Important Note - This story was written as Fan-fiction before and now I have changed the fictional character names (Rishab Kundra/Rk and Madhubala/ Madhu) and posting it in general fiction category with Karthik and Mithra as lead names! 

Part - 1

"The Goal In Marriage Is Not To Think Alike, But To Think Together" - Robert C. Dodds

Karthik's POV:

"Oh God! How have I survived in this house...Nah, Correction, how have I survived in this CIRCUS for this long? Crazy parents, Crazy friends & I think I am the only sane member here. Why don't they all let me live in peace? At least for a minute? Am I asking for more? For crying out loud all I want is just some peace.

Gah! I can't even go to my room as I please. Like a loon I'm cribbing & pacing here in the lawn. But the fact is I really don't want to go to my room. Sure as hell I don't want.

God! It's my wedding night... which supposed to be special for everyone but definitely not for me. What am I gonna do with a baby? Babysit her? Or read bedtime stories to her? She is not a sweet little baby but an annoying, infuriating, errant grown up baby & now she is my wife... I'm married to Mithra Manohar... well, now Mithra Karthik Kumar. It's so hard to digest... but how all this happened so quickly in a blink? Ahhh... I don't want this... I don't want this responsibility at this young age... Well, I'm young but not as young as my wife... Fuck! All my friends are enjoying their life flirting & dating with young hot chicks but here I'm married at twenty five to an eighteen years old baby brat. You deserve it Karthik for dumping so many lovely girls who were crazy on you. Now no one will even turn at you because you are f**king married. Well, I don't want to look at any other women too. I really don't want to cheat my Mithra, my baby brat" I am cribbing all this in my head when suddenly someone pulled me back to earth by slapping on my shoulder.

"God! This day is getting better & better. Now I have to face my idiotic moronic friend, Sanjeev" I groan inwardly.

"Wassup, dude? Nervous?" Sanjeev asks me. I just glare at him.

"Chillax man. Just take it slow. Make it pleasurable & memorable to her as it would her first time unlike you."

What the hell? Even I'm a f**king virgin but to maintain a bad boy image I cooked up some stories & these fools really believed what all rubbish I told them about my imaginary sex life. I just flirt with girls, yeah well, that's quite a number which I can't keep count and the fools whom I call as friends believed that I laid my bed with all of them.

"Don't behave like a caveman by swinging on the chandelier & enter her cave abruptly... you will freak her out and she will never let you touch her ever again so be gentle with her, buddy. Your bratty wife is inexperienced" Sanjeev jokes.

"Did you finish with your pep talk on sex or you have more to add?" I ask him mockingly.

"I'm just trying to help you as you have an alarming reputation when it comes to f**king women." He chuckles.

No doubt he is the biggest fool in my friends' gang and I declare that today. I really wanted to let him not paint me as a priapic monster but wouldn't do that. I wouldn't I say the truth now & bring my highly set standard to gutter. If I do tell them I still a virgin they will eat me alive with their teasing... Well, if I want to say my little secret to anyone then It will be to my baby brat, my wife... oh no! It's so hard to think her like that.

We know each other all our life. Mithra is my neighbor. My dad & her dad are best of best buddies just like Mithra and I.

I still remember the day... the most special day of my life... the day I took her in my arms the day she was born. I was there in the hospital when she was born and I was thrilled when I took my Mithra, my little baby in my little hands. She was so tiny, so soft & so fragile. I fell in love with the baby in my arms as soon as I saw her mesmerizingly beautiful eyes.

She just opened her eyes once & our eyes locked for the first time. I kissed her soft rosy cheek for the first time. Ah! It feels like yesterday.

I was just 7 years then but she was so perfect in my little hands, warn & soft. I felt an uncontrollable urge to protect her, keep her safe by my side, forever.

We always hang-out together, study together, eat together, and play together. She is my partner in crime. And we never hold any secrets from each other. She always comes to me if she has any problem and I love to sort it for her. I am really protective and possessive for her.

I love do anything & everything for her, hell, I even started saying lies to my parents & her parents to just help her from getting caught when she does any mischief.

She is a brat, very rebellious and adventurous girl I have ever met. (I chuckled at the thought). Oh and she can be demanding & annoying at times, okay most of the times but still is so special to me.

She is strong yet sweet innocent baby so I always try to protect her from this big bad world. I'm technically her human shield & I f**king love being her savior, all the time.

