Chapter 1
She thought for a moment then raised her hand to knock at the door.
" come in."
She entered slowly, unsure whether she had made the right decision to approach him. He was sitting on his huge leather chair, going through a file. She cleared her throat to make her presence felt. He looked up from his file and shot her an ice cold stare which made her all the more nervous.
" so what are you doing here, Ms. Sugni Sharma?"
" vikram ji ..actually .." she stammered.
" you better have a good reason for disturbing me at this hour."
" yes of course, I do have something really important say."
He leaned back on his chair, expecting her to continue.
" vikram ji ..my mother is a heart patient.." she said softly.
" so?" he questioned.
" she needs to undergo an open heart surgery soon and for that I need money."
" how much?" he asked coldly
" around 3 lacs." She replied quickly, happy that he was listening to her problem and hoping that he would even help her out. He stared back at her and didn't say anything.
" I promise to repay every single penny." Making it clear that she was asking for a loan and not charity.
" you are jiji's nurse right? So how much do you earn in a month?" he asked while spinning the paper weight in his hand.
" six thousand."
" and how long have you been working here?"
" four months."
" right, and if I remember correctly, two months back jiji had fallen really ill because you had forgotten to give her medicine on time." He continued spinning the paper weight.
" excuse me, vikram ji, I hadn't forgotten to give her medicine, in fact her syrup had got finished and I was running late for my house so I had asked aditya ji , her son to get a new bottle and give it to her. If he apparently acted carelessly and didn't do anything about it then it wasn't my fault." She was a very committed nurse and if somebody raised a finger at her unnecessarily, she'd never tolerate it. He stopped playing with the paper weight and glared at her," arranging and giving medicines are your duties, so don't you dare blame others for that." He warned in a firm tone. He was extremely close to his small family especially aditya and didn't afford to hear a word against him.
" if the medicines had run out of stock then you should have arranged for them in advance instead you preferred to run back home because your official hours were over and what happened after that wasn't your concern." Sarcasm dripped from every word of his. She opened her mouth to defend herself but he didn't give her a chance and continued," even today jiji wasn't looking well, can I know why?" he asked raising his brow.
" she is not cooperating with me ..refusing to take her medicines." She told flatly.
" and what are you doing about it?" he asked standing up from his seat.
" sorry, but I can't force medicines down her throat..moreover why she is behaving like this even you know." Throwing the ball back in his court seeing him blame her for everything.
Slipping his hands in his pockets, he took a few steps before speaking again," well Ms. Sugni sharma, you have been working here for only four moths and now all of a sudden you need a sum of three lacs which you are willing to repay out of your meager salary of six thousand and if I am not wrong it will take you at least 10 years to get rid of this debt." She nodded her head silently, thinking her chances of getting this loan were dim. He looked at her carefully, she was fidgeting with the end of her dupatta nervously, he twisted his lips in a smile and said," you know something, although I don't believe in charity still I can help you out..i can give you that much money and you don't have to bother of repaying it." Being a self respecting girl she didn't like the idea of not repaying the sum but still the hope of getting that money brought a spark in her eyes and some respect for the man who was standing in front her and she asked," how?"
" in these four months, jiji has grown really fond of you."
"so?" this time she said as this whole long and boring conversation was confusing her.
"so marry me." He said casually making her mouth open up in shock.
"shut your mouth and listen to me carefully." She closed her mouth and stared back at him blankly as he continued," I will keep this short and to the point..we all know that jiji is suffering from mouth cancer and her chances of survival are not that bright but as long as she lives I want to see her happy, she is not willing to take her medicines because she wants to see me settled down and she is very close to you..this is my problem, now coming to yours..you need money for your mothers operation so I will give you that on one condition that you marry me under a contract..our marriage will last as long as jiji is alive after that you will be a free bird." He waited for her reply as her knotted eyebrows ironed out and what all he'd said slowly began registering in her mind.
" one more thing only in front of our families we shall behave like a normal couple otherwise our marriage will only be for namesake." He added.
" what if I say no to this contract?" she asked glaring at him.
"simple, you won't get the money." He said tilting his head slightly. There was complete silence in the room, minutes back the respect that he had earned in her eyes, he lost all that after coming up with this proposal but men are like that, emotionless and heartless she thought. She was lost in her thoughts when he said picking up his file," if you don't have anything more to say then you may leave..i am busy." She gave him a disgusted look for thinking of taking advantage of her problems while leaving his study, however stopped at the door and told him," vikram ji my duty hours are over ..and now you shall have to see to it that jiji has her medicines." Making it clear that like her even he was in deep water.
