Unwanted [COMPLETED]

Chapter 31

Nandini

"You look so beautiful, Nandini. Perfect." Mom smiles, looking at me in the mirror while clasping the blue ruby necklace on my nape.

I smile back at her, grateful to her for hiring someone to do my makeup and hair.

This is the first time I am wearing this kind of gown and going to a party. I am almost twenty-one years old now, and this is the first party to which I am going in my life.

Maa and Papa used to go to the business parties, but they only used to take Vivek with them.

There was one time I had asked them to take me with them, not wanting to be home alone at night as I used to get scared.

But they berated me so harshly that time, telling me they did not want to get embarassed by taking me-a girl with no manner to talk and eat-with them.

I had cried for hours that night, cursing myself for being such nuisance to my parents. I used to think I was in the wrong.

I used to think if only I knew how to talk or eat, they would have taken me with them. During that time, it did not cross my mind that if they thought I did not know how to do such things, being my parents, it was their duty to teach me such things.

I was young and naive then. At that time, I did not know I was an unwanted child to my parents.

I did not know that was the reason why they used to be indifferent toward me, scold me too harshly whenever I made even smallest of mistakes, used to be nonchalant to my tears whenever I cried after sustaining injuries while playing, and not take me with them to the parties.

It was a few years later that I understood the reason behind their behavior toward me. And the day I had realized that, I had cried for the entire day, only stopping when Vivek consoled me, telling me I would always be his dear sister, no matter whether I was a wanted daughter by our parents or not.

"What happened, Nandini? Why are you getting emotional?" Mom asks me, and I blink away my tears.

"Nothing, Mom. Just got lost thinking about some random things," I tell her, shaking those memories off my mind.

This is the first time I am going to the party, and I want to enjoy this night. I won't let anything dampen my mood.

Still, there is a nagging feeling in my heart. Vivek's thought is again swirling in m mind as it has been for the last few days.

I do not know why, but I am unable to shake the foreboding feeling clawing my heart.

"Manik is going to definitely swoon after seeing you tonight. I am sure he won't be able to take his eyes off you," Mom tells me and I smile mildly at her.

I am unsure if Manik would even give me a proper look, let alone give me such reaction.

Yes, he has been slightly nicer toward me recently, and I am sure it is his guilt that is prompting him to do so.

His culpability of ruining my life to get his revenge is slowly chewing at his conscience, unable to let him be happy even after achieving what he wanted to achieve by marrying me.

That is the only reason why he wants to give our marriage a chance, and that is why he is no longer acts rudely with me.

I am not entirely sure what is it between him and me, but nowadays, I have started feeling more comfortable with him. I have started opening up to him and that confuses me and also scares me at the same time.

It confuses me because I am not sure why I feel comfortable with him, and it scares me because I know whatever it is, it is not going to last.

Sooner or later, his guilt will surely start decreasing, getting it to the point that it will no longer bother him.