A Loveless Arranged Marriage Chapter 4. The Story Begins Now

  Previously, we saw both of them reveal their past lives, and Deepa was deeply affected by her love life. After sharing, she felt a temporary relief from her past troubles. With that, the chapter concluded. Let's see what happens next.

  At 11:30 a.m., Rishi was standing near the door, talking to his mom on the phone. He said, "Okay, Mom, did you take your tablets?" Ishwari replied, "Yes, and call me after you both get home." Rishi responded, "Sure, Mom. Bye." She added, "Take care, and tell Deepa I asked about her." Rishi replied, "Will do, Mom."

  Rishi then entered the coupe and saw Deepa listening to music. As soon as she noticed him, she paused her music and asked, "What happened?" Rishi replied, "It was just a normal call, nothing more." Deepa responded, "Hmm, but whenever I think about your mom, I feel sorry for her."

  Rishi asked, "Why?" Deepa explained, "Your mom is so nice and kind. I feel like I’m betraying her." Rishi said, "What can we do? It’s all fate." Deepa replied, "Don’t blame fate. We’re caught in this because of society’s expectations."

  They were silent for a moment. Then Deepa said, "Okay, let’s just leave it. What’s happened has happened. We’ve already chosen our paths, so let’s focus on that."

  Rishi replied, "Yes, what you say is right." They then began carrying out their tasks. Deepa asked, "Hey Rishi, can you describe Mumbai?" He responded, "Mumbai?" She clarified, "Yes, so I can get a better idea about the city." Rishi started to describe Mumbai: "Mumbai is one of the most populated cities in India. It has a diverse mix of people from various states. Like most metropolitan cities, you’ll find everything from the wealthiest to the poorest. To survive there, knowing at least some English is essential."

  Deepa then asked, "Okay, but are there Tamil-speaking people in Mumbai?" Rishi replied, "Yes, there are, but it can be confusing to identify someone by their appearance alone. From my experience, it’s not easy to tell just by looking."

  Deepa asked, "Personal experience?" Rishi nodded and continued, "Yes, during my early days at ACL, I had an experience with this. One of my colleagues, Akshaya, looked like she might be Maharashtrian, but she was actually Tamil. For the first two weeks, I barely spoke to her because my English was quite average at the time. I worried that if I spoke to her and things went wrong, it would be embarrassing for me. Then, after two weeks, I saw my friend Arvind speaking to her in Tamil. I was surprised and asked him about it. He told me she was Tamil. That’s when I learned not to judge anyone by their appearance."

  Deepa laughed after hearing the story and then asked, "Okay, what about local transport in Mumbai?" Rishi replied, "Like most metropolitan cities, people in Mumbai rely heavily on local trains and buses because they're the most convenient. Taxis and autos are also used for short trips."

  Deepa asked, "Hmm, what about the ticket fares?" Rishi explained, "It depends on the distance. For example, I live in Matunga, and if I want to travel to Churchgate, the train ticket costs around 10 rupees, while the bus fare is between 25 to 30 rupees."

  Deepa interrupted, "10 rupees?" Rishi nodded, "Yes, only 10 rupees." Deepa responded, "That’s quite cheap compared to the bus fare." Rishi agreed, "Yes, it is. Also, the local trains are divided into five lines: the Harbour, Western, Central, Trans-Harbour, and Uran lines." Deepa asked, "Can you explain that a bit more?"

  Rishi said, "Local trains are divided based on their routes. For instance, the Harbour line connects stations that are associated with the harbour route. Similarly, each line is named according to its route. The Harbour line covers stations along the harbour route, and this naming convention applies to all the lines." Deepa said, "Hmm, it’s a bit confusing for me." Rishi reassured her, "You’ll get used to it. Do you want to know anything else about Mumbai?"

  She replied, "Hmm, no. I realized after hearing your explanation that if I want to experience and learn about Mumbai, I should do it myself rather than just hearing about it from someone. I'm not saying you didn't explain things well, but you’re describing it from your perspective."

  Rishi nodded and said, "I understand. It was challenging for me, but that doesn’t mean everyone will face the same difficulties in Mumbai." Deepa said, "Exactly. By the way, when will we reach Mumbai?" Rishi answered, "We still have some time. We should arrive at around 7:00 p.m."

