A Loveless Arranged Marriage Chapter 11. Anger and Forgiveness

  Previously, we saw that Rishi received the news of his mother's death. After some time, Arvind and Shahina came to Rishi's home. Arvind helped Rishi book tickets and, at the same time, booked tickets for himself and Shahina as well. At midnight, they arrived at Rishi's native home. The next morning, Jayraj, Rishi, Madan, and Arvind went to the government hospital to collect Ishwari's body. After that, they completed all the rituals and buried Ishwari.

  The next day, Rishi went to his mother's room to find some books to read. Unfortunately, he found a letter that his mother had written before she died. When he read it, he realized that his mother had somehow learned the truth about his and Deepa's married life, and she died with the guilt of having made a mistake that affected both Rishi and Deepa. At that moment, Deepa entered the room and revealed that Ishwari had asked her questions about their marriage. This revelation made Rishi furious with Deepa.

  After Rishi left the room, Deepa remained silent for a moment. She then began speaking to herself, "What have I done? I should have told Rishi about this earlier. What a grave mistake I’ve made! I never thought Ishwari aunty would suffer so much because of it." Just then, her mother called her from the hall. Deepa wiped her tears and went to the hall.

  When Deepa reached the hall, her mother asked, "Where were you?" Deepa replied, "I was in my room," to which her mother said, "Okay, come and have your lunch." Deepa went to the dining hall with her mother, where she saw Rishi already having lunch. She sat down and began eating, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him as she felt overwhelming guilt for her actions.

  After lunch, everyone headed to their rooms to rest. Deepa went to her assigned room, where she saw Rishi reading a book. She thought it was a good time to apologize. She approached him and started to say, "Rishi, I—" but before she could finish, Rishi ignored her and left the room without saying a word. Deepa decided it might be better to talk to him later.

  Meanwhile, day turned into night, and everyone in the house was having dinner. After the meal, they all went to their respective rooms. In her room, Deepa tried to apologize to Rishi. She began, "Rishi, what I did was a mistake. But please listen to what I’m saying." Rishi interrupted her, saying, "Deepa, listen. It’s a waste of time for you to ask for my forgiveness because I’m not going to forgive you. It would be better if you spoke less to me, or even better, if you didn’t speak to me at all. In the meantime, I will continue with my daily chores as planned and cook for you until our marriage tenure ends, so you need not worry about that." With that, Rishi went to sleep. Deepa tried to say something more, but Rishi wasn’t ready to listen. Realizing it was a waste of time, she stayed silent and went to bed.

  The following night, Deepa attempted to ask Rishi for forgiveness several times, but he remained unwilling to listen. After seven days, Rishi performed the 10th-day ritual for his mother (a ritual done for the deceased between the 10th and 16th days). The next day, Rishi, Deepa, Arvind, and Shahina all left for Mumbai. After three hours, they arrived in the city in the evening. Upon exiting the airport, Arvind booked two cabs—one for himself and Shahina, and the second for Rishi and Deepa. After loading their luggage into the respective cabs, they all said their goodbyes and headed to their homes.

  Once Rishi and Deepa arrived home, Rishi went directly to his room with his luggage, while Deepa headed to her room. After a few moments, she came out to make herself a cup of tea. As she walked to the kitchen, she thought to ask Rishi if he wanted tea as well. So, Deepa made her way to Rishi's room. Upon entering, Rishi asked, "What happened?" She replied, "Do you want a cup of tea?" Rishi coughed for a moment and said, "No, I don't want any." Deepa thought to herself, "It was a mistake to ask him," and she left the room.

  Afterward, she went to the kitchen and made tea for herself. A little later, Rishi was seen cooking something for dinner, but Deepa was nowhere around the kitchen. During dinner, both of them ate in silence, without any conversation. Afterward, they returned to their respective rooms.

 The next day was a weekend, and Deepa woke up from her bed and went to the bathroom to wash her face. When she came out of her room, she saw that Rishi was nowhere to be seen. Deepa headed to the kitchen and made tea for herself. After having her tea, she exited the kitchen. While heading to her room, she peeked into Rishi's room and saw that he was still sleeping. She thought to herself, "Is Rishi still sleeping? What a surprise!" She then went to her room to take a bath. After getting freshened up, she came out of her room and peeked into Rishi's room again, only to find that he was still asleep.

