A Loveless Arranged Marriage Chapter 2. The Day After Marriage

  Previously, we saw that Rishi and Deepa got married to please their parents. On their wedding night, both realized they were not interested in the marriage and decided to separate after a year. Their wedding night was filled with a mix of surprises and emotions. Let’s see what happens next.

  The next morning, the sun began to shine as usual. Deepa and Rishi were peacefully sleeping in their wedding night room—Deepa on the bed and Rishi on the bed sheet spread out on the floor. Suddenly, they heard someone knocking on the door and calling softly, “Deepa, Deepa, are you there?”

  Deepa stirred and, groggily, responded, “Yes, Mom, I’m coming.” She sat up in bed, still tired. The voice from outside laughed and said, “Haha, it’s me, your mother-in-law.”

  Deepa, still half-asleep, responded, “Mother-in-law?” Without realizing it was Ishwari calling her, she became alert and, with a sudden rush of tension and fear, said, “Ahh, ahh, Auntie.” Ishwari’s voice came through the door, “Are you awake, my dear?”

  Deepa, flustered, replied, “Y-yes, Auntie. Wait, I-I’m changing my dress.” She felt embarrassed after realizing what she said. Ishwari laughed and said, “Okay, take your time.” Deepa quickly responded, “Ah, okay, Auntie,” and began to think about what to do. She then hurriedly tried to wake up Rishi.

  Rishi woke up and asked Deepa, “What’s going on? Why are you waking me up in a hurry?” Deepa explained the situation to him, and Rishi responded casually, “It’s just my mom, so what?”

  Suddenly, Rishi realized the gravity of the situation and, with a note of fear in his voice, asked, “Wait, my mom is outside?” He pointed towards the door. Deepa nodded. Rishi, now visibly anxious, started thinking about what to do. He asked, “What should we do?”

  Deepa replied, “I’m not sure either.” After a few moments, she came up with a plan. “Rishi, let’s pretend that we had sex yesterday. You’ll be sleeping shirtless on the bed, and I’ll go outside to confront your mother.”

  Rishi, confused, asked, “What?” Deepa clarified, “It’s just an act. You’ll be on the bed, and I’ll handle your mother.”

  Rishi agreed, “Fine. But first, I need to hide the bedsheet.” He threw the bedsheet to the other side of the bed and placed the pillow on the bed. As he began to remove his shirt, he asked Deepa, “Can you adjust your saree a bit? It’s only been put on recently.” Deepa responded, “Sure.”

  Rishi took off his shirt, tossed it to a corner of the room, and lay on the bed, covering himself partially with the bedsheet. Once Deepa adjusted her saree, she was ready to execute the plan. Rishi confirmed, “Okay, you can start.”

  Just as Deepa was about to open the door, Rishi stopped her quietly, saying, “Hey, your flowers.” Deepa noticed the flowers in her hair, quickly removed them, and threw them into a corner of the room. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. Standing outside was Ishwari, holding a couple of coffee mugs.

  Ishwari asked, “Are you feeling tired, my dear?” Deepa, with a fake smile, replied, “No, aunt. I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.” Ishwari responded, “That’s okay. Here’s coffee for both of you.” She handed a mug to Deepa.

  As Deepa took the coffee and closed the door behind her, Rishi lay on the bed, anxious that his mother might discover the truth. Deepa then brought the coffee into the room, closing the door behind her. Ishwari, thinking they needed privacy, walked away.

  Rishi asked, “What happened?” Deepa reassured him, “The plan went as expected, so don’t worry. But could you please put on your shirt?” Rishi, relieved, quickly put on his shirt. Deepa handed him one of the coffee mugs.

  As they enjoyed their coffee, Rishi said, “We barely escaped that situation. We didn’t anticipate this at all.” Deepa replied, “At first, I thought it was my mom calling. When I realized it was your mom, it made me tense.”

  Rishi chuckled, “For me, when you first said my mom was outside, I didn’t think much of it. But then I realized what had happened yesterday and that my mom was waiting outside—it freaked me out.” They both laughed and took another sip of coffee.

  After a moment, Rishi asked, “By the way, did you really tell my mom you were changing your dress?” Deepa, feeling a bit embarrassed, admitted, “Yes, I did.” Rishi laughed and said, “Well, those accidental words actually helped us cover the truth.”

   Deepa nodded in agreement. “Alright, can we discuss the rules now?” Rishi replied, “Yes, sure.”

