Inside the house, as soon as Yamini saw Sarika, she walked over in anger, grabbed her hand tightly, and said, "Didn't I tell you not to have breakfast with everyone? But you don't seem to understand, do you? How dare you go against me? Now, face the consequences. You won't get lunch this afternoon. Finish all the household chores and then come to my room to massage my feet. And don't even think of sleeping, or you'll see the worst of me. Understood?"
Saying this, Yamini let go of Sarika's hand and pushed her, almost making her stumble. Sarika quickly steadied herself and stood with her head bowed.
Yamini gave her a furious glare before leaving the room. Once she was gone, Sarika's eyes welled up with tears, but she composed herself and headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
Meanwhile, at his office, Adrijay reached his cabin, where everyone greeted him with a "Good morning." Without replying, he walked straight to his desk, sat down, and started going through some files. But his thoughts kept drifting to Sarika.
Adrijay Chaudhary was the eldest son of Ajay Chaudhary, a former excise officer known for his honesty and simplicity. Ajay Chaudhary was admired by everyone for his integrity and never took bribes, despite holding a government position. He always believed in earning an honest living and instilled these values in his children.
Adrijay wanted to make his father proud, so he worked hard and earned the position of Additional Director at Urban Center on his own merit. Everything was going well until Ajay Chaudhary's health began to decline. Before passing away, he expressed his wish to see at least one of his sons married. Since Devansh, the younger son, was still a minor, Adrijay had no choice but to fulfill his father's wish.
At the age of 23, when Adrijay wanted to enjoy his life, he was handed the responsibility of marriage. Yamini had chosen a girl for him—a simple, humble girl from a poor family. Yamini wanted someone who would always respect their family and never disobey.
Adrijay agreed to the marriage out of respect for his father's wish, but he could never accept Sarika from the heart. The fact that she came from a small village didn't sit well with him. It baffled him how an educated, urban man like himself could end up marrying an ordinary village girl. He didn't even know whether she was educated.
Adrijay never tried to know Sarika or build a bond with her. After Ajay Chaudhary's death, Yamini pressured him for a child, leading to a physical relationship with Sarika. However, he never cared about her day-to-day life or how the family treated her. Even during her pregnancy, Adrijay only spoke to her about the baby.
After their son Adhik was born, Adrijay and Sarika came closer occasionally, but it was always initiated by him. He never bothered to understand Sarika's feelings. As time passed, they both grew accustomed to this life. Adrijay believed he was fulfilling all his duties as a husband.
When Devansh married Vishakha, Adrijay observed their relationship and realized the emotional distance between him and Sarika. For the first time, this distance bothered him. He began longing for a bond like Devansh and Vishakha shared. But for that, Sarika's participation was essential, and Sarika hardly ever spoke to him, which hurt him deeply.
Lost in these thoughts, Adrijay was brought back to the present when someone knocked on his cabin door. He composed himself, said, "Come in," and resumed reading the file.
---
Around 1:30 PM, the doorbell rang, and Sarika quickly opened the door. Seeing her two children, a smile lit up her face.
Tanishk ran to her, hugged her tightly, and said, "Mumma, I missed you so much at school!"
Caressing his hair lovingly, Sarika said, "I missed my Tanu so much too! Alright, now go and freshen up. Mumma will bring you hot food."
Tanishk and Adhik obediently went to their room while Sarika closed the door and headed to the kitchen to prepare fresh rotis for them.
A little while later, the boys came downstairs and sat at the dining table. Sarika set their plates and sat between them, listening to their school stories while feeding them lovingly.
After they finished eating, she put them to sleep and then took Yamini's lunch to her room.
---
Yamini was lying on her bed, watching a TV serial, when Sarika knocked on the door and entered, placing the plate on the table. With her head lowered, she said, "Maa ji, your lunch is here."
Yamini set the remote aside and went to the washroom. A few minutes later, she came out and started eating while Sarika stood quietly with her head bowed.
Once Yamini finished, Sarika took the empty plate to the kitchen and began washing the dishes.
Vishakha entered the kitchen and asked, "Bhabhi, where's my lunch?"
Pointing to the counter, Sarika said, "It's all kept there, Devrani Ji. Please serve yourself."
Vishakha made a face and said, "Fine." She served herself and went to the living room, eating while watching TV on the sofa. Sarika shook her head disapprovingly but went back to her chores.
The entire day passed in work for Sarika, and as Yamini had said, she wasn't allowed to eat lunch.
---
In the evening, Sarika prepared tea and snacks for everyone and served them in the living room.
Tanishk called her over, saying, "Mumma, come eat with us!"
Sarika glanced nervously at Yamini, who was glaring at her. Quickly, she said, "No, dear, you eat. Mumma isn't hungry right now. She'll eat later."
Tanishk insisted, "No, Mumma! You never eat with us. Today you have to, please!"
Sarika gently explained, "Tanu, you're my good boy, right? And good boys don't insist. Please eat now, my baby."
Hearing this, Tanishk made a face but quietly ate, allowing Sarika to breathe a sigh of relief.
After everyone had their snacks, Sarika returned to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Once it was ready, she helped the boys with their homework, played with them for a while, and then fed them dinner before putting them to bed.
---
By 11 PM, the doorbell rang. Sarika, who had been sitting in the living room waiting, quickly opened the door and took Adrijay's bag from him.
Seeing her awake, Adrijay felt a strange happiness. She always waited for him when he was late, but recently, her presence had started feeling different—pleasant, even.
Sarika closed the door and said, "Go freshen up, I'll heat your food."
Adrijay nodded and walked upstairs while Sarika placed his bag on the sofa and went to the kitchen.
When Adrijay came back downstairs after freshening up, he saw Sarika at the dining table, setting his plate and waiting for him. The sight brought an involuntary smile to his face.
He sat down, and Sarika stood beside him. Her hesitation didn't sit well with him, so he said firmly, "Go get your plate. I know you haven't eaten."
Startled by his tone, Sarika nodded quickly, fetched a plate for herself, and sat beside him, eating quietly with her head lowered.
The two ate in silence. Once they finished, Sarika washed their dishes, turned off all the lights, checked the door locks, and finally made her way to their bedroom.
Inside, she changed her clothes in the washroom and turned off the lights before lying on her side of the bed. Just then, Adrijay ran his fingers across her waist and pulled her close, leaving Sarika thinking, Please don't come closer. My body aches from all the work. If I sleep late, I won't be able to wake up early. But what do I do? How do I stop him? What if he gets offended?
Lost in her thoughts, Sarika snapped back to reality as Adrijay captured her lips in a kiss. Completely engrossed in the moment, he kissed her deeply, while Sarika, without resisting, let him have his way. Once again, Adrijay didn't bother to ask for Sarika's consent, and only she knew how much it hurt her heart💔
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