  At that moment, she heard her stomach growling. She went to the kitchen to see if Rishi had cooked anything but found nothing. She then headed back to Rishi's room and asked, "Hey Rishi, did you cook anything?" However, Rishi didn’t reply. Angered, she approached him and was about to say, "Hey Rishi, what are you doing?" when she noticed he was trembling. Even though he had covered himself with a bedsheet, he was still shaking. Deepa touched Rishi's forehead and found that he was burning up. She tried to wake him, but he couldn’t get up; his body was in pain.

  Deepa then called Hemant’s uncle on the phone. "Hello, Hemant uncle," she said. Hemant replied from the other end, "What happened, Deepa beti?" Deepa explained, "Uncle, Rishi has a high fever today, and I can’t lift him to take him to the nearest clinic. Can you come here to help us?" Hemant replied, "Okay, Deepa beti. I am coming."

  After five minutes, Hemant arrived at Rishi's flat. Deepa opened the door for him. Along with Hemant, another person entered the house. Hemant said to Deepa, "Deepa beti, this is Sudeep. He is a doctor and lives in this building. Where is Rishi?" Deepa pointed to Rishi's room and replied, "He is in that room." Hemant and Sudeep then went to check on Rishi.

  After examining him, Sudeep said to Hemant, "He just has a normal fever, nothing more than that. I will prescribe some medicine for him. He just needs to take rest." Hemant replied, "Thanks, sir," and Sudeep left the house. After that, Hemant approached Deepa and said, "Deepa beti, there’s nothing to worry about. He just needs to rest, and here are some medicines prescribed by the doctor." Hemant handed her a sheet of paper. Deepa replied, "Thank you very much, uncle," to which Hemant responded, "There’s no need to thank me. Just take care of him." He then left Rishi's flat.

 Deepa then went to the nearby medical center and bought the prescribed medicine. At the same time, she ordered food for both herself and Rishi. After 20 minutes, Deepa received her order and went to Rishi's room with the food. She asked Rishi to eat, but he replied, "Please leave from here. I don't need any food." Deepa insisted, "But Rishi, you have to take your medicine. For that you..." Rishi interrupted her, shouting, "I told you to leave from here." Deepa's temper flared, and she shouted back, "What is your problem, Rishi? I am just asking you to eat your breakfast so that you can take your medicine." Rishi retorted, "I can take care of myself. I don't need you here."

  Deepa replied, "Rishi, I know you are angry with me because of the mistake I made. But why are we letting it affect us like this?" Rishi responded, "I don't want to hear anything. Just leave." Deepa insisted, "No, you have to listen to what happened that day. After that, it’s your decision whether to maintain your anger at me or not." She then began to narrate what transpired that day:

  "That day, I came back from work and was sitting on the sofa when your mom brought me coffee. While I was having it, her first question was whether I accepted our marriage alliance against my will. When she asked that, I thought to myself, 'Why is she asking this question now?' I replied that I accepted the marriage alliance of my own free will. When she asked the same question again, I became a bit nervous but gave the same answer. Then your mom said, 'Don’t cover the truth with lies.' I could sense her suspicion about our marriage. She pointed out our denial regarding the honeymoon and even questioned our phone calls. I froze for a moment, feeling like your mom was doubting me or had discovered our truth. I assured her that we loved each other and that there was nothing to hide. But then she said, 'I thought Rishi was only acting, but you also joined him.' At that moment, I realized she knew our truth, and I couldn't believe it. How did she find out? When you came home, she acted as if nothing had happened, which shocked me. My mistake was not revealing this to you, but I never thought your mom would be so deeply affected. If I had known this could happen, I would have done something to prevent it. Now that I've told you everything, it’s your choice whether to continue being angry or not. But please don’t put your health at risk. I say this as a friend."

