SAMPLE CHAPTERS (1 to 6) - BACK TO YOU

 

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Chapter 1

Ananya

The future is the consequence of the choices you make in the present. I, Ananya Mathur, have reached that stage in my life where I am ready to bear the brunt of my decisions in future rather than living in guilt all my life for not making them. With that boost, I barge into my friend, Nikki's bedroom to give her the good news. As usual, she is in bed, reading a romance novel like she does every night before sleeping. I don't understand what a woman finds in such novels that it is worth reading hundreds of pages. No. I am not against romances. I have a long list of things I want to try with the man whom I’ll give my heart to someday, but he is not the one I am married to.


"Gosh," Nikki jumps on the bed, scared of my intrusion. "You scared me, Anny."

"I am getting divorced," I happily announce, reaching her.


Nikita, whom I fondly call Nikki, lowers her reading glasses to give my face a thorough glance.


"Stop fooling me, Anny. I know you’ll never make that decision."

I'm not surprised by Nikki's disbelief. We both have known each other since our school days. She can catch all my lies in a fraction of a second. But this time her guess is wrong.


I snatch the book from her and put it away.


"I am deadly serious. I am asking a divorce from Rajveer. I cannot continue this marriage."


Her jaw drops as she confirms in my eyes and expressions that I am not joking this time. It has been ten months since my marriage with Rajveer Chopra, who stays in the other corner of the world, in Australia, while I live in New York, and nothing binds us together despite having such a sacred bond. Not to mention, we are big-time enemies from our school days. The mere thought of him and the way he has forever intruded in my life back then boils my blood.


"Are you sure this isn't an impulsive decision, Anny?"


I sit next to her, thinking for a few seconds.


"Marrying him was my impulsive decision. Divorcing is the only way I can give justice to myself."


Nikki is still suspicious.


"Come on Nikki, you know better than anyone else from my family why this is the right thing to do?"


"Right. I know," she shrugs half-heartedly. "When was the last time you spoke to Rajveer?"


"Three months back and that conversation didn't last for over 45 seconds. Not that I was interested in chatting with him. His finance management talks bore me just like my fashion sense topics eat his head out. But I am going to call him tomorrow and share my decision. To be honest, he will be more than happy that we are on the same page."


I lay on her bed, cuddling one pillow, and smile.


"I am seeing my future already, Nikki. You and I are in Florida, enjoying a long-deserved vacation and partying after my divorce."


Suddenly, I am lost recalling the bittersweet memories of my journey so far. Right from my school days, I was always interested in modelling, but my father was totally against this profession considering the family's conservative background. No matter how much society moved ahead, my family raised women with only one motive – marriage!! They struggled to teach us the basic etiquettes of marriage so that someday when we marry, our in-laws will have no complaints. No wonder most of my cousins groomed themselves into this lifestyle, but I was always a rebel. Despite Mom's persistence and Dad's scolding, I did what I had an interest in. I, Ananya Mathur, was also the face of my College's Cultural activities. Winning uncountable trophies in Inter-college dance competitions gave me the exposure I needed. One of the Judges of that competition belonged to a famous fashion brand of the country and offered me to work as a model for their new collections. That brief career of three years in India helped me to build some fanbase worldwide and today I am the face of one of the top fashion brands in New York - 'Glam Up.'


Somehow, I had convinced my bestie Nikita to move with me to New York and though she had different plans from her life, now we both are enjoying the same career and despite having varied schedules, we still get enough time for our outings and girly fun.


"Florida?" Nikki gives me a gentle push to bring me out of my daydreams.

"Yes. Ritwik said our next shoot will be in Florida for a week for the new summer collection of Glam Up. But we still have two months before we fly there."

"Isn't Ritwik giving you a lot of outdoor contracts? Sounds fishy to me."


Nikki's suspicions are not wrong. Ritwik Bajaj, the mediator between me and fashion brand Glam Up, is known for his Casanova personality, but his flirting with me is quite healthy. He has no time nor interest in a serious relationship and has a long list of women on standby whenever he needs a date for a party, both private and business. Once, he even asked me to be his date, but I politely declined. I cannot be an arm-candy for any man. Plus, the last thing I want my parents to see is me hanging around with a man other than my husband. They are already unhappy that despite being married to Rajveer, I am staying in a different country than him and not willing to give up my profession either. I don't want to turn their displeasure into hatred. I might dislike their terms of living, but they are still my family and I love them.


"Don't worry about Ritwik. We are cool. We both know we cannot fall into each other's trap. I am a professional and dating someone from my work circle is like suicide."


My reply brings a grin to Nikki's face, and now it's my turn to be suspicious.


"Oh My God, Nikki. Don't tell me you like him."


Nikki's cheeks turn pink the next second and she hides her face behind the pillow.


