Meera's
Akash had called me twice, but I was in class, so I didn't pick up. After class, I completely forgot to call him back. An hour later, when I finally checked my phone, I saw his message.
A smile spread across my face. Tonight, Akash would be with Neha—and that meant the room would be all mine.
Why was I so happy? Because I could finally live in peace, without walking on eggshells around him. I didn't want this marriage anymore, and Akash… Akash already saw his future with someone else. He should be spending his time with her, not me.
That was my ultimate plan—to slowly push him toward taking a stand, to end this fake marriage, and to let me restart my life. Because if anyone could end this marriage, it was him. He had the reason, and the strength, to do it.
Living in the same room with him was nothing less than punishment. You never knew what he'd say or do next.
After school, I came home with a newfound sense of freedom. I tossed my dupatta onto the bed carelessly, changed clothes without any hesitation, and just enjoyed the solitude of the room. Bliss.
Later, I went into the kitchen. Shruti looked at me curiously.
"Bhabhi, you look really happy today."
Inside, I laughed. Of course I was happy—finally free, even if only for a night. But I didn't reply.
I spent some time with Aunty and Mama, and casually mentioned, "Akash won't be home tonight. He has a major surgery scheduled."
They nodded, and after dinner, I slipped back into the room. I played old songs on Radio Carvaan, curled up with a book, and for the first time in ages, felt… relief.
Why? Because our relationship wasn't even on friendly terms. Sharing a room with him was uncomfortable, suffocating. Tonight, I could breathe.
I fell asleep peacefully.
The next morning, around 6:30, I slowly woke up, stretched, and lay in bed for a while. When I finally got up—my heart skipped a beat.
Akash was there. Asleep. On the sofa.
And my shameless husband was wearing only shorts. No T-shirt. No shame.
"Oh my God…" I muttered under my breath. Is he a doctor or a model? Who exposes this much in front of someone else?
Quickly, I grabbed a white sheet and bent to cover him. But just as I pulled it over, he grabbed my wrist.
"Meera, are you trying to touch my abs?" he smirked.
"No!" I hissed. "I was covering you."
He stretched lazily, flashing a smile. "I should explain, Meera… maybe my body distracts you."
"Akash, let go of my hand! And please—change this habit. I live here too."
He stood up, still smirking. "What's the problem, Meera? Tell me."
I rolled my eyes, grabbed his T-shirt, and tossed it at his face.
"Go model for some underwear brand elsewhere, Dr. Shameless."
He laughed. "Wait, what did you just call me?"
"Just wear it, Akash!" I snapped.
Right then, there was a knock on the door. I hissed, "T-shirt. Bathroom. Now. If it's any family members and they see you like this…"
He grinned. "Fine, fine. I'm going."
I opened the door to Shruti. She stepped in nervously.
"Bhabhi… tomorrow, a boy's family is coming to see me for a marriage proposal. I'm scared. What if they reject me because of my weight?"
"Shruti," I said gently, "you don't have that much weight. And Aunty told me they're good people. I don't think they'll judge you for this."
She hesitated. "What should I wear?"
I opened the cupboard, pulled out a soft sky-blue sari, and handed it to her.
"This will look beautiful on you."
She smiled, comforted, but as she turned to leave, she stopped.
"Bhabhi… one question. Are things between you and Bhaiya improving?"
I froze. So she saw him without a T-shirt…
Quickly, I changed the subject. "Shruti, do light makeup tomorrow. Nothing heavy. Trust me, you'll look perfect."
She nodded and left.
I sighed. If Akash kept behaving like this, everyone would start believing our relationship was improving. And then how would we even get to divorce?
When Akash came out of the bathroom, I glared at him but stayed silent. Talking was useless—he never cared.
I got ready for school. Saturdays meant duty till 1 p.m. Lucky Akash had weekends off.
As I combed my hair in front of the mirror, I caught him staring at me through the reflection.
"Meera, why don't you leave your hair open? You look good that way."
I spun around. "Akash, I'm trying so hard to make the family understand that we can't stay together. And you're ruining my plan."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Shruti saw you without a T-shirt this morning. She misunderstood. And the family will think we're patching up, when last night you were with Neha!"
Akash's eyes locked onto mine.
"Meera… if you want, I won't go to Neha's flat anymore."
I stared at him in shock. "What?!"
He didn't answer.
"Akash, you don't understand. I'm pushing you toward Neha because only you have the reason to end this marriage. If we tell the family you love someone else, they'll accept it. That's our only chance."
He shook his head slowly. "No, Meera. We have to put the divorce on hold."
"What? Why?"
He sighed. "I asked your father to run some tests. His reports came yesterday. They're not good. I've already told him they're normal, because any stress could harm him. Until he's stable, we can't say anything."
My heart sank. "Oh God… I have to talk to Papa."
Akash grabbed my hand firmly. "Don't panic. I'm treating him. I'll fix this. Just… don't give him stress. Promise me."
"Will he be okay?" I whispered.
"I'm trying my best, Meera. Believe me. He'll be fine."
I nodded, my throat tight. "I won't say anything. Not now."
"Good girl," he said softly, squeezing my hand before I pulled it away.
"Fine. Get ready. I'll go to school myself."
"No," he said firmly. "I'll drop you."
"Why, Akash? You don't need to—"
He cut me off with a sly smile. "You ask too many questions, Teacher. Not everything needs an explanation."
Then, without warning, he unclipped my hair and let it fall loose.
"I told you. Open hair suits you better."
And just like that, he walked out of the room—leaving me staring after him.