 After hearing Deepa's explanation, Rishi realized that her actions were just an accidental mistake—nothing more than that. He also recognized his own mistake. As Deepa was leaving the room, Rishi called out to her and asked, "Deepa, did you have your breakfast?" Deepa replied, "Nope," and Rishi asked, "Can we have breakfast together?" Deepa hesitated slightly and replied, "Okay, but can I consider that you forgive me?" Rishi responded, "Hmm, yes," to which Deepa exclaimed, "Thank God your anger has cooled down." After that, she brought his food. While they were having breakfast, Rishi said, "Deepa, I am sorry for how I treated you." Deepa replied, "Oh, you realized your mistake; that's nice." Rishi admitted, "Yay, I was kind of rude to you," and Deepa responded, "Rude? You were worse than that! I sometimes get fed up too, but I understand your pain, so I tried to avoid it."

  After breakfast, Deepa handed Rishi his prescribed medicine. Once he took it, he said, "Deepa, I’m sorry that I couldn't do my chores today." Deepa reassured him, "There's nothing to worry about; I'll take care of it. You just need to rest." As she was leaving the room, she said, "Rishi, I'll be working in the kitchen, so if you need anything, please call me loudly since I'm going to do the cooking." Rishi responded in shock, "What cooking?" Deepa replied with a smile, "Yay!" Rishi then joked, "Deepa, kindly call an ambulance. I feel like my stomach is hurting." Deepa laughed, "Oh, is it? Good joke! Keep it up." Rishi replied, "Just a joke; don't take it to heart." Deepa replied, "Yay, yay, I know that," and went to the kitchen.

  After some time, Deepa cooked a dish for both of them. She served it to Rishi and said, "Okay, here is your lunch, Rishi." He thanked her and began to eat. Deepa asked, "How is the food?" Rishi replied, "It's good," and Deepa asked, "Really?" He responded, "Yay, I think you can cook on your own from now on." Deepa, surprised, asked, "Are you serious?" Rishi replied, "Yay, didn't you have your lunch yet?" Deepa replied, "Nope, I'll have it later." Once Rishi finished his lunch, Deepa left the room and had her own meal. After that, she went to her room to take some rest. Later that night, they both had dinner together, and Rishi was feeling much better, recovering from his fever. This day came to a close on a positive note.

  From the next day onward, Deepa and Rishi resumed their usual routines. Then came March 21st, which was Deepa's birthday. She woke up at 7:00 a.m. and checked her phone. Her WhatsApp and Instagram were filled with birthday messages and stories, taking her at least half an hour to respond to all the well-wishes. After that, she headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Once she was ready, she went to the kitchen, where she found Rishi cooking. When Rishi saw her, he said, "Hey, good morning, Deepa." She replied, "Good morning, Rishi." Rishi then added, "Hey Deepa, I wish you a very happy birthday," to which she responded, "Thank you." He handed her a cup of tea, saying, "Okay, here’s your tea." Deepa thanked him and he asked, "So, what are your plans today?" Deepa replied, "Plans? There's nothing special today. If I were in my hometown, I would have thought about it." Rishi nodded in understanding, and they had breakfast together.

  After Rishi left the house, Deepa received a call from her dad. She answered, and her father said, "Happy birthday, Deepa, dear." Deepa replied, "Thank you, Dad! How are you?" Her father responded, "I’m fine; what about you?" Deepa said, "I’m good. Where are you right now?" Her father replied, "I’m at the store. Where's my son-in-law?" She explained, "He left for the office a few minutes ago, Dad." Her father said, "Oh, I was thinking of calling him." Curious, Deepa asked, "Can I know why?" He replied, "Nothing, just for an informal talk." She then said, "Okay, Dad, can you donate food to the orphanage where we used to celebrate my and Ashwin's birthdays?" Her father agreed, "Sure, as per your wish." She thanked him and added, "Also, tell Mom and Ashwin that I asked about them." Her dad replied, "Sure, bye dear," and she ended the call with a farewell.

