A Loveless Arranged Marriage Chapter 5. Admit the truth

  Previously, we saw both of them arrive in Mumbai. After that, they reached Rishi’s flat, where the first person Deepa met was Hemant, the watchman of the society. The next day, they were both cleaning the house. While cleaning, Rishi accidentally fell onto Deepa, and they kissed each other. Let’s see what happened next.

  When they kissed, their eyes widened, and their hearts began to beat so fast that they could both hear it. They were so shocked that they remained silent for a few seconds. Rishi moved away from her and sat on the bed. Deepa also got up, but Rishi couldn’t bring himself to look at her. Suddenly, Deepa left the room.

  As she exited, Rishi thought to himself, ‘What have you done, Rishi? How could you be so careless? And that kiss—it was so shameful. Maybe it was an accident, but it was a mistake. She must be angry at me. If I go out now and say something, it will only make things worse. It’s better if I leave her alone for a moment. In the meantime, I’ll clean the cabinet.’

  He started to clean the cabinet carefully. After finishing, he decided it would be better to apologize to Deepa. He left the room, but she wasn’t in the dining hall. He headed to the living room and found her sitting quietly on the sofa. Unsure if she was angry or just shocked, he approached her and said, “Deepa, I am so sorry. I should have taken your advice seriously. But...”

  Deepa interrupted him, “Are you so dumb or what?” Rishi understood what she meant and replied, “Sorry, I know my mistake.” She continued, “Even after I told you to be careful with your work, you were so careless that you could have injured both yourself and me.” He said, “I am so sorry. I should have taken your advice seriously, but it was my mistake.”

  Deepa added, “You need to be careful while doing that kind of work. Let this be the last time; take precautions in the future.” Rishi replied, “Yes, I will.” Deepa then stood up and said, “Okay, I’m going to continue my work.”

  Rishi responded, “Fine,” but thought to himself, ‘Did she forget about the accidental kiss?’ As she was leaving, she said, “Rishi, about the kiss—it was an accident, so we should both forget about it rather than dwell on it.” Rishi was shocked and thought, ‘Did she read my mind? No, it must be a coincidence. But isn’t she cool? Whatever it is, she understood the situation. For now, it’s fine.’

  He resumed his work as well. With cooperation and support, they completed the house cleaning within two hours. They both went to the living room and sat on the sofa, resting.

  After some time, Rishi asked, “Deepa, I’m going to the nearby store to buy some ingredients for today’s cooking. Can you tell me what you need?” Deepa looked confused and asked, “Ingredients?” Rishi replied, “Yes, don’t you want to cook?”

  Deepa was shocked but didn’t show it on her face. She replied, “Yes, wait. I’ll think for a moment about what I need.” She thought to herself, ‘What a situation I’m in now. I’m trapped. I should admit it, but it would be embarrassing in front of him. I’ll face it instead of admitting that I’ve just been eating the food. What should I do for ingredients? I’ll just list some things my mom used to ask me to buy.’

  Rishi interrupted her thoughts, “Hello, Deepa, have you thought of your ingredients?” Deepa replied, “Yes,” and then she began to list the ingredients.

  Deepa then said, “Okay, Rishi, I need dosa batter, coconut, mustard seeds, chana dal, and chillies.” Rishi replied, “So you need items to make dosa and coconut chutney.” She responded, “Yes.” Rishi said, “You could have just said that. Okay, I’ll be back in 15 minutes.”

  After Rishi left, she thought to herself, ‘I racked my brain to list the ingredients, and he says I should have said it simply. He made my efforts seem pointless. Whatever, I just need to prepare myself.’ She then started watching YouTube videos on how to prepare dosa batter and coconut chutney.

  After 15 minutes, Rishi returned with the groceries and handed them to Deepa before heading to his room. Deepa went to the kitchen, feeling nervous. Once there, she began cooking.

  he made the dosa batter and then started on the chutney. While trying to break the coconut, she accidentally shattered it, and the pieces fell to the floor. The noise caught Rishi’s attention, and he rushed into the kitchen.

  When he entered, he saw the coconut pieces scattered on the floor. Deepa tried to explain, but Rishi, still thinking about her earlier confusion, simply asked, “Do you know how to cook or not?”

