Nia walked confidently and did a little twirl infront of the mirror while Pari looked at all her antics. It was the weekend and Nia was almost ready for her date. Today, even Pari agreed that Nia looked decent, unlike when her hair is in a bun and all she wears is oversized T-shirt or tanks and shorts.

"P, can I borrow your studs for today please. The design is very pretty, where can I get it from? You know a fun fact? These are Luna 2005's first copy." Nia said looking at the studs kept on the dressing table. The studs were in a delicate infinity symbol. And yes, at times Nia called her P instead of Pari.

"Umm, you can borrow them and these are Luna 2005 original." Pari replied.

If Nia had water in her mouth, she'd definitely spit it out!

"These are real? And you keep them on the dressing table, like they are fake studs bought from local shop?! Common, you need to be careful with these!" It was the first time Pari had seen Nia almost scold her. Usually, Nia is the one who is careless about her things.

Though she asked her to be careful with the studs, Pari noticed that Nia didn't want to wear it anymore. Pari insisted her to wear it but Nia refused.

"Think again Nia, I rarely allow others to use my things." Pari jokingly warned Nia but it was indeed true.

Often during her college days, Priya used to request Pari to borrow her kurti set or salwar and she would blatantly deny. She hated sharing her stuff, be it clothes, jewellery or food with anyone.

"When I have a whole lot of money and many things that I own, that is the day I will let you borrow my things. Already what we have is so less and idiot wants me to share things with her." Pari had said to Priya once.

"Ta-da, I am ready! How do I look? Will he be impressed?" Nia asked Pari curiously, her eyes seemed to sparkle hoping for a positive reply. Pari nodded and wished her luck as well as asked her to be careful as Nia left for the evening.

Oh! To experience dates and those jitters.

"Pari, you want me to take you to the fair nearby?" Aunty asked her with concern as Pari hardly steps out of the house.

"No aunty and don't worry, I am used to being indoors." Pari knew aunty's concern, in fact these days even Nia insists that Pari should step out of the house.

"For this long? It is not healthy for you. You need to breathe in the fresh air and take a walk in nature, beta."
It's been a month she had come here and the times Pari had gone out were very few.

"Yes, Salem hardly let me step out and even on days when he let me, I never felt like going out. Trust me, I am okay here." Pari replied with a sad smile on her face. She felt weird to say his name out loud. It's been long since she has said his name out loud, or spoke to him.

When she escaped, he had his guards lowered and one of the reasons was that she had never shown interest in going out much. All she wanted was to meet her parents and go to their place. She had always denied accompanying him to any function.

She came back to her room and started writing her diary for the day. Today, she wrote to Priya that Priya would have been proud of Pari if she knew about Pari offering her things to Nia voluntarily.

**

At night, when Nia came back, Pari had to listen to her date story for two hours!

"He is soo handsome! He ticks all the boxes - handsome, funny and biggest is that he is from Mumbai - your city." Nia squealed, then she went on to tell her more about the date and repeat the same things she had told her....it was as if Nia was on a replay. She just couldn't stop about him.

"Will you take a break now? I understood how fine he is. Now get out!" Pari said with a straight face.

"No! I won't be quiet....you are just jealous!" Nia was quick to reply.

"Me? And jealous? Of what exactly?" Pari asked with her brows raised.

"That I get to go on a date, while you don't!" She answered and only when Pari's eyes widened and the mischief on her face vanished, Nia realised her fun banter was no more funny. She apologised to Pari, feeling guilty of her words.

"By the way...what is the story? You are pregnant, so far away from your family and your city...why? Don't you miss them?" Nia asked. She had a wild, hyperactive brain which created many scenarios and stories about why Pari, a pregnant woman, was here.

"Go on...tell me what you think!" From the time Pari had spent with Nia, she knew Nia would have already come up with a story in her head about her.

"The way you are...so aloof, away from the world...always in this house...I just think that something trag-"

"Nia, cut it short....I won't feel bad. Tell me what your brain has come up with!" 

"This is your boyfriend's baby and your parents got very angry when they came to know....so your rich parents kicked you out of their house and your boyfriend might have also left you..." Nia said in a low voice, fearing that she would upset Pari but what shocked her was when Pari smiled wide. It was a genuine smile. She had seen her smile very less.

"You are not angry with me?" Nia asked to confirm her doubts.

"No, I am not. And do you think aunty is open to keeping an unmarried pregnant woman at her place?"  Even though aunty was a nice person, she was still traditional in her beliefs. Nia processed her words and a gasp left her mouth.

Pari was married?

Nia didn't know how to proceed with the new found information. Pari didn't dress like a married woman ...was she separated or widowed?

"Your husband ...?" Nia asked in a low voice fearing the reaction.

"I don't want to stay with him." Pari said it with a firm voice. It was the only thing she had clarity on in her life.

"And him? He too doesn't want to stay with you?"

