Page 83 of Mrs. Rathore

“She didn’t marry a boy,” she continued coldly. “She married a man. So start acting like one.”

The silence that followed was thick with judgment. I could feel every gaze on me. No one said a word, but I could feel the weight of their thoughts pressing down on my shoulders.

Grandma’s voice softened, but that didn’t make her words hurt any less. “You’ve always been strong,” she said. “But strength without compassion is just cruelty. You’re not just my grandson anymore; you’re the man of this house. If you want respect, you need to earn it, especially from those you’re supposed to protect.”

I nodded stiffly, my throat dry and my chest tight.

I wanted to defend myself, to explain, to say this wasn’t what I wanted and that I never asked for any of it. But I didn’t. Because deep down, I knew she was right. And nothing cuts deeper than being corrected by the one person who has always believed in you.

Without a word, I turned away and walked to my room, my grandmother’s words echoing in my head. They weighed more than the suitcases I carried.

_______

Chapter 31

AVNI

Grandma was furious with Aryan, and I didn’t like it one bit. He didn’t deserve the scolding, not this time. He had helped during the last two days of our so-called honeymoon. He’d gone out of his way to find the person who pushed me into the water and even threw a couple of punches at the manager for his negligence. I hadn’t enjoyed the violence, but it meant something that he stood up for me.

Still, Grandma glared at the hallway where Aryan had just disappeared into his room. I was the one who forced him into this marriage, and now she wanted us to play the part of a happy couple. I wondered if her lifelong dream of seeing her grandson settled was ever going to be fulfilled.

She would be devastated when she found out I planned to divorce him in a few months.

The thought made my chest ache. I hated the idea of breaking her heart. I hated myself even more for lying to her again.

“Did you have fun?” Rhea chirped beside me, trying to lift the heavy atmosphere hanging in the living room.

I forced a smile. “Yeah… I had a lot of fun. And Aryan has been really sweet to me the whole time, especially after the accident.”

I glanced at Grandma, hoping my words might ease her frown. But her expression only deepened.

Liar. I was lying through my teeth. Aryan hadn’t been sweet; he had barely acknowledged my existence. I was invisible to him, I was nothing more than an obligation.

“You’re not very good at lying,” Grandma muttered, turning her wheelchair away.

My mouth fell open, and heat rushed to my cheeks, burning them with shame.

“I’ve known my grandson since the day he was born,” she said, pushing her oversized spectacles up the bridge of her nose. “I can tell when something’s off. He didn’t lie to me, but there’s something between you two that you don’t want me to see, isn’t there, Avni?”

I looked down, my eyes landing on my own reflection in the polished marble floor. My face looked pale, drawn tight with worry. A deep line had formed between my brows.

Yes, I was scared. Not of Grandma’s anger, but of breaking the heart of someone who had only shown me kindness. I didn’t want to lose her. Maybe I should do something to protect her from the truth, even if it meant pretending.

Maybe Aryan and I were too wrapped up in our cold war to notice how transparent we’d become.

“Nothing is going on, Dadi,” I said gently, trying to smooth the cracks in my voice. “We had a beautiful time at the Taj Lake Palace. You wouldn’t believe how romantic it was. We went on a date night, boating… and we even took a bath together.”

I bit my lip as I caught Rhea’s wide-eyed stare.

“Spare us the details,” Grandma said, finally looking a little more convinced.

I let out a quiet breath of relief.

“I just can’t wait to meet my great-grandchild,” Grandma added with a gleam in her eye.

Mrs. Rathore cleared her throat. “And I can’t wait to become a grandmother.”

“I can’t wait to become an aunt,” Rhea chimed in with a wink, nudging me playfully.