A/N: Alright guys, I didn't want to do this but I'm going to because of the amounts of comments I get from ignorant people, regarding this issue.

My characters are CATHOLIC so they're gonna eat beef and anything they want to. Another note, it is not banned in America nor is it banned in Kerala so they're still gonna eat it and your rudeness will not change a thing.

So please educate yourself (you know who you are) before you comment dumb stuff like this on my book and harass me in my PM's. I can be nice but deliberately attack me like this and it won't be pretty.

Thanks.

~~~

It was really awkward.

I chewed on my chili cheese naan and beef vindaloo silently as I stared out the window.

Licking my lower lip, I peeked a glance at Jai, who was sitting across from me. He sat there, eating his naan silently, just like I did.

We both avoided each other's eyes, dreading the moment where we had to take photos, faking happiness. The last thing I wanted to do was lie to my parents and his about having fun and getting along.

I sighed to myself as I finished eating, placing the napkin on the table and getting up to wash my hands.

Jai didn't say anything. He just glanced at me briefly before dragging his eyes back to his plate, serving himself more beef vindaloo to finish; he knew I wouldn't.

On the outside, my stomach was fairly chubby and had a lot of room, but on the inside, it was anything but–it was tiny. But there was always room for dessert.

I stared at myself in the mirror of the hotel bathroom; I wasn't pretty at all. My eyes trailed over all the features on my face, and I hated them all.

I wasn't even fair like the North Indian beauties and American models Jai was used to in America.

Sighing, I walked back to the table when feminine, flirtatious giggling caused me to look up from the ground and towards the table I was seated at.

It was the same woman I saw with Jai near the swimming pool. She was gorgeous, and Jai was smiling at her, but it also looked a bit forced.

Why would it be forced? It must be my imagination.

I shook my head mentally and stopped near the table. Jai looked up at me, his eyes narrowed and his face displaying a bored expression.

The woman turned her head, finally acknowledging me with her big baby blue eyes. I gave her a polite, kind smile and she replied with a slow almost strained smile.

"Oh, is this your girlfriend?" she pointed to me, tilting her head.

Jai scoffed and leaned back, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Hell no. She's my..." He sighed exasperatedly and finished as if it was the hardest thing ever, "wife."

"Wife?!" she exclaimed, before laughing. She looked at me and then back at Jai with incredulity. "She doesn't look like someone who'd be your wife."

I knew I wasn't good looking, but hearing it from someone else hurt more than it should have.

Jai ran his free hand through his hair, saying nothing, causing me to look away, tears in my eyes.

"Jai," she giggled, ignoring me all together. She trailed her fingers up Jai's left hand, the one that wasn't occupied with food. "Wanna go upstairs, forget about wives and boyfriends for a couple of quick minutes?" She winked.

Jai raised an eyebrow at her and removed his hand from underneath her touch and flashed her a charming smile.

"I'll take you up on that offer, but only if you do me a huge favour." He winked at her flirtatiously, smirking.

She purred, causing my eyes to widen as big as saucers.

"Mhm, I'd do anything for you, babe."

The fact that I was standing right here, didn't even seem to bother him or her which was what bothered me the most.

They were both shameless.

I sighed and went to turn around and go back to the room when Jai spoke up.

"Could you take a photo of the both of us?"

"Who, me and you?"

"No, my wife and I," Jai said, causing me to freeze in my tracks. I turned around and stared at him, completely lost.

His lips quirked up into a half-smile as his honey eyes met mine. My brows furrowed immediately, looking away and focusing my eyes on the confused woman opposite him.

"O-oh, uh, okay?" She took Jai's phone that was being held out to her and got us to sit next to each other, smiling.

It was more awkward than the dinner.

After handing the phone back to him, the seductive smile making its way back onto her face.

She flipped her hair behind her shoulders and leaned forwards. "So, what do you say about—"

"I don't think so." Getting up, he moved past me to get out and winked at her, flashing her a wicked smile. "You should probably pay for that."

He gestured towards the table and when his cold eyes returned to my shocked ones, he signaled me to leave.

She scoffed in disbelief and shame, glaring at the back of Jai's head as he made his way towards the bathroom to wash his hands.

I went to help her when her murderous gaze snapped to me, causing my feet to move quickly in the opposite direction, still feeling her killer gaze on my back.