"Shit," I groan. "You can't be serious about him. He had a chain of girlfriends so far."

"I know," Nikki pouts. "Who said I am looking for commitment. But I just like him, I don't know why? It's like Ritwik is not someone he pretends to be. That guy definitely has a backstory."


I exhale audibly. Nikki never had a boyfriend just like I didn't but fortunately, her parents didn't tie her knot without her proper consent as mine did. So, she was still free to choose the man for her and I will be happy whoever she picks.


"Anyway, this discussion is about you, not me," Nikki mutters. "When are you calling Rajveer, then?"


Before I could answer that, my phone rings. I jump from her bed as I see the caller Id. It’s my elder brother, Akash’s call and I am both happy and nervous. Happy, since I love my brother who always has gone out of his way to convince my parents to fulfil my wishes and nervous because just like every other time, I will have to lie to him that I am in touch with my husband, Rajveer who is seven oceans away.


I mouth a goodnight to Nikki and walk back to my room.


"Hello Bhai.”


Reaching my cosy room, I push the costumes away from the bed, which I was trying on for tomorrow's shoot.


"Anu. How are you doing?" Akash asks.

"As usual, I am doing great."

“Great? That’s it? I thought you would be excited about travelling back to India.”


Okay. Now he has all my attention.


“Travelling back to India? And me? Why?”


I swallow nervously to know why he would say that?


“Is everything okay at home? How’s Dad? Mom? And Riddhi and Yug?”

“Anu, relax. We are all good. Didn’t Rajveer tell you?”


Rajveer? This is something to do with Rajveer? I hope my in-laws are doing fine too.


“What did Rajveer not tell me?” I retort, not understanding where this conversation is leading.

“Hmm,” Akash sighs. “When was the last time you spoke to Rajveer?”


There, he begins the usual grilling.


“Bhai, can you please come to the point? I didn’t speak to Rajveer today. What is this about?”

“Anu, I cannot believe out of everyone, you will forget my wedding anniversary.”


Wedding anniversary? Wait. Oh God!! It’s going to be five years for Akash and Riddhi’s wedding next month. How could I forget?


“Sorry Bhai. I was so busy in my world that I absolutely forgot about this. Your anniversary is next month. What’s the plan?”

“We have some splendid plans. Both the families have decided to keep a grand party and since Yug is also four now, I am sure he will have some fun.”


Yug is my darling nephew and though he is hardly four years old, he is extra naughty and cuteness overloaded. He has got Akash’s looks, Riddhi’s cuteness and his uncle, Rajveer’s naughtiness. I don’t want to describe other qualities of Rajveer right now as all of those just boils my blood.


I finally take a sigh of relief that everyone back home is doing well.


“Party sounds great. You should send me all the pictures.”

“No one is sending you pictures. You are coming home and clicking them yourself. It’s been ten months since we all saw you, Anu. We miss you. Especially, Mom and Dad.”


I miss them too. But Home? I can’t go home as my schedule is tight.


“You think I don’t want to come back home to see you all? I do, but -”

“No if’s and but’s” he snaps. “You are coming home next month for a long vacation. That’s it. Otherwise, me and Riddhi will not celebrate our anniversary.”


There!! He has put me in trouble. Here I was thinking of a vacation in Florida and my brother has just ruined all my plans. Don’t take me wrong. Family comes first to me, but going home means the same old drama of faking everything is going fine in my marriage, which is not. I want a divorce from Rajveer soon. Maybe this is the window I can use to get the Divorce.


“Is Rajveer coming too?” I nervously ask.

“He is, and that is why I want you to come. You both need to spend some time with each other, Anu. Marriage is not a joke.”

“Bhai,” I interrupt him from dragging this topic. “I will speak to him and fit my schedule for this vacation.”

“That’s like my sister. Call me when you book your tickets. Can’t wait to see you Anu.”

“Same here.”


I mean it. I want to see my family and spend some time with them but before that, I have to make sure me and Rajveer are on the same page in terms of divorce. I speak to Akash Bhai for some more minutes and then shut the lamps to get my beauty sleep. I have a hectic shoot tomorrow.




Chapter 2

Rajveer

I am in trouble. Akash, my brother-in-law, called me yesterday to invite me to his 5th wedding anniversary with my sister Riddhi. Knowing how party-loving our families are, I am expecting a big grand celebration back home in Delhi, but the question remains, will my enemy plus wife, Ananya, be there. Damn!! Even the thought of her brings an icy shiver to my body. I have known Ananya since we were both eight. We were neighbors and studied in the same school. Despite her being the most beautiful girl, I have met so far, Ananya is the biggest trouble-maker in my life and the exact kind of distraction I want to avoid spending my lifetime with.


“Rajveer, what do you think about this investment? Is it worth giving a shot?” Tarun asks.


