Married To A Stranger

Sreesha POV:

I couldn’t help but glance at him every now and then. He was stirring the gravy with ease. I can tell this is not the first time in the kitchen. He knew the exact places of the ingredients. I couldn’t stop admiring the way he sauntered around the kitchen, to each cabinet, picking the ingredients, vessels. I am a big fan of men, who knew their way around the kitchen and can make some drool-worthy dishes.

The tantalizing aroma of chole paneer masala assaulted my nostrils. My hunger for food doubled by just looking at it.

Don’t judge me, I love food.

I’m not someone to calculate carbs in everything I eat. I just love food. Period.

He was almost done with whatever he was doing while I’m still slicing the vegetables for a salad. It’s not my fault to be distracted by his cooking skills.

Cooking skills? Or to drool over the way he’s flexing muscles while he was working?

I did not look at his flexing muscles. I was just admiring his skills in the kitchen.

Or the way his chest rises and falls with every deep breath he takes?

I did not look at his perfectly shaped body!

How do you know it is perfectly shaped when you did not get a chance to get a glimpse of it? And you have the ‘decency’ to say you’re not drooling over him.

I’m not drooling over him! And you did not need to get a glimpse of his skin to know he has a perfect body. Can’t you see the way his shirt hugged him like a second skin? He is perfect. Can’t you see the outline of those 6 abs? Actually, I need to google to search for the strongest synonym for the word ‘perfect’ to compare him.

And she says, she wasn’t looking at him and the wetness at the corner of her lips is not drool at all.

Being the stupid I am, I touched at the corner of my lips only to realize I was tricked.

I was tricked by my own conscience.

I need help!

“Sreesha!” Startled, I looked around for any potential threat. The knife in my hand was yanked away by Karthik, who has a troubled look on his face. The next second his eyes darkened with anger.

What did I do now?

How can he change his emotions in just a flick of a second? It is so unfair!

“Do you have any idea what you were going to do?” He yelled I shivered at the intensity of his voice. It reminded me of something. My mind started playing the glimpses of my past where my father yells at me every time I make a mistake.

“It was my fault to ask you to help me. You almost cut your finger. Why are you zoning out every freaking minute of your life? Can’t you do one thing properly? You’re not allowed to the kitchen anymore” I wasn’t listening to him anymore. Slowly his voice fades away replacing it with my father’s.

Can’t you do one work properly?

You’re the biggest mistake of our lives.

Why didn’t I get rid of you the minute you’re born?

You’re just a pathetic excuse of a life.

You’re nothing but a failure.

No one will love a loser like you. You deserve to rot in hell.

A girl is supposed to be in the kitchen and learn to cook but what were you doing? Studying? I’ll not allow you to the job, not when I’m still alive.

Who will marry you now? You’re just a pathetic excuse of a woman! Do you dare allow a guy in my home when no one is here? You disgust me.

You’re going to marry the man of my choice no matter what.

Karthik. You’re going to marry him in two weeks. I can assure you he will show you where you belong.

“Sreesha” I can hear the faint, familiar voice. I can feel someone was shaking me, I can hear him calling my name desperately. I didn’t notice that my eyes were closed until I open them. The first thing I realized; I wasn’t at my parent’s house. I’m here in Karthik’s and he was looking at me, with worried eyes.

“Sreesha, are you okay? ” his voice cracked at the end.

“What happened to you? Why are you looking so pale?” I couldn’t answer his questions right now. My throat was dry as a Sahara Desert.

I don’t have a clue, how I ended up on a couch with him kneeling in front of me looking concerned with my face between his palms. I glued to my place like a leech. I did not have any clue that I was crying until he wipes my tears away.

“Are you okay now?” he asked, desperation was clear in his eyes. I know he wants to know what happened to me a while ago, but I am not ready to share my past with him. For all I know, he might be just like my father. I nodded as an answer.

“W-water” my voice rasped.

He quickly brought me a cup of water and placed it near my lips, which I drank eagerly.

“Sreesha, what happened to you? Please tell me.” He literally begged.

“It’s n-nothing. Y-you were y-yelling an -gulping- and I thought you’re going to… ”

“Hurt you” he completed my sentence. I nodded ‘yes’.

He took a deep breath and extended his hand. I placed my trembling hand in his hesitantly and the next thing I know, I was in his embrace.

He hugged me tightly yet gently. His one hand is around my shoulder while the other is resting on my bare waist. He tightened his grip, taking my breath away. I stilled.

Taking a deep breath, I relaxed in his arms. Having their own brain, my hands embraced him back.

I can feel his hot breath tickle my neck. His posture was calm and relaxed, but I can feel his heart accelerates its speed when my breath hitched feeling his hot breath near my earlobe.

