Chapter - 1
“I’ll be late today, Abhira. Don’t wait for me. Finish your assignments, have dinner and sleep. Theek hai?”
“Okay, dadaji.” Abhira giggled with a nod, combing her hair in front of the mirror.
“Very funny,” Armaan rolled his eyes, as he fastened his wristwatch, “do you want me to get anything while returning?”
“Bring me a family pack of ice cream, butterscotch and chocolate. And noodles packets too, there’s none left in the kitchen.”
The childlike glee on her face made him shake his head in fond exasperation. With a gentle smile that lit up his face, he agreed to her demand and made his way out, recollecting his schedule for the day that was packed between multiple meetings and reading sessions. He was sure there was something shoddy with the Deewan’s which required more digging before accepting their case.
Lost in thoughts, he didn’t notice the person in front of him until it was too late. Startled, Armaan glanced up to see Ruhi’s face glowing in exuberance. He casted his gaze down as quick as his eyes met with hers.
“Good morning, Armaan.” She greeted him cheerfully.
Caught off guard, Armaan forced a tight-lipped smile and mumbled a hurried ‘Good morning’ in return. He quickened his pace, rushing past her while pretending to be engrossed on the phone, desperate to avoid any conversation with her. Especially after having a bright start to his day listening to Abhira’s bhajan.
In the nine months since they had been married, Armaan only saw her argue, and argue some more, provide unique solutions to problems and be her unfiltered self. That she sang just as melodiously as she put forward her views meticulously, took him by pleasant surprise. And Abhira, delighted to continue her mother’s legacy, accepted his request of singing everyday, exclusively for him.
Ruhi shook her head, pursing her lips watching his cold behaviour towards her. “A matter of a few days, Armaan. Tumhari aur Abhira ki nazdeekiyan phir dooriyon mein badal jayegi. And then…then you’ll be mine forever. I can stand for our love even if you can’t.” She smirked to herself, returning to her room.
Abhira’s cheeks flushed with a warm, rosy hue as she reminisced about their moments of togetherness in Mussoorie. Despite their rocky journey, there was an undeniable attraction she felt towards him. It seemed like her heart had quietly accepted their marriage as real one and the thought of spending a lifetime together stirred butterflies in her stomach.
Consumed by his thoughts, she began arranging her laptop and other books in her backpack when she noticed different papers tucked inside. Did Armaan keep it here? She furrowed her brows, contemplating who else other than him might have access to her belongings. Curiosity got the better of her as she pulled it out to read its contents.
Mr Armaan Poddar : Petitioner 1
Ms Abhira Sharma : Petitioner 2
PETITION UNDER SECTION 13B OF THE HINDU MARRIAGE ACT FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE BY MUTUAL CONSENT.
Divorce.
The documents fell down with a gentle rustle before settling on the floor.
The deafening silence in their room magnified the sound of her heart break. Abhira sank to the ground, unfazed by the creases forming on her ironed clothes. Her trembling hands reached out to pick up the document, each word on them piercing through her like a dagger. Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring the words on the page as she struggled to process the reality in front of her.
Why? Why had Armaan kept this from her, resorting to such a cowardly way of hiding them in her bag? How could he have made this decision without even consulting her? Did he detest her presence in his life? Was he tired of taking her responsibility?
Questions. A torrent of questions swirled in her mind, each more painful than the previous one. And answers were known to none except for the person behind these documents. She wished this to be a nightmare, a figment of her imagination that would vanish with morning light.
But reality was cruel, the papers in her hand were all too real. Abhira struggled to hold the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her when she heard the door knock.
“Bhabhi, we’re getting late to the office. Are you ready yet?” Charu stood at the other side of the door, tapping her foot impatiently, making Abhira aware of her presence. If getting stuck in Udaipur traffic was bad, getting reprimanded by their boss for being late was worse. She didn’t want to be stuck in either of the situations.
Abhira wiped her tears in haste, pushing the papers inside her bag before rising up. She dusted her clothes and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the facade she would have to maintain in front of Charu. She couldn’t let her sister-in-law see the turmoil raging within her, couldn’t let her know about the betrayal she just unearthed. It was only her burden to bear and nobody else's.
With a forced smile, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway. “Sorry, I got caught up with a call. Let’s go.” She managed to mumble despite the tremor in her voice.
Fortunately for her, Charu seemed to buy her lie, nodding in understanding. As they made their way to the office, Abhira squared her shoulders, determined to keep away from thoughts related to Armaan and documents.
Though her thoughts kept drifting back to them, she didn’t let them come in between her work. She found herself engrossed in a flurry of tasks and buried under several law books, and the weight of her thoughts seemed to lighted, if only for a fleeting moment. By afternoon, she was proud of herself for managing to finish a huge chunk of her job, reading and jotting down key points for the case she was assisting her boss with.
“May I come in, sir?” Abhira knocked at her boss’ door, receiving a ‘Come in.’
“Yes, Mrs.Poddar. Did you finish the research for our case?” Dev Shekhawat asked, as he looked up from his desk.
“Yes sir, I’ve compiled all the relevant and necessary information in this file.” She handed him the neatly organised documents.
Dev kept the file on his table and offered her a warm smile, “Good work, Abhira.”
“Thank you, sir.” She smiled back, standing in her spot for a few minutes till he looked up and asked again, “anything you want to discuss?”
“I…can I get permission for half day leave, sir? I’m not feeling too well today and I need to take care of some personal matters as well.” She replied hesitantly.
Dev scrutinised her for a moment, noticing the redness and weariness in her eyes, before nodding. “Of course. Take the rest of the day off and take care of yourself.”
“Thank you sir.” Abhira was relieved with his approval. Tracing her steps back to her cubicle, she quickly gathered her belongings and made her way towards Charu.
“Charu, I’m going out due to some work. Here, take the car keys. Have your lunch, alright.”
“Par bhabhi–”
Much to her dismay, her sister-in-law was long gone before she could ask for any explanation.
Something was surely amiss, something she couldn’t put her finger on. Armaan had always been upfront about everything in front of her. That he chose to prepare their divorce papers in secret, hide them in her bag yet be his normal self around her didn’t settle well with her. She couldn’t shake off the sense of unease that enveloped her, nor could she ignore the questions that plagued her mind. And the best way to clear her doubts was to confront him. Abhira knew it wouldn’t be easy, but truth had always been a bitter pill to swallow. It was better to take a bitter medicine and be cured than put yourself at risk by ignoring the illness festering within.
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As always, very interested to hear your feedback. Mention what part of the chapter you liked below, your suggestions as to what could be improved to make the story reading experience better for you guys. Meet you again with the next chapter.
Edited by Nivedita_SS - 7 months ago
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