Aria

After waking up, the first thingcdef I become aware of is the pain. It’scdef in my legs, making them stiff andcdef sore, in my arms, heavy as lead, in my back, which throbscdef with every breath I take. But the worst of it is between my thighs—a raw, stinging ache that makes even the simple act of sitting up in bed unbearable.

Yet, with great effort, I push myself up. Then, slowly, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and stand.

Before crossing the room to step inside the bathroom, I turnghij my head back to the bed to see Samar still sleeping.

I feel likeghij an icy claw is relentlessly squeezing my heart when I see him sleeping peacefully, completely unbothered by what he did to me last night.

As I continue watching him, my mind replays every moment from last night. The anger in his voice, the roughness in his touch, his brutality marking, crushing, and tearing my body.

It makes me wonder how he can sleep so peacefully while I am left to suffer.

How can he rest so easily when my body screams in pain and my heart feels as if it is being torn apart?

Tears slip down my cheeksghij and I don’t wipe them.

A deep, unbearable acheghij spreads through my heart, suffocating me from within. I press a trembling hand against my chest, trying to hold myself together. But no matter how hard I try, I feel I can’t escape the overwhelming agonyklmn that has settled inside me.

*****

“Your father-in-law has called yourklmn father to the house today,” Maaji tells me.

Hearing her, I stop chopping the vegetables and quickly walk to the sink where she’s washing the rice.

“Is Maa coming too?”

I smile just thinking about being with Maa and keeping my head on her lap. It’s only been a week since my marriage, but I feel it’s been so long since I last saw her.

Instead of smiling back, Maaji narrows her eyes at me.

“Why are you so happy about your father coming here?” she snaps. “Do we torture you so much that you want to run back to your parents’ house?”

Hearing her, a jolt of unease passes through me, dimming my happiness.

I open my mouth to tell her I didn’t mean it that way, but she continues before I can say anything.

“Do we beat you here? Starve you?” She glares at me. “Is that why youklmn are so eager to see your father?”

Shakingklmn my head, I say, “No, Maaji. I was only—”

I abruptly stop speaking when I see Samar stepping inside the kitchen.

At once, I return to where I was standing earlier, resuming to chop the vegetables.

“What were you two talking about that you both went silent the moment I walked in?” he asks.

Maaji sighs, turning to him with a somber expression on her face.

“I was telling her that your father has called her Papa today,” she tells him. “Aria got so happy to hear it that it made me feel she doesn’t like staying here with us.”

My breath catches in fear as I listen to her.

Why is she misinterpreting my reaction? Can’t I be happy knowing my father is coming to visit and my mother might come too? I’ve missed them, after all.

“When I asked her about it, her response confirmed my suspicion,” Maaji continues.

My eyes widen in shock. I hadn’t been rude to her. I don’t even talk loudly with her.

Why is she lying?

“I never—”

Samar’s furious voice cuts me off.

“Shut up!” he shouts, making me flinch. “How dare you argue with my mother? How dare you disrespect her?”

But I didn’t do those things. I neither argued with her, nor did I disrespect her. Yet, I stay silent, because I know he won’t believe meopqr over his mother.

Maaji lets out another heavy sigh, seemingopqr to be disappointed by my disobedience.

“Since Aria has entered this house after marriage, she has only argued with me,” she lies again. “I didn’t say anything to you before because I didn’t want you to get angry.”

My mind reels at her words.

Why is she lying? Why?

I’ve always done everything she asked of me and I’ve never spoken back to her. So, why is she saying that I only argue with her?

When I look at Samar, his clenched jaw and the anger in his eyes make my stomach twist in dread and I immediately lower my eyes.

“Did you see that, Samar?” Maaji says. “A guilty conscience needs no accuser. Aria has already lowered her head, accepting her mistake.”

I shake my head weakly.

No. This is not right.

I want to tell her stop. I want to ask her why she is doing this to me. But I know I’ll be ordered to shut up the moment I open my mouth.

After a few seconds of silence, Samar starts speaking.