Tarun is the CEO of this multinational Telecom Company, Opstra, where I work.


“It’s worth giving a shot,” I agree, pushing my laptop screen for him to see. “I have analyzed the market statistics of this company. They are excelling and their clients have some impressive things to say about them.”


Tarun looks at the board members, who nod notably at my remark. And why not? Last three years, they have been relying on my decisions to invest their money in stock markets, equity and shares. I am the Chief Financial Officer of Opstra. Helping my company manage its financial planning has been my vision and goal. Right from my teenage years, the power of money attracted me. I never wasted my monthly pocket money, like my elder sister Riddhi did back in college. Instead, I invested it in products, software and other knowledgeable items, which helped me grow that pocket money into double. My skills impressed Dad and when I topped the Finance subject and got a scholarship at Stanford University, California for Post-graduation, he happily allowed me to settle abroad. There was no going back then. I made some great friends at university, worked part time to make sure I used my dad’s money wisely and then cracked the toughest interview to bag this privileged position at Opstra. My capabilities led me to promotions every year and today, I am one of the youngest CFOs to make his name so quickly in the Financial Zone.


The meeting adjourns and the board members walk out of the conference room, leaving me and Tarun, alone.


“Thanks, Rajveer,” he appreciates.

“That’s my job, Tarun. To evaluate the risk factors and make sure our company doesn’t make any wrong investment decision.”

“I agree, but convincing the board members this time was tricky. You know they were more inclined towards the other prospects. Anyway, I hope you are coming to the party tonight.”


No!! I don’t want to attend that party. Don’t take me wrong, I might not be a party animal but I ignore nothing related to Business, but this one tonight needs us to bring our better half and while I have one, she is seven oceans away right now, living in a time zone opposite to mine.


“Tarun, tonight I have other plans,” I lie.

“No excuses Rajveer. We need you there and Soham has already confirmed you would attend the party.”


Damn you Soham!!


Soham Mehra is the lead finance manager who reports to me and for the past three years, he is also been my best friend. I can expect him to make such decisions on my behalf, though I am strictly against it. Tarun gets a call and I am glad to end this conversation here.


****************

Unwillingly, this evening, I attend the Party at the Whizz Pub, one of the top pubs in the City of Melbourne. With a drink in my hand, wearing a crisp black suit and a white button-down shirt, I make my way to the crowd where I see Soham and the other heads of my company enjoying drinks. The discussions go on and soon, most of them disperse back to their wives who have made another group. I take a swig of my drink, watching my colleagues and juniors introducing their partners to each other, laughing and gossiping about personal lives and catching up from where they left at the previous party.


“Is something burning?” Soham asks, smirking.

“Shut up, Soham and don’t forget I am here because you marked my attendance to Tarun already.”

“I want you to face the reality, Rajveer, which you have been avoiding for the past ten months.”


I don’t have to recall which ten months he is talking about. I married Ananya Mathur ten months ago.


“You are wasting time on this relationship, Rajveer. Either mend it or end it.”


I gulp the entire drink in one shot and glare at Soham, who gives me a no-nonsense look. He has advised me on this many times and I have ignored, knowing the repercussions behind it, but these days I have realized that’s the only way I can finally get my life back. Ananya and I have been childhood enemies. Being neighbors, we always fought over silly things to begin with. But it soon turned out to be a serious war between her girly group and my boy’s gang. It ended up so bad that I was suspended from school for two weeks because of Ananya’s lies and I in turn made her life hell in college. She wasn’t less either. If I hid her notes, she would burn down mine before the exams. If I messed with her clothes, she would tear down mine from the closet without my knowledge. When I made her eat curd, which she dislikes the most, she spiked my drink on the prom night and Dad was so disappointed by me that he made me sleep in the garage for two consecutive nights. And even then, our bickering and enmity didn’t stop. We kept crossing ways to ruin the other’s happiness. This continued until I got the scholarship to Stanford University and moved to California. I thought that was the end for us but I was so wrong. Last year, when I had been to India to see my family after four long years, they had already fixed my marriage with Ananya. And what shocked me the most was that Ananya had agreed already.


“Lost again?” Soham elbows me to break my trance.


Lost!! Yeah. That’s what I felt when I saw other couples. Normal couples. They made me jealous. Seeing them enjoying their married lives, having loving partners to share their joys and sorrows, envied me. For the world, I was married, had a wife who was successful in her career and though she stayed away from me, we still had a healthy emotional knot, but that was all a lie. A facade which I and Ananya were playing with, to keep our respective families happy. The truth was, this marriage suffocated us both. I didn’t know what life Ananya was living in New York and she had no clue how disheartened and mechanical I felt here in Melbourne. This had to change. I cannot drag this loveless marriage forever. If I loved the East, Ananya preferred the West. The only thing common between us was our passion for our respective professions and the countries we lived in. If I was adamant to stay in Australia forever, Ananya had no plans of leaving New York ever. We have dragged our unhappy marriage for ten months without seeing each other, with less than a dozen messages exchanged between us only on important events. Not anymore. It was high time we put a full stop to this nonsensical thing between us.