  Deepa said, “First, let’s outline our conditions, and then we can create rules based on them. Are you okay with that?” Rishi agreed, “Sure. You go first. What are your conditions?”

  Deepa explained, “I have two conditions. First, the rules we establish should not affect my independence, such as my job, clothing, etc. Second, since we’ll be living together for a year or more, we should handle our own responsibilities—like cooking, washing, and cleaning. That’s my conditions. What about you?”

  Rishi replied, “I have just one condition, which aligns with your first condition. That’s it.”

  Deepa said, “Alright, considering both of our conditions, here are five rules we should follow until the end of our separation. The first rule is that neither of us should make decisions that affect the other without consulting them first.” Rishi nodded in agreement.

  Deepa continued, “The second rule is that we should handle our own tasks rather than relying on others. This includes washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, and so on.” Rishi interrupted, “There should be an exception for one thing.” Deepa asked, “What’s the exception?” Rishi replied, “Cleaning. Since it’s a shared responsibility, we should split it.”

  Deepa thought for a moment and said, “Okay, how about this: I’ll handle cleaning the floors and bathroom on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and you’ll do it on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. For Sunday, we’ll alternate. On the first Sunday, I’ll clean the floors and you’ll clean the bathroom. On the next Sunday, we’ll switch.”

  Rishi asked, “Sounds good. What about the other three rules?” Deepa nodded, “Let’s go over them.”

  Rishi replied, “Alright, what’s the third rule?” Deepa responded, “The third rule is that if either of us wants to extend the marriage beyond the agreed year, it will only be possible if both of us agree to it.”

  Rishi said, “That seems unnecessary. We both intend to separate after a year.” Deepa countered, “What if unforeseen issues arise and one of us wants to extend the marriage?”

  Rishi considered this and said, “Good point. What’s the fourth rule?” Deepa said, “The fourth rule is that neither of us should engage in any sexual activities with each other during this period.”

  Rishi asked, “And the final rule?” Deepa replied, “The final rule is that we must keep the truth about our marriage confidential, even after our separation.”

  Rishi added, “Fine, but I’d like to propose one more rule.” Deepa asked, “What is it?” Rishi said, “After the marriage ends, neither of us should owe any money to the other. I didn’t take any dowry, and we agreed to live together based on our mutual conditions. Does that sound okay?” Deepa agreed, “Yes, that’s fine.”

  Afterward, Rishi and Deepa left the room and refreshed themselves. When they entered the dining hall, they found a South Indian breakfast laid out on a formal wooden dining table with a plain oval glass top. The table had six seats and was set with idli, vada, sambhar, and coconut chutney.

  Rishi and Deepa took their seats at the table, sitting on opposite sides of each other. Deepa’s mother, Parvathi, noticed this arrangement and subtly signaled Deepa, saying, “Deepa, sit beside your husband.”

  Deepa complied, though she thought to herself, ‘Why does it matter if I sit opposite him or beside him? Does it really make a difference to him?’

  As Rishi and Deepa were eating their breakfast, Jayraj said to Rishi, “Son-in-law, don’t be shy. Eat as much as you want.” Rishi replied, “Okay, uncle.”

  Ishwari chimed in, “Brother, he eats very little.” Parvathi added, “My daughter is the same; I think they were made for each other.”

  The three of them laughed at the compliment, but Ashwin looked disapproving. Rishi and Deepa managed only fake smiles, feeling uncomfortable with the comment.

  Then Jayraj asked Rishi, “Son-in-law, have you decided where you want to go for your honeymoon?” Both Rishi and Deepa were startled and responded in unison, “Honeymoon?!”

  Ashwin was also taken aback and asked his father, “Dad, can’t you ask this privately?” Parvathi replied, “Ashwin, don’t interfere in the elders’ matters.”

  Jayraj responded, “Parvathi, he’s 19 now. He’s not a child anymore; he should be aware of these things.” Parvathi fell silent after Jayraj’s words. Jayraj continued, “Ashwin, it’s a common matter. We need to arrange things for them, so it’s necessary to ask. Alright?”

  Ashwin replied quietly, “Okay, Dad.” Jayraj then turned to Rishi and asked, “So, son-in-law, what have you decided about the honeymoon?”

  Rishi pretended to think for a moment and glanced at Deepa. She subtly signaled him to decline the honeymoon. Rishi then said, “Uncle, I have a limited number of leaves and need to be at the office on January 27th. I’ve already booked tickets for January 24th, so I think it’s better to skip the honeymoon for now.”