  She hesitant and replied, “I know...” but Rishi interrupted, “Just tell me the truth.” Deepa thought to herself, ‘Okay, Deepa, there’s no point in hiding the truth. Just admit it.’ She admitted, “I don’t know how to cook.”

  Rishi responded, “Just leave the kitchen.” Seeing his anger, Deepa quietly left the kitchen without a word.

  After she left, Rishi thought, ‘I should have noticed this earlier. Whenever I asked about cooking, she acted like an expert. Just a few minutes ago, she was giving lessons on being careful.’ Rishi felt a moment of frustration but quickly calmed himself. ‘Forget it,’ he thought. ‘She’ll be hungry now. I should make breakfast for her.’

  He started cooking and adjusted the dosa batter, which had too little salt. Then he prepared the chutney.

  Meanwhile, Deepa was feeling sad and thought, ‘I should have admitted it earlier. I was worried about what he would think of me. I should have apologized.” he returned to the kitchen and saw Rishi cooking. Though he noticed her, he continued as if he hadn’t seen her. Deepa said, “Rishi, I’m sorry. I should have told the truth. I felt ashamed to admit it.”

  Rishi turned and asked, “What shame did you feel?” Deepa replied, “ou’re a guy, and you know how to cook, but I, as a girl, don’t even know the basics. That’s why I felt ashamed.”

  Rishi chuckled and said, “There’s no need to be ashamed. There’s no job or skill that’s meant only for a specific gender. It’s normal for anyone—whether a boy or girl—not to know how to cook. It’s better to admit the truth than to hide it. Now, go get freshened up; you must be hungry.” Deepa felt reassured by Rishi’s response and appreciated his supportive attitude. She walked away and went to his room to freshen up.

  At the dining table, Rishi was eating bread and butter while reading the newspaper. Deepa, enjoying the dosa and chutney, said, “Rishi, the breakfast is really nice.” Without looking up, Rishi replied, “No mention.”

  Deepa then asked, “Rishi, why didn’t you make the same breakfast for both of us?” Rishi responded, “I thought about it, but I just wanted bread and butter today.” Deepa replied with a simple, “Hmm.”

  After a moment, Rishi asked, “Deepa, I’m not sure what to make for lunch. Do you have any suggestions?” Deepa thought for a moment and said, “I like chicken gravy with white rice. Can you cook that?” Rishi replied, “Chicken gravy? That’s a great suggestion. I’ll make it for lunch.”

  Later, Rishi returned with chicken from the shop. As he cut it into pieces, Deepa watched him closely, noticing his focus and steady gaze.

  She asked, “Rishi, do you love to cook?” He replied, “No.” Deepa was surprised and said, “No?” Rishi then explained, “I don’t enjoy cooking, and I’m a selective eater. I had to learn how to cook to meet my preferences.”

  Deepa responded, “Hmm, your words say one thing, but your eyes show you’re enjoying it.” Rishi laughed and said, “Actually, it’s just how I approach any task. My father always said to do work with dedication, not laziness or resentment. I try to follow that advice. You can read my feelings in my eyes.”

  Deepa smiled slightly and asked, “Rishi, can you teach me how to cook?” He replied, “I don’t mind teaching you, but I’m not a master. I only know some basic things.” Deepa said, “That’s fine. I don’t need to be a master. I just want some basic knowledge.” Rishi agreed, “Alright.”

  Rishi handed some tomatoes to Deepa and said, “Wash these tomatoes and cut them into dice.” Deepa followed his instructions. After washing the tomatoes, she began cutting them.

  As she started slicing them, Rishi noticed and stopped her. He said, “Hey, what are you doing?” Deepa replied, “I was cutting the tomatoes.” Rishi said, “But in what shape? You’re slicing them instead of dicing them.” Deepa apologized, “Oh, I’m sorry. Can you show me how to cut them into dice?”

  Rishi demonstrated how to cut the tomatoes into dice. Deepa followed his instructions and cut the tomatoes the same way. With Deepa helping by handling small tasks, they managed to complete the cooking together.

  During lunch, Deepa felt happy while eating the dish. She said, “The dish was delicious, Rishi.” Rishi replied, “Don’t give me all the credit. You helped too.” Deepa smiled, and Rishi added, “Your help also saved me some cooking time.” Deepa said, “Thank you.”