Soham is right to poke and guide me to make the right decision for my future. I cannot be living like this throughout my life. I gulp another shot and turn to Soham.


“I am going to Divorce Ananya.” I declare.


He is confused at first, nervous the next instant, but then a contented smile pops on his lips.


“Are you sure about it?”


I nod. “Very.”


We clink our glasses and then gulp the next shot together. I spend another hour at the party and then reach my four-bedroom penthouse apartment in the most prestigious building of Melbourne City. Initially, this was a rented accommodation provided by my company but when I cracked a few investment deals for them, I earned enough percentage to buy this house and now I effing own it.


Driving my car through the reserved parking space, I park my Audi, step out and stride to the immaculate lobby of the building. Smiling back at the concierge, I make my way silently to the elevator. 20 seconds ride and the doors open into a bright white marble spacious corridor. I am home. I unlock the door of my penthouse, swing it open and step inside.


I never craved having someone, who would welcome me with a warm hug when I return home from work, but now I do. I am still oblivious to that feeling when a man has a wife at home, waiting for him to return.


All the deluxe furnishings, the hi-tech appliances and the floor-to-ceiling windows cannot divert my mind today from what I was missing in life. I have earned enough. I have seen enough of the world and met diverse people so far. Now I wanted something else, something which can give me that peace of mind and make me feel loved and committed. I have enough friends to look upon in times of loneliness, but I cannot share my pain with them anymore. I want someone who just belongs to me, someone who looks upon me as her strength, someone who can support me in my decisions, guide me if I go wrong, stand by me all the time and love me like I have never been loved before.


It’s hard to believe, but I am still waiting for that one woman who can complete me in every sense. Ananya cannot be the one. She is my wife, but we both know that marriage was imposed upon us. We are two opposite poles, yet we can never attract each other. We are meant to repel. Damn!!


I undress quickly and get under the hot shower. I have to speak to Ananya about this. We cannot drag this marriage forever. I wanted a strong commitment with a woman who was ready to be mine in every sense, whereas Ananya was that free bird who lived life upon her terms. We were enemies for almost two decades. How can I even think of a future with her or have my kids with her? That’s practically impossible. The world might turn upside down, but we can never complete a single responsibility which a husband-wife should do righteously. Don’t take me wrong. I don’t hate Ananya anymore. I’m mature enough to ignore all that we had between us in the past, but she cannot be the woman whom I can dream of, whom I crave to touch and share my bed with.


SHIT!! The shower doesn’t help cool my inner turmoil. I will be at peace only when I speak to Ananya and tell her my decision about divorce. Once I am free of this relationship, I can think of investing my time in finding the right woman for me and settle down.

Akash had called me yesterday and invited me for his and Riddhi’s wedding anniversary which was next month. I am missing my family and I can easily take a few weeks off to go see them. This is the time when I can talk to the family about divorcing Ananya. I am aware there will be panic between the two families, but it’s high time they understand why we have to do this. If they want to see me and Ananya happy, this is the only option. I come out of the shower, wipe myself dry and put on my nightclothes to get back on the bed.


My sister, Riddhi, three years elder to me, got married to Ananya’s elder brother, Akash after dating him for two years. Obviously, the two families being neighbors had seen this coming as Akash and Riddhi were so much into each other right from their childhood. I still recall how Riddhi and Akash had panicked while declaring their love before our families. But then it was their turn to be surprised when my mother and Ananya’s Mom mentioned they were already aware of their secret affair and hence were more than excited to proceed with their marriage. Whilst I was happy for them, Ananya protested. She didn’t want Riddhi as her Bhabhi and she had almost stopped talking to her family for two long weeks. But then, somehow, Akash convinced her and she gave up. I had taunted Ananya again as she failed in her plans to bring one of her close friends as Akash’s wife and in turn, Ananya had given me one heck of a time during the pre-marriage rituals of Akash-Riddhi. That’s where we gave wrong signals to our families, unknowingly, showing them hopes that there were chances of me and Ananya getting together too. So just because one daughter of the Chopra family was sent to Mathurs, now they expected the Mathur’s daughter to be sent to Chopras. That was so insane!! All that was five years ago and they implemented it when I was home last year, as Mom was sick. When Mom and Dad proposed to me for marrying Ananya, I rebelled but Mom was too adamant to see me married before leaving back to Melbourne and since she was sick, I couldn’t push her much. I blindly accepted, making the worst decision of my life.