But every damn thing changed now. Our relationship has changed. It has a new name to it. We are no more thickest friends but we are man & wife. Oh God! This is so messy. Our lives are so messed up.

I know I love Mithra as a friend & I hope she does too... but do we love each enough to live our lives together forever? I am not sure. Neither of us wanted to get married but we are married already now knowing it's all so soon but didn't have any other choice. May be after few years when she has grown little old and matured she would have agreed to marry me like I would have because I f**king hate to see her with another guy. I often kick all the assholes that come behind her and she hates me doing that & even told me once that I am not her father & ask me to stop behaving like one and let her enjoy her teenage life. But now I am officially entitled to show my control on her & kick all the creeps who come behind her wagging their tails like dogs because I'm her fucking husband now. Ah! I love that sound and that's something positive about our marriage. I guess I can cope up with the new relationship but the question here is will Mithra accept this sudden change of life? Will our marriage work out? I don't want 'married in haste, repent in leisure' line to come true. I don't want our relationship to end before it blossoms.

"Dude, back to earth. Already started dreaming huh?" Sanjeev's teasing words brought me out of my reverie again.

"No, dude, I'm wondering how Mithra will take all this. Already we have seen the racket she had created when the marriage talk came up & now we are married & I think all this will be too much for her to take in. she hasn't seen or enjoyed anything yet in her life... I know she has lots of dreams to achieve. Oh God! She is a f**king teenager but now she is married to me and she is loaded with lot of responsibilities. I hate to think the mess we are in."

"There you are making a mistake. She is not loaded with responsibilities but YOU. We are taking about Mithra. M.I.T.H.R.A!! You have to suck up all her tantrums & tackle her to keep her & yourself happy" Sanjeev says matter of fact & roars with laughter. I couldn't argue on what he said because I know he is right. It's easy to handle a just born baby but not my Mithra. She is one of a kind.

"Go upstairs, she is ready to soak you shirt with her tears" Sanjeev pats my shoulder in an encouraging way to face her but I can't even imagine my Mithra in tears. It puts me off. I feel so hurt every time I see her in tears. I should console her & promise her that everything will be fine. I will do anything & everything to keep her happy & smiling. With that resolution I head upstairs to my room where my little wife is waiting for me.

I enter our room after taking a deep breath. It's decorated just like how it's shown in cinemas with rose petals all over the bed, aroma candles lit and placed in appropriate places in the room & a very dim LED blue color light on totally giving a romantic feel. Who the hell has such romantic taste in my family? Dad sucks in romance so I guess its mom's magic. Mom should have ordered Patil, our servant to make the room perfect for us. Well, it's looking great but I'm not in the mood to appreciate it as I spot my Mithra on the bed, hugging her knees & head bowed, her shoulders shaking. She is crying. I sigh taking in the painful sight in front of me. She has changed her cloths to casual night wears and I expected this as I know nothing streamy dreamy hot will happen between us tonight. I walk slowly after locking the door behind me & stood by the bed side bracing myself to talk to her. I don't want to say something stupid and hurt her more than she already is. After a minute I gently whispered her name "Mithra" I'm sure she didn't hear it because I didn't hear my own voice. It's kitten soft. f**k! Be louder Karthik!

"Mithra" I call her little louder this time. She looks up at me with her big doe eyes with tears streaming down her cheeks & before I say anything, she jumps up from the bed & straddles on me, locking her legs around my waist as she starts crying loudly near my ears, & I hold her securely in my arms.

See, this is Mithra for you. So immature & childish but it's a relief that she is behaving in her usual way. She didn't change. She always hugs me so tightly as if her dear life depends on it & crying loudly tearing my ear drum and it will take me hours to console her.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay" I coo her softly & ruffle her hair.

"I don't want this, Karthik" She cried soaking my shirt as Sanjeev said. "I never thought you like this. I can't accept you as my husband ever. You are my friend & you will be my friend for life. That's all" she says still hugging me & not bothering to land her legs on the floor but just lock it behind my back.

I must be looking like a kangaroo now carrying a baby kangaroo in its pouch.

Her words hurt me deeply because she is not ready to accept this new relationship of ours. Even I felt the same that we have never seen each other anything more than friends but I am trying to accept the fact and live with it right? Why can't she? I know it's hard but she can try right? She made it very clear that she can't accept me as her husband ever & that's because she doesn't love me enough to take me as her husband but what the hell we can do now? We are tied up in this messy relationship which will break the friendship we had too. I don't want to lose my baby brat. I hug her tight if that's even possible.

