for our marriage."

He exhales slowly, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again. "I promise I'll tell you everything, but I need some time," he tells me. "All I can say right now is I want to start anew with you. I want to try and make our marriage work."

I bite my lip, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. "I want to believe you, Prathamji. I really do. But there are things that you have said. I don't know if I ca—"

"I know I have made mistakes," he interrupts me. "I know I have said things that have hurt you. But I now want to make things right, Nitya. I want to be honest with you, about everything. I just need some time. Can you give it to me?"

I search his eyes, trying to find the truth in his words. "Okay," I breathe out.

"Thank you. I'll tell you everything soon, Nitya. For now, please trust me when I say I want us to try and build something real, build our forever together," he says, cupping my cheek and leaning forward to place a soft kiss on my forehead.

My heart flutters at the touch of his lips to my skin, yet my mind still hesitates, still trying to process everything.

After a few seconds, when I lean back and look into his eyes, I can't help but wonder if this is really the beginning of something real—or just another illusion.