Chapter 3

Ananya


Apart from endorsing the fashion and lifestyle products for Glam Up, I am also a social media influencer who does paid promotions for them and shares my reviews and honest opinions on lifestyle and other fashion related topics.

I finish a video shoot for the mid-season sale of Glam Up. They have paid me heavily for posting this video on my social media accounts, which has more than 500K followers so far. My personal photographer, Milind, shoots these pictures and videos for me based on the themes suggested by the company. We have a graphic designer team who handles editing these pictures, videos and making them even more beautiful and attractive. At times, there are more people involved, especially when we need to shoot at outdoor locations, like the neighboring city or country. The sponsors of these products spend for our travel and stay expenses. I have loved travelling to new places, savoring local delicacies and shopping like my life is ending today and I don’t think I can ever stop from doing any of this. I love my Job where I am the Boss. I get to decide what products to choose and endorse. I can schedule the shoots based on my leisure and most importantly, I don’t need to report to anyone. That’s the beauty of my work and I will never give up on it.


I assist my team to wind up the shooting stuff. We shot this video in my two-bedroom apartment, which I share with Nikki. We have a beautiful house with all modern furnishing. In the beginning, the rent seemed high enough, but now we both easily afford it and save the rest for our short trips to explore the country. There is still so much unexplored by us that is soon going to change after my divorce. I am going to party with all my friends once I get my freedom back.


I hear my phone ringing in the bedroom, so I ask the team to continue while I check this call.


It’s Rajveer’s. That surely reminds me I was going to call him tonight. My palms sweat despite the chilling AC temperature.


“Hi.”


His voice is the same. Rough and disinterested in me. I have no special curiosity to speak to him either. It’s always been like that. If Rajveer and I were in place of Adam and Eve, there was no chance of our offspring to continue mankind.


“Akash called me yesterday,” he begins. “I am attending their anniversary.”


“So?” I snap. “You never needed my permission?”


“I am neither taking one,” Rajveer scowls. “I called you for another reason.”


“Good you called because I too had something important to speak to you.”


“What is more important to Ananya Mathur than flaunting herself on social media?” he mocks.


“Excuse me?” I snap. “I am not flaunting myself, Rajveer. I am a social media influencer. I earn endorsing and doing paid promotions for healthy beauty and fashion products.”


“Whatever.”


“Yea right, whatever!!” I scoff.


There is a complete silence for a few seconds as we both try our best to calm down. Our conversations are worse than this, but I don’t wish to spoil my mood thinking about them.


“I need a divorce,” I come straight to the point.


The line goes blank again for two seconds. I hope he hasn’t fainted.


“You stole my line, Ananya.” There is so much satisfaction in his voice. “Doesn't matter how much our lives mismatch, this time we are on the same page. I need a divorce too.”


Wow!! Finally!! That cheers up my mood, but he doesn’t need to know.


“Great. So, let's catch up at their anniversary party and get this done with.”

“Sounds perfect.”


Message conveyed!! The phone line disconnects!!! I jump in excitement and dance crazily when Nikki barges into my room. I pull her to dance and she giggles seeing my enthusiasm.


“You told him, didn’t you?”


I nod happily responding to her query.


“He wants the same.”

“Cool. So, how are you both doing this?”


I take a breath to ease my bubbling joy.


“I am flying to India for a month. Will talk to Ritwik and schedule my work accordingly. In fact, I can work partly from home if everything goes right,” I say, unable to control my grin. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am.”


Nikki gives me a tight hug.


“I know Anny. You really deserve someone better than Rajveer.”

“I don’t need a man in my life right now, Nikki. I am happy being single for a few more years.”


“Of course. It’s not that your biological cycle is ticking.”


I laugh at Nikki’s remark. I am far away from thinking of starting a family anytime soon and it doesn’t matter what my family thinks, I have to make them understand that this is what I want. I hope they don’t create any unnecessary drama and let me and Rajveer divorce mutually. Though I am not ready to see their teary faces and listen to their emotional advice, I cannot miss flying to India as this is where I can finally give closure to my imposed marriage.

