12 | Where Respect Matters
"Respect came before love. Understanding came before feelings. Maybe that's why their story felt different." ??
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I was already sitting inside the car, talking to my secretary and making sure the gifts and sweets had been arranged properly.
Then I saw her walking toward me.
For a moment, I forgot what I was saying.
Avantika was wearing a pinkish-red Banarasi saree, traditional jewelry, a small bindi, light lipstick, kajal, dark red sindoor, and her mangalsutra.
Everything was perfect.
Yet somehow, it was her simplicity that stole my breath.
Maybe people were right when they said simplicity was the purest form of beauty.
At least when it came to my wife.
I quickly got out of the car and opened the passenger door for her.
For a short while, I wanted to offer my hand so she could hold it while getting in.
But I couldn't.
The courage simply never came.
After she settled into her seat, I closed the door and walked around to the driver's side.
I started the car.
I didn't want any driver between us today.
A few minutes later, she frowned while looking outside.
"This isn't the way to my house."
I glanced at her.
"Hm? What happened?"
"We're not going home."
I smiled.
"We're going to the office first. I asked my secretary to arrange a few things."
Her entire face lit up instantly.
"Vardan Group?"
I couldn't help smiling at her excitement.
"Yes."
Then I added,
"And soon you'll be working there too."
As those words left my mouth, she completely turned toward me.
"Really?"
The excitement in her voice was impossible to miss.
I found myself admiring her again.
"Really."
"Who'll take my interview?" she asked immediately.
I laughed.
"Who interviews the boss?"
She looked confused.
Of course she did.
She wanted the job because she earned it, not because she carried the Vardan name.
"I'll take your interview."
"I heard there are people specifically hired for interviews. Since when do you do them?"
I stopped the car outside the company building.
"There are."
I got out and walked toward her side.
"But they're not qualified enough to interview my wife."
"Oh."
She was already half out of the window, staring at the building like an excited child.
"This is where the finance department works?"
"Yes."
I immediately moved closer.
"Careful. You're going to fall."
She ignored my warning completely.
"What else comes under Vardan Group?"
"Stock market. Finance."
I started counting.
"AI solutions, NGOs, hospitals, orphanages, foundations, malls..."
She gasped.
"So many?"
"You'll see everything eventually."
Then I pointed toward the building.
"First become healthy again."
She nodded absentmindedly before asking another question.
"What position will I get?"
Before she could lean out any further, I carefully held her by the waist and lifted her out through the car door like she weighed nothing.
Her eyes widened.
"So?"
I smirked.
"I'll appoint you as CEO."
She stared at me.
Completely shocked.
At the same time, my secretary and several staff members arrived and started loading gifts and sweets into the truck.
"Why?" she asked.
I looked away.
"I'm tired of handling both Chairman and CEO positions."
Dad doesn't want to and...
Then I stopped.
Because I couldn't say the next name.
The position should never have been mine alone.
It doesn't matter how many years I have worked on this.
A painful look crossed her face.
"And Abhimanyu?"
My breathing stopped.
Without answering, I simply turned around and got back into the car.
For a few moments, she stood there silently.
Then she quietly returned to her seat.
The rest of the drive passed in suffocating silence.
Finally, we reached her parents' house.
I got out immediately and walked toward her side, but before I could open the door, she had already stepped out herself.
I went toward the truck to unload the gifts.
By then, her parents and younger brother had already come outside.
Both of us bent down together to take their blessings.
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Finally. We were home.
Raghav ran toward me and hugged me tightly.
"Didi! I missed you so much."
I hugged him back instantly.
"I missed you too."
Mom and Dad stepped forward. Avyukt and I both touched their feet together.
The guilt in Dad's eyes was still there. The same guilt I saw every day in Avyukt's father's eyes.
What surprised me was that Avyukt remained bent down respectfully while waiting for their blessings. Mom blessed me, but not him. And for some reason... I didn't like that. At all.
I immediately looked at her.
"Maa."
She understood my meaning instantly and placed her hand on Avyukt's head.
Raghav grabbed my hand.
"Come on, Didi."
As soon as he started pulling me inside, I stopped him.
"Touch your jiju's feet first."
He made a face. My expression immediately hardened.
"Didn't you hear me?"
Avyukt tried to ease the awkwardness.
"It's okay. Really."
I turned toward him.
"I wasn't talking to you."
He immediately fell silent.
Mom was staring at me, probably because I wasn't usually this demanding, commanding, or aggressive.
I looked back at Raghav.
"You're still standing there."
At last, he bent down.
The moment he did, Avyukt tried to stop him.
I instinctively caught Avyukt's wrist.
Both of us froze for a second.
"He's four years younger than me and eight years younger than you."
I looked at Raghav.
"He can hug me."
Then I looked at Avyukt.
"But he should show you proper respect."
Avyukt simply stared at my hand still resting on his wrist.
Realizing it, I quickly let go.
He quietly turned away.
"I'll unload the sweets and gifts."
Before he could leave, I took the keys from his hand and gave them to Raghav.
"You go."
Raghav immediately ran toward the truck.
Avyukt followed me inside instead.
No, I hadn't accepted this marriage.
And no, I wasn't in love with him.
But I also didn't like seeing people disrespect him while he tolerated it only because of me.
Mom was about to go to the kitchen when I stopped her.
"It's okay, Maa. We have to visit the temple after this. We won't eat anything."
Then I smiled.
"Just bring us two glasses of water."
She paused.
"Which temple?"
"His family's temple."
"Oh."
Dad was sitting with Avyukt.
Slowly, they had started talking comfortably.
Mom brought the water.
I handed one glass to Avyukt.
He immediately looked at her.
"Thank you."
Then he turned toward me.
"Go pack all your important books and documents."
I blinked.
"Why?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Don't you want to take your final semester exams?"
My eyes widened.
"I completely forgot!"
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
He smiled.
"Well, my CEO can survive without a degree too."
I laughed again.
"So people can say Avyukt Vardan's wife is uneducated?"
His expression turned proud immediately.
"Who has the courage to say anything about my wife?"
The room fell silent.
Everyone was watching us.
Feeling embarrassed, I quickly ran upstairs.
A few minutes later, I returned with all my important books and documents packed.
When I came downstairs, I found Avyukt and Dad talking like old friends.
"Let's go."
He stood up immediately.
"Give those to me."
I handed him the bags.
Together, we walked outside.
He carefully loaded everything into the trunk while I said goodbye to my family.
After taking everyone's blessings one last time, we left for the temple.
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Well it's my opinion...let me know urs,
"Avantika wasn't always demanding, bossy, or childish. Her mother noticed she had become that way over time. Not because she changed for the worse, but because sometimes when someone enters your life who listens to you, cares for you, fulfills your wishes,
and loves you the way you've always wanted to be loved, you naturally become a little more childish, demanding, clingy, and carefree. Not out of immaturity, but because deep down, you know they'll catch you if you fall and handle what you can't."