His Little Bride

Who's She?! ||19||

"Do you love someone else?" I asked Karthik.

The question which was stuck on my head since a long time now, was finally out for Karthik to answer.

We were looking at each other in the eye.

I saw Karthik scoff a little before he spoke,

"What if I do?" He asked, so casually like it meant nothing.

His question made my breathing difficult.

I was right...

"It means you..." I started to speak when he interrupted.

"And what if I don't?" He said.

Perplexed, I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to understand what he actually meant.

"It doesn't matter, Mira. It changes nothing. We stay the same" 

"For me it changes everything, Karthik. Please just... just tell me if there is anyone in your heart" I spoke.

Karthik's expression became more intense, and I could sense that how unwilling he was to answer my question. But after coming so far into this conversation, I couldn't afford to not have an answer!

Karthik kept looking at me for some time, like he was contemplating on whether to answer my question or not. And after a while he spoke,

"No" He said straight and walked off from there, leaving me confused about everything. 

~*~

Days were going by smoothly. Karthik and I were trying to live with each other, with civility.

Peace is important. And I was grateful that our lives were becoming more peaceful even after all the chaos we were stuck in.

But in the end, the truth behind this civility and peace was, Ignorance. We were both ignoring the necessary parts of our relationship and were just trying to be cordial with each other. Instead of finding a solution to our problems, we were just ignoring them in search of peace.

I was trying to play the part of a good wife, where I never interfered in his work, cooked for him and talked sweetly to him. Karthik, on the other hand, hadn't reacted to it much. But at the same time, he had been nice to me. He still spent most of his time in office, but when at home, he would... well... reply to whatever I say to him, nicely.

Expecting more from him was hurtful. And I didn't wanna get more hurt than I already was.

I, somewhere, had a sense that we wouldn't get anywhere like this. But at the same time, I was tired of fighting. We'd been fighting from the first day of our marriage. Two months at a stretch! And I  wanted some time off.

I wanted to breathe.

About the question I asked Karthik, that if he loves someone else...

I believed him.

There was no reason to believe him on that after knowing about that diary thing, but still I chose to believe him.

I don't know why, but he doesn't look like someone who'd lie to me on this.

So I believed him.

Silly me.

.

It was a Friday evening and I was sitting in the living room with my laptop, watching our wedding pictures.