  After hanging up, Deepa thought to herself, "I just told a little lie to avoid putting any burden on Rishi. But at the same time, I feel sad for lying. Let it be." A short while later, Deepa was on her way to the office when she ran into Suguna. Deepa greeted her, "Hey Suguna!" Suguna responded, "Hi Deepa, and happy birthday to you!" Deepa replied, "Thank you!" Suguna then asked, "Hey Deepa, can you tell me how old you are now?" Deepa replied, "I’m 26 from this birthday onward." Suguna nodded, and they continued on their way to the office.

 During lunchtime, Rishi and his colleagues were having lunch together. Rishi asked them, "Hey guys, can you suggest a gift I can buy for Deepa's birthday?" Arvind replied, "Hey, you're her husband; don’t you know what to buy for her?" Rishi responded, "I have no idea right now. That's why I'm asking you." After thinking for a moment, Arvind suggested, "How about buying her a chain?" Rishi said, "Hmm, okay, but she’s not really fond of jewelry." Arvind replied, "Oh," and Ibrahim chimed in, "Hey Rishi, I suggest buying a dress for her." Rishi said, "Thanks, but a dress feels like a normal gift, Ibrahim. Hey, Akshaya, can you suggest something? As a woman, you understand women’s preferences."

  Akshaya replied, "I would suggest taking her out for dinner. Women appreciate romantic gestures, so it would be better." Rishi nodded but said, "Hmm, I couldn't find anything appealing here." Sunny interjected, "Hey Rishi, gift her something that she really wants." Rishi replied, "Can you elaborate? I’m not sure I understand."

Sunny explained, "Okay, Rishi, I mean gift her something she likes; it could be anything from a dress to a candlelit dinner. It could be more than that too. Your wife might have mentioned it before; just try to remember." After hearing this, Arvind remarked, "Hey Sunny, why are you making him more confused?" Sunny retorted, "Arvind, do you know what your wife likes?"

  Arvind replied confidently, "Of course, I know that." Sunny responded, "Exactly my point. You know because your wife told you." Arvind acknowledged, "Point taken." Sunny then said, "Rishi, just think about what gift your wife would value most in her life." With that, Rishi started contemplating what Deepa might like, and he continued to think about it throughout the workday.

  Meanwhile, in Deepa's office, their workday was coming to an end. As Deepa was about to leave, Suguna came up from behind and covered her eyes. Deepa asked in surprise, "Hey, who’s that?" Suguna replied, "It’s me, Suguna." Deepa asked, "Why are you covering my eyes, Suguna?" Suguna replied, "Don’t say anything; just come with me. I want to show you something." Deepa inquired, "Where are you taking me?" Suguna said, "Just come with me."

  Suguna guided Deepa to the canteen while covering her eyes. Once they arrived, Suguna removed her hands from Deepa's eyes. When Deepa opened her eyes, she saw all their team members standing in front of her, with Shahina present as well. A cake was on the table, and they all began singing the happy birthday song for Deepa. Deepa was surprised and excited to see this. Afterward, they all enjoyed the birthday cake, and Deepa treated everyone by ordering ice cream for them. Her happiness soared to new heights.

  After that, Deepa returned home, but Rishi hadn't arrived yet. She changed her outfit and settled into the living room to watch a movie on television. While she was watching, Rishi finally entered the house. He quickly changed his clothes and came to the hall, hands hidden behind his back. Deepa noticed this and wondered, "What is he hiding?" Rishi sat beside her and asked, "So how was your day, Deepa?"

  Deepa replied excitedly, "It was absolutely awesome today! My colleagues threw a surprise birthday celebration for me. I was taken aback! As I was leaving the office, Suguna covered my eyes and led me to the canteen. When I opened my eyes, there were my colleagues and Shahina, all waiting to celebrate! It was such an unexpected gesture from them." Rishi nodded, "Hmm, so you really enjoyed your day." Deepa smiled and asked, "But what are you hiding behind your back?"

  Rishi then revealed a rolled piece of paper tied with a red ribbon. Handing it to her, he said, "This is my birthday gift for you." What could be inside this rolled paper? Could it be divorce papers or something even more significant? To find out, stay tuned for the next chapter!

  And with that, the chapter came to an end.