Chapter 1
Zoya's steps faltered as she looked into his eyes, which were filled with hatred. His contempt for her sister, her family, her was mentally jarring. She knew every time he looked at her he saw her sister and her betrayal. Zoya herself was torn between mourning over her sister's death and hating her for her infidelity. Her gaze dropped down in shame for her sister's actions, in front of the man she had called Jiju for the past 4 years. All she wanted to do was run away and never look back but the tiny soul in her Ammi's arms stopped her.
Zara had been 7 months pregnant when the accident occurred and had died giving birth to the baby prematurely. After the incident, both the Siddiqui's and Arora's saw it fit that Aditya and Zoya be married to ensure Raina didn't grow up without a mother. Both the families were shielded from the truth of Zara's infidelity but Aditya had made sure Zoya knew. He made sure that she knew this marriage was a compromise that he was only willing to fulfill for his daughter. He'd never act as a husband towards her; he'd never shower with affection; he'd never love his cheating wife's sister.
With shaking hands Zoya signed the marriage papers and tried her best to hide her tears. She could feel his scorching gaze targeting her - marking her as his prey. She knew his anger was a force to be reckoned with as she had been on the receiving end of it for the past few weeks. He never gave up the chance to taunt her for her sister's actions, to question her character. She had cried more tears due to his aggressiveness rather than over her sister's death. Her Aapi had been her role model all her life but all the morals she had learned from Zara were as compromised as her character. Zara's actions had rendered her mute in front of Aditya. She didn't have the heart nor the strength to fight against his contempt.
After they had finished signing the papers, both their families expressed their relief with as much happiness as they could muster, given the circumstances. Zoya just wanted to go home and bury herself under mounds of sheets to cover herself from all the pain. Every time Aditya looked at her with hatred, a little part of her died inside.
The drive back home was filled with silence and tension. Her palms were sweaty and body quivering from just thinking about how Aditya will react once they're alone. He hadn't been forgiving towards her and this marriage had just thrown more fuel towards his fire. He hadn't spoken a word to her all day but she knew it was just his calm before the storm.
Once they reached his - their bedroom. Zoya quickly turned to go change into her pajamas. The day's events had mentally and physically exhausted her and she was ready to curl up in bed.