  Jayraj responded, “Can’t you request some extra leave?” Rishi replied, “It’s difficult, Uncle, since I’m a team leader.” Ishwari interjected, “Rishi, you should take time for yourself instead of being a workaholic.”

  Rishi lowered his head, and Ishwari continued, “It seems pointless to insist further. Deepa, what do you think?” Deepa replied, “I agree with Rishi. It’s better to forgo the honeymoon.”

  Ishwari seemed a bit taken aback but said, “Hmm, like husband, like wife. Alright then. Before you go to Mumbai, you both should visit the family deity temple.”

  Rishi and Deepa both agreed, “Ok.” After breakfast, everyone spent more than four hours going through wedding gifts and videos. By lunchtime, they had a meal filled with lively chatter and fun.

  After lunch, Rishi retreated to his room to watch a web series on his mobile. Jayraj, feeling restless after two busy days, decided to take a nap on the main hall sofa. Parvathi and Ishwari were looking through childhood photos of Rishi and Deepa, with Deepa sitting beside them, also reviewing the pictures.

  While browsing through the photos, Deepa noticed her brother, Ashwin, heading towards the terrace. Curious, she followed him. When she reached the terrace, she saw Ashwin engrossed in checking his social media.

  Deepa approached Ashwin and said sarcastically, “Ashwin, I heard you—you’re interfering in the elders’ work.” Ashwin walked away angrily, ignoring her. Deepa called out, “Hey Ashwin, where are you going?” When he didn’t respond, she added, “Hey, Ashwin, wait.”

  Suddenly, Deepa called, “Hey, Ashu-Kutty.” Ashwin turned around, storming towards her, and said, “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that name?” Deepa replied, “I called you by your name twice, but you didn’t respond. So I used that nickname.”

  Ashwin retorted, “Why should I respond to you? You forced yourself into this marriage. Why should I see you as my sister?”

  Deepa replied, “I know you stood by my decision and felt betrayed when I backed off.” Ashwin retorted, “If you know the reason, then why should I talk to you?” Deepa said, “I understand how you feel.” Ashwin responded, “You don’t understand how I feel. My sister’s dreams are being crushed, and I’m helplessly watching.”

  Deepa replied, “You know the pressure Dad faced. He asked only one thing of me. How could I refuse?” Ashwin asked, “And what about your dreams? Don’t you have any?” Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke. Deepa hugged Ashwin, her own eyes filling with tears. “Okay, fine, my little brother. I’m grateful to have a brother like you.”

  Ashwin said, “I had hoped to proudly say that my sister is an IAS officer.” Deepa replied, “I understand your pain.” They both found a seat and began talking.

  Deepa asked, “Has your anger towards me subsided?” Ashwin smiled and said, “Yes, my cutie sister. What are your thoughts about your husband?” Deepa replied, “He doesn’t seem dominant. He appears to be a nice guy.”

  Ashwin interrupted, “Don’t judge anyone by the first day.” Deepa teased, “My little teddy has hidden his maturity for so long.” Ashwin smiled, and they continued their conversation for a long time. Eventually, they went back inside the house.

  As night fell, everyone headed to their rooms to rest. In their room, Rishi said to Deepa, “I think we should plan for every situation in advance, so we can come up with plausible reasons if needed.” Deepa asked, “Why do you think that?” Rishi replied, “Given the situation with your dad, it’s better to be prepared.”

  Deepa responded, “I don’t think it’s necessary. We understand our situation well enough to handle problems as they arise.” Rishi shrugged, “Whatever.”

  They followed the same sleeping arrangement as the previous night. As they were trying to sleep, Deepa asked, “Doesn’t it make you uncomfortable to sleep on the floor?”

  Rishi replied, “No, not at all. I want to treat my guest, which is you, with respect. That’s all.” Deepa didn’t say anything further and simply replied, “Okay, fine. Good night.” Rishi said, “Good night,” and they both settled in for a restful night with sweet dreams.

  The next morning at 8:30 a.m., everyone was getting ready at Rishi’s home. By 8:45 a.m., they were all set and loaded into a 7-seater car. Ashwin was at the wheel, Jayraj was in the front passenger seat, and Ishwari and Parvathi occupied the last row. Rishi and Deepa were seated by the windows.

  Parvathi noticed that Deepa and Rishi were sitting on opposite sides and acted as though she wanted to sit by the window. Deepa realized her mother wanted her to switch places to sit next to Rishi. Reluctantly, she moved to the window seat beside him, thinking to herself, ‘Why is she making a scene about this? If she wants me to sit next to him, she could just ask directly.’

