Sona's POV:

I jerked up as I pushed him to the ground and my eyes shot open as my heart began pounding wildly disturbing my breathing rate that heaved my chest and let my entire body drench with sweat...

I couldn't find him on the ground...

With those frightened eyes, I glanced at every nook of the room and there was actually no one whereas I wasn't on the bed...

I was on the mat...

Quickly I rushed to the dressing table and glanced at myself...

Neither my forehead was hurt nor the corner of my lips was bleeding...

Hushhhh

It was just a dream...

A deadly dream...

Getting into the washroom I splashed water on my face and let out a long breath of extreme relief...

He won't hurt you

Yes everyone was right about him...

I was judging his character by the words that have been glued to my mind but I am helpless...

I can't trust him within a day of our marriage and I am getting confused with all those rumors and this is not good isn't it??

What would I do to put a full stop to my neverending confusion??

Shall I ask him directly??

No no, I won't...

What if he gets offended...

But this is the quickest and easiest way to learn the truth

I am not sure....

Let's see...

As Arun isr left, I was extremely bored not knowing what to do and at the same time my mouth began yawning continuously as I didn't sleep properly at night with the only haunting thought that he would come in the middle of the night and force himself on me I decided to take a nap...

Locking all the doors I slept peacefully but unfortunately couldn't do so for so long as this dream haunted me to core

I came out of the room and was shocked to see the time...

It was ticking 3...

I took a nap for 5 hours...

Sleepyhead Sona...

I left the main door open and went into the kitchen to gulp some water but as soon as I held the glass my stomach started growling

A plate of Poha made by beast didn't satisfy my hunger and now my poor tummy was crying to get feed

Sorry tummy...I am helpless

I patted my tummy and gulped two glasses of water as I was habituated to this kind of delicious liquid food

I didn't feel it right to cook for myself in his house that too in his absence...

I came out to the living room and was confused again...

What would I do now??

I can't watch the TV too...

And I had no work to do...

I kept looking at his mother's photo and my eyes brimmed up as the image of my mother flashed my eyes...since I was born I have never been away from Maa

What she must be doing??

I don't even have a phone to call her...

We had only one phone and I gave it to her as she stays alone and might need it in emergency

Arun Sir insisted my mother to stay here with us but she politely denied saying people will take it wrong and cook new stories as she is an employee and Sir is the owner

It takes no time for people to link two individuals and tag them with an indescribable disgusting name

She was right too...

Already they have a good history and because of them our civics would be affected too

Urghhhh...

What did just happen in 2 days

I hate my life...

I want to run away from this den...

But I can't...

Thanks to my ugly fate...

Thank you Brahmaji for writing such a fairytale-like fate of mine...

Did you fight with your wife while scribbling my fate??

Or did Vishnu Dev didn't pay you well that you scribbled my page with much irritation...

Why yaar Brahmaji???

You could have solved the issues and then scribble my fate na...

I could have got a good future at least...

But don't you think that you are escaped

Every time I cry over my unfortunate fate I'll curse you with so many bad words that both the ears of your three three big faces will not be able to bear and end up bleeding...

I'll sue you...You teen khopdiwale Babaji (3 heads)

And I miss you Maa...

I cried out and that's when a chirpy voice filled in the air "Tumne Pukara aur hum chale aye" (You called me and I came)

And here comes the kaccha badam wale Kaku...

I must say she watches a lot of movies because the way she sang was as dramatic as a daily soap coconut head wali aunties...

I smiled at her as she entered with a plate covered with another plate as a lid

What did she get now??

Umm, let me guess...

Kaccha Badam...

Or...

No no no

She can't get me a plate of kaccha mangoes and would dramatically say "I want a small Arjun within a year"

Stay away from me kaccha badam wale aunty because I am a pakka badam coated hard and strong with ugly spins of fate

You dumb...talk to her first

"Kaku (Aunty) you at this time...you need something??"

