Chapter 28

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Sidharth who fell asleep after Shehnaaz went to washroom, woke up after almost 3 hours. He looks for Shehnaaz everywhere but she wasn't to be seen anywhere.

He asks Mahesh and he tells him that she has been in gym from past 3 hours. He hurriedly goes to the gym and finds Shehnaaz running on the treadmill. Her clothes were fully wet with her sweat. He goes closer but Shehnaaz didn't notice him as she was lost in her thoughts. He could see the pain in her eyes.

He feels devasted as he understood that she has been punishing herself. He immediately calls her out and she looks at him. He then gradually reduces the speed and brings the treadmill to halt.

Shehnaaz fakes a smile just to act normal. She gets down from the treadmill. He knows that it wasn't her real smile. He hugs her tightly not bothering about the sweat on her clothes. Though Shehnaaz's heart wanted to hug him back, her mind cautiously instructs her hand to not move. Her hand was just hanging in the air.

Shehnaaz thoughts - What is wrong with Sidharth? Why is he acting like this with his contract wife? Does he started to have any feeling for me? No, it can't be. May be he is just being humane towards me.

Sidharth doesn't utter a word. He breaks the hug, he puts his one hand under the bend of her knees and the other on her back and lifts her up just the way a groom lifts his bride. She is shocked but when her eyes meets his, there is absolute calmness. Her hand snakes around his neck. They both just gazed each other not bothered about the surrounding.

He exits the gym, makes his way from the huge hall where the maids watch them and place their hands on their mouth and smile but they were still not bothered about those eyes watching them. He than climbs up the stairs and walks to their room without breaking the eyelock.

He straightly takes her to the bathroom and places her on the slab near the wash basin. While her eyes followed him everywhere he went, he fills up the bath tub with warm water and puts in some essential oil. He checks the temperature of water by dipping his hand in the water. He than carefully picks her up again and places her inside the bath tub with her clothes on.

As her body is soaked in the warm water, it eases out all the bodily stress she had due to work out. He closes the door while he exits the bathroom.

Shehnaaz thoughts - He placed me inside the tub and walked out of the bathroom. The warm water was soothing enough to heal my external pains and those eyes which never left gazing at mine, calmed my internal pain.

As I think about him, I hear a voice in my head, that of my father "Don't let anything stop you from progressing in life. Wherever I am, I would love you and my entire family and remember, my happiness lies in all your happiness. So be happy and don't let anything stop you from listening to your heart."

My papa is right, I will not let anything stop me from listening to my heart. I will just allow my heart to do whatever it wants. Fact, is I like Sidharth and I am married to him, it may be on contract, but for me, there is no such thing as fake marriage. The black beads in my neck isn't fake, neither the vermilion on my forehead, nor the God and the sacred fire in front of which we took vows are fake.

I accept that I am Mrs. Shehnaaz Sidharth Singhania and not just his wife on contract. I will try my level best to fulfill all my duties and responsibilities as his wife and the daughter-in-law of this house. I am going to fulfill and pay respect to all the 7 vows. Sidharth is my husband and I am not letting him go from my life without trying to make him stay in this marriage.

On the other hand, I am not going to forget the oath I took when I joined CBI too. I will find the murderer no matter who that person is.

Sidharth's thought:
I can't see her unhappy. I think I have been blinded by my selfishness where I am trying to arrest her in this cage of marriage. I love her and it hurts when I see her hurting herself. I will be happy only if she is happy.

She didn't ask for any favour from me to enter into agreement. Whatever she took was a loan which she agrees to pay in installments yet she thinks I have done a huge favour to her. I can't let her suffer for my selfishness. I am going to set her free.

He picks up his phone and calls Mr. Rehman, the company's legal advisor.

Sidharth: Hello Mr. Rehman

Rehman: Hello Mr. Sidharth Singhania. Congratulations on your wedding. Finally you've fulfilled one of the conditions stated in the Will. Hoping to see you completing the remaining clause to acquire the Singhania estate and business!

Sidharth: Thanks for the wishes Mr. Rehman. I need a favour from you.

Rehman: Sure! Tell me!

Sidharth: Do you have any contacts of a good divorce lawyer?

Rehman: (Shocked) Is everything alright Mr. Sidharth? You just married yesterday.

Sidharth: (I can't let him know now itself anything) No.. no.. no.. It's not for me! One of my friend needs it.

Rehman: Oh!! Ok!! Sure, I'll message you one right away.

Sidharth: Thank you Mr. Rehman.

Rehman: No problem. Anyways I am meeting you at your reception party tonight. See you then.

Sidharth gets a message from Rehman. It's the divorce lawyer's number. He dials the number.

Sidharth: Mr. Grover, I got your number from one of my friend. My name is Mr. Sunil Bajaj (He decides to hide his identity until he gets all the queries sorted)

Grover: Hello Mr. Bajaj, tell me how can I help you?

Sidharth: I am recently married but I want a divorce now. What is the procedure?

Grover: According to Indian Law you cannot get divorce unless you show that you've been staying seperate from your spouse for atleast a year, and since you said you married recently, it's impossible to get divorce.

Sidharth: But I don't want to waste one year of my wife. Is there any other solution?

Grover: Well, you can go for Annulment of the marriage which would make your marriage void and you return to your previous status as it was before marriage. As if there was no marriage.

Sidharth: Hmm.. So what do I have to do here?

Grover: You can file for annulment on basis of 1. Proving your partner fraud

Sidharth: That's out of question, she is the most real person. What's next?

Grover: If you're partner is pregnant with someone's child before marriage

Sidharth: Sorry, Mr. Grover, I don't want any condition which would malign her character. She is a pure soul.

Grover: I am surprised Mr. Bajaj, if you have such a good wife why would you divorce her?

Sidharth: Because she can't be happy with me.

Grover: Sorry, in that case there is only one final option left. Prove that you cannot consummate your marriage, that is show her as impotent.

Sidharth: This one works but instead of her please could you show myself as impotent.

Grover: What? You seem to love her a lot that you are ready to prove yourself impotent.

Sidharth: I don't deserve her. So is it possible Mr. Grover?

Grover: Yes!

Sidharth: Ok Mr. Grover. I will send across my details to you to prepare the papers. Thank you!

He places the phone on the table and goes to get brunch for Shehnaaz and himself as they both didn't have anything since they woke up.
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