The Marriage Contract

60 - Reality Check

Akshara stepped out of Abhimanyu's cabin and was on her way home, when she came across a familiar face exiting another cabin. Akshara frowned as her eyes dropped to the door of Dr. Megha Khanna, Birla Hospital's best gynecologist.

"Avantika?"

"Akshara?" Avantika looked behind her at the nameplate of Dr. Khanna nervously before turning back to Akshara. "What are you doing here?"

"I...My husband works here. Dr. Abhimanyu Birla." Akshara explained.

"Oh, nice." Avantika gave her a false smile.

Akshara's eyes grazed upon the nervousness on Avantika's face. She seemed...unhappy. Very unlike the girl she had met months ago –the one who had pushed her to contact Richa. The Avantika in front of her...she almost...she almost seemed defeated.

"Hey...do you want to sit somewhere and talk?"

Avantika shook her head. "No. I...I have to go."

"Let me walk you to your car then?" Akshara offered.

Avantika looked around herself and nodded her head. "Sure."

As Akshara walked Avantika to her car, she finally decided to spill the beans. "So I took your advice that day. About contacting Richa. And I did. Abhimanyu...and me, that's how we met. But...but we became so much more. We are in love...with each other. It didn't...it didn't start off that way but I don't know how it turned into a reality, you know. So thank you...if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have met him. So I just want to say...thank you." Akshara moved forward and pulled Avantika into an embrace.

She pulled back to see tears rolling down Avanika's eyes.

"Avantika, what happened? Why are you crying?"

"Life isn't all a bed of roses as I made it seem, Akshara. I am happy that you found your happily ever after but some of us are not that lucky."

"What do you mean?"

"I had my third abortion last week. The first time, it was an honest mistake. The second...I thought it was just a coincidence but now? Now it just seems like he's taking me for granted."

"Then why don't you talk to Richa about it? She'll help you?" Akshara offered.

"I wish. But we broke the contract with Richa. And we were just going to go with the flow. Him and I. Because we thought we could make it work beyond a contract you know."

Akshara felt her heart sink at Avantika's confession. Why did it not give her good feeling? Because somewhere, even Abhimanyu and her story was something similar? Tied together by a contract only for it come out to be something more?

"I want kids Akshara. He doesn't. I hate getting abortions –but finally I am going to get my tubes tied. I don't want to...but I have to."

"Why...why don't you just leave?"

"I...I fell in love with my mark Akshara. And love makes you do crazy things. You know, now I know why Richa tells us to never fall in love with our marks. Because they give us nothing but heartbreak. But sometimes whilst pretending to be I love, you can't help but fall in love. And that is sometimes what destroys you."

Akshara was left speechless at Avantika's confession.

"Avantika..."

"No, Akshara. The fact that you found true love out of a contract marriage...I'm happy for you. But not everyone is as lucky as you are." Avantika wiped her tears. "I...I have to go now. Sorry."

Akshara watched helplessly as Avantika turned around and took a seat in her car and signaled for the driver to drive off.

Akshara felt uneasy, almost fearful. Today had been a horrible day. From Shreya to seeing a tensed Harshvardhan and Richa keeping secrets from Abhimanyu to now getting a reality check from Richa. The day had just gone from bad to worse.