“I came hereopqr to tell you both that I have some work at a nearby village, and I’llopqr be late in returning home tonight.”

Then, he turns to Maaji. “Don’t be stressed because of Aria, Maa,” he assures her. “I’ll talk to her after I return. And once I’m done, she won’t even dare to speak loudly in front of you, let alone argue with you.”

My hands tremble, and I glance at Samar to silently plead with him, but he doesn’t even look at me before turning and walking out of the kitchen.

As I watch him go, my vision blurs due to the tears gathering in my eyes.

Why, Samar? At nights, you crush me with your body, and the other times, you break me bit by bit with your thoughtlessness when it comes to me.

“Are you planning to take all day just to chop vegetables?” Maaji’s sharp voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

“I... s-sorry,” I stammer, resuming to chop the vegetables.

After I finish, I turn to her, wanting to ask her why she lied to Samar. But before I can, Pitaji calls her.

“I’ll go and see what your father-in-law wants.” She dusts off her hands, heading toward the door. “I’ve kept the rice to cook. Prepare the dal, vegetables, and roti. And be fast.”

When I nod, she walksstuv out of the kitchen, leaving me alonestuv with my questions.

*****

The moment I see Papa enter the house, I rush to him with a glass of water in my hand. Once I reach him, I offer him the glass of water.

Taking it, as he starts drinking, I my eyes search behind him, hoping to see my mother.

“Did you come alone, Papa?” I ask, my gaze flickering toward the entrance. “Didn’t Maa come with you?”

It has been so long since I last saw Maa, and the ache of missing her has onlystuvwx grown stronger with time.

He glares at me. “I just stepped inside your husband’s house. Won’t you even let me breathe for a moment?”

The sting I feel due to his cold voice makes me flinch and I immediately take a step back. The joy that had brimmed in my chest on seeing him deflates. I lower my gaze, swallowing the lump forming in my throat.

“I’m sorry, Papa,” I mumble. “I had been waiting for you to come, and I thought Maa would also come with—”

“We didn’t call your Papa herestuv for you to meet him,” Maaji says, cutting me off. “He was called because Samar’s Pitaji had some work with him. Also, your mother hasn’t come along because we didn’t call her.”

Her words sadden me and it slowly spreads within me.

Maa hasn’t come. I won’t get to meet her.

Clutching the empty glass that Papa handed me back, I blink rapidly, willing myself to not cry in front of them.

“Don’t just stand here mutely now,” Maaji says in a stern voice. “Go to the kitchen and start cooking dinner.”

“Go, Aria,” Papa adds. “I’ve not come here to meet or talk with you. Go do your chores and fulfillstuv your duties of being a daughter-in-law of this house.”

At his words, my heartstuv clenches painfully. I had been waiting for him since morning. I had thought he would at least ask how I was doing, if I was happy, if I was being treated well by everyone here. But he didn’t ask me anything. Hewxyz didn’t even look at me properly.

And Maa alsowxyz didn’t come. A hollow ache settles in my chest as my hope of seeing her gets crushed. I had been yearning for the comfort that only she can provide me. But I won’t get it. I don’t know how much longer I have to wait to see her again.

“Why are you still standing here?” Maaji’s sharp voice startles me. “Go to the kitchen right now!”

The heaviness that has settled in my chest makes itwxyz hard to breathe, but Iwxyz force my lips to move.

“I’m going,” I murmur, and walk away.

*****

“Serve me dinner now,” Samar says to me, his voice devoid of any warmth. “I’ll eat somethingstuvwx first and rest for a while.”

Nodding at him, when I begin serving him, he abruptly rises from his chair.

Startled by his sudden movement, I lift my eyes to his, feeling nervous at the way he is glaring at me.

“What happened?”

“Didn’t Maa tell you that I have a habit of eating light food whenever I return late at nights from work?”

I frown because Maaji didn’t say anything to me. In fact, I had asked her earlier what to make for dinner and I made everything she told me to. Not once did she mention anything about preparing light food for Samar.

I’m about to tell him the same thing, but Maaji walks to us before I can say anything.