Duffer, she has come with plates so it's obvious that she is here to give you something...why would she need anything??

Shut up...

It's a formality...

"Did you have lunch??" She asked and I hesitantly nodded "Ye..Yes"

"No problem have some more" she chirped as she removed the lid and extended the plate and my mouth immediately turned on its taps...

It was a bhakari vangyacha bharit and bhaat aamti (Jowar Roti smashed brinjal i.e baingan ka bharta rice and daal)

Simple and affordable lunch that I love

But I can't have it

Don't be a beggar Sona...

I masked up my hunger and politely denied "Kaku just now I had food"

"Ag it's ok...actually I am a pretty late I thought you would take time to arrange your stuff and later I'll come to you but you are super fast just like your husband"

I faked a smile while she made me sit on the floor while I kept insisting but then her voice raised "Gap Kha (shut up and eat)...saying no to food is its insult)

I had no other way and gave into her motherly warning

As I kept every bite of the delicious food she went on explaining the recipe and some dos and don'ts in the kitchen stuff

Once I was done I thanked her and she left with a satisfying smile sticking to her lips...

She was too warm and welcoming...

I kinda like her...

I'll pay her back...

But then again I was back to the same question

What would I do now??

Lunch is done and I am definitely not a sleeping panda to sleep every now and then...

So left with nothing I began pacing around the house like a wandering soul

It's a simple 2 BHK with a big terrace and a spacious verandah full of greenery...

The whole house is ample with limited and required furniture...

The verandah too is very well organized with separate rows for vegetables and fruits plants...

There are plants of tomatoes chilies brinjals ladyfinger lemon and coriander mint and curry leaves and a few too

All-day to day useful plants are filled in the verandah but then I had a question

Beast is a gardener too??

Strange...

After the house exhibition, I read a book that I found on the shelf of the hall and at that moment I cursed my dumb head for not packing my books

Time passed and the sun had too set to the west...

I swept the house and enlightening the lamp I offered my evening prayer Shubham Karoti Kalyanam to Bappa that Maa had taught me since childhood

I made dinner with the veggies available in the fridge...rice and daal and kneaded the dough but didn't make chapati to make it fresh when he is back

And a special mention the kitchen too was very well organized that I didn't get any difficulty to find the spices and other ingredients

It was ticking 9 and there was no sign of the homecoming of my beast and I was clouded with fear...

I have never been alone for too long...

I sat on the steps of the main door watching the big sky embellished with a crescent moon and twinkling stars and that's when the sound of a bike roared on the street and I instantly jumped on my feet to open the verandah gate...

He got in with his bike while I locked the gate and before I could reach him he barged into the room leaving me all alone again

Akdu...

I waited for him while the questions went on running in my mind...

Shall I make tea??

Or shall I directly serve the dinner??

Unknowingly my hand got stuffed into my mouth and my nails got bitten with every passing second

It was only me and him in the house...

What if the dream comes true...

I heard morning dreams do come true...

It was afternoon when you were snoring...

But that comes under morning dreams only no...

No you silly girl...

Then ho-

And my argument was obstructed...

The beast was back in his pants busy with his phone

Why doesn't he cover his upper body??

It's for me to see and adore

You close your virgin eyes if you have any problem

Shut up and let me concentrate

Gathering the group of words I made myself ready " Aa-

But before I could utter a word he extended his phone while my brows scrunched for which he nonchalantly answered "your mother"

My face lit up instantly and snatching the phone I jumped onto the verandah like a jumping jack and the moment I heard her voice my soul was at peace

We talked about each other's well being and later she was all busy giving me assignments on being a good wife with constant reminders of 'Don't make Arjun unhappy and don't trouble him

After finishing the call I got into the house and didn't find him in the living room but hearing the sounds I went into the kitchen and there was Mr chef cooking something...

"I already made dinner" I immediately screamed at his back but avoiding my hyena-like yell he went on doing his work...

