हवा के जैसे चलता है तू 

मैं रेत जैसे उडती हूँ 

कौन तुझे यूँ प्यार करेगा 

जैसे मैं करती हूँ

 

Author's POV

A girl in her twenties sighed, standing in front of the pale wooden door as felt dread seeping into her bones. Dealing with the woman inside the freshly cleaned room was the most troublesome task for any doctor on duty, as her foul language and ugly demands tormented you for days. She had looked at the list in hand disdainfully, hating that her name was mentioned in the sheet to handle the most difficult patient in the room. Hoping for a miracle she was about to open the door when someone kept a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw a gorgeous woman looking back at her with an eye-blinding smile, making her happily smile back. That was what Sanvi Ishaan Malhotra did to people—made them smile at their worst.

"Go Neha, I will handle this one" Sanvi patted Neha's shoulder while she hugged her out of happiness.

"You are truly a goddess, Sanvi. Thank you so much. I'll handle your rounds for the next session. Just bear this one woman for me," she pleaded while Sanvi laughed and stepped away to attend to the patient.

Neha walked away thanking her while Sanvi looked at the clock ticking away the wee hours of the night as she had intentionally taken on the night duty yet again, unable to muster the courage to face what was written in her fate. Facing a bad-tempered woman was so much easier than bearing what was waiting at home for her. She shook her head and attended to Kajal, the obnoxious rich patient whose upcoming surgery was taking a toll on her. Kajal instead of yelling like she did at other doctors, smiled brightly, seeing Sanvi. She looked at her as if she was in urgent need of Sanvi's daily dose.

She smiled back and carried on with the routine check-up procedure as she asked Kajal, "Why did you not let the nurse inject you?"

Kajal rolled her eyes, hiding the fact that she intentionally disturbed the nurse so that she went running to Sanvi and made her come to her.

"She refused to wash her hands in front of me. What if her carelessness kills me?" Kajal asked, while Sanvi kept a hand on her shoulder and assured her, "What if it's your lack of faith that does?"

"Why is it only happening to me? I grow paranoid about everything these days. I can't leave my son alone. I want to live with my husband. What if I die?" she asked timidly. Everyone saw a rich woman who threw tantrums. Nobody saw how scared she was of death approaching her in the name of the surgery.

"Let's presume destiny wants you to die. The question is do you want this life to end just yet?" Sanvi asked, making Kajal shake her head vehemently.

"Then how can you lose a battle you are determined to win without even fighting? It's your life so only you can bend the destiny with your willpower. Believe with closed eyes that you will live for your husband because that man's life lives in you," Sanvi said, making Kajal look back at her with a thoughtful nod. Belief was her weapon and she would not give up until she lost it.

"You are a lifesaver—a fighter. Your husband is lucky to have you," Kajal said, while Sanvi blinked at her with a small smile. A fighter who was going to lose brutally in the game of life. Only if the world knew. Only if.

Finishing her job for the day, Sanvi reached home, changed into comfy clothes, and sat on the bed when she saw Ishaan enter the room with a plate of warm food in his hands. He kept it before her wordlessly as he sat on his side, scrolling through the business news section.

"You didn't have to stay up for so long," Sanvi murmured, admiring her husband's face as she couldn't move her eyes from his sculpted jaw, captivating eyes, and flawless skin. He didn't even raise his eyes to look at her as he answered, "I was working on a file"

She nodded, eating the food she knew he made himself for her as she knew the stale food never reached her plate, whether she came at 2 in the night or 5 in the morning. Today, she couldn't control the tears that rolled down her eyes as the food touched her tongue. Maybe this bliss was only for a few days more. Keeping the plate aside, she called out, "Ishaan"

He looked up at her in shock, knowing she always called him 'Shaan' and never by his name, only to see her looking at him with a yearning she had never expressed before. He straightened while his arms were so close to hugging her to soothe whatever was haunting her today. He had never seen his wife sad even once during the past 1 year of them being married. The tears in her eyes were like bullets to his skin and flesh. He sat there, unable to move as if his body had left the ability to react. She didn't wipe her face as she asked, "Can I ask you for something?"

Gulping the sorrow he felt on seeing her so vulnerable, he quickly answered, "Anything" as if he would bring stars on earth to make her stop crying.

