Married To A Stranger

Sreesha Pov:

“Do you still love him?” He asked using his cold voice.

Do I still love him?

‘Eww, why are you even thinking about it?’ My brain chided.

‘To give him what he deserves?’

‘Please don’t tell you’re planning to hug him and say ‘No, Karthik. I love you and only you’ like in those daily soaps’ I rolled my eyes at her stupidity.

‘Of course not! Do I look like a daily soap heroine or something? ‘

‘Now stop talking and get back to work. Teach him how to control his stupid mouth’

‘Finally! We agreed on something ‘

‘Yeah, yeah don’t get used to it’

I slowly slipped out of his grip and took a pillow and started hitting him. He was startled by the way I reacted, but can you blame me? He was the one who asked that ridiculous question. I hit him using all my strength, but it is of no use, he is way stronger than me. So, the next thing I know I was throwing a comb, at him followed by all the things on the vanity table.

When I find a sharp object all I said was ‘RUN’. And he did. I chased him downstairs and we ended up in the kitchen. I smirked when I realised we’re in the kitchen.

Kitchen, the place where everything can be used as a weapon. Even a spatula can be a weapon if you want.

So, I took a spatula in my hands and waiting patiently for him to notice me. When I saw the look on his face, I smirked satisfied and begin tapping my foot feigning impatience.

Let me tell you, it was quite a scene to scare the shit of your husband.

And I’m actually doing it now.

I blame it on mom!

She was the one who spoiled me.

Yeah! Like you haven’t made Ved’s life living hell when he manhandled Manoj.

I literally cringed at the thought of him. He was not worth being in my memories too.

God, I despise him a lot.

”What the hell is going on here?” dad’s voice boomed around the kitchen.

Uh-oh

The question is…

What the hell Am I going to say?

Karthik glanced at dad and sighed in relief. He looked at him like dad was his Knight in the Shining Armour.

Yeah, right!

“Dad, save me from her” he cried out. Dad looked at him and then me, his curved into a half-smile.

“And why would I? When you never saved me from your mom’s wrath? What did you do to get on her bad side anyway?” dad said amused by the scene in front of him.

He said what?

‘Looks like mom had dealt with dad the same way before. Hmm, maybe it’s not a one-time thing thou..’

I just slipped the spatula in its place while Karthik is glaring at him and sent my infamous (not so) Angelic smile to dad which I mostly use on Tej and Ved when I wanted something.

He gave me a ‘you’re-anything-but-angel’ look.

Hey, one can try, right?

“What the hell happened to my house” mom’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Ah! Nothing they are just playing” dad said smirking.

Playing?

‘Yeah, you played with his life a few minutes ago… just search your memory I’m sure you’re not Ghajini or something ‘ a voice mocked me from the back of my head.

But being a very polite person, I was, chose to ignore it.

“Playing?” She threw a confused look at my dad.

“Yeah! More like Sreesha playing with our son’s life like you did with mine ” he said smirking at Karthik.

Oh no!

The look on her face was indeed scary.

“Excuse me? Did you just say I played with your life?” My mom asked narrowing her eyes at dad.

Please tell me she’s not mad at me. Please god, she can be scary if she wants to.

“No dear, Sreesha here just chasing our son with a spatula in her hand. Looking at our son’s position she did hit him more than once. Look at the way they’re panting, only the experienced person can say how much he ran for his life” he said winking at mom.

“How dare you to hit my son?” My mom’s voice boomed around the kitchen.

I literally shivered, listening to her voice which she never used on me before.

“Alone?”

Wait, what?

”You could’ve called me for help or at least recorded it for me” She said winking at her.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Here is the mom I know.

Umm the offer is really tempting thou…

“Domestic violence is too much in this house” my dad mumbled and Karthik nodded in agreement.

She took one threatening step towards, but a buzz interrupted my fun. The buzz indicates someone was here to meet us.

But its almost 11 pm?

Who might it be?

Mom attended the intercom and gave permission to the person to enter the house.

“I’ll go get Veni, you attend the door,” mom said before leaving to fetch Veni.

Veni? But why?

I went to the door and came face to face with a man I never met with a crying baby in his hands.

Wait, what?

A baby?

It’s none other than Aadhya. Oh my!

”Give her to me” I practically snatched the baby from him and tried to calm her down a little, but no luck.

She might be looking for her mother. Poor baby! I wish I has some experience dealing with infants. I heard voices behind me, more like Karthik apologizing for my rudeness and invited him in.

“I’m sorry” I mumbled to Aadhya’s father. He just nodded.

He seems like he is in his late twenties. He was looking at his daughter with a lot of pain in his eyes. I take a good look at him, he looks like a mess with beard and eyes was red, dominating his natural eye colour. It’s already hard on his part to lose his wife, dealing with a 3-month-old baby added more misery to his life I guess.

The baby cries are loud now, I failed to make her stop crying.

Maybe I’m not good enough to have kids for myself, maybe I would be a bad mother to my kids.

When I was deep in thoughts, a crying Veni stood in front of me. I passed Aadhya to her and she started rocking her chest after placing the baby in her lap, surprisingly she stopped crying and smiled at Veni.

I envied and admired her at the same time.

Karthik and dad looking at her admiringly while mom smiling at her proudly.

Am I that bad in dealing with kids?

“Can I have a word with you… alone?” the nameless guy said looking at us. Mom and dad left to their room.

“Sree, umm wait for me in the kitchen while I talk to him… please” she looked vulnerable. I wish I knew what the real problem was, so I might help her and took away all her pain. I want my old Veni back, who was like a rock when I needed her. I want to play the same role for her, all I want is, for her to open up to me. She was bottling up all her emotions which is not good for her.

Trust me, I know how it feels.

“Okay” I gave her a small smile before leaving them alone.

I don’t know why, but all I think about is Aadhya. If I couldn’t make a baby to stop crying, how the hell I would be a good mother to my children.

What if I fail as a mother too?

“I know what you’re thinking Sree, don’t think negatively,” Karthik said following me into the kitchen.

“Pfft… I don’t know what you’re talking about” I tried to act normally but my voice cracked a little at the end.

Stupid Sree, get a grip on your emotions.

“Sree, you’re not bad at dealing/ taking care of kids, That baby is used to Veni I guess. So please don’t overthink about this” he said cupping my cheeks with his palms.

“O-okay” I mumbled kissing his palm lightly.

What would I do without him?

He was the best ever thing that happened to me.

I’ll be forever indebted to Tej for selecting him for me.

One look at his eyes is all it takes me to fell into his trance. It’s like he just cast a spell on me.

Isn’t it a crime to be this handsome?

Maybe not!

If it is, he would’ve been in jail since forever.

He slowly started leaning in, my eyes fluttered closed. I couldn’t look at him without blushing like a tomato, to which he teases even more than he already has.

I felt him placing his lips on my left eye and then on right, and then on the nose which I scrunched a little when it tickled and then a long lingering one on my forehead, A few sloppy kisses on both the cheeks and then-

A throat clearing interrupted us, he cursed under his breath and left the kitchen nodding at Veni. Aadhya is still with her.

“Umm I don’t know how to tell you Sree, but will you sign as a witness in my marriage?” She mumbled not looking at my eyes.

She said what?

What is the date today? It must be April 1st. But its June!!!

“What?” I yelled, she glared at me showing the sleeping baby in her arms.

“I’m getting married to Arjun for baby”