CHAPTER-4

Sameer and Naina reached Delhi at noon. Naina was amazed witnessing his apartment. So much classy and luxurious. It shows his taste and what he likes.

Naina was staring at every corner very curiously. It was the first time she came to Delhi. And saw a big building in her life. 

Sameer's apartment was on the 20th floor. So they came with the elevator. When she get into the elevator for a minute she got scared.

It's her first time. It's normal for a girl like her who came here from a small village and it's her first experience.

"Come. Why are you standing here like a statue? As you have never seen an apartment before."

When Sameer came from his room keeping his luggage he found Naina standing where he left her some minutes ago. Naina didn't budge from her place.

Naina was lost in examining the apartment so she didn't hear what Sameer said to her.

"Naina, are you there or slept in the standing position like a horse." He chuckled and said.

"Huh!." Hearing Sameer's voice she came from her dream world. She was dreaming of their happy married life in this apartment. In reality, it is far away from happening.

"Ohh! I had almost forgotten that you don't understand English. Sorry, from now on I'll talk to you in Hindi only. Is it okay?"

He apologized for using English words and asked in the Hindi language if that was okay for her. And she simply nodded her head in yes which was covered with the veil. She was wearing a white color ghagra and pink color choli with a white-colored dupatta which was designed with pink color thread and glasses.

"Come with me. I'll show you your room. Don't flatter yourself, I'm not taking you to my room. You'll say in another room."

He said in the Hindi language and took her suitcase with him and led her to her new room.

Naina followed him like an obedient child.

"This is your room. From now on you will live here." He showed Naina her new room placing her suitcase in a corner. 

"I've got this room cleaned for you." She again gives him a nod.

"Today Reshma is not coming because her son is ill. There is no food available at home. And I'm starving. What do I do now?"

He murmured under his breath.

"You go and freshen up, I'll make you something to eat."

She said to him in her village language and in a very low tone which is only audible to him as he was standing beside her.

"You?" He exclaimed in a surprised tone. And then continue.

"Do you even know how to cook here? There is no soil stove here like in your village. It's a gas stove. And You know how to operate an electric machine? So don't talk nonsense. I'll order some food online."

He said in Hindi while rolling his eyes and started going towards the exit.

But stopped listening to her voice.

"I can. You don't have to order online. Trust me I won't let you down."

She said in her usual soft and low tone in her village language.

"Really?" He made a doubtful expression but give her permission to use his kitchen and made lunch for both of them.

After getting freshened up he came to the dining room following the tasty aroma of lunch which was made by his newly wedded wife.

He sat on the chair and looked at the dishes and then look at her with surprise. How does she make these dishes within a few minutes?

"Tell me the truth. Did you make this?"

He asked her in Hindi with a doubtful expression. And she nodded her head yes.

"When I asked something, give me your answer in words. Don't just shake your head like this."

He said in Hindi with annoyance while shooking his head and started stuffing a spoonful of rice in his mouth. She made Rajma chawal, roti, aloo ki sabji, and daal for him. As she doesn't know what he likes or what not? So she made both roti and rice.

Naina was still standing there beside Sameer instead of having her meal.

"Umm!! The taste is Amazing. Delicious." Sameer appreciates her cooking skill while moaning.

Suddenly he noticed, that Naina hadn't started eating her meal and stood like a typical Indian wife. He rolled his eye getting annoyed by her act.

"Are you giving an evil eye to my food?"  He asked in Hindi raising his one eyebrow.

"No!" She shook her head right to left and replied in words as he strictly told her to express herself in words.

"Then why are you standing here? Sit and have your meal."

He scold her in Hindi and said her to sit and have her lunch. But how can she have her lunch with him? According to her village tradition, she can't have her meal with her husband. After finishing his meal she can have her meal. So she remained stood beside him what her Masi sa has taught her.

"I can't have food with you. Only can have after you."

She told him in her sweet voice.

Sameer palmed his face getting irritated.

"Go to hell. Don't know  from where you people bring these nonsense traditions."

He said a little bit angrily shooking his head.

After him, Naina also had her lunch.

Naina was washing the plates when Sameer came to the kitchen to say something to her.

"Listen." He called her and she stopped working and spin nervously to look at him.

"I'm behaving nicely with you so don't think that I have changed my mind. You are just my Pitaji and Maa sa's Daughter in law. And for me, you are only...Umm."