"Mithra, Baby, calm down. I can understand your turmoil but we are where we are now. We can't change the fact we are married. We will work things out slowly. We will be the same old friends forever. Nothing has changed & nothing will change between us. I promise you and I will also give you as much as time you need to accept this... accept me as your husband" I say softly with utter sincerity.

"How can we be husband & wife? How can we share one room, one bed? It's all wrong... It's so disgusting. Karthik" Now she is really being childish. Of course we have to stay in one room & share a bed. Wait? There is no such written rule. I can amend it.

"No, baby, I will never come into your personal space. I will give you whatever you wish for. If you don't want to share a bed then we don't have to... you can sleep in bed and I will sleep on the couch. I wish I could go out & sleep in the guest room but that would hurt both our parents. If not for real at least we should try pretending to be a happy couple to keep our families happy. Oh and don't worry, in two days we will be moving out to our new apartment where you can stay in one room & I in another room. Everything will be normal in our life as before" I say calmly. She stares at me with her tear brimming eyes. I think she is taking in all what I said.

"Is that possible?" she asks with doubt edging in her eyes.

"Yes, baby" I smile assuring her.

"But I'm so young. You are too old for me" she muses. God! What I am going to do with her? She is making it really hard for me.

"I'm not too old. I'm just 25 years old okay? It's not my fault that you were born 7 yrs later. I agree you are so young. You just finished your 12th board exam & turned 18 a month back, you have lot to enjoy in your youth life so do I... but we are here now & we can't do anything about it" I say in a pissed tone. She is talking as if I forced her into this marriage? Hell I was also forced as much as she was.

I was happily running our family business in Singapore, well, I was not initially happy taking over my dad's business but yet again I was forced & being their only loving son I was bound to satisfy their wishes, god damn wishes. But soon I adapted to that life style & I was doing well by handling the business successfully for the past two years. I really missed Mithra when I was away from her but I was forced to run our company in Singapore than the head office here in India.

Well, back to the story, two weeks back I was suddenly called by my father ordering me to return home as soon as possible & he didn't even tell me what was wrong. I rushed home two days later from the phone call and came to know it was Manohar uncle, Mithra's dad was really sick. He faced a severe heart attack for the second time. I was so worried for Padmini aunty, Mithra's mom & Mithra. They were so upset & I didn't even know what to say to ease their pain. Doctor suggested they could go for an open heart surgery to save him & we all saw the ray of hope in saving him.

My dad went to see Manohar uncle in the ICU & they had a talk for what felt like ours & when he came out he dropped the bomb that Mithra and I will be getting married in a week's time. To tell I was shocked would be an understatement. I was flabbergasted and so was my Mithra.

"What?" Mithra and I squeaked in unison.

"Mithra, your dad wants to see you" My dad, Mohan told her calmly. Without a word she barged into the ICU to talk with her father. I hoped she would convince him as I knew he was the one who made the demand.

"Dad, What the..? How could you say such nonsense? Mithra & I... together? Married..? God! This is all wrong"

Wait! Did I say 'it's all wrong' then? I am surprised I said the same word to dad which Mithra said to me a moment ago. Why I felt us getting married wrong then but not now? Is it because we can't change anything now and we have to accept the life thrown us forcefully to us? Am I easing myself by saying all I well now? Hell, I am confused between what's right & what's wrong!

"Karthik, listen to me. You know my friend is more important to me than anything in my life. This is his wish... You could say his death bed wish..." My dad's voice choke and a sob escaped out.

"Dad, please don't cry"

"He wants to see his daughter married and that too only to you because we all know only you can keep Mithra happy. He said he will get peace only when he realizes his daughter is in safe hands"

"Dad, I can understand but nothing wrong will happen to Manohar uncle. Just now Doctor assured us that he has high possibility to recover completely & won't have any problem for the next 20 years minimum. Then why worry unnecessarily & mess up things when everything is going good?"

"Mano is worried he might not survive in the open heart surgery... he wants his daughter to get married to you before his surgery. He told me about his wish & I gave my word to my friend Mano. You know what my word means to me so don't disappoint me, Karthik"

"Dad... I... Mithra is so young. At least think about her if not me."

