It was late in the evening. Office hours were done. Everyone got relieved from the working hours. Streets are busy with the traffic and beautiful lights, people talking while walking.

And there.... arnika and ruaan.

Quiet in the car!

As if there's a competition between them about who is gonna win by maintaining silence.

No one dared to break the ice!

By the time arnika stepped into the house, her body ached in places she didn’t know existed.

Office chaos.

Forced smiles.

Cold words.

She slipped off her footwear slowly, shoulders drooping, already preparing herself mentally for the kitchen.

New daughter-in-law. New responsibilities. New expectations.

Before she could take a step forward, a gentle voice stopped her.

“Arnika.”

She turned.

Her mother-in-law stood there, concern softening her features.

“You look exhausted. How was your day?”

Arnika hesitated, then smiled politely. “It was… busy, Ma.

Mrs. Sharma reached out, squeezing her hand warmly.

“Go freshen up. Dinner is ready. Everyone’s hungry...including you.”she said smiling warmly.

Arnika blinked. “I’ll prepare the food—”she walked into the kitchen without hearing from Mrs.sharma.

and froze.

The bowls were arranged neatly. She lifted the lid of one.

Cooked.

Warm.

Home.

It’s already done,” Mrs. Sharma interrupted, smiling. “I didn’t want you to tire yourself more on your first day back at work.”

Her eyes stung unexpectedly.

Mrs. Sharma leaned against the counter.

“You don’t have to prove yourself every single moment, beta. This is your home too.”

Arnika turned, swallowing hard.

“Thank you… really.”

Soon everyone came and  sat together at the dining table.

Normal conversation. Light laughter. Soft clinks of cutlery.

For a moment, Arnika almost forgot the chaos of her life.

Then her phone vibrated.

A message.

Unknown Number:

"How long will you keep running away from me?"

Her fingers went cold.

She glanced around quickly—Ruaan was focused on his food, his parents deep in conversation.

She locked her phone instantly, heart pounding.

'Who is this?' she thought to herself.

She didn’t open it and continued to eat and join conversation in between.

Mrs.sharma asked "so when are you both planning for an honeymoon?"

Hearing that, made both of them, ruaan and arnika,  stopped eating and they looked at eachother awkwardly.

Ruaan replied "um, not sure yet. We are kind of busy actually"

Arnika agreed with it. "Yeah mom. The project gonna start soon too. So .we cannot leave to anywhere yet" she smiled.

Mr.sharma told "that's fine but don't be completely invested into your work"

They both nodded. And ruaan left to his room saying he has some work to finish.

.

.

.

Later, in their room, the silence returned.

Ruaan sat on the sofa, laptop balanced on his knees, typing away.

Arnika stood near the mirror, carefully going through her skincare routine...her only form of therapy and happiness ofcourse.

Her phone rang.

Unknown number.

Her breath hitched.

She quietly stepped out of the room and answered.

“So,” a familiar voice drawled, amused,

“now you’re ignoring my messages?”

Her grip tightened.

“What do you want from me?” she snapped, keeping her voice low.

A soft laugh echoed through the line.

“Always in such a hurry, Arnika. I’ll tell you when the time comes.”

Her chest felt tight.

“Until then…” he continued smoothly, “enjoy your wedding life.”

The call ended.

She stood there for a moment, shaking, then deleted the call history—every trace.

When she walked back inside, Ruaan’s voice cut through the silence.

“Who was that?”

She stopped.

“That’s none of your business.”

The sound of typing stopped.

Ruaan looked up slowly, eyes sharp.

“It becomes my business,” he said calmly, “when my wife walked out of the room to take a call this late.”

Arnika laughed bitterly.

“Contract wife. Remember?”

She faced him fully now.

“We agreed—no personal questions.”

"Did you forget? Should i remind you again?"

His expression didn’t change.

He nodded once.

“Right.”

And just like that, he turned back to his laptop.

No anger.

No curiosity.

"Whatever it is and whoever it is, don't do anything careless that gets me a bad name". He said and returned to his work.

That hurt more than interrogation ever could.

The night deepened.

Ruaan eventually fell asleep on the sofa, exhaustion overtaking him.

Arnika lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, sleep nowhere in sight.

She knows that this person hascome back to her life again.

And other side, this contract marriage. A marriage without love but only restrictions!

How her fate gonna change?......

To be continued....