I walked to him as he was whisking the eggs into the bowl "Only chapatis are left...I'll make it in 5 minutes"

And again as always, he avoided me as if I a mosquito and passed on the chopping board that had a small bunch of coriander on it...

What shall I do with this???

Eat it...

What??

He is making me bali ki bakri (scapegoat) which he will feed first to make it healthy and later cut my neck and eat me...

"Cut it"

His raspy command let my hands hold my neck and gulp audibly hard

Really he said that??

"Cut it"

He commanded again while I looked at him with an expression similar to a one-hour old baby hearing their parents expectations of being a doctor or engineer

"Cut the coriander"

His voice is hoarse as he scrunched his brows...

"Ohhhh" I slapped my forehead as my brain lit up with some sense and laughed at my stupidity, "I thought you are asking me to cut my neck"

"Better cut your tongue" he bluntly said as if his sharp knife-like words themselves were willing to cut my tongue

Akdu...

I chopped the coriander and passed it to him while he poured the batter on the pan asking "You eat non-veg??"

"No I am a pure vegetarian" I asserted and he slightly nodded while I added the further piece of information

"But I eat egg"

And the next second his head snapped at me with a weird expression that I don't know to describe in words...

Pardon me...

"Egg is none vegetarian"

"No it's not...only meat is none vegetarian"

I argued and he shot me a look and this time I know its meaning...

It was...

'Whatever'

Avoiding his look unknowingly I began babbling my stories "You know what when I used to conduct tuitions kids would ask me 'What comes first egg or chicken' then I used to answer chicken then they would cross-question 'why' and I would explain 'you came first or your mommy...your mommy right so in the same way chicken came first as its mommy and egg is a baby...simple"

And I burst out laughing like a mad hyena and after a few seconds when I found his eyes darted on me my laughter died in my mouth itself...

"Ss..sorry"

My head lowered while he passed on an omelet to me and he walked out...

Can't you just control your mouth...

Idiot...

Dumb...

I got a bottle from the fridge and went back to the living room and looking at the scene in front of me my heart speeded up its pace...

There on the teapoy was an alcohol bottle and a glass filled with the same...

He drinks???

So the rumors were right

He is a drunkard...

And drunkards are most dangerous...I know well about them

They drink till they lose their senses and later harm the people around them...

And suddenly a disgusting smell filled in the air and I began coughing and that's when I noticed the cigarette between his fingers...

He smokes too??

I gulped a lump as his beasty face was coming out one after the other...

My coughs went loud and his eyes met mine...

He looked at me for a fraction of a second with those hollow eyes and went out...

He came back after a minute while I took a seat and this time there was no cigarette in his hand...

He switched on the TV and the dhishoom dhishoom sound echoed in the area

Why does he watch that WWF??

To get violent ideas??

Shit!!!

That means...

He will drink and get ideas simultaneously and later he will physically abuse me...

Please no...

My clothes got fisted in my hands while a voice poured into my ears "Drink"

My eyes fixed on him as he bored his eyes into mine while I could read his emotions that screamed 'I won't hurt you' and that's when my heartbeat went normal

His eyes motioned down and I took the bottle from him and without letting my gaze distract I gulped a few sips and moistened my dry throat...

He is a big mystery...

He drinks
He smokes
And then he cares too

What shall I conclude from this??

Just now I decided not to judge him and here he was all drinking and smoking giving new flames to the burning rumors

Shall I trust him or the rumors??

Stop your train and ask him directly...

No I won't...

What if he throws that alcohol bottle on my head??

But to learn the truth you must dare to ask him Sona...

Actually it's right...

It's the only way to clear the havoc of my heart...

I took a deep breath and finally squeezed out the words from my heart

"The rumors about you...are they true??"

******

How will Arjun react??

I honestly don't know what I am writing...this chapter was written yesterday itself but I couldn't convince myself to publish it because of the lost confidence so please ignore the mistakes

And thank you❤