Suddenly he stopped and started thinking something. Then again continued

"Only a servant. I have done deciding. You wanted to live a life of luxury by marrying me, didn't you? But it is a matter of sadness that I am going to shatter all your dreams." He says viciously

"Even though I am letting you stay in this house. Providing you with food. You will not get all this for free. For this, you will have to work hard.  Without hard work, we can't get anything in this world.  So you have to work hard too."

He leaned on the kitchen slab and continued.

"I have dismissed Reshma to work here. From now on you'll do all the household chores. Got it? So how are you feeling about this wonderful gift from your husband on the first day?"

He asked her with a smirk.

"What's the problem with that? I'll do it. It's not new for me. I'm used to doing such works."

She said in her village language and started doing her work.

"Listen, you greedy girl. Stay within your limit. And don't you dare show this attitude of yours to me again. What you have done in your village, it's none of my business. And don't you ever try to trick me. I'm not going to fall for it."

Pointing his forefinger at her he warned her.

He passed a card to her which was his credit card. "Don't keep wasting my money unnecessarily. It's my hard work money. It takes a lot of effort to earn money."

  He took her hand and placed it on her palm. And she holds it.

"Well, Just tell me one thing,  how did you get ready for this marriage?  Have you ever seen your face in the mirror? Have you thought even once about how would you look with me?" He resented the fact.

"One should think about the match of their children wisely. Here I'm a well-educated, abroad returned guy, and you... Such an idiot, uncivilized, illiterate. Look at me and my handsome personality, and you... Such a..." 

He left a few words left to be spoken, but those left out words hold more than enough.

He said making an eww face and observing her from head to toe.

Saying that on her face he went out from there leaving a broken soul there.

NAINA

He left for his office after saying those words to me. I feel something wrong with me. I hear something shattering inside me which was already broken.

It's my heart that has gone through so much but is still beating. It was dead last night when he said those words to me. Now also today he said many worst words to me. Why?

Am I  looking like a gold digger or Meanie who get married to him for his money?

Kunwar sa I love you a lot that's why I didn't say a single word to oppose you. But don't think that I can't.

In our culture, we have to obey what our husbands say to do. And I'll also do what you have told me.  And I'll prove to you one day that I'm not a gold digger or meanie. One day I'll for sure.

After finishing my work in the kitchen I proceed to my new room to arrange my clothes in the wardrobe. I keep my all things and lay down on the bed to take a nap. I am very tired because of today's long journey.

At night I make dinner and serve it on the dining table and get back to my room, instead of having my dinner.

I don't want to show my face to him as he doesn't like to see me in front of him but he loves to eat food made by me. Wow!!!  A bitter laugh left my mouth.

I have not had my dinner as my stomach is full after getting so much from him. Sleep is far away from my eyes. Each word is roaming in my head all the time.

The next morning I wake up early as I have to search for a Temple here.  And fortunately, I find it after walking so long way. Shiv Temple. 

Here in Delhi near his apartment, I just find only Shiv Temple. So I do my prayers and get back to his home quickly as I have to make breakfast for him.

His home. I mention it because that is not my home. As he has already told me that I'm nothing for him only a servant.

Then how do I claim that his home is mine? In reality, he is not mine. He is someone else's whom he loves, his type. I'm not his type.

I reach home before he wakes up. Hastily I make breakfast for him and heed to his room to find out if he wakes up or not?

However, he is wide awake and talking on the phone with someone. And I feel curious to hear his conversation when I listened to him talking about the interview for an architect.

I press my ear more on the door trying to hear his conversation more clearly.

They are going to conduct mass recruitment for freshers and aspirants in different fields. I have been listening to his conversation suddenly I fall to the ground and got hurt.

In his conversation, I have been lost somewhere in deep thoughts so I do not realize when he finished and opened the door.

"What the hell?  What are you doing here?"

He yells at me as always. When he sees me in front of him, he does one common thing just yells at me.

Thank God my veil has not0 been removed from my face. Pulling my veil more to hide my face I stand up.

He caught me red-hand that I have been secretly listening to his conversation.

"Say it Dammit. What are you doing here? Ohh! Sorry. I think you have not understood what I'm saying."

At first, he yells at me in his usual style. But when he realized he was talking with me in English he apologized

"Madam, what're you doing here?"

He says in Hindi to mock me.

Who the hell told him that I'm uneducated?