Chapter 3

Karan

Early in the morning, the alarm clock rings. I struggle to open my eyes and rub my hands against them. Moving my hand forward I turn it off, half opening my eyes. I feel something on my body and immediately look behind, discovering Divya as she is hugging me from behind. I try to move her, part her away from me but my subconscious isn't ready to do that. How can a man on the earth resist a woman from being close to him? Her grip is tight enough, I can't drive her away as it can wake her up. Instead of doing that, I stare at her. Despite washing her face last night, her face has light spots of makeup which unnaturally looks good. My eyes move to her hand which was around my torso.

I hear a tap on the door and come out of my thoughts.

    "Karan!", my mom knocks at the door. Divya moves a bit as the knock wakes her up. 

    "Coming mom", I try to get up which makes Divya open her eyes too. She immediately leaves me and makes a distance. I glance at her for a second and walk towards the door.

   "Divya woke up?", mom asks, holding a tray of tea as I open the door. I shake my head and take the tray from her.

   "Tell her to get ready properly. Some neighbours will be here to see her after breakfast", she smiles at me and leaves. 

I walk into the room again and put the tray on the table. Divya comes out of the washroom and we share casual eye contact.

   "Tea", I point at the tray and head to the closet.

   "You still prefer half spoon of sugar?", she asks me, reaching out the tray. Every time she makes me realize that she has been loving me for the last 5 years it freaked me out.

   "No. I prefer a whole spoon now", I lie. I still can't have much sugar but I want to let her know that I'm not the same Karan she loved. Now, she knows nothing about the new ME. I take out my clothes and go to the washroom. 

I come out after 5 minutes and find her waiting for me.

   "Come fast. It's already getting cold", she says, stirring the tea. 

   "You didn't need to wait for me", I throw a blank look and take a cup.

As soon as I take a sip, it bangs inside my mouth. So sweet! I can't handle this much sweet. My reaction automatically changes and I can't take another sip. Meanwhile, Divya holds the cup.

   "Give it to me. I know it's very sweeter for you", she says in a blank tone.

   "No. Thanks!", I don't leave the cup. "I told you my taste has changed and I can handle sweet now"

   "Karan! You don't need to prove anything to me. I know you can't drink this. Leave it", she raises her voice and pulls the cup and suddenly it splashes on her hand.

   "Aahhhh!", she cries out.

   "Divya!", I immediately hold her hand, being panicked. She is hissing in pain as tears start rolling down from her eyes. I don't waste a second and run outside. Making my way to the kitchen, I rush inside where my mom and my aunty are preparing breakfast.

   "What happened Karan?", mom asks as I hurriedly go near the refrigerator.

   "Divya burnt her hand", I blurt out while finding some ice cubes.

   "What? How?", mom exclaimed.

   "She dropped tea", I tell her, taking the ice cubes and run towards my room as I hear mom instructing me to apply ointment also. 

I hear her hissing in pain from outside. 

  "Is it burning badly?", I reach to her and grab her hand, placing an ice cube on the burnt area.

  "Ahh", she sobs, looking at her wound.

  "I told you to leave it. But you have become so stubborn Divi", I spit out, not realizing that I called her 'Divi'

I look at her as I don't hear her hissing in pain anymore. Surprisingly, I find her smiling at me.

   "Why are you smiling? I haven't praised you", I mutter.

   "But you called me 'Divi'", she beams. Our eyes bump into each other. 

   "Let me bring the ointment", I ignore her statement and reach the closet to find an ointment. I don't find it as I hardly get burnt. This girl has become very stubborn which she was not. There was a time when she used to accept everything I would say. She listened to me, she obeyed me. Now, she seems not to be interested in my views at all. While thinking all this, I finally find the ointment and get back to her. 

Her hand turned red, I can figure out though she has worn Mehendi. I hold her hand gently and apply ointment on her skin. She hisses again. However, this time I blow air on her wound through the mouth.

  "Don't wash it for a few hours", I instruct her and she shakes her head.

  "Thank you"

  "That's not needed. I did it just because…", I stop. 

  "You did it just because…?", she raises her eyebrows to know the rest of the statement.

  "Nothing"

  "No. It's not nothing. There's something, Karan. Till last night you didn't want to see my face. Now you're being worried about my wound. Why is that? What is that?", she urges. How can I answer her when I don't know what it is?

  "Is it your concern or guilt?", she asks me in a firm voice. Her question surprises me, taking me back to the past. The word 'guilt' has pinched me hard. I can't figure out what to say. 

  "Guilt for burning my hand", she adds. I become normal as soon as she says the last line. She really meant the incident which happened just now. 

  "Oh! Yes", I tell her.

  "What did you assume?", she raises her eyebrows. I glance at her for a moment and again move away. 

  "I was not assuming anything. You were overthinking", I oppose though the truth is I was assuming something bigger. She is about to say some but I don't let her. "Mom told you to get ready. There will be another ritual", I made a dirty look. 

  "Why do you look so pissed?", she asks me.  

  "Because I don't like all these useless rituals. You'll be seated like a showpiece among the ladies who will come to see your face and judge your looks", I shrug.

  "I'm used to it, Karan", she grins. "I'm used to being a showpiece. It doesn't trouble me now"

Her words are triggering me hard every time. She leaves me with no words when I have a lot of things to do. By the time, she opens her bag and takes out some new sarees. 

  "Which one should I wear?", she immediately switches her mind and takes two sarees in each hand. One is orange and another one is golden. Those have more details but I don't trouble my eyes to examine it and focus on the colour only.

  "It's your choice. Why are you asking me?", I pass a blank look and pull out my formals to wear.

  "Because you're my husband", she exclaims, looking at me. I better ignore this topic.

  "I think the golden one is better", she says, not getting an answer from me and peeks at me. "Are you going somewhere?", she rolls her eyes when she saw me wearing my formals. 

  "Yes. Office", I tell her, buttoning my shirt.

  "Office? But today is the first day after our marriage", she utters, looking at me in disbelief.

  "A marriage which I'm not interested in", I turn back.

  "There's no value of your choice after the wedding. You need to accept the truth", she almost yells at me being furious. "It could be fair you said this before marriage"

  "But I didn't know it was you", I tell her in a calm voice, looking at the mirror. I can see her anger-filled face through the mirror. 

  "That's not my fault, Karan", she grumbles.

  "I know. And I'm not blaming you", I turn back to her after getting ready for office.

  "But you're punishing me by doing all this. Why can't you accept the fact? I know it's tough for you. But it won't be easy if you don't try to make it easy. You're not even  trying"

   "What do you want me to try?", I raise my eyebrows.

   "To work on our relationship. I told you before"

   "And I told you before that it's impossible"