At night, I reschedule all shoots with Ritwik and my team and then book my flight tickets to Delhi for next month. Delhi is my birthplace, and there is nothing that I don’t love about that city. My father, Yash Mathur owns a toy factory and now he has passed the reins of that business to my brother, Akash, who is handling it with the same dedication and interest. My mother, Seema Mathur is a homemaker and trust me when I say she has a busier schedule than me. Handling all the chores of the house apart from looking after all needs of the family members isn’t a simple job. As a child, the ways my mother tackled all her duties with perfection attracted me, but as I grew, my interests shifted and I was more of a performer outside, than in the house. I am glad Mom has her daughter-in-law, Riddhi, at least, who is as promising homemaker as Mom is and they both have happily divided their home chores to make sure no one is loaded with work alone. Riddhi is Rajveer’s sister and though I was against Akash marrying her, my views changed in the due course of time. She is the sweetest wife and an adorable daughter-in-law in my family and I must say, I am not always right in judging people. We don’t speak regularly but whenever we do, I always make sure to thank her for taking such good care of my family. I know it’s her duty but not all daughter-in-law think like her. Now before you judge me and include me in that list, let me tell you I don’t hate the Chopra Uncle and Aunty only because my equation with their son Rajveer is not good. Chopras have been our neighbors for long so Rajveer’s parents are no less than mine. I love the authentic Pindi Chole which his mother Radha makes and his father, Ram Chopra’s, hobby of gardening. I adore that couple and I wish after my divorce with Rajveer, they find someone who could really stay with them and look after them well. I simply don’t fit up to their expectations of a daughter-in-law.



Chapter 4

Rajveer

Two Weeks Later

After landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi and completing the immigration formalities, I wait to collect my luggage at the belt. It’s my second trip to India this year. I had come to Delhi two months ago as Dad needed my inputs on some property which he wanted to sell off and invest that money in better prospects. Obviously, who else would he rely on to make such a decision? I had stayed with my family for almost a week before flying back to Melbourne and during that one-week stay, both my family and Ananya’s, had grilled me to know how our marriage was progressing. They knew we stayed in two different countries but they still expected us to be in touch daily, all thanks to the advanced technology which allows us to see a person, do live chat, video calling and what not even if the person is borders apart. So, I had framed this full-fledged story of how I and Ananya had been doing all of that and very soon planning to meet and spend some time together. Ananya had got a gist of this lie, as she was in touch with her brother Akash and she supported my fabrications by adding her version to it. Thank God this time we don’t have to frame more excuses or shower the family with more lies. They deserve to know the truth and also accept our decision of separation.


I collect my bags and then take a cab home.


My family stays in South Delhi, located close to the Airport and one of the most expensive areas to live in Delhi.


We recently got the house renovated to a super luxury Villa, with a designer staircase, modular kitchen, swimming pool and a small lush green private garden at the front. Dad was strictly against spending for the renovations unnecessarily but Mom wanted some changes to be done according to the modern standards of living before my marriage, and she convinced Dad for the same. The surprise element was that the Mathurs showed similar interest and hence hired the same interior design to get both the houses renovated together. I was busy in Melbourne at that time so couldn’t make it for this joint housewarming party which both the families threw to all our close relatives and friends. But I had seen the pictures and Ananya was the highlight of that event. She had organized it so well for both the families that led them to dream of making her my bride. She isn’t bad to my parents but she does throw a lot of tantrums which I still don’t get why my family tolerates?


The Cab halts at the Chopra Mansion and I get down, thrilled to be home again. The gatekeeper salutes me and helps the driver unload my luggage. I had not informed my exact flight date to Mom which means she isn’t expecting me today. I tiptoe inside the house and find Dad reading the morning newspaper. No matter even if the News channel is played nonstop on the plasma TV in the living room, my father still loves to read the daily news in his traditional style. Mom strides out of the kitchen with the teacup and as usual, she is annoyed.


“Ram, this is your third tea since morning. I am going to tell Dr. Badri about this,” she scolds Dad as he takes the mug from her hand and sips the hot tea making a delighted face. “Don’t you get bored of having so much tea every day?”


“It’s not my fault if you make such savoring tea, Radha,” Dad replies. “When I couldn’t resist your charms so far, how can I resist the tea you make?”


I grin seeing my parent’s flirting. That’s been the essence of their relationship from the beginning. Riddhi and I have grown up seeing their love and respect for each other and we have those romantic traits in us right from childhood. No wonder Riddhi fell in love with the neighbor boy Akash Mathur while I am still looking for this kind of relationship in my life despite being married to Akash’s sister, the girl next door.


“Surprise…” I scream happily, gaining their attention. Mom and Dad jerk at my intrusion but their smiles are back in seconds. Mom rushes to me while I quickly stride to reach her in the middle and give her a tight hug. “Miss you Mom.”


She kisses my chest and then like every other time, touches my biceps and forearms.


“You have lost weight Rajveer. Don’t you eat?”

“Come on Mom. You say that every time I am here and the number of times you have said this, my weight should be negligible by now which is not the case. I am eating well and doing a lot of gym. I am fit.”


“Don’t give me that excuse. Once you and Ananya start living together, she will take care of your health and diet,” Mom debates. “Did you see her latest post on the new protein supplement?”


No. I didn’t. I don’t access social media much.


“No, Mom.”

Mom frowns at my reply but luckily Dad reaches us so the topic changes. I touch his feet and then hug him. He pats my back proudly.