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She walked down the street to reach her home, thinking the various options she had in hand actually she didn't have any. Gulabiya, her mother needed immediate medical help and only he could fund this costly surgery but for that she'd to marry him! Was she really prepared for that? Was she ready for marriage at all? Love and marriage were certain things that she loathed from childhood and had vowed to stay away from them but now she had to get into all this only for her mother's sake. Lost in her thoughts she found gulabiya, lifting a heavy drum filled with water in the kitchen.
" maayee! What are you doing? You should have been resting instead of picking up this heavy drum." She said after taking the drum from her hands. She took gulabiya to her bed and covered her with the blanket.
"sugni ..i am tired of resting the whole day..beta let me do something." Gulabiya urged with a smile.
" no, you take rest and I shall get the dinner here."
She came back after making the dinner and began serving quietly. Always been a chatter box therefore today her silence was disturbing gulabiya so she asked, "what's wrong beta..you look tensed." She didn't know how but she had to tell her mother about the conversation she had with vikram and her decision to marry him. Gualabiya was dumbstruck after hearing what sugni had to say. She'd weaved such beautiful dreams for her daughter's marriage, she always wished to see sugni settled down but not like this.
" no sugni ..you will not ruin your life like this." Gulabiya said adamantly.
" maayee ..you are my life..my happiness lies in you..i cannot afford to lose you." Sugni tried to explain her calmly.
" sugni ..do you think I am so selfish that I will let you destroy your happiness so that I can live long?"
She sighed deeply, she was aware that it wouldn't be easy convincing her but she had to, her world revolved around her mother and for her sake she could do anything. She parted her lips to speak but before that gulabiya showed her palm to stop her.
" tell me one thing what is marriage to you? A child's play? Its such a sacred institution, where couples love each other and promise to support each other till their last breath and you both are making a deal out of it?"
" mayee ..you very well know that I don't believe in love and marriage..if it is such a big thing then it should have brought joy in your life but it didn't." she replied in irritation, what her mother had gone through had made her lose faith in these two worthless words. Gulabiya ran her hand through sugni's hair affectionately and said," but beta its not necessary that you might also suffer like me..at least give yourself a chance." Sugni stood up, turned her back to gulabiya and said firmly," look maayee.. I have made up my mind that I shall marry vikram ji .. I could have gone ahead without telling you the details but I didn't wish to hide anything from you and now you don't try to stop me coz I am not going to stop no matter what." She left the room turning a deaf ear to what her mother was saying.
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He read the name that flashed on his cell phone and smirked before taking the call. He knew she would call up.
" yeah" he said and waited for her to say what he wanted to hear.
" vikram ji I am ready to marry you." she said although something inside her killed her on saying so.
"ok then meet in my study tomorrow." He disconnected the call, turned around with a smile and said," see I told you that she'll agree..now you have your medicines." And handed over the tablet along with a glass of water to his jiji.
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Next day again she knocked at his door and found him going through a file like before. Seeing her stand in front of her he closed the file and tossed it before her. She gave him a questioning look.
" this is our pre nuptial agreement..read it and sign it now." He ordered in his heavy tone. She glanced at the file but before picking it up she said," I will sign on it and marry you but before that I want my mother to get operated.. I cannot afford to lose more time."
"don't worry everything will be taken care of." He said coolly, leaning back on his chair. She began reading the various terms and conditions of this marriage.
"you may sit and read" for the first time offering her to sit down.
"no thank you.. I am fine this way." She replied after looking up from the file.
" vikram ji ..one correction is required in this contact." He cocked up his right eye brow wondering how dare she point out a mistake in an agreement laid down by him?
" clause no. 5 says that after we get divorced you shall provide me with a monthly maintenance of Rs. 20,000..when we are no longer husband and wife then there is no need for you to support me..i can take care of myself and my mother..so kindly get this deleted."
" what are you trying to prove that you are a very self respecting girl who doesn't accept charity?" he asked with a mocking grin playing on his lips.
" I don't need to prove anything to anybody especially you." She replied looking into his face.
" you know had you not agreed to marry me for money I would have respected you more and probably would have helped you out later on but..you failed in my test." He said with contempt filled eyes.
"same here..had you not coaxed me into this marriage even I would have respected you more but you lost that chance of gaining respect in my eyes." She was no less than him and she proved it at every point.
"when the final contract gets ready do let me know..i shall come and sign it." She said before banging the door shut of his study.
He stood up, walked to his huge window and looked out thinking, this will be the most interesting deal of his life, the more she rebels the more she will ignite the fire with in him.
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