"No, he wants to stay with me." Pari answered. She didn't know why she was answering Nia's questions. Although, she was not revealing anything about her husband or her marriage, she felt the need to talk to someone about the chaos. Sadly, she can't tell her everything otherwise it would endanger her life.

Marital problems, Nia concluded. Sigh! It was always painful to see marriages or any relationship breaking apart. Nia felt sad for her.

"Do you think you should give it a chance if he wants to stay? Do you want to work on it?" Nia was not married but she understands the meaning of marriage and the sanctity of it. From what she has heard and learnt around, it is not an easy ride and both sides work on it. She was glad to hear that atleast one of them wants to be in the relation but Pari's one word answer "No" disappointed her.

"Okay, enough of this sad conversation....but someone has a deewana (lover) and someone is being heartless!" Nia said it in a sing-song manner, teasing Pari to get her to blush or smile a bit but Pari didn't. Her usual stoic face hardened.

"Nia, it's too late...go sleep." Pari didn't want to hear anymore of this. She knew it was not Nia's fault and she was just teasing her but this was all she got from others. For years, people called her 'heartless' or simply 'the bitch'.

"Why can't you accept his love? It will be just easier for you both, especially you." Vrushali, her sister-in-law advised her. Vrushali was married to Salem's younger brother and she hardly ever meddled in their marriage. Due to Pari's bitterness and rude nature, Vrushali usually tend to stay away from her.

Pari glared at Vrushali with disgust. She was a popular choreographer and dancer in the industry. She was also portrayed as a "strong woman" in the media for her confident personality. Pari hated it all. Wasn't it a big lie? If she was a strong woman, if Vrushali always stood for woman as the media claimed, then why didn't she stand up for Pari? Pari always had this complaint and not just from Vrushali but every woman who was related to Salem, especially his female friends.

"Love? Your definition of love has to be screwed to call what he has for me - love!" Pari replied with anger.

"Ya! There is no point talking to you. You are a lost case." Vrushali threw her hands in the air and left from there.

"There are very few times I agree with Vrushali and you know what, she is right today." Pari didn't have to turn back to know who was speaking.

Aamna came and sat where Vrushali was seating a few minutes ago. Aamna was Salem's younger sister and the baby of the house. When Pari was married in the house, Aamna was just 18 years old. She was Salem's princess and as much as Salem treated Aamna delicately, she equally cared and loved her brother.

"Yes, you too start your lecture. I might leave." Pari rolled her eyes and got up from the couch when Aamna called her.

"Bhabhi! Are you still upset with me? Please don't be like this, bhabhi. Talk to me, please" Aamna pleaded. Pari stopped and turned around...did she just hear Aamna pleading? The girl who just had to ask once and Salem would bring anything to her was pleading to her.

Pari smirked. "Aamna, I was not going to speak to you but hearing you like this....it gave me a weird satisfaction to listen to you like this, requesting me...pleading me. You know what, if you continue this, I will consider talking to you."

"And if I beg some more, will you love my Bhai? Will you give him his happiness?" Aamna asked.

"Impossible! Your brother doesn't deserve love nor any happiness. Get it, Aamna?" Pari hissed the words to her while Aamna's face fell hearing her Bhabhi (sister-in-law) talk so venomously about her brother.

"Awww, look at this doll feeling sad!" Pari mocked her in a sweet tone. "And Aamna, stay away from me...If I say something and you feel bad and like the baby that you are, you cry...then your brother will have my head on the platter, like the last time. So let's avoid this cycle and don't talk to me."

"Bhabhi, I am sorry for the last time. I didn't tell anything to Bhai...." Aamna didn't complete her sentence when Pari said, "Doesn't matter! The damage was done. Did he even ask about the complete incident? He just understood that his dear sister had tears in her eyes because of me...and that was all it took for him to get angry. So, please your highness, keep your distance from me." Pari tried to control her anger.

"I am sorry but please don't hold this against Bhai. He loves you a lot. Please give him a chance. I have said this when you got married and I will say it again, you are the luckiest girl to have him fall for you."

Pari let out a sarcastic laugh, "Luckiest? Okay, then let me wish that you also get a husband like Salem." As soon as Pari said this, her heart sank a bit...and her expression changed from angry to sad.

"Aamna, how much ever I am angry with you, I can never wish such fate upon you... I am sorry to wish that you have a husband like Salem." She touched Aamna's cheeks and said, "May you get a really nice person as your husband." She said with a small smile and left. There was no anger, no venom in her voice.

Pari remembered that day and her anger towards Aamna. She regretted her words as soon as she said it. A husband like Salem was a curse and she would never curse Aamna like this.

Pari always hated how most people saw Salem as the victim, as her die hard lover and her as the heartless person, so when Nia joked about it today, she didn't like it at all.

They said she was lucky to have his love....but was love meant to give you hurt, tears and bruises?

______

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Aamna is Salem's sister
Vrushali is Salem's sister-in- law.
His brother (Vrushali's husband) will be soon introduced.
Salem is the eldest of his siblings.

16/04/2023

Byee