“I told you to take her upstairs. That didn’t mean you drop her inmy room.”
Mishti stared at him, the words barely registering.My room?
Maria’s lips parted, her voice trembling. “Sir, I thought—”
“GET OUT,” he snapped, cutting her off.
Mishti felt her stomach drop because he wasn’t talking to Maria this time. His eyes were onher.
“What?” she asked softly, not sure she’d heard him right.
“You heard me once.”
Maria looked helplessly between them.
“But—” Mishti started, her voice shaking.
Karan turned to Maria again. “Do I pay you to stand here?”
Maria jumped, quickly stepping toward Mishti. “Ma’am, please… come with me. I’ll show you your room.”
Mishti blinked in disbelief. “But this is—”
“My room,” Karan interrupted. “Karan Wadhwa’s room. And no one else has the right to it. Now get out.”
For a moment, she couldn’t even move. The humiliation burned through her, but Maria’s trembling hand gently tugged at hers, guiding her away.
The door slammed shut behind them with a deafeningthud.
Mishti turned, staring at the carved wood as if she could still see him through it. Her hands shook.What just happened?
“Ma’am, please… come this way.”
“No, Maria,” Mishti whispered, still stunned. “What’s going on? Have you ever seen a husband and wife living in separate rooms? How can he throw me out like that? What did I even do?”
Maria’s eyes softened with pity. “Sir is in a bad mood,” she said. “Please, let him calm down first. Once he does, he’ll talk to you.”
Mishti didn’t believe that for a second, but she followed Maria anyway, who led her to the adjoining room. She opened the door and gestured for her to get inside.
“This will be your room, Ma’am,” Maria said softly. “I’ll bring your luggage here. Please, freshen up. If you need anything, just dial #111 on the intercom.”
With that, she slipped out, leaving Mishti alone once again and in shock. Karan had barely looked at her, and the glint in his eyes today warned her not to mistake this marriage for love. Yesterday, she thought that maybe he just needed time.
But this morning, he had made it clear.
She might have entered this mansion as a bride…but she had woken up as a stranger in her husband’s world.
***************
An hour later, Mishti wandered through the sprawling halls of Wadhwa Mansion, which could easily house six or seven families, yet echoed with emptiness.
It was hard to believe this was herhomenow.
Every corner of this mansion whispered luxury, yet somehow, to Mishti, it felt soulless.
She finally stumbled upon the kitchen, tucked beyond a long corridor that seemed to go on forever. It had taken her nearly fifteen minutes to find it.
Inside, Maria was instructing a group of servants. Platters of food gleamed as the breakfast was being arranged on silver trays.