  After lunch, they both went to their respective rooms to rest. Later that night, Deepa was in her room with a notebook and her phone, searching for jobs online. Rishi called her and asked, “Deepa, I’m about to have dinner. Do you want to join me?” Deepa replied, “Yes, wait. I’ll come.” They had dinner together.

  Afterward, Rishi started watching a movie in the living room while Deepa continued her job search online. When the movie ended, Rishi headed to his room and saw Deepa asleep on his bed, with his phone and notebook lying beside her. He quietly entered the room, gently took the phone and notebook, and placed them on a nearby table before heading to his own room.

  At 5:45 a.m., Rishi woke up and got ready for his morning jog. He completed a few laps at the nearby park before returning home to do some workouts. By 7:00 a.m., he headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

 Afterward, he began preparing breakfast and lunch for both himself and Deepa. When Deepa emerged from his room, she made her way to the kitchen and saw Rishi cooking.

  She greeted him with a "Morning," to which he responded in kind. Rishi handed her a cup of tea, which she took to the dining hall while scrolling through social media.

  Rishi joined her in the dining hall with his breakfast. As he ate, Deepa went to the bathroom to freshen up. When she returned, she saw Rishi polishing his shoes. Once he finished, he was ready to leave for the office.

  Before leaving, Rishi said, "Deepa, I've made breakfast and lunch for you. If you need anything, just contact me or Hemant uncle. He'll help you." Deepa replied, "Fine," and Rishi said, "Bye," before heading out the door.

  Rishi walked to the society parking lot and got into his car. As he was leaving, he encountered Hemant, the watchman. Rishi said, "Uncle, I'm heading to the office. If Deepa needs anything, please help her. She's new here."

  Hemant responded, “Don’t worry, beta; I’ll help her.” He smiled and added, “Bye.” Rishi replied, “Bye, uncle,” and then drove off to work.

  After an hour and a half, Rishi arrived at the office and headed to his workstation. As he started working on his computer, Arvind and Akshaya arrived, accompanied by colleagues Ibrahim and Sunny Singh.

  When Arvind saw Rishi, he was surprised and rushed over. “Hey, Rishi, what are you doing here?” he asked. Rishi replied, “Didn’t you see? I’m here to work.” Arvind responded, “I see that, but why are you here now? You should be enjoying your honeymoon with your wife.”

  Rishi explained, “I’m a team leader, Arvind. There are many pending tasks that need attention. Plus, it’s not mandatory for newlyweds to have a honeymoon right after marriage.” Arvind then turned to Ibrahim and said in Hindi, “Ibrahim, please advise him.”

  Ibrahim replied in Hindi, “What’s the point of advising him?” Akshaya then asked, “Rishi, did you discuss canceling the honeymoon with your wife?” Rishi responded, “It was a mutual decision, so there’s no need to worry about it.”

  Sunny chimed in, mockingly, “Couple goals,” and Rishi smiled at him. Rishi addressed everyone in Hindi, “Just chill, guys. It’s only a honeymoon that I skipped.” Sunny calmed Arvind down, and everyone resumed their work.

  While they were working, a clerk came and told Rishi that the manager wanted to see him. Sunny remarked, “Rishi, the manager is calling you. He’s probably going to give you a wedding gift.” Rishi went to the manager’s office.

  After a short while, he returned to his workstation. Ibrahim asked, “So, Rishi, what gift did you get from the manager?” Rishi replied, “You can probably guess—just a formal wedding wish and the usual routine dialogue.” Akshaya added, “What else could we expect from him?” With that, everyone went back to work.

  Meanwhile, Deepa was getting ready for her interview at Churchgate. She wore a white top and blue jeans. Using a map app, she headed to the nearest station but soon got confused. She decided to call Rishi for help.

  “Hello, Rishi,” she said when he answered.

  “Yes, Deepa, what’s up?” Rishi replied.

  Deepa explained, “I’m on my way to an interview at Churchgate, but I’m confused at the nearby rail station. Can you help me?”

  Rishi agreed, “Sure, but where are you right now?”

  Deepa responded, “I’m standing in front of Matunga station.”

  He replied, “There are two ways you can get to Churchgate. First, you can travel from Matunga to Dadar. From there, board the train to Churchgate; it will arrive on platform 2 at Dadar.”

