Page 28 of Lawfully Yours

Kushal turned, his gaze locking onto Arundhati, his smirk widening at the flash of irritation in her eyes.

“So, Mrs. Nair,” he drawled, “you willingly agreed to marry me, correct?”

Her jaw clenched. “I agreed because my uncle—”

“Your uncle didn’t force you,” Kushal cut in smoothly. “So let’s keep emotions out of this, sweetheart. You had a choice, and you made it.”

The way he saidsweetheart, that too in the courtroom, made her blood boil.

“Don’t twist my words, Kushal,” she snapped.

His eyes darkened, and he took a step closer. “Oh, I don’t need to twist your words. I just need the court to see the truth.”

He turned back to Raj.

“Tell me, Sir, did I join Verma & Associates before or after this marriage?”

“Before,” Raj confirmed.

Kushal smiled. “And in all those years before I married Arundhati, had I not already proven my capabilities? Had I not already been handling high-profile cases, winning them, building this firm’s reputation?”

“You had,” Raj agreed.

Kushal faced the judge. “Your Honour, my success in Verma & Associates had nothing to do with my marriage. I was already rising in this firm because of my skills.”

The courtroom buzzed.

Kushal wasn’t just defending himself, he was attacking Arundhati’s entire argument.

“Mrs. Nair claims I married her for power. But power doesn’t require a marriage certificate, Your Honour. If my intention was only to be at the top, I would have let her go the moment she filed for divorce and still be the best in Raj Verma’s eyes to make him choose me as the next eligible heir to take Verma & Associates to newer heights.”

His eyes flickered toward her.

“But I didn’t. Because this marriage is more than just a convenience.”

Arundhati’s nostrils flared.

He was manipulating the entire situation, making it look like she was the one desperate to run away.

“Your Honour,” she cut in, seething, “Mr. Nair is using theatrics to justify a marriage that was built on nothing but personal gain.”

She turned toward the judge.

“If Mr. Nair is so concerned about this marriage and wants it to work, then his actions and behaviour should reflect that. But they don’t. Professionally, we work under the same roof, yet he doesn’t even acknowledge my presence when we are in the same room.”

The courtroom fell silent.

Kushal smirked.

“There are no signs of warmth in his behaviour, no signs of reconciliation. If anything, his treatment of me has been nothing but cold indifference. If this marriage truly means anything to him, why is his attitude toward me one of complete dismissal?”

She turned, her eyes locking onto his, challenging him.

“I have witnesses who can testify to this. Colleagues who have seen how he ignores me as if I don’t exist. His actions clearly prove that he has nothing to do with this marriage on an emotional level. The only thing he wants is Verma & Associates.”

A murmur rippled through the room. Kushal’s eyes darkened, then he smirked again.

“Your Honour, I had no idea my wife’s biggest complaint was that I don’t look at her enough. If I’d known, I would’ve stared at her more often… maybe even sent her flowers.”