As I waited for Jai patiently, he muttered from inside.

"Did you really think I'd cheat?"

My back straightened. I didn't say anything to him and I was sure my face never gave it away.

He came out and calmly walked out the door and towards the hotel lobby, me beside him.

"What are you talking about?" I whispered, gently, not sure if I heard what he said properly.

He sighed, looking down at me from the corner of his eye before shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You were talking in your sleep."

I gasped. I talked in my sleep?? I've never done that before—oh, no. So that means...

"Oh," was the only thing I managed to let out due to my short circuited brain. "Um, I saw you with her, at the pool."

"And I saw you with that guy," he counter-attacked, staring straight ahead. My brows furrowed, confused about the guy he was talking about—when it clicked.

"Oh, Gavin?" I tilted my head. "He's a friend I met here and we were just talking at the pool."

Jai only hummed in response. "And she was just a friend as well. Clearly she was the one that took it the wrong way."

I didn't say anything, still lost. He sighed in frustration. "The woman at the hotel. I was just talking to her at the pool, there wasn't any flirting—not on my part."

"Oh," I started, "I mean, I just thought..." I trailed off.

There was silence before he spoke up again, and surprisingly, his voice was low.

"I may be a lot of things," we stopped in front of the elevator and he faced me, his intense eyes locked on mine, "but I'm not a cheater."

***

"Karishma! We saw the photos and you two look so happy together!" My mother gushed. I smiled, looking down.

It broke my heart to see her so happy. I was still thinking about Aman and what could have been, and here she was, happy about me moving on with someone I hated and who hated me.

"Oh, thank you, Ma," I said, softly.

I wanted to tell her that I was trying to make it work, but it was just so hard because we didn't get along. But, the thing was I couldn't bring myself to ruin her happiness.

Jai was packing to leave; our 'honeymoon' was over, and it wasn't very enjoyable. I was glad to be going back home, but, I was still with Jai.

He looked over at me with a raised eyebrow, his face taut and his lips set in a thin line.

"Ma, do you want to talk to Jai?" I rushed out and she giggled.

Jai shot me a murderous look as he came closer, causing me to shoot him an innocent, sheepish smile.

"Leela aunty, how are you?" he asked in a civil tone. He sighed through his nose in exasperation, nodding his head and listening to her mini speeches.

His eyes glanced towards me as I moved to pack, looking out the window at the beach I had met Gavin on.

The sea was an aqua colour, the waves soft and gentle. If I wasn't so scared of swimming and exposing myself, I would have swam to my hearts content.

"What?!"

A loud shout caused me to jump and whip around to find the source. Jai stood there, aggravated, as he glared the door he was staring at, down.

With barely restrained anger, he said, "Leela aunty, I'm sorry, but can you please hand the phone over to my mom if she's there." I could tell he was finding it hard to control his rage, but for what, I didn't know.

There was a couple of seconds of silence where the only thing I could hear was the sound of his foot impatiently tapping against the carpeted floor.

"Mom, what the hell?" He listened to his mother's chatter for sometime before rubbing his forehead, his eyes closed in irritation. "No way. She's not coming with me to America."

I froze. They're talking about me...and taking me to America with Jai?

Looking away, I quietly began to pack, unintentionally hearing their conversation.

"She may be my wife, but there's no way I can take her over there." He groaned. "I won't—no mom, listen to me, I'm not doing it. I'm sorry."

He hung up immediately and chucked the phone onto the bed carelessly, not even having the decency to hand me the phone.

"Freaking hell," he muttered, shaking his head.

"What?" I asked, with incredulity.

"Nothing, let's go."

Even as we got into the taxi, he was more cold than usual. There was a muscle in his jaw that was ticking unnaturally.

"Jai, what did Ma say?"

I had a fairly good idea, but I wanted to know the full story. I didn't want to go to America, just as much as Jai didn't want me to go with them.

He scowled at me, causing me to flinch backwards at the hatred in them. "None of your damn business."

"I was just trying to help," I said, trying to defend myself by gulping down my fear.

"Well, don't. Your help hasn't gotten us anywhere. All you've done is destroy my fucking life."

He ran a hand through his hair as he stared out the window, shaking his leg impatiently. I glared at the side of his head, tears brimming in my eyes.

Even when I try to help, I'm still painted as the bad guy.

As we were driving towards the airport, I knew that there were more disasters to come. Disasters and answers that I wouldn't be prepared for.