Fateful Contract

The Fight

"What's wrong Teju?" Karan asked in confusion.

"How could you lie to me, to the family? And what's wrong with Aneri? Why was she into this?" Tejasswi said sternly:

Tejasswi looked at the lavishly decorated room. She would be pleased with it if it wasn't wrapped in a lie, but now she couldn't hold back her disappointment.

"Chill, I asked Miss Khanna to do this; she isn't accountable." Karan said calmly, holding Tejasswi by the shoulder.

She jerked his hand and said it in a high pitch. "Still, she used a lie to trap me."

"Baby, it's a harmless lie; why are you making a mountain out of a mole hill?" Karan tried lovingly to persuade her, but she got madder.

"It's a lie anyway, and I hate it. I feel deceived."

Her voice was deep, and she was looking in a direction with red eyes. Karan felt for her.

"I am sorry if you're hurt, but I just wanted to be with you for sometime, as it's a..."
Karan tried to be as polite as he could, but Tejasswi got berserk; she yelled and cut him off.

"To be with me, you had to lie to the family; this is so embarrassing. Couldn't you do something in a subtle way?"

The more Karan tried to be calm and sweet, the more she got indignant, and finally he lost it.

"Enough of your rant with lies." He yelled and tossed his phone, making it scatter into several pieces.

Tejasswi was flabbergasted and drove further sulky.

"Instead of being apologetic..."

She was scolding him, but he hijacked her words.

"Shut the f**k up. Do hell with your lies and family shit. Why do you care so much about those assholes who don't even talk to you  nicely?"

The devil side of Karan surfaced, who doesn't spare anybody.

Tejasswi was bewildered by Karan's temper but refuted it truthfully. "All are not the same, Karan. Some of them don't consider me a member of the family; that's why it's important for me to earn their trust and respect."

"What a benevolent and inspirational person" Karan said it ironically and clapped slowly. "What did you get for being nice and obedient to your family? Did they ever look up at you?"

Tejasswi flinched at the mention of the Sharma family, and Karan mentioned it quite melancholy.

'It seemed he was too upset with me; fine, I will take it gracefully.' She pulled herself together.

"Yes, Karan, my family was always heartless to me, but your family is good to you. They love you, and I am sure they will love me soon."

"Wow, hats off to your optimistic view of life."
He clapped again, getting more ironic, sour, and sulky after her every reply.

"A typical bride of the 60s who groveled to in-laws rather than fight for respect But you know what? I will not let this happen. You're the wife of Karan Kundrra, who will not grovel to please anybody, neither your family nor mine; did you hear me?"

He yelled at the top of his lungs at the end of that phrase, which shivered Tejasswi. She stared at his red, fierce face and sighed.

"Karan, why are you getting so sour and negative just to be with me? Are you tired of waiting for me?"

Tejasswi didn't intend to, but she touched Karan's taboo. His temper reached its peak.

'What does she think of me, a sex maniac who is dying to sleep with her?'