  Deepa asked, “Okay, what’s the other way?”

  Rishi continued, “Instead of starting from Matunga station, you could walk to Matunga Road station, which is about a 20-minute walk from where you are. From Matunga Road station, you can take a train directly to Churchgate. Since Churchgate is the last station on the line, you don’t need to worry about missing it.”

  Deepa replied, “Thank you.” Rishi added, “Also, good luck!” Deepa said, “Thank you so much for your help and the well wishes.” Rishi responded, “No problem. Bye,” and then ended the call.

  She decided to take the second route to avoid any confusion. Meanwhile, Sunny asked Rishi in Hindi, “What happened, Rishi? Is your wife missing you or something?” Rishi replied, “Nothing like that. She’s just asking for directions to Churchgate for her interview.”

  Arvind then asked, “Rishi, what’s your wife’s educational qualification?” Rishi said, “I’m not sure. I think she’s a mathematics graduate.” Arvind was surprised, “She’s your wife, and you don’t even know her education?” Rishi answered, “I didn’t ask her about it, and she never mentioned it either.”

  Arvind said, “It’s a basic thing; you should at least know that.” Akshaya chimed, “Arvind, just chill. Maybe Rishi was too caught up in romance to ask.” Rishi felt uncomfortable with Akshaya’s comment but kept his feelings to himself.

  Sunny then said in Hindi, “It’s been two days, and your wife is already job hunting.” Rishi replied, “It’s her choice.” Sunny added, “But it’s been only a week since your marriage.” Ibrahim commented in Hindi, “Why does it matter? Rishi, do you know your wife is searching for a job?”

  Rishi replied in Hindi, “Yes, I saw that she was job hunting.” Ibrahim said to Sunny, “See, Sunny, he knows. Now you can stop worrying.” Sunny responded with a nod, and Ibrahim said, “Alright, let’s get back to work.” They then continued with their tasks.

  After some time, Deepa waited in the lobby. A woman announced the names of those who had been selected, while the others were advised to try again next time. Deepa felt a pang of disappointment. Once the interview ended, she headed home. On the train, feeling down, she listened to music to calm her mind.

  Meanwhile, Rishi and his colleagues were enjoying lunch and chatting. Ibrahim said in Hindi, "Guys, why did you send those freshmen to me? They're becoming a headache. I have to teach them everything from scratch."

  Arvind replied in Hindi, "Now you know why we sent them to you." Akshaya added in Hindi, "Ibrahim, it's just for a few days."

  Ibrahim asked, "What happens after a few days?" Akshaya responded, "Because it will become routine for you."

  Everyone laughed, and Rishi said, "What's with the comedy, Akshaya? Did you watch Kumki yesterday or something?" Akshaya replied, "Don't overanalyze the comedy. Just enjoy it."

  After lunch, everyone resumed their work. As evening arrived and it was time to leave the office, Deepa also returned to the apartment building. When she entered through the gate, Hemant noticed her and asked in Hindi, "Deepa Beti, where are you coming from?"

  She replied in Hindi, "Nothing, uncle. I just went out to get some fresh air." Hemant said, "I thought you were inside your flat. Anyway, if you need any help, just call me." She responded, "Sure, uncle," and he went on his way.

  Deepa then came home and sank onto the sofa, feeling exhausted. She reflected on the interview and reassured herself, “It’s just an interview; getting rejected is common. Don’t overthink it.” After that, she had her lunch.

  With this, the evening also came, as well as time for Rishi and his colleagues to leave the office. While they were going to the parking lot, Arvind said, “Rishi, tomorrow after office. Come to my home with your wife. We will have dinner at my home.”

   Rishi replied, “Dinner! Why are you burdening yourself, Arvind?” Arvind replies, “Burden! What burden did you find in it?” Rishi says, “I am not saying that....”

  Arvind interrupts him and says, “You will always say reason. I do not want to hear it this time. You have to come home tomorrow with your wife, without any delay.” Arvind then entered his car and went away. Rishi then enters his car.

  On his way home, he was thinking about how he was going to convince Deepa. If he is not able to convince her, how will he be able to answer Arvind?

  Will Rishi be able to convince Deepa? Let’s see on the next chapter.