Maithili’s POV
​"Go ahead, dear, do the puja," my father-in-law said kindly. I lit the ghee lamp, performed the rituals, and prayed to the Almighty.
​"Raghav, Maithili, both of you come quickly. You need to distribute gifts to all the guests who have come to the house," my mother-in-law called out. We stood on a stage set up in the hall. They were giving each guest a pack of clothes, a silver plate, and a small gold coin.
Their immense wealth made me feel out of place over and over again. By the time I finished giving out gifts alongside Raghav, it was already 7:00 PM.
​"Ranju, sweetie, take your sister-in-law to the guest room and help her change out of this heavy saree. How long can she wear such a heavy thing? Tell her a simple saree is enough," Mom said. That was exactly what I wanted too.
​"Okay, Mom. Should I tell Kanaka Uncle to leave sister-in-law’s luggage in the guest room for now? We can shift it to Brother's room tomorrow, right?" Ranjini asked, and Mom nodded.
​"All her luggage is already in the guest room. Go help her change. Untie that bud-braid (Moggu Jade) carefully; don't just throw it in the dustbin, it needs to be preserved. And keep the garlands neatly—it's our tradition, you know that," Mom instructed. Ranjini nodded and led me to the room.
​The guest room alone was enough to make my head spin. It was a massive room with a double bed, a large wardrobe, and a grand mirror. There were plants kept for decoration, and though the room followed a plain white theme, it looked magnificent.
​"Sister-in-law, come, let me help you take all this off," Ranjini said. I stood there as she patiently untied the heavy floral braid, removed the garlands, and took off all my heavy jewelry.
​"Ranjini, please give all of this back to Mom. It's hard for me to manage so much gold," I said. She laughed.
​"First of all, stop calling me 'Ranjini-avre' (formal). My name is Ranjini, but just call me Ranju; it sounds much better. I'll give the jewelry to Mom, but if she asks you to wear something else, you’ll have to comply," she said. She neatly packed the jewelry, leaving only the sacred Mangalsutra chain around my neck.
​"If you want, go take a bath. The hot water is always running," Ranju suggested. I took a simple skirt and blouse and headed to the bathroom.
​Once inside the bathroom, I was utterly bewildered. There were dozens of taps, and I had no idea which one did what. I turned them one by one; some gave cold water, and then another turned on the shower. Since the shower had warm water, I finished my bath there.
​When I came out, Ranju had laid out a simple, light saree for me. I put it on and slumped onto the sofa, exhausted.
​"Mom said that since you're a new bride, you must wear at least a little jewelry. Wear these two necklaces for now; you can take them off when you sleep," Ranju said, handing them to me. I had no choice but to put them on.
​"You can lie down and rest if you want. I'll come to take you for dinner later," she added. I felt like bowing to her in gratitude—I was so tired that sleep was the only thing on my mind.
​"Okay, Ranju. I'll rest for a bit. Let me know if there's anything else," I said. As soon as she left the room, I drifted into a deep sleep right where I was.
​Raghav’s POV
​Honestly, today feels like the worst day of my life. From morning till now, they’ve made me run around for one ritual after another—puja at home, gift distribution... do they even think I'm human?
​Sitting in front of the sacrificial fire (Homa) all morning has made my eyes burn. I need to use eye drops and sleep, or this irritation will get worse. On top of that, they forced me to eat sweets today; I need to drink something bitter to balance it out. Oh my God, how many issues do I have to face because of this wedding?
​I needed to get out of these clothes and freshen up. I went to the washroom, showered, and changed into a T-shirt and shorts. Finally, I felt some sense of peace.
​I lay on the bed, and my eyes began to feel heavy, but I forced myself to sit up. I had a lot of work to catch up on, so I pulled my laptop onto my lap. Just then, Ninad walked into the room.
​"What is this, Raghav? From now on, you should have your wife sitting on your lap, but here you are, still sitting with your laptop! Leave the laptop and pay some attention to your wife, man."
​He continued, "She's probably asleep in her room. She doesn't know anyone here; shouldn't you at least go and talk to her?" I was so angry I felt like slapping him.
​"Look, buddy, if you're so concerned, you should have married her yourself! You made me the sacrificial lamb while you're out here enjoying the show. You know very well I never wanted to get married," I said, my voice laced with both anger and bitterness.
​"Bro, how long are you going to stick to your 'first love' and 'first relationship'? You have to move on. Look, she's way cuter than Trisha. Trisha looked like a wooden doll, but your wife looks like Goddess Lakshmi herself.
You've got a beautiful wife; just tell her about your past and live happily. Stop this 'I'm not interested in girls or marriage' act," Ninad argued. Trisha’s face flashed before my eyes for a moment.
​"And what if I tell Maithili about Trisha? She's a middle-class girl; she'll probably start wailing and create a whole scene. Besides, I'm going to divorce her next year anyway. Why should I give her information about my life?" I snapped. Ninad just hit his forehead in frustration.
​"Look, not everyone gets a second chance in life, but you have one. She seems like a great girl who took on family responsibilities without getting distracted. She's a good person," Ninad said. I let out a cynical laugh. I know exactly what these middle-class girls are like.
​"Shut up, Ninad. I know exactly why she married me—it's for the money. There’s no need to act like she’s some great, virtuous saint. Now shut your mouth and get out of my room; I have work to do." Even though he was my best friend, I pushed him out of the room and locked the door to focus on my work.
​A while later, Mom came in. "Raghav, do you want anything special for dinner tonight?"
​"Mom, I don't want anything. Just a glass of milk with a little turmeric powder. I've eaten too much random stuff since morning," I said without looking up from my laptop.
​"I'll send some fruit with the milk. But don't stay up here; come down for dinner. Sit with her and eat some fruit while she has her meal," Mom said, clearly over-concerned about the girl.
​"You're showing too much affection for your daughter-in-law. Fine, just call me when it's dinner time; I'll come," I said. She finally left, or she would have asked a hundred more meaningless questions. Once she was gone, I locked the door again and went back to work.
​To be continued...
​A note from the author:
​"In this story, I plan to show the friction, love, romance, care, and possessiveness between a husband and wife. What do you think?"
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