"Can we cuddle to sleep tonight? I'll never ask for anything again. Just this once. Just tonight," she asked, while he didn't know what to say. He simply pulled her beside him, swooping her into his veiny arms, giving her the comfort she craved. She didn't need to ask for those minute things. They were her right. He wondered but kept mum knowing he had never actually given her those rights that belonged to her in his head.

She kept her head on his chest and slowly closed her eyes as if she had reached home after ages. Snuggling closer to him, she slept off as he slowly caressed her hair lulling her to a world full of the sweetest dreams while he couldn't even close his eyes peacefully knowing she had broken down like that in front of him. Something haunted her and he would hunt it down if needed to ensure his woman never faced it again. She was his responsibility.

The next morning arrived pretty quickly and what he wasn't expecting to see was his wife like every day else, beaming at him with a brightness that could defeat the sun and shine that could make the moon feel inferior. How could she smile when last night she was crying? The problem wouldn't surely have disappeared. He asked himself, but instead of asking questions, he did what she demanded while signing the marriage contract. He filled her hairline with vermillion and put the black-beaded mangalsutra around her neck. He didn't know why she would ask for something so ordinary instead of the crores of money she could ask in return for marrying him.

"Thank you," she says out of habit forgetting how much he hated that word from her. 

"Aapne keh diya aur ho gya. Iske aage shabdon ki koi zaroorat nahi hai. Chalein? (You said and I did it. We don't need any words after that. Shall we go?)" Ishaan said and she nodded. 

As they both went down in the hall, he looked at the sight, annoyed. His mother was mingling with the new guest at their place yet again. She was growing too close with Maya and he hated it to the core. He didn't know why his mother would let Maya stay at their place for so long as he witnessed her entry come with ignorance for his woman. They both went and sat at the table after greeting Radhika Malhotra.

Ishaan waited for Sanvi to fill his plate with breakfast like she preferred to do regularly. This was her way of feeling a part of his life, and he gladly let her follow her path. Instead of Sanvi what befuddled him was Maya stood up to put the breads laced with butter on his empty plate. He waited for his wife to glance at him, say something...anything but neither she claimed her right nor she meet his eyes. He looked at the way she quietly held the fork in a death grip and started eating as if the air inside this place was hurting her.

He stopped Maya by raising his hand in the air, stopping her actions midway and making her answer chirpily, "Have them, Ishaan. They are just the way you like. Sanvi taught me how you like your breakfast"

"And she forgot to teach you that I like my wife serving my breakfast, not random women?" Ishaan asked with raised brows, making Maya's eyes glower with liquid fury while Radhika interrupted.

"That is what she is. Your to-be wife" He felt the floor slip beneath his feet and slowly his eyes turned to the calendar kept on the coffee table, realizing what was distressing his wife. Today was the date the marriage contract was supposed to expire. Yes, Ishaan Malhotra and Sanvi Kapoor had a marriage deal where Ishaan would invest in a deal with their company only if they gave him a guarantee in return. Guarantee of not betraying Malhotra's once again and they gave him the most precious person of their lives. The daughter of the house. She was the apple of their eyes as a girl who was born in the Kapoor family after 4 generations of constant prayers. One more reason behind their marriage was Ishaan's cousin Megha, wanting to marry Sanvi's brother and Sanvi's presence in the house became an assurance for them to freely allow the vow exchange.

He looked at his mother and then at his wife, who didn't utter a word.

"Is this what you wanted when you permitted Maya to stay at our mansion? She isn't your friend's daughter. Is she?"

"Yes, I always found her to be the right match for you. That is why I asked Sanvi for a favor," his mother announced, making him grit his teeth as he clenched his fist.

"What favor did you ask from my wife?" he asked.

"To train Maya to handle both you and this household before leaving. After all, in this one year, if she has achieved anything, then it's perfection in running this house," his mother taunted, making him wonder if this is what Sanvi bore in his absence and never complained to him once about his mother's behavior. His eyes got clouded with angry tears for a second before he blinked them away.