“You surprised us. We thought you would fly here one day before the party.”


Yes. That was my plan but since Ananya and I needed to focus on the divorce talks, I managed to take more leaves and fly early.


“Ananya is coming tomorrow,” Mom adds. “I have already cleaned your room and also cleared your closet for her things.”


I swallow nervously. I didn’t even know when Ananya was flying until Mom informed me. So, she will be here tomorrow. Great!! Time for some real action. The early she reaches, the sooner we can discuss our separation and how to proceed with it. But our families have too many expectations from our marriage and we were going to break it all. Not fair!!


“Go get freshen up. The long journey must have exhausted you.”

“Yes, Dad. Mom, can I have a cup of tea please?”

“Why not? I will make one.”

“Make it two please” Dad urges.

“Ram, you just had.”

“I didn’t. It got cold.”


I laugh seeing Mom clenching her jaw.


“Come on Maa. Let him enjoy one with his son.”

“Rajveer, you are spoiling him,” she scolds and leaves for the kitchen.


Dad mouths a ‘thank you’ to me before I hurry to my room. Nothing has really changed. The feeling of coming back home is so blissful that it can never become old.


**************


When I wake up after a five-hour nap, Riddhi and my four-year-old nephew, Yug, show up at home.


“Ridz” I hug my sister briefly before carrying Yug in my arms and then throwing him up in the air before catching him again.


Yug squeals in joy and embraces me tight.


“What have you got for me RV?” Yug anxiously asks. He calls me RV since Uncle is too formal. We are more like buddies than Uncle-Nephew.

“Toys, and some Superman clothes. You love them, don’t you?”

“Yep” He jumps in my arms giving me a High five and I put him down. “Show me” he urges, trying to drag me back to my room but Riddhi stops him.

“Yug, don’t trouble your uncle. He has just returned and not running away with your gifts.”


Yug makes a face but abides by his mother’s instructions.


Mom is out and she takes Yug to the kitchen to feed his favorite banana milkshake.

Riddhi and I take the couch.


“So? How’s Akash? Where is he?”

“He is at the office. Will come late at night. How’s everything with you and Ananya?”


My stomach somersaults. Is Riddhi suspicious about us? Even if she is, I cannot tell her anything now. Ananya and I have to talk first.


“We are good.” I shift my attention on the mobile to divert the subject but Riddhi snatches it from me.

“Rajveer, I hadn’t expected this from you.”

“Hadn’t expected what?” I ask, pretending to be oblivious. I really have no clue if Ananya had shared this divorce idea already with Akash and Riddhi.

“As if you don’t know.”

“Ridz, please stop speaking in codes and tell me clearly what you want to say?”

“I want to say, you are the most unromantic husband in the world. I hadn’t expected this from you Rajveer. In fact, when you married, I was under the impression you would bring the world down to Ananya’s feet and pamper her with everything you got. But you both don’t even seem to be meeting each other, forget pampering and all. Don’t you miss her?”


Okay. I exhale. This is not what I had thought. Riddhi is just pushing me to be a good husband and take the marriage seriously. She has no clue about the divorce thing.


“Ridz, how can you expect us to keep traveling back and forth to spend time with each other? You know my work schedule. And she is coming here tomorrow. So, thankfully, you all will get to see us together. I am done with everyone’s complaints. We both didn’t beg to get married to each other. The family pressured us and now we need our own time to fix it. That’s it.”


Riddhi’s nose flares in rage. She hits my arm with the pillow and then again and again.


“Ridz stop.” I topple down from the couch in an effort to save myself from being beaten by her. “Mom, see what Ridz is doing to me,” I shout.

“Mom? You will call Mom now?”


She keeps throwing pillows at me and I throw them back on her. This is how we fought, since childhood. But I love my sister. She is the best I could get from my parents.


“Riddhi, what is happening?” Mom comes out from the Kitchen. “Why are you hitting him?”

“Maa, I am putting some sense in your son. Otherwise, you will never get to see your grandchildren so soon from Rajveer and Ananya.”

“Grandchildren?” Mom’s face lights up.

“What the hell, Ridz” I glare, rising to my feet. “I am not ready to be a father yet. Please.”

“Is it? You made that decision alone? What about Ananya? What if she wants kids?”

“No” I loudly declare. “She too has no such plans,” I say on behalf of Ananya too as I know she will totally agree with me on this, however mismatched our other thoughts and lifestyle were.


“Oh, I see. So, such discussions have already happened between you two, huh?” Riddhi throws the pillows away, blushing, and gives me a Hug. “Good to know you both are at least closing some of the barriers between you two and not fighting like cats and dogs as you did before marriage.”


I don’t debate and hug her back. It’s going to be tough to convince the family that we need separation and are here for the same.