Even after moving, there was a slight gap between them. The journey began as they all settled in for the ride.

  After an hour and a half, they arrived at the Arulmigu Muthumari Amman Temple, Rishi’s family deity. They were greeted by Rishi’s maternal uncle, Thangaraj, who maintained the temple, along with Rishi’s cousin, Madan.

  As they got out of the car, Thangaraj asked Ishwari, “How was the journey, sister?” Ishwari replied, “It was fine. How are your wife and nephew? Didn’t they come?” Thangaraj explained, “Everyone is well. Your nephew went to visit a friend, and your sister-in-law is occupied with something else, so they couldn’t make it.” Ishwari acknowledged this with a simple, “Okay,” and they proceeded to enter the temple.

  As they were about to go in, Ashwin told Deepa, “You all go ahead; I’ll wait outside.” Deepa responded, “Ashu, don’t show your atheism here.” Ashwin replied, “You know I’m an atheist.” Deepa said, “You don’t have to pray, but at least come for our father’s sake.” Ashwin agreed with a resigned, “Fine,” and both of them entered the temple together.

  Inside the temple, Thangaraj was explaining the structure and history of the temple. Jayraj and Parvathi listened attentively, while Ishwari stood beside them. Deepa and Ashwin followed behind, with Rishi and Madan coming up next.

  Madan asked Rishi, “Brother, is there any problem between you and sister-in-law?” Rishi, caught off guard, wondered how Madan knew something was amiss. He replied hastily, “No, why do you ask?”

  Madan explained, “It’s just that you’re walking with me instead of with your wife.” Rishi responded, “I thought you might feel lonely, that’s all.”

  Madan was skeptical, “Is that really the reason?” Rishi assured him, “Yes, my brother.” Madan countered, “I don’t think so. Newly married couples usually stay close and share a lot. They discuss their lives and cultures. I expected you would be sharing your childhood memories here with your wife. But instead...”

  Rishi thought to himself, ‘Why is he making such a big deal of this? I need to come up with a good explanation.’ He said to Madan, “Here’s the thing, Madan. Before Deepa learns about my childhood, it’s important for her to understand the history of our temple. That’s why I asked Thangaraj’s uncle to explain it thoroughly.”

  Madan replied, “I understand, but I’m still not completely convinced.” Rishi shrugged, “That’s fine. I’ve given you my reasons. Whether you believe them or not is up to you.”

  Later that night, as everyone gathered for dinner, Jayraj asked Rishi, “Son-in-law, did you book your tickets by train or plane?” Rishi responded, “By train, uncle.” Jayraj replied, “Can you cancel your booked ticket?” Rishi was puzzled and said, “How can I, uncle? I need to be at the office on the 27th of January.”

  Jayraj clarified, “No, you’re mistaken. I’ve already booked two tickets for you on the coupe coach for tomorrow.” Rishi asked, “Uncle, why are you going to such lengths?” Jayraj explained, “Son-in-law, it’s just a gift. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  Rishi hesitated and said, “But uncle...” Ishwari added, “It’s just a gift from your wife’s father. Don’t hesitate about it.” Rishi accepted the gesture and said, “Fine, thanks, Uncle, for the gift.”

  Jayraj smiled and said, “There’s no need for thanks or apologies between a father-in-law and son-in-law.” Rishi smiled in return, and they all finished their dinner together.

  After dinner, Rishi and Deepa were in their room. Deepa asked, “Rishi, doesn’t your mom plan on coming with us?” Rishi replied, “I asked her, and she said we need privacy and has a lot of work here, so she won’t be coming with us to Mumbai.”

  Deepa asked, “So, it will just be the two of us going to Mumbai?” Rishi confirmed, “Yes, and once we reach Mumbai, we’ll follow our plan.” Deepa said, “Okay, now I feel like I’m starting to be myself.” Rishi agreed, “Yes, same for me.”

  Deepa responded, “Hmmm,” and Rishi added, “Also, you need to wake up at 4:30 a.m. tomorrow.” Deepa replied, “Yes, I know. Good night.” Rishi said, “Good night,” and they both went to sleep.

  In the first two days of their marriage, Rishi and Deepa experienced many surprises and emotions. Yet, they remained committed to their decision of separation. Will their journey together come to an end? Stay tuned for the upcoming chapters to find out.