He turned to the others. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ll call this meeting again once we have full attendance. Until then, nothing moves.”
The members nodded and began gathering their papers, whispering among themselves as they filed out. Kanika lingered,her eyes flicking from Rajat to Karan before Rajat shut his laptop and left without another word.
Kanika didn’t leave yet. She rose from her chair and lingered at Karan’s. “The board is with you, Karan. So am I.” She leaned on the back of his chair.
Karan stood abruptly, the movement forcing her to step back. “Get back to work, Kanika.”
She exhaled dramatically, folding her arms. “Fine. But at least have lunch with me. Everyone’s fasting for Teej today, and I can’t eat alone.”
Teej.The word reminded him of someone. Was Mishti fasting for Teej?
Kanika’s hand came to rest lightly on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Fasts aren’t really my thing,” she said lightly. “Too much drama for nothing.”
He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. “I’m busy. Find someone else for Lunch.”
The tone left no room for protest. With a roll of her eyes, she picked up her laptop and left.
When the door finally shut, Karan rubbed a hand over his face, exhaling hard. He didn’t understand why the thought of Mishti, barefoot, walking to the temple under the blazing sun, refused to leave his mind. Because he knew the hardships of it.Someone very close to him did the same once.
He reached for his phone, his thumb hovering over her contact for a long second, before he dialled her number.
CHAPTER 7
Temple
The temple courtyard was covered with the faint scent of incense and marigolds. Mishti adjusted her dupatta over her head, her trembling hands joining before the idol of Lord Shiva as her eyes fluttered shut, and for the first time in days, she allowed her tears to fall freely.
Her phone, kept inside her purse, vibrated endlessly, but she didn’t hear it. All she could hear was the echo of Karan’s cruel words last night.
“I married you to watch you walk on thorns, every single day.”
Her eyes flew open with the memory. How could someone be so heartless? She had thought marriage meant companionship, love, even if one-sided, but Karan Wadhwa had reduced it into something darker and more painful.
She didn’t know how long she had stood there. The priest called her softly, taking her thali and returning it with sindoor and prasad as blessings. Mishti accepted them reverently and touched the thali to her forehead, praying again.
“I don’t know why he wants to see me live through pain. But that doesn’t stop me from wishing him well. He is my husband. Karan may forget the vows we took before the holy fire, but I won’t. Until we remain bound by those sacred promises, I’ll keep praying for him, for his peace, for his heart to heal, evenif it never beats for me. Just give me a sign, God. One sign… to tell me that whatever faith I’ve placed in this marriage and Karan…isn’t a mistake.”
With that, she stepped out of the temple, the stone floor still cool under her bare feet. Birds cooed from the trees, and for a fleeting moment, she felt calm here. Deciding to call up Divya and check with her if she had done her Teej puja too, she reached for her phone in the bag. The screen lit up with 12 missed calls.
“Karan was calling me?” Her brows knit together.
Why was he calling so many times? What did he want now? To scold her that she had still not returned, or to confirm she was still breathing? She sighed, shaking her head. “Of course, that’s what he wants to know. If I’m still alive.”
Before she could decide whether to call him, her phone vibrated again, and his name flashed across the screen. Mishti hesitated, then swiped to answer.
“Hello—”
“Don’t youeverdo that again, Mishti!” His voice roared through the speaker. “Do you think by ignoring my calls, you can keep me away from you? You’re wrong. You’ll have to answer when I call. Always.”
She flinched, gripping the phone tighter. “Why? Why should I answer your calls when you don’t even care for me?”
“Don’t test me,” he snapped. “Where the hell are you now?”
“And why should I tell you that?”
“M-I-S-H-T-I,” he said, stressing every syllable.
She sighed, her dupatta fluttering as she walked down the temple steps, balancing the puja thali.