After a delicious dinner, with my parents, Riddhi and Yug, I drop Riddhi at the gate. Yug is sleeping in my arms and I soon pass him to her.


“Keep an early alarm. Don’t forget you have to go pick Ananya from the airport.”

“What? I have to pick her up?” I scowl. “Ridz, the Jet lag is killing me already. I don’t think I can wake up early. I will send the driver.”

“Shut up Rajveer. Show some mercy on your relationship. Just imagine the happiness on Ananya’s face when she will see you at the airport to receive her.”


Damn no!! If Ananya sees me at the airport, we might end up pulling each other’s hair by our silly banters and never return home in one piece.


“No thanks. I will see that joy on her face when she reaches home. I will send Suraj Uncle to pick her up.”


Suraj Uncle is our driver who has been driving for us since we were in school. Though old, that man drives like he owns the road. Swift, careful, within the speed limit and no unnecessary jerks.


Riddhi holds my ear and pinches it.


“Ouchh.. Ridz it hurts okay?” I growl, waking up Yug.

“Mom, leave RV.”


Yug sides with me instantly and Riddhi pinch his ears too.


“RV’s pet. You know your Anu Aunty is coming home tomorrow and I am asking RV to pick her up. Don’t you want to see them driving home together?”


“Yes,” Yug squeals in joy.

“See” Riddhi smirks, putting Yug down and hold his hand. “Don’t forget the alarm,” she warns me before opening the gate and walking out.


Shit!! My family always overpowers me. I wave at the two and wait till they enter the adjoining gate of Mathur Mansion and then I head back inside the house. I have no choice but to pick Ananya from the airport tomorrow and I am already hating this.



Chapter 5

Ananya

No Effing way.!! Akash and Riddhi have sent Rajveer to pick me up from the Airport? Damn no! I don’t want to see his face first after landing in India and spoil my entire vacation. But the family doesn’t seem to have given us an option. I pull my luggage – a trolley bag, one laptop bag and my Gucci Purse, making way to the Exit. As usual, my luggage exceeded the allowed limit, and I had to pay for those extra five kilo gifts that I packed in my bags. I had bought gifts for everyone. An iPad for Akash, sexy lingerie set for Riddhi as I am sure she hardly buys such anymore, fancy electronic toys for Yug, an expensive watch for Dad, a branded purse for Mom and lots of chocolates for everyone. Well, I also had shopped for an iPod for Rajveer’s father with pre-downloaded old Bollywood songs which he is fond of and a digital Blood Sugar checking monitor machine for Rajveer’s Mom. And for Rajveer?? A Divorce!! That gift will make him happy for sure.


I wait for twenty more minutes outside the arrivals, but there is no sign of Rajveer. I decide to call him, but why should I? If he has taken up this responsibility, shouldn’t he call me to inform me if he is getting late? Screw you, Rajveer. That douche can never do a thing on time whenever I am concerned. I take out my phone and book a cab ride. That’s the best way to teach him a lesson. I will not inform him I have taken a cab. Let him come here and keep looking for me.

The cab arrives in five minutes. I help the driver load my luggage and then get inside the car. Delhi.. Here I come!!



Chapter 6

Rajveer

Shit!! I woke up late and now when I am almost 10 minutes away from the Airport, there is this traffic jam. I keep honking like the other vehicles surrounding me, do. It’s all my fault. Last night after Riddhi left, I got a call from Akash who was on his way from work and just like old times, since I was back, we shared a drink. Obviously, drinking at home wasn’t an option as we couldn’t enjoy nor be comfortable, so we drove to the nearest pub and had a few Pegs. Akash is the most down to earth man I have met in my life. He has a simple motto. Live life as it comes. He is so sober and positive, unlike me, who keeps walking on a rope all the effing time. It’s not that I run behind money and fame, but I can’t sit idle for long. I have this huge craze to keep working and learning new stuff. I don’t have time for being calm and do nothing. But Akash is not so. Though he has taken over the Toy factory business from his father, his calm attitude and smiling face confuses people like us if he is even handling the business well. But undoubtedly, his business is flourishing and we all are proud of him. I honk again and finally; the traffic seems to clear. I steer right below the flyover and drive as fast as I can to reach the Airport. It’s been more than an hour that Ananya is waiting at the Arrivals. We might not have a good rapport, but I don’t like to keep a woman waiting for me, especially this beautiful enemy who is also my wife. I am not ready for her extra bickering, to be honest.


Parking the car in the best available space, I look around for her but she’s nowhere seen. That’s when I decide to call but Shit!! I forgot my phone at home in a hurry to pick her up. This whole day seems wrong and wasted. I use the payphone and dial home. That’s when Mom tells me Ananya has taken a cab. Freaking hell!! If she had to take a cab, what am I doing here?

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