CHAPTER 9 : Cracks in the Foundation

The night dragged on longer than Meera had anticipated. The din of laughter and conversation from the guests echoed through the halls, blending with the soft clinking of glasses and the faint melodies of classical music playing in the background. Meera found herself perched in one corner of the lavish living room, clutching a glass of water as the weight of the evening pressed heavily on her shoulders.

"Bhabhi, you're awfully quiet tonight."

Meera looked up to see Ishani standing over her, a glass of red wine in her hand and a sharp, mischievous smile playing on her lips. She leaned against the wall, her eyes studying Meera like a puzzle she couldn't quite solve.

"I'm just trying to take everything in," Meera replied, forcing a polite smile.

"Taking everything in?" Ishani repeated, her tone dripping with mockery. "Well, you'd better get used to this. Being part of this family comes with endless scrutiny. And trust me, people here remember every little detail."

Meera didn't respond, her fingers tightening around the glass.

Ishani leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "You know, you and Arjun don't exactly scream 'newlyweds.' There's something... off about the two of you."

A lump formed in Meera's throat. She knew Ishani was digging, waiting for her to slip up. "We're just private people," Meera said carefully. "Not everyone feels the need to show off their relationship."

Ishani smirked. "Hmm. Maybe. Or maybe there's more to the story than you're letting on."

Before Meera could respond, Shalini's voice rang out from across the room. "Ishani, come help me with the dessert."

Ishani gave Meera one last look before walking away, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Later that night, after the guests had finally left and the house had fallen silent, Meera retreated to her room. The day had left her emotionally drained, and all she wanted was a moment of solitude.

But as she stepped inside, she found Arjun sitting on the edge of the bed, his head resting in his hands. He looked up when she entered, his expression unreadable.

"You were quiet tonight," he said.

Meera sighed, closing the door behind her. "I didn't know what to say. Everyone seems to have their own idea of who I'm supposed to be."

Arjun nodded, his gaze distant. "That's the thing about this family. They don't care about who you are. They care about who you appear to be."

Meera sat down in the armchair across from him, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Do you ever get tired of it? The pretending?"

Arjun didn't answer immediately. He ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tightening. "Of course I do. But it doesn't matter. This is the life we're stuck with."

His words stung more than Meera expected. "Is that how you see it? Being stuck?"

He looked at her then, his eyes hard. "Let's not pretend this is a fairytale, Meera. We're not here because we chose each other. We're here because we didn't have a choice."

The truth in his words was like a punch to the gut, but Meera didn't let it show. Instead, she nodded, her voice quiet. "I know."

Arjun stood, walking to the window and looking out at the sprawling estate below. "The only way we're going to survive this is if we stop worrying about what we want and focus on what's expected of us."

Meera watched him, a flicker of sadness in her chest. For a moment, she wondered what Arjun's life had been like before all of this—before the weight of family expectations and societal pressure had turned him into the guarded man he was now.

"I'll try harder," she said finally.

Arjun turned to her, his expression softening slightly. "That's all we can do."

As the night deepened, Meera lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. The words exchanged between her and Arjun replayed in her mind, along with Ishani's pointed remarks.

She thought about her old life—her small, modest home, her parents' laughter, and the simplicity of it all. How had things changed so drastically? How had she gone from being a girl with dreams of a quiet life to this—a woman navigating a web of lies and expectations in a world that didn't feel like her own?

She glanced at Arjun, who was already asleep on the far side of the bed. His face was calm, devoid of the tension that usually marked his features. For a moment, she wondered if there was more to him than the stoic façade he presented to the world.

But she quickly pushed the thought aside. It didn't matter. Their lives were intertwined now, whether they liked it or not.

And if she was going to survive this, she needed to learn how to play the game.

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