  Deepa then asked, "Okay, Rishi, can you suggest another animated movie like you did yesterday?" Rishi thought for a moment and replied, "How about Coco?" Deepa asked, "Is it available on Hotstar?" Rishi confirmed, "Yes." Deepa thanked him, "Thank you!"

  As time passed, the day quickly turned to night, and they finally arrived at Mumbai Dadar Station. Rishi booked a taxi, and they both got in. During the ride, Deepa gazed out of the window and noticed an advertisement board promoting private classes for the UPSC entrance exam.

  Seeing the ad made her slightly emotional. She thought to herself, ‘If I hadn’t been caught up in this marriage commitment, I would have been preparing for the UPSC exam by now.’ After a while, she managed to shake off her emotional state and continued with the journey.

  After an hour, they arrived at Rishi's residential society, Sunset Cooperative Society, located in Matunga. Rishi lived in C Wing, flat no. 473, on the 7th floor. They both got out of the taxi and began carrying their luggage to the apartment.

  As they entered the society, Hemant, the watchman, spotted them. He approached Rishi and said in Hindi, "Rishi beta(son), what a surprise!" Rishi paused and responded, "How are you, Hemant uncle?"

  Hemant replied, "I’m fine. How was your marriage?" Rishi said, "It was good." During their conversation, Deepa stood beside them, observing.

  While they were talking, Hemant glanced at Deepa and asked Rishi, "Is that your wife, Rishi?" Rishi replied, "Yes, Hemant uncle." Hemant smiled at Deepa, and she returned the smile. Hemant then helped them with their luggage.

  Once inside the flat, which was a 2-bedroom apartment, they placed their luggage in the living room. Rishi and Hemant continued their conversation there while Deepa explored the apartment.

  She first noticed the bedroom across from the living room. Next to the bedroom was a door she hadn’t seen before. When she opened it, she discovered it led to the bathroom. Continuing her exploration, she walked to the dining hall, which was situated opposite the bathroom.

  Next, she visited the kitchen, located next to the dining hall. The kitchen was well-maintained, and Deepa thought to herself, ‘Rishi keeps this place quite tidy.’

  After that, Deepa noticed a closed door leading to the balcony. She opened it and felt the fresh air from outside. From the balcony, she enjoyed a view of Mumbai. As she looked out, she found herself reminiscing about her native place.

  Just then, Rishi called her back to the living room. She saw Hemant leaving the flat, and he said in Hindi, "Beti(daughter), if you need anything or have any problems in this society, please call me."

  Rishi was about to mention that Deepa didn’t know Hindi, but Deepa replied in Hindi, "Ok, uncle. I will call you." Rishi was initially shocked by her response.

  After Hemant left, Rishi asked, "Do you know Hindi?" Deepa replied, "Yes." Rishi said, "I thought you didn’t know Hindi." She smiled and said, "Don’t judge a book by its cover."

  He said, "Understood. Also, come with me; I'll show you your room." Deepa followed Rishi as he led her to the bedroom opposite the balcony. As she looked around, she thought to herself, "This room is bigger than I expected." Rishi explained, "This room was used by my mom whenever she came to Mumbai."

  Deepa replied, "Hmm." Rishi continued, "The room doesn’t have any wardrobes, so you can use mine if you need it." Deepa responded, "I can manage with my luggage." Rishi asked, "Are you sure?" She said, "Yes." He added, "Fine, but if you need a wardrobe, just let me know. You can use it; I have no objections."

  Deepa replied, "Ok." Rishi then said, "I’m going to place an order for food. What would you like to eat?" Deepa thought for a moment and said, "I’ll go with vegetable noodles." Rishi placed the order on Qwiggy and then said, "I’m going to freshen up. If you need any help, just call me."

  Rishi then left the room. Suddenly, Deepa received a call from her brother. She answered it and spoke with her dad, brother, and mom. After the call, she freshened up. Meanwhile, Rishi was busy arranging his clothes in the wardrobe. Once he had finished, their dinner arrived. They then sat down to have their meal together.

