CHAPTER 11 #2
He leaned back in his chair, his eyes growing distant.
“As I said, my Dad passed away too early. I was barely five… I hardly remember his face. It was my Maa who raised me. She was everything…both parents in one. But when Karan’s parents passed away too, and then my mom a few years later…
” His voice trailed off for a moment. “Life really changed after that.”
Mishti listened quietly, the ache in his tone twisting something in her chest.
Abhimanyu offered her a faint, nostalgic smile.
“You know, even though we lived miles apart in our childhood, Karan bhai and I were inseparable. Every festival, every holiday, we made sure to celebrate together. Either they came to Delhi, or we came to Mumbai. Our families were so close-knit back then… it almost felt like we were living under one roof.”
Mishti smiled. For someone who had spent weeks trying to understand her husband, this was the first real glimpse she got of his past.
“Then why didn’t you come to our wedding?” she asked gently.
“I was in France on an important business deal. I wanted to come, but Karan Bhai didn’t like the idea of me missing work for that. You know how he is — a workaholic to the bone.”
Mishti nodded. How would she tell Abhimanyu that despite being married to his brother, she barely knew him? Every new detail came to her through others like Maria, Rajat, and now him.
The dinner continued with a few more childhood glimpses of the Wadhwa families, after which, the two moved to the living room, where Abhimanyu handed her a few beautifully wrapped boxes.
“These are for you, Bhabhi. My wedding gifts to you both.”
“So many? You shouldn’t have.”
“Of course, I should,” he said with a grin. “If our mothers were alive, they would’ve given you all these…sarees, jewellery, sweets, in true traditional style. I’m just doing what they would’ve done for the daughter-in-law of this family.”
Tears shimmered in her eyes as she accepted the gifts. “Thank you. This means a lot.”
He smiled warmly, but then his eyes softened. “Tell me honestly, Bhabhi… are you happy in this marriage?”
Mishti was shocked. So far, ever since Abhimanyu had arrived, she had pretended to be the perfect sister-in-law, leaving no clues or hints for him to pick up the fact that Karan and her marriage were anything but normal.
“Why would you…ask me that?”
“Because I know my brother can be… difficult. He’s always been. But he’s a good man, deep down. He just doesn’t know how to show it.”
Just difficult? She thought. He was far worse than that.
Mishti’s heart twisted as she remembered every cruel word, every cold glance, every night she’d cried quietly in the dark alone.
Even now, Karan only wanted her in his room to keep up a pretence before his brother.
But looking into Abhimanyu’s hopeful eyes, she couldn’t say that truth.
She forced a smile. “Who said your brother doesn’t know how to show love? He does. Karan iss duniya ke sabse acche pati hain (Karan is the best husband in this world).”
The words left her lips just as Karan entered the living room from the dinner meeting. He froze at the sight of his wife glowing in the lamplight, smiling as she called him the world’s best husband.
Mishti and Abhimanyu had no idea that he was already back home and was overhearing their conversation.
Abhimanyu blinked in disbelief at what he’d just heard. “Wait, what did you say? Karan bhai and the world’s best husband? Really?”
“Yes, he is,” she said gently. “You know, once, I went to the temple while I was fasting. A small shard of glass pricked my foot, and when Karan came to know, leaving all his work behind, he came there just to find me and make sure I was fine. And not just that, he even treated the wound himself.”
Abhimanyu’s brows shot up. “You’re kidding, right? I can’t even imagine him doing that. Karan bhai doesn’t skip a single meeting, even when he’s running a fever.”
Mishti continued telling him more about that day, portraying Karan in a good light.
Karan, who stood a little away from them, at the door, hadn’t expected Mishti to defend him, not when he’d given her nothing but silence, coldness, and rejection.
She was still seeing good in him when all he’d done was push her away. Every single time.
He recalled that day which led to that temple moment…
the flash of panic when he heard her cry out over the phone, the way he had rushed there without a thought, found her sitting on the temple steps in pain, the blood on her foot, the tears in her eyes.
Yes, he had treated her himself, even carried her back home in his arms. But he’d buried that memory, because it didn’t fit into the reason he’d married her.
His mind had tried to reason with him, ever since that day, why did he care?
Why did he show so much concern towards Mishti?
But every time, he had tactfully shut his mind from overthinking about that incident.
Because this wasn’t the kind of relationship he’d ever wanted with her.
Their marriage had no real purpose, nothing beyond the title of husband and wife, bound together only to make someone’s life a living hell.
And yet… for one fleeting second, he had cared back then.
The memory of it burned. The thought of that someone, the reason behind all of this, flared again, fuelling his anger, and he couldn’t bear to hear more.
In two long strides, Karan stormed inside the living room.
“I didn’t know behind that innocent face, my wife could be such a good liar,” he mocked.
Mishti jerked to her feet. Abhimanyu rose too, shocked. Karan’s dark gaze locked on her, every inch of him radiating fury.
“Don’t lie to my brother about how good our marriage is. He already knows I was least interested in this alliance.”
Mishti was speechless. What did he mean by that? Abhimanyu, who was watching them, didn’t like what he heard either.
“Bhai—” he began.
“Stay out of this,” Karan snapped without even looking his way.
Mishti’s throat tightened. “I didn’t lie,” Mishti replied. “I just said what I felt that day at the temple. You did come for me, ignoring all your work. You did care enough to help me that day, to tend my wounds.”
“Oh, please,” he scoffed. “Don’t glorify that moment.
I came there looking for you because I didn’t want a repeat of that hospital incident.
I didn’t want my wife, a Wadhwa, landing in a hospital again and giving people a chance to mock me for negligence.
For not taking care of you. That’s all. Don’t twist it into something emotional. ”
Mishti stiffened. So that was it for him? A fear of public humiliation? Nothing more?
She swallowed, fighting the sting in her eyes, “Fine. But if you’d already told Abhimanyu how uninterested you are in this marriage, then why did you suddenly order me to move into your bedroom today, for his sake?”
The room fell silent. Even Abhimanyu looked between them, confused. Karan’s eyes simmered with a fury she couldn’t read, a pain she couldn’t see, a rage she didn’t understand.
“Because I didn’t want another emotional lecture from him,” he said, jerking his chin toward his cousin. “I knew he’d start with his nonsense… ‘Give Mishti a chance, give this marriage a chance.’ And I had no patience for it.”
“Bhai, you’re crossing a line,” Abhimanyu interrupted. “She doesn’t deserve this.”
Karan turned his gaze briefly to him. “You have no say in my marriage. So, just stay quiet.”
Abhimanyu’s face fell.
Mishti stepped forward despite the tremor in her knees. “Why do you talk like this? Why so much anger? Why do you treat me like this? What have I done to make you hate me so much?”
Karan met her eyes, and something vicious, something broken, flickered in his gaze.
“You exist,” he muttered. “That’s enough.”
Abhimanyu inhaled sharply. “Bhai—”
“I’m done.” Karan loosened his tie angrily. “I’ve had a long day. We’re not discussing this further.”
He turned and headed for the stairs without looking back.
Abhimanyu sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair while Mishti blinked rapidly, refusing to let more tears fall.
“It’s late,” she whispered. “You should rest.”
“But—”
“Please, Abhimanyu,” she said, stepping back.
Before he could step toward her, before he could console her, she turned away swiftly and hurried to her room, closing the door just in time for the tears to finally fall.