"Bhai has started the annulment procedure, Mr. Malhotra. The papers we signed a year back were submitted yesterday in court. Just a month more and I'll be out of your hair. Maya, warm up this coffee. He dislikes cold coffee, he prefers it piping hot. Mom, I won't be back for dinner today. I am taking up the night shift," she said before folding her hands and apologizing to god for wasting food because she couldn't control the urge to throw up just like every day seeing her husband with someone else. Till a week back she wanted to do everything in her power to stay with her husband as she couldn't bear to stay away from him but today she realized that maybe she could still breathe after staying away from him but seeing him every day with Maya would kill her. She had to leave. She needed to leave.

Before she could stand up and walk away, Ishaan held her wrist and said, "Call me Mr. Malhotra once again and we won't be going anywhere except our bedroom"

Her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets as she heard her reserved husband say those words. He pulled her down to her seat and said, "Have your food and you may leave wherever you want to, Anvi. Maya, my wife told you something. Go, take care of the coffee"

"What are you doing, Ishaan?" Sanvi asked, unable to understand the logic behind his actions.

"Did you explain your actions to me before agreeing to demean our relationship by allowing Maya to stay in this house even after knowing her intentions? No! So I am not bound to answer you," he shrugged, getting back to serving his own meal of cornflakes and milk.

"But you wanted to marry her before I ransacked your life. I don't understand your problem," she asked, exasperated.

"Eat and leave, Anvi," he said in a soft yet stern tone instead, unable to control his anger. His silence led to this day when his wife thinks, life can be the same as before for him as it was without her. He didn't know why even the thought of her absence left a hole in his heart. He didn't even realize that his marriage had an expiry date and now everyone expected him to let her go. Damn, his mother had already started her ruthless future plans that were nowhere concerned with his happiness.

"Leave my hand," Sanvi whispered as she saw her wrist was still in his hold.

"Kal bhi meri biwi thi aur iss waqt bhi ho anvi. Pehli baar haath nahi pakda hai tumhara. Khana khudse khaa logi ya mai khilau?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes while she averted her gaze and quietly started having her food, not knowing how to respond to her husband. Maybe for one more month, she was allowed to live in this heaven of feeling his care. But this is who he was. He cared because she was his responsibility and nothing more. She sighed, thinking all this unknown to the fact that her silent devil didn't claim momentary ownerships he needed lifetime possessions. Maybe it was time he showed her what he meant when he filled her hairline every day (even when she forgot and he didn't).

It was 8 at night when she got a call that her night shift was canceled and she had to report the next morning. She didn't understand how her permission to work till late at night got terminated all of a sudden. What the hell was wrong with the people around her?

She reached home only to receive a shock in the form of her husband sitting on the single-seater couch like a king with his one leg crossed over the other as his eyes took her in. He looked at her with an acknowledging nod as he said, "Welcome home, wifey. How was your day? By the way, there are some papers kept on the bed. Do check them out"

She looked at him confused while he stood up, kissed her forehead tenderly, and left the room to get her dinner. Sanvi couldn't believe the words written on those damn pages as she sat down on the bed pondering over the perplexing events of the day. What the hell was wrong with Ishaan fucking Malhotra?

This time I was thinking more than required while writing so yeah I know I wrote a damn silly chapter. I don't know how it is so kindly do the honors. 

So how was it?

Do you hate Ishaan?

Do you think Sanvi is the doormat kind of heroine (It would be my first if you feel like that *hehe*)?

Waiting for what's coming next?

Worth toh ni but did you like wasting your time on reading this? (Me in my sad vibe era sounds like this). *nothing happened to me. It's just me and my mood*

Anything you liked in this chapter?

The best part?

Something you hated?

Soooo Ishaan and Sanvi are getting divorced. Let's bid them a happy never-together ever after *haha*

Please rate the update for me:

1. Boring

2. Okayish

3. Loved it!

I hope just like every other tale in this collection I manage to steal your hearts with this one as well. Do you think Sanvi's love is unrequited? Or maybe Ishaan...

Expecting a chirpy response from my readers because you guys are my only support system. Your update ends here mine starts the moment your comments start dropping by. Kindly don't leave without sharing your views and pressing the star button to keep me motivated. Your support is my biggest asset. Thanks a ton for reading!

Random question: Is there even something in their story that makes sense *hehe*

Or

Sanvi vs Ishaan: whose team are you in?

Or

Chocolates vs chips?

With love 

Ms. Bhatia