I know you all hate me. But there is a valid reason.

My AICTE-GPAT results came out and I got All India Rank 292.

I was beyond happy. I was giving party to literally everybody about it.

I am sorry

******

"Will you let me control our life?"

Could I? Who would I be? A puppet? A doll?

All my life wanted to leave the controlling clutches of my Ajji to fall into my husbands.

'I need control'

'I want control'

I wanted freedom. That's what I wanted.

What if say no? I will have to sign that deal sure. What if after one year he really wants to call it quits?

"Take your time Lila, I hope you tell your answer soon"

That was the first time I slept with my husband's arm around me.

*******

When I woke up I was alone on the bed. I looked around, he was nowhere to be seen. I looked at the time and it was 10 in the morning.

I called him.

"Lila"

"Good morning Vikram. Where are you?"

"Office"

I was disappointed. We could have gotten time to spend with each other as mom was not here.

"Okay, when will you come back?"

"Evening. I will try to come early" He sounded genuine.

"I hope so. Bye"

He cut the call without saying bye. He needed to work on his communication skill. I really hated when people did that.

Within half an hour I took a bath and had breakfast. I had nothing to do, so I decided to go next door. I haven't been there since the wedding which was day before yesterday.

I went looking for Rama to inform her, I found her studying in her room. I asked her about it and she said she was completing her school work. Due to her poor family she could study then and had to work. Vikram was the one who encouraged her to study and helped her financiaĺly for it. I was so proud of him for this.

I left the house and walked next door. It was disappointed that it looked the same. I was expecting some change but then I remembered that I was out for just a day.

As soon as I entered I saw Kaki. She was walking towards the verandah to dry wet clothes.

Her face broke out into a smile as soon as she saw me.

She put down the bucket of clothes and walked towards me.

"Lila" She hugged me,"How are you? How is Vikram and Rajni ji."

"They are fine."

"Are they treating you good."

"Better than ever" As I said that I saw her smile shift a little,"Let me help you with those clothes"

"No, no don't worry about these things. You go meet your Kaka, he was going to call you to meet today. And by luck you are here. So go on now and meet him."

I looked at her once again. Her difficulty in just holding the bucket showed that she wasn't experienced in doing any work. Why would she? She had me all these years to do it.

When I entered Kaka's study I saw him sitting with loads of paper surrounding him. This was something that hasn't changed. I smiled to myself.

He looked upto me and smiled.

"Lila, I was just going to call you"

"I know Kaki told me"

"Oh. Come on. Sit"

I went and sat on a chair. This room smelt like before, the scent of incense sticks filled up my nostrils. I looked towards Kaka and asked him,"You wanted to talk about something important?"

"Yes. I want to thank you. For doing so much for me"

So much. I was blackmailed by my own husband to marry him. I married Vikram to keep Kaka away from prison. I was unfortunate to know that side of Vikram.

"Please forget about it. I don't want to talk about him anymore"

"Lila, how can I just forget about it? I don't even know how you are treated there"

"What do you mean by treated out there?" I raised my eyebrows. I wanted to hear what he had to say.

"We know at what circumstances your wedding took place. It is understood that you have to endure very bad behaviour there"

How dare he? I was mistreated by Vikram? By his mom? In this house I could never sleep past 7 unless I slept late by doing some work. I was looked down upon. I was made to do a servant's work. How dare he make assumptions about my husband and his family.

"What you think is wrong. I have been treated like a princess over there. My mother-in-law cooked food for me. Never raised her voice on me. My husband gave me his card to shop. What you gave me was everybody else's old clothes. Spoke to me like I was dirt. I understand that since last few days you have been nice to me but that does not erase 23 years of torment"

I felt lighter after exploding. The anger within me quietened. He looked abashed. He should be. He could have stopped his mother from doing it. He could have treated me as his own.

I left the room without looking back.

**********

VIKRAM'S POV

I hope she accepts it. For her good and mine. She thought I wasn't attracted to her? Who couldn't be attracted to her.

Her outburst made me realise that I should stop beating the bush about the deal and ask directly what I wanted.

Power.

Her reaction when I told her was not at all imagined.

I expected her to refuse. Blantly say no to my face.

Instead she listened, asked me about it. I can't tell her about it. Atleast not yet.

I want to give her the world.

She has great leadership and management skills, which she herself doesn't know about. Living under the dark shadows of her Ajji extinguished her attempts to grow academically. But business mind was in her blood. Her father and to some extent even her Ajji.

Driver stopped the car and opened the door.

I got out and entered the house to hear my mother's voice.

"See you have to hold your lips together and blow in and out"

I stopped in my tracks.

What?

"It is so difficult. I have never done it"

Are they talking about... ahem...?

"I know. Even for me it was hard at first. Then my husband taught me about it?"

Uuuccccclkk. I didn't have to hear about that. And why is mom corrupting Lila. My innocent Lila. The normal in-laws talk about this? Maybe not. My mom and my wife aren't normal after all.

I entered the kitched and shouted,"What the hell are you talking about?"

Lila and my mom looked startled.

"I am teaching her to whistle"

Oops.