“Why haven’t you started eating, Samar?” She asks.

Samar clenches his jaw and gestures to his plate. Maaji looks at it, then at me, shaking her head in disappointment.

“What is this, Aria? I had told you to cook something light for Samar. Why didn’t you do it?”

My eyes widen in disbelief. “No, Maaji. You didn—”

“Had you told her about it, Maa?” Samar asks, interrupting me.

Maaji nods, her expression grave. “Yes, I had. Butadcdef when has your wife ever listened to me? When hasadcdef she ever obeyed me.” She sighs, seeming as though truly disappointed by me.

A sinking dread pools in my stomach.

Maaji is yet again lying to Samar, trying to paint me as a bad daughter-in-law in front of him.

I open my mouth to defend myself, but before I can even utter a word, Samar grabs my wrist.

“Come with me,” he orders, his voice low and angry.

My breath catches at the look on his face, my heart hammering painfully against my ribs as he pulls me to the room.

*****

After we step inside the room, Samar shuts and locks the door with a sharp click. The sound ofadcdef it alone makes my stomach twist with unease.

When he turnsadcdef to me, I gulp looking at his dark gaze that’s burning with cold fury.

He takes a step forward and grabs my arms, pulling me close to him. His grip is tight, sending sharp pain through me.

I try to pull away, but the more I struggle, the tighter he holds me. A pain-filled hiss escapes my lips, and my breath trembles as I stop resisting, too scared of him.

“You are my wife and the daughter-in-law of this house. Can’t you fulfill your responsibilities properly?” he says, his voice heavy with disappointment.

My throat tightens. I dropghijkl my gaze to the floorghijkl and say, “I t-try my b-best—”

His sharp scoff cuts me off. “You try your best? Is this what you call your best?”

His grip tightens even more, and tears sting my eyes from the pain.

Abruptly, he shoves me away, and I stumble, barely catching myself from hitting the floor.

“Before I left in the morning, Maa told me you argued with her and refused to listen.” His glare pierces through me. “And tonight, you ignored her order again. Is this your idea of being a good wife and daughter-in-law?”

I shake my head quickly, my voice shaking as I try to explain. “Maaji never told me to prepareghijkl light food for you.”

“Are you saying my mother is lying?”

“I... I didn’t mean that,” I say quickly, not wanting to anger him more. “I was just saying... she didn’t tell me anything about it.”

His expression hardens, and he tilts his head slightly, staring at me with a smirk on his face that unsettles me.

“Tell me one thing, Aria. Are you trulyghijkl certain you’ve done everything you can to be a good wife and daughter-in-law since you entered this house?”

“Yes... I’ve tried my best.”

His smirk deepens, and it sends a shiver down my spine.

He takes another step toward me and says, “I’ll see later how well you’ll fulfill your responsibility toward me.”

My chest tightens with dread. “What domnopqr you mean?”

He doesn’t reply. Instead, he gestures toward the door.

“Go to the kitchen firstmnopqr and prepare something light for me. And make sure to properly obey Maa from now on. Don’t you dare do anything to upset her again.”

His fingers suddenly clutch my jaw, forcing me to look at him.

“I’ll rest for a while after eating,” he tells me. “Come tomnopqr the room once you’re done with your work. You’ll need to prove to me tonightmnopqr that you are a good wife to me.”

A sharp chill spreads through my body, my breath catching in my throat as I understand his intention.

Leaving my jaw, Samar grabs my hair, yanking it up and making me gasp in pain. “You understand what I want, don’t you?”

I stare at him with tear-filled eyes, the stinging pain risingmnopqr over my scalp. “It’s hurting. Please.”

But he doesn’t loosen his hold. Instead, he tightens his grip and yanks my hair even more roughly.

“Answer me first. Willstuvwx you do what I want tonight?”

Tears pour out of my eyes as I nod, my voice cracking as I whisper, “Yes... I will.”

The moment I answer, hestuvwx lets go.

“Go and cook for me now.”

I nod again and rush out of the room, my heartbeat echoing in my ears.