Under his gaze (his forced bride) by Olivia Jessie (the giving tree read aloud txt) 📕

" What? " I asked in disbelief. They all seemed to be quite decent enough to not cheat behind someone's back..He had a daughter too. But his eyes didn't show any remorse. 

" Yes I cheated on my wife with a young girl. But I like her. She really fits into my world which my wife was never able to. " By this time I had sat at a small distance from him. Although trying not be judgemental but still his words didn't make much sense. 

" So now what? Where is she? Why don't you tell your father? " He shook his head with wide eyes. 

" Never. This is all because of him. He can never let me be with a girl of low status. He takes too much pride in family values. " Sharad pointed at a family picture. " You see that pic, that's my grandmother and grandfather. Grandfather was a sepoy in Army so Grandma was fifth class pass out, then my father he was too a Lt. When married so my mom was a primary govt teacher . And now me. My wife is a Msc in cognitive science from IIT. " He turned to me again. 

" But you know what is wrong with him. He never allows the women to really work. I know he loves all of the female members but these are just degrees to match a certain criteria like s dowry is fixed. " But his father seemed like a nice man. 

" Yes he is a nice man and I must say a person who respects everyone. But this comes with his double standards. He thinks a scientist should marry someone from research background just like a doctor should marry another doctor. " 

But I wasn't a doctor and Advay obviously didn't ask for any dowry. One of the possible reasons could be that he knew a doctor would never tolerate his abuse. And if he had asked for dowry then my father wouldn't have married me to him. 

" And who is the girl? What does she do? " I asked although it was pointless because he wasn't going to be against his father for love. Deep inside, he too believed in the honor point. 

" She is ... " He stopped. " She is a poor, orphan girl who owns sheep, chickens, cows and make pots. Just turned 20 . " She was young. Sharad was 29 , as per his official documents. 

" Yes 10 years difference. I will be thirty next week. I didn't want to get involved with her but whenever I had my posting on the front line of the Village she would be there. With her sheep. I couldn't take my eyes off her for the first time and we just did.. " 

" That's fine. " I interrupted him. It was really weird. And awkward. A just turned twenty year old in relation with a person who won't support her. 

" I don't know what to do. " He stopped further saying anything when we heard kyra in the living room. The grandfather was too there. He just watched us sitting together so close. I was really afraid because I didn't want to be blamed for anything. 

" That's a sight I wish to see everyday. " He said out loud. " My son being friends with someone better than him.. " Sharad rose and walked out of the room. I didn't know what to do after he left. But kyra managed to help me out of the awkward situation. I tied her shoe laces ignoring her grandfather who smiled weakly at us. 

" You can stay here as long as you want. After all we are a family. " My eyes went wide but I didn't say anything. And quietly walked out too with kyra. 

************************

Advay had the same breakfast, lunch and dinner. He couldn't gather himself to cook in the kitchen. He used his sharp instincts and after lots of thinking and analysing the exit points. He came to the conclusion that she couldn't go out if the state due to travel restrictions and heavy snowfall. And due to snow and the low temperature she couldn't be still stuck in the forest. Do the only possibility left was she was here. Living with someone in a house. A warm and cosy house. 

He was now walking swiftly in his yard. He had checked all the houses. There wasn't many. Only left was his Uncle's. And he firmly believed that the possibilities were not 100% but 300.His uncle had this OCD of trying to help other females and then messed up with their lives in the end. 

Moreover the girl too needed help. He growled in anger. He was not a Messiah or something. He didn't want to help anyone. Just wanted his wife and he would go back to Delhi. The place was not giving him peace like it used to. He had realised by now that he had moved on from his mother and father's death. He had his own life. His wife gave him the sanity not these dead bodies. 

He was the one who ended it. Their story. That day when he had reached the house, he saw his mother bleeding and maybe dead. His father was crying hugging her. His gun lying close to Advay's feet. He wanted to save his mother. Her cheeks were still freshly wet from the tears. But a voice asked him to end it. End it all. She was dead but not this man. He too needed to die. 

So he picked the Glock  26  his father's favorite gun and fired at the back of his head. His father was happy when he fell on his mother's dead body. Finally no escape, no drama. Just two of them. They could sort out their matters in heaven or hell. Maybe in purgatory. 

Advay buried his mother. She wanted peace. And he gave her that. The rest is history. But now it didn't affect him much after his marriage. He hadn't thought about them much. His main focus was his wife.

Advay hurried his shirts and pants in a duffel bag and a dress which smelt  of his wife. He was sleeping with it since she left. The plan was much clear in his mind. 

 So he ignited the engine and sped across the gravel road to the beautiful house. His uncle's house. And rang the door bell. 

A happy faced Mr . Bharadwaj opened it but soon frowned when saw his only nephew standing there   

" Hello uncle. I thought I could stay with you for some days. The water supply broke in my place. " He smiled with knowing expression. His uncle licked his lips nervously. 

Advay could now smell his wife's fragrance too much. She was here...