My heart skipped a beat when I heard him say “I’m sorry Sree. I really am. I was so afraid, thinking that you were going to hurt yourself and yelled at you. I didn’t mean to, trust me. My mind went blank when the knife you’re holding was nearing your fingers. So, I panicked. I’m sorry. I can’t believe, I made you cry. I was such an idiot, wasn’t I?”

I was about to cut my fingers? How can I be so reckless?

“I’m sorry” I mumbled, resting my head on his chest. He didn’t let go of me. And He apologized… Again.

He apologized for the things; he wasn’t at fault. I know guys will never apologize if they are not at fault. Even Tej has the same trait. He would never apologize to anyone, well other than me of course. He says that it hurts men’s ego.

Men and their stupid ego!

“Stop crying so much, Sree. I can’t see you cry. I didn’t mean what I said earlier. Sorry” he started consoling me gently rubbing my back.

I looked at his worried face and gave him a teary smile which he returned with a sigh of relief.

I must look like a dying raccoon right now!

Why are you insulting a raccoon? What if they file a case against you for hurting its feelings?

You know what, I can’t deal with you right now! Let me enjoy my husband’s hug. Do you have any idea how comfortable it is?

I really pity him for looking at your face right now. He must be thinking why he married a raccoon instead of a human. NO OFFENCE FOR RACCOONS!

Ughh I hate you!

The feelings are the mutual babe!

Where is my heart when I need its support?

Busy melting for every word your husband was saying? I still can’t believe it is possible to have a guy like him. And not to forget this is an arranged marriage. Don’t you think something is fishy?

I can’t blame my heart for melting. He has the aura that comforts me. No one has ever had that effect on me not even Tej or someone I used to love. What is there to feel fishy? He is a nice guy. Didn’t you hear his mother say I quote ‘I raised my son better than you think’? I think his parents raised him well and taught him to respect women. Or did you already forgot what he said to my father?

Yeah, I do remember. You don’t have to repeat them too.

Much to my disappointment he released my waist but didn’t let go of me. He gave me a heart-melting smile and started wiping my tears.

How can someone be this perfect in every department?

“Now, how about you check our backyard while I go cook for us? I still have one dish to finish” He said gently kissing the side of my head.

How dare he try to kill me with his every kiss? If a kiss on the forehead can make me tremble like a helpless leaf, I wonder what it would be like if he actually kisses me.

The one thought is enough to wake up my melting heart alive.

If he can melt my heart, then I’m sure he can very well turn The Sahara Desert to actual cultivation land.

“I will help you” I mumbled, making sure my eyes not meeting his. I’m sure he can read all my weird thoughts just by looking at them. I’m just that predictable.

“No. I forbid you from the kitchen from this very second. I’ll hire someone to do all the chores including cooking ” he said sternly.

“I_ I like to cook. Please don’t hire anyone. I’ll feel bored if I don’t have work to do. Please let me help you” I pleaded him looking at the floor.

Sighing he mumbled something under his breath and nodded.

“Only if you promise me not to zone out while you’re working” to which I nodded eagerly “but not today. You go and relax in the backyard while I take care of our dinner” added sternly.

I nodded like an obedient puppy.

Clearing his throat, he stepped away from me. The warmth that I feel seconds ago was gone replacing it with coldness.

Peace. It is the exact feeling of what I was experiencing right now. There are a lot of plants in the backyard, but which got all my attention were Roses.

I love roses.

I love all the flowers, but the Roses have a very special place in my heart. A rose reminds me of my life. The life with full of thorns.

Nowadays, Rose is quite attracted towards a particular honeybee. It can only pray to god, to not to let the bee hurt her at least not more than it can bear.

What if he really does hurt me?

I approached the rose plants and gently touched the soft petals. I can tell they are newly planted. Karthik must have the same taste as mine.

Why is he being so sweet?

I should have let Tej explain why he insisted me to marry Karthik. I really need some answers.

Should I talk to Karthik? One day or the other he would know that I was not a virgin and leave me. I should not feel anything towards him. The more I resist him, the less I get hurt when he leaves me.

What I did was an utter betrayal. I should have told him everything before our marriage, but I didn’t find the courage to defy my father again.

I have no one but Tej to blame. If only he helped me to escape my marriage or at least let me talk to Karthik, I wouldn’t be in this situation.

Whatever happened, happened. You can’t neglect your wifely duties. You already failed to be a good wife by letting him cook for you, at least try to be less bad wife.

You need to fulfil his wishes.

From now on, I will try to be a good enough wife for Karthik.

When I returned from my stroll in the backyard, I was greeted by the epic scene which we usually see in daily soaps.

My mother-in-law was having a very serious discussion with my husband which came to halt when they sensed my presence.

I can only pray to not get in trouble for making my husband cook.

I just gave my MIL a wonderful first impression, didn’t I?