Husband For Hire

36. Promise?

36. Promise?
This will cleanse your sins.

* * *

"I'm setting myself up for a heartbreak."

"No, of course not!"

"Mom will terminate the contract and send Ashar and his sisters to Mars!" I said upset. "That aside, Ashar might never be interested in me that way even if we move past our differences."

I had dodged Sunny earlier telling him I had to talk to his wife about something important. He had attempted to stop me, but I refused to entertain a conversation. Instead, I had run downstairs and locked myself with Jhanvi in her room.

It was crucial to clear everything before I gave my heart permission for anything Ashar relater.

"Why won't he fall for you?" Jhanvi asked sitting criss crossed on the bed. I wondered how long it would take for the belly to show. "You're my sister. You're hot. You're loyal. You care about family. What more does he want?"

"Aw." I blew her a air kiss. She chuckled. "The contract, Jhanvi."

"Who cares?" she asked. "You're overthinking this. I know my aunt. Don't worry about the contract. Keep doing whatever you're doing. If it works out, great. If it doesn't, I'll introduce you to a few hot guys I know. You'll stay rich either way."

I laughed along with her.

"There's one more thing I have to tell you," I said as I remembered Sunny.

Jhanvi listened patiently to me as I explained Sunny's phone I had attended in the airplane. She rubbed her forehead before leaning against the head board of the bed. It was my fault he found out we were leaving the country.

"It's okay," she said. "He would've found out anyway. He said he asked his sister where you were going. I can't believe he had the audacity to follow. What does he want?"

"Maybe Aara told him about their dad's condition," I said assuming. "Like Ashar, he thought to meet his baba one last time. What I don't understand is why he told them you're his wife."

She grimaced. "He didn't directly tell his dad. I woke up around seven this morning feeling nauseous. I decided to get ready early and go on a walk just outside the house, thinking it'd help."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I asked worried.

"With the way the bedsheets and pillows looked, I'm glad I didn't wake you," she said smirking.

"Hold your imagination," I told her smiling. "Nothing happened."

"Yet."

"Shut up and tell me your story."

"Okay, okay," she said capitulating. "Anyway, I was strolling around when this middle-aged man came cycling down the street, delivering milk to each house. He had the nerve to say something inappropriate to me when he stopped in front of this house."

"What did he say?" I asked shocked. I was ready to avenge her.

"I don't remember his words because it was in pure Punjabi, and I had also caught Sunny coming up behind him," she said. "I was shocked seeing my husband here, you know. Sunny heard whatever the guy had said and he wasn't exactly thrilled. That's why I think it was inappropriate. He started arguing with the milk man. His baba heard the noise and came outside.

"I think the milkman asked Sunny why he was getting hyper over me. Who was I to him. Sunny almost grabbed the guy's throat. He didn't see baba and told the milkman I was wife. He also told the guy if he said one more word, Sunny would drown him in the milk he was selling."