22 ~ Who is Samaira? #3
My father tried again, but before I could say anything, Kartik stepped in and touched their feets.
"Kaise hai aap dono." He asked.
(How are both of you?)
They smiled saying they are fine.
I scoffed.
Ofcourse.
Mumma asked about my health. I kept my mouth shut looking everywhere but them.
"Everything is fine," he said calmly. "Chahat bhi theek hai. Dadi aur baaki sab uska poora khayal rakh rahe hain. Aap log tension mat lijiye."
(Chahat is doing fine, too. Grandma and everyone is taking good care of her. You all don't need to worry.)
I scoffed. "Tension?"
I looked at my parents, bitterness spilling into my voice.
"Inhe meri ya meri behen ki parwah hoti toh hum dono ki zabardasti shaadi nahi karvate. Accha hua Mukti chali gayi... kam se kam apni marzi ki life toh jee rahi hai."
(If they actually cared about me or my sister, they wouldn't have forced us into marriages. At least Mukti left... she's living the life she chose.)
My mother's eyes immediately filled with tears.
She reached for my hand but I pulled it away. "Aap please ye drama mat karo. Mujhe pata hai aapko mujhse zyada Samaaj ki parwah hai."
(Please don't do this drama. I know you're more concerned about society than you are about me.)
"Chahat..." Kartik quietly caught my hand, his fingers closing around mine as if asking me to stop.
I looked at him for a moment then at my mother.
She blinked away her tears.
I couldn't bear to see it.
I pulled my hand free and walked away, leaving all of them behind.
I had barely reached the bar counter when a woman approached me.
She was wearing a saree draped rather boldly, with a revealing blouse that drew attention to her figure. Her eyes travelled over me before she gave me a vicious little smile.
"To tum ho Kartik ki wife?" she mocked.
(So, you're Kartik's wife?)
I slowly turned towards her. "Excuse me..."
Her eyes travelled over me from head to toe before she looked back at my face and smirked.
"I'm Samaira," she introduced herself, clearly expecting me to recognize the name.
"Maine poocha kya?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.
(Did I asked?)
She clenched her teeth.
Her gaze shifted towards Kartik, who was still speaking with my parents.
The moment his eyes landed on me, he excused himself and walked towards us.
Samaira's expression immediately changed.
She turned towards him, stepped closer and deliberately placed her hand against his chest.
"Kartik..."
I immediately turned towards a guest who had come to speak to me, pretending to listen to whatever she was saying.
But my attention wasn't there. My eyes kept drifting back to them.
Kartik removed Samaira's hand from his chest, his jaw tightening.
"Yahan kya kar rahi ho?" His voice was low and clipped.
(What are you doing here?)
"Main yahan tumhare liye aayi hoon..."
(I came here for you...)
His teeth clenched. "Dimag theek hai tumhara?"
(Are you out of your mind?)
"Maine tumhe kitne call kiye..."
(How many times did I call you...)
"Shut the fuck up." His voice dropped dangerously. "Don't you dare act as if there's something between us."
Samaira's eyes turned desperate.
"I love you, Kartik..."
"Don't take my name!" She flinched.
He continued, "And how dare you come here and create a scene? Get lost before I call security."
"Kartik... please..."
"I don't entertain whores like you at my house. Understood?" He said coldly.
My breath caught.
I stared at him.
Whore?
He had said it so casually. So coldly. As if reducing a woman to a degrading word was nothing.
My eyes shifted towards Samaira.
Who was she?
Had they been together before me?
His expression carried the same arrogance I had seen before, the belief that a man's reputation mattered more, that women were expected to behave according to the rules set by men, and that a woman who crossed those rules deserved humiliation.
Then he turned away without another word and walked towards the hallway.
Samaira immediately followed him. I tried to ignore it.
I really did. But something inside me wouldn't let me.
"Excuse me," I murmured to the guest before quietly following them.
By the time I reached the hallway, they were gone.
I looked around, confused.
Where had they gone?
Then, after a few moments, a door opened and Samaira stepped out
She was fixing her dress, smoothing her saree and hurriedly adjusting her hair.
My feet stopped.
Before I could process what I was seeing, Kartik stepped out of the same room correcting his collar.
He immediately looked around the hallway, his expression tense, almost as though he was making sure nobody had seen them.
My eyes widened.
I couldn't breathe.
What the hell had happened in that room?
Hello everyone!
I'll be trying to give daily updates at 10 PM. I've kept this timing so I can use the day to write, edit, and polish the chapter before posting it at night.
I'll genuinely try my best to update every day, but if I miss an update sometimes due to a hectic schedule, please cooperate and bear with me.
10 PM = Update time.
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