"Karthik, you convince your friend"

"Dad, are you gone crazy? She is my friend"

"Karthik, Mano wants to see you" Padmini aunty interrupts our conversation. I just nod my head.

When I entered the room I saw Mithra sitting on the chair beside the bed holding her father's hand.

"Uncle, how are you?"

"Karthik, will you look after my daughter? Will you keep her happy?" I remained silent. But he answered his own question. "I know you will. You will take care of my baby girl" he smiled in relief.

"Now, I can happily breathe my last"

"Papa, please" Mithra sobbed, her lips trembling as she couldn't utter a word further.

"Uncle, don't worry you will be fine. You will live long & you will see Mithra getting married when the right time comes. Now, she is so young so please don't push her into this unwanted marriage" I tried to reason him but he was stubborn & I couldn't press him more as I was worried that will affect his health.

After going on & on about that issue with my parents, I finally gave in & somehow Padmini aunty convinced or I could say threatened Mithra to the marriage & I know she did it to safe her dad & I did it to save him too, also to keep up with my dad's promise, to keep my family & Mithra's family happy. And that's how we got married a week later that is today, few hours back with the blessing of our family & friends.

"Papa will be fine right?" Mithra asks in a mere whisper near my ear & rests her head on my shoulder. I am still holding her & she is still clinging to me. I wonder whether she will get down or not.

"He will." I reassure her. Man! He has to get well or else the entire marriage hungama will go waste.

"Will you get down?" I ask her. I know she's done crying & calmed down now.

"Nope! What you will do?" she challenges me. I will show her what I can do. I thought with a smirk.

I walk straight to the balcony & stand close to the railing so that Mithra's body is almost outside the railing & I say in a humorous tone "if you loosen your arms around my neck & flips back you will fall down screaming from the fifth floor & you will f**king die & I will be put out of my misery."

"You are bad, Karthik" she slaps my arm, playfully.

"I never claimed I'm a good gentleman, Sweetheart." I smirk at her. She hits me on my shoulder with one hand again, this time little forcefully and she loses her grip & falls back.

"f**k!" I pull her hard towards me and she slams against my chest & I land on the floor losing my balance. Mithra is lying on top of me, her face buried in the crook of my neck, her hair fanning all over my face; hmm... it smells so good, so soft & so silky.

She is breathing hard. I guess she got scared. Don't worry baby, I will never let you fall. You are so precious to me.

She slowly raises her head & looks at me with fear in her eyes but a smile playing on her lips. I love to see her smiling.

"Thanks" she whispers.

"Will you get off of me?" I ask.

"Nope" she says & sits up on me... her butt bouncing on my...um...er... God! She is so frustrating at one level & so adorable at other level.

"At least sit on my stomach. You are sitting out of the boundary" I tell her openly if she hasn't realized where she has placed her delectable butt. Realization dawn! She shrieks & runs to the bathroom to hide herself from getting embarrassed more. I chuckle at her childish antics. She will never grow up & I never want her to grow up. I love her unadulterated innocence.

"Baby, come out" I call her. How long she will coop up in the bathroom?

"Nope" she replies.

"Why? What you are doing? Planning to sleep in there? I told I will give you bed & I will sleep on couch so don't worry, come out"

"Nope" she is being stubborn as ever.

"Hey, I wanna pee" I blurt out. She always expect me to spell out loud as she is high rated dumb little girl. I love her dumbness too. Oh Karthik! Stop saying 'love' word for every single thing.

"Okay" she mutters & comes out, looking down at her feet. Shy Mithra is something to behold. I have never seen her shying away. She is changing after marriage I guess... hope she tries to change her mind set too & help me in making this relationship work. But I am not gonna push her. She can take her own time to deal with this new life. I will give her that and I hope she will accept me & our new relationship whole heartedly.

Before I get into the washroom she stops me. What now?

"Karthik" she still hasn't met my eyes but I could sense worry in her voice.

"Tell me, Mithra" I tip her chin up to make her meet my eyes so I can read what's going in her little head.

"I want to study, I want to work, and I have so many dreams... I... all this has happened so suddenly... I m so confused..."

"I can understand, baby" I say & kiss her forehead.

