"Remember, I married you not because I like you, but because I need to. If an apocalypse occurred and you were the only female left alive in this world, I wouldn't even take a glance at you. You are just nothing to me. I hope there won't be another situation where I need to remind you of your position in my heart" Raj expressed his thoughts without any empathy.
Ria heard her new husband's cold voice, and his bone-cutting stare pierced through her. Although his lips curled up, she knew he wasn't smiling at all and was only mocking her. Mocking her because in his eyes, she's nothing more than a gold digger.
She struggled to maintain her composure, and her grip on the champagne glass tightened. She knew the man she married was difficult to please, but never expected him to be the worst she had ever seen.
Submitting herself to this man now was no less horrible than ending up in hell. She raised her eyes to meet his, her voice cold and ruthless.
"Heh... At least, we are on the same page regarding something. And don't even try to intimidate me using your status as my husband. Also, know your place before you talk to me in the future. You can never get in here" Ria pointed to her heart and then looked away.
As her voice faded, the man beside her stiffened, probably bewildered by her unexpected answer.
Unbothered by his reaction, Ria sipped the champagne slowly, submerging herself in her past.
Ria recollected how the men she met previously on blind dates treated her.
One asked her to get regular skin whitening treatments as she appeared too dark for his eyes.
One enquired if she could get a surgery soon as he didn't want to have a wife wearing glasses. He was concerned that it would make her look more intelligent than him.
One demanded she go on a diet immediately and hit the gym as he always wanted a wife with a slender figure.
One mocked her height and another asked her if she had to shop at the kids' section for her clothes.
Thinking she had to stay patient with rabid beings, she rejected everyone.
If not for her father's wish to marry her to a potential man he personally selected, she would have at least tried to find a man all by herself, fall in love and get married instead of going to meaningless matchmaking sessions.
She indeed once tried to find love. However, it was useless as every man she fell for turned out to be a bastard of some kind or other.
One betrayed her and married a rich family's daughter and another broke up with her saying she's too domineering for him to continue their relationship. One was too selfish to love others while another turned out to be an unemployed man with no real ambitions wanting to freeload on her income.
Not losing hope, she registered on several online matrimony sites. Even that was futile.
She was vexed with men. She comforted herself "I think all men should immediately go see a doctor? I think their eyes had gone blind with all that evilness pooled in their heart and stupidity in their head"
As she was finally trying to persuade herself to stay single forever, she received a call from her grandmother from whom she hadn't heard for at least six months. Before she knew what was happening around her, she had already ended up getting married and here she was standing at the centre of the crowd with her new husband beside her, toasting to the guests.
Coming out of her reverie, Ria sighed helplessly. It was an absolute waste to think of her past interactions with men. She should now worry about her future.
Would her husband treat her well?
A heartless man who openly mocks his wife. She need not guess. He would definitely torture her and leave her starving.
'What kind of sin did I attempt in my past life to be punished like this in this life?' The same thought ran through her mind again for the hundredth time since she stepped into this marriage.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed her grandmother, Sarah seated at a far away table along with her husband's grandmother, Rachel. Both the elderly women were laughing heartily, like two little girls. It's been a long time since Ria saw her grandmother laughing so happily.
Suddenly, there was a pang of pain in Ria's heart and a stifling sensation overwhelmed her.
Ria was confused.
Was the pain in her heart due to her regret of marrying some cold hearted stranger or was it because of her reluctance to hurt her grandmother?
All she wanted now was to spend six months in silence and then get a divorce.