“Pratham! Don't do this to her! Tune propose kia na usse! Now keep your word. Get married and then leave for wherever you want to.”

(You proposed her!)

He tried and explained to him again and again but Pratham was adamant and determined. He kept saying that she would understand and that he would come back and marry her.

“Mujhe aur kuch samajh nhi aaya. I couldn't leave you hanging at the altar. And so, I had to step in. I know I should have talked to you first, lekin kisi bhi cheez ka time hi nhi tha.”

(I couldn’t understand anything else. I know I should have talked to you first, but there was no time for anything.)

Sanvi was frozen. She was processing whatever Abir had told her. 

“He just left? Like that? Bina mujhe bole and he expected ki mai samajh jaaungi?”

(Without telling me and expected that I would understand?)

“Sanvi-”

“Nhi! Don't take his side! Uski har galti pr parda daalna band kr! Usne ek baar ye bhi nhi socha ki mera kya hoga? He just left. Do you have any idea what would have happened if the wedding didn't happen?”

(No!...Stop covering each of his mistakes! He did not even think once about what would happen to me?)

“I know! And that's why I did what I did. I know how this society works. No one would have questioned his disappearance, pr tera aur teri family ka mazak ban jaata. And I couldn't let that happen. I would never let that happen.”

(No one would have questioned his disappearance, but you and your family would have become laughter elements.)

He cupped her face and wiped her tears softly. She didn't even realise she had been crying.

“Then stop taking his side.”

She cried and he sighed, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her, keeping his cheek against her head.

“I'm not taking his side. But I think that when he comes back, you two should sit together and have a conversation about this. About what you want.”

“What I want?”

She looked at him and his eyes softened.

“Hmmm. What you want. You want to marry him or not. You decide now.”

“I want to be alone for some time.”

She whispered and he nodded, getting up from the bed. 

“Change into something comfortable. Tere kapde nhi hai yaha, take something of mine. Shorts, pajamas aur tshirts sab uss almirah hai. Kuch aur chahiye ho toh bta dio. Mai saath wale room mai hu.”

(I don’t have any of your clothes here, take something of mine. Shorts, pajamas and tshirts, everything is in that almirah. Let me know if you need something else. I am in the adjacent room.)

He said and started leaving. Sanvi looked up and frowned.

“Tu kyu jaa raha hai? This is your room. Mai reh lungi dusre room mai.”

(Where are you going?...I can stay in the other room.)

He turned and looked at her with a stern expression.

“That’s Pratham’s room. And you’re not staying there.”

“But ye tera room hai Abir-”

(But this is your room, Abir-)

“You’re staying in my room, Sanvi.”

And with that, he walked out, shutting the door behind him. Sanvi sat there shocked. Did she hear a hint of possessiveness in his tone? Or was she imagining things? Could it be that he too-

She shook her head and sighed. After changing into one of his t-shirts and pajamas, she laid down on the bed. And then she thought about it all. 

Was it so easy for Pratham to just leave her hanging? And he was the one who proposed to her. What is going to happen now? What was her relationship with Abir now? They did get married after all. Would he want to work upon this marriage? Does he feel something for her too? What did she feel? 

Sanvi was thoroughly confused. She didn't know what to feel. For Pratham and for Abir. She had always had a soft corner for Abir. He was the one who understood her the best. Although all three of them were the best of friends, it was Abir she was the closest to since always.

But now, things are unclear. Would this change things between them? 

She could only sleep for two hours. Her mind was a mess. She woke up at 6 and took a warm shower. Letting all her exhaustion and tension into the drain. She was going to go with the flow now. No more thinking about Pratham. If he hadn’t bothered to think about her at such a crucial moment of their lives, she too wouldn’t.

After getting ready, she went out of the room and stopped in front of the other door. She was contemplating whether to knock or not. Deciding against it and letting him have his sleep, she went to the kitchen to prepare something to eat. She was famished.

She opened the fridge and looked at the ingredients. She saw some methi and picked it out. Abir loved methi paranthas. It took her half an hour to prepare the paranthas. Abir was up, hearing all the noises from the kitchen.

Sanvi turned around and stopped short, seeing Abir leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen and looking at her. He was in his grey sweatpants and a loose-fitted black t-shirt. She averted her eyes from him and went back to her work.

“Good morning.”

She wished and heard him sigh.

“Why are you up so early?”

“Nind nhi aa rhi thi. Aur bhook bhi lag rhi thi.”

(I couldn’t sleep. And I was also hungry.)

Abir continued to look at her.

“You don’t even eat methi ke paranthe.”

He said and she stopped. She bit her lip and turned to face him. 

“I can try them. Aur phir tujhe toh pasand hai na. After all that you’ve done for me, mai itna toh kr hi skti hu.”

(And you like them. After all that you’ve done for me, I can do this much.)

He walked towards her and stopped just a step away from her. He lifted her chin from his index finger and made her look at him. Her heart always fluttered when he did that. 

“Agar mai teri jagah hota, aur tu meri jagah hoti, toh tu bhi ye nhi krti?”

(Had I been at your place, would you not have done the same thing?)

She lowered her eyes and he caressed her cheek. 

“Think of them as my wifely duties then. Ab tu husband toh hai na mera.”

(You are my husband now.)

She whispered in a small voice and his expression hardened. He put his hands in his pockets and turned away from her.

“Wife? Husband? Are we married though?”

He asked sarcastically. She was going to marry Pratham. And she probably still liked him. He had no rights over her. Sanvi frowned and asked.

“Hum…kal…ummm…”

(We…yesterday…ummm…)

She stuttered not knowing how to answer it. He looked at her again and questioned.

“Kya sirf phere lene se shaadi hoti hai, Sanvi? Na koi rituals, na kuch aur.”

(Does marriage happen only by taking the pheras? No rituals, nothing else.)

She kept looking at him confused. He sighed and again stepped closer to her.