"Sorry for what I said earlier but I really don't really think I can see you as my husband or be a dutiful wife to you. I'm sure I'll disappoint you but I'm thankful to you for agreeing to my dad's wish. But once his operation gets over & once he get well, we will part our ways" she says so coolly. How easy is that? As much as I love her childishness I hate her immaturity & her insensibility. She never thinks before she talks. Does she have any idea that her words are piercing my heart? We didn't even start our life but she wants to end it already? She doesn't even want to try it? Hell, I am ready to give it a try and I am even ready to wait for her to accept me as her husband then why she is backing down?

"You wanna give a heart break to your dad? Do you think he will survive if we part away? He asked me to look after you & he handed me the more precious possession of his life to me that's because he trusts me. I'm not going to break his trust." I say angrily but I didn't shout at her. I can never be rude to her.

"I' m sorry. I didn't think about that." she says in a contrite voice & hugs me.

"Stop crying, Mithra. How many times you expect me to say that I won't invade in your territory. You can enjoy your life as you please. I will stay out of it. Only when you need me or when I know you are in trouble I will step in to save you and for doing that I don't have to be your husband. Your old friend Karthik will do that for you as always. And Mithra I need you to help me... I can't alone keep this relationship intact..." I don't know what else I can say or what else I can do to make her understand that nothing has changed. She simply nods her head and I don't even know it's an affirmative nod or negative one.

"I want to go to college" she says still burying her head in my chest.

Will this girl let me pee? My bladder is bursting.

"You will. I have already applied for all the famous colleges in Mumbai" the moment she gave her final board exam I started collecting application for her college education.

"I want to study in the college you studied. Did you get application in that college, Karthik? I heard boys in that college are so handsome like you" she says softly & I know she is smiling thinking how pleasurable it will be to eye f**k other men. I shut my eyes & take deep breathe calming myself from not screaming at her for saying that to me, ME?! Her husband? For f**k's sake! But I console my little heart saying that she said 'handsome like me'... so she thinks I am handsome. Of course I'm hell handsome. That even the God who created me can't deny.

If I flash my trade mark dimpled smile then all girls will be puddle under my feet. I thought smirking arrogantly.

"I have got application in that college too"

"Good" she smiles & I can't help but smile back.

"Karthik?" what now? What's wrong with this girl? Ah! Yeah, she is not only my baby brat anymore but my annoying wife so she is entitled to eat my brain.

"What, baby?" I manage to sound sweet.

"Um..." she hesitates. I wait for her to drop yet another bomb.

"I don't want anyone to know I'm married when I go to college" oh! Why? Is she planning to hide her marital status & have fun flirting with boys?

Suddenly I get a gory thought... is she planning to fall in love with any of her college f**kers? Will she ask me for a divorce? No, Good God no! It should not come to that point. Well, I trust my Mithra, she won't hurt me.

"Why?" I ask hiding my horrid thought.

"It's just I want to enjoy my college life. If they know I'm married then they will treat me differently. They might ever rule me out of their group so please try to understand. I'm still in my teenage and I want to have fun" she reasons.

"As long as you know your limit you can hide our relationship and have fun." If she thinks of dumping me for any other f**ker, I will just kill him first & get back what's mine. My Mithra, Mine forever!

"Limit? I didn't get you?" she asks quizzically. You are so naive baby.

"Will you let me use the washroom?" I ask finally having enough of her nonsense. If it's not my baby brat then I wouldn't be holding this much of patience. She nods.

I walk in & shut the door & rest my back on it, closing my eyes I process what all we talked now. Am I going soft on her? Is she taking me for granted? Karthik stops this! Just shut your thoughts, go pee & place you bed on the couch & sleep. I chide myself.

When I return back, she is lying on the bed lost deep in her thought. What is going in her head now? I wonder. I went near her & sit on bed & take her hand in mine.

"Don't over think things & stress yourself, Mithra." I say. She nods. I know she is not daring to say a word or else she will again burst into tears. Is it so hard for her to live with me?

"Good night, baby" I kiss her forehead.

"Karthik?" she holds my hand stopping me from going away from her.

"what?" I ask.

"I want us to play" she says shyly. Why she is blushing? And what the hell she wants us to play now? Did I hear her right?

"What?" I ask again.

"I want to play with you" she repeats. Okay, I heard it right. She really wants to play but why this sudden change of heart? Is she ready to do it as she doesn't want her hot 'first night' dream to go waste? Am I getting lucky here? Hmm, may be, my brat is getting naughty. I like it.

"Okay" I whisper huskily.

"Hayeee" she squeals in excitement & hugs me.

... To be continued!!!

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