  While having dinner, Deepa asked Rishi, "Rishi, do you live alone in this flat?" Rishi replied, "Yes! Why do you ask?" Deepa said, "The flat is quite large. It must be challenging to live here alone."

  Rishi chuckled and said, "I’ve gotten used to it. I bought this flat with my mom’s help. I wanted to take care of her in Mumbai, so I thought it would be better if I had a place of my own. But it didn’t work out as planned. My mom prefers to live in her native place and doesn’t want to move here."

  Deepa suggested, "You should try to convince her." Rishi responded, "My mom is very set in her ways. Once she makes up her mind, it’s hard to change it. She wants to stay in the house my father built for us."

  Deepa asked, "So what happened next?" Rishi replied, "Well, she refused to move here. So I decided I would live alone, but my mom will visit for 10 to 15 days to see me." After a few moments, Rishi asked Deepa, "By the way, do you know how to cook?"

  Deepa thought to herself, ‘If I say I don't know, it will be quite embarrassing.’ She replied, "Yes, why do you ask?" Rishi said, "Just curious." Deepa then asked, "Do you know how to cook?"

  Rishi responded, "Yes, my friend taught me when we were roommates." Deepa said, "So, we can cook for ourselves rather than relying on others." Rishi agreed, "Exactly."

  They finished their dinner and went to their respective rooms to rest. Rishi slept peacefully in his room, but Deepa struggled to sleep due to the new environment. However, she eventually managed to get some rest that night.

  The next day, Deepa was sleeping in her room when she heard some noise from moving furniture. She woke up, went to the bathroom, and washed her face. When she came out, she saw Rishi cleaning the dining room. "Good morning,"

  Rishi said when he noticed her. "It's morning, and you're cleaning the room so early?" Deepa asked. "Early? It's already 8:16," Rishi replied. Deepa glanced at the clock and said, "Oh, my bad. Wait, I'll join you after I have my tea." Rishi responded, "No thanks; you're my guest. I’ll handle it." Deepa then asked, "Rishi, do you have any problem with me?"

  Rishi replied, "Nope," and Deepa asked, "Then why are you treating me like this? We shared our past, and we’re going to be living together for a year. So why are you treating me like a guest?"

  Rishi said, "It’s not just you who got into this marriage. It’s my responsibility to treat you well until we separate." Deepa responded, "Rishi, understand this: you’re not solely responsible for this marriage. I am also a major part of it. If it weren’t you, it would have been someone else in your place. So don’t blame yourself."

  Rishi then said, "But please understand what I’m trying to say—" Deepa interrupted, "Do you have a problem with me helping you?" Rishi replied, "Not at all." Deepa said, "Then I’ve decided I’ll help you clean the house after I have my tea."

  Rishi, thinking Deepa was similar to his mom, said, "Do what you like." Deepa went to the kitchen and started making tea for herself. As she prepared the tea, she thought, "It’s good that I know how to make tea. But what about everything else? It’s okay to admit I don’t know how to cook. I’ll just face it as it comes."

  After finishing her tea, Deepa began helping Rishi clean the dining hall. Once that was done, they both decided to tackle their respective rooms. While cleaning her room, Deepa noticed a cabinet in Rishi's room that she wanted to reach but couldn’t.

  She called Rishi for help. Rishi came over and said, "I think you should leave that cabinet. It hasn’t been useful to me so far." Deepa replied, "Just because you haven’t used it doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Try to maintain it; it might come in handy someday." Rishi thought for a moment and said, "You have a point."

  Rishi said, "I need a chair from the living room to reach that cabinet." He then left the room and returned with a chair. He positioned it under the right side of the cabinet and was about to climb it. Deepa said, "Wait, I’ll hold the chair." Rishi replied, "No need. I can handle it."

  Deepa asked, "Are you sure?" Rishi assured her, "Don’t worry, I’m used to it." Deepa accepted this and went to arrange the bed. Meanwhile, Rishi climbed onto the chair but lost his balance and started to fall towards Deepa.

  When Deepa turned around and saw Rishi losing his balance, both were shocked. Rishi fell onto Deepa, and they landed on the bed, accidentally kissing each other on the lips.

  With that, Chapter 4 came to an end. They had broken their fourth rule. Stay tuned to see what happens next in the upcoming chapter.