I did not had in me to sit there and decode the silence that sat between us. He stared at me his wife eyes, not moving away from my face.

Something about him make me feel scared, but it was different from the scared I felt around Raghav.

He made me sign those papers, I didn't knew if to trust them or not. But it was the first step, his first step was to make sure I know he would not hit me.

Then he referred to the baby as our baby. Raghav never referred to the baby as ours. The baby was only a responsibility thrown at him.

I wanted to ask him one question, and if he was not going to hurt me I maybe could ask him.

"Why..... Why do you want to" I gulped before continuing "get married to me." In the heaviness of the room my voice came out smaller than I intended it to. I wanted to sound loud and confident and I hated how I sounded.

He didn't answer my question, my eyes casted down at his lack of response. Why would he answer me, he was not responsible to answer me.

"I don't know." I heard him say. His voice commanded the room. The authority with which he spoke those words, didn't make me feel like he didn't knew what he was doing.

"Are you forced into.....?"

"No." He replied before I could complete my sentence.

Why would he himself want to be responsible for something like me. I don't want to be responsible for my own self.

There were so many questions going on in my mind, I wanted to ask them all but I had a feeling he was not interested in answering them at all.

But if he would not harm me, I could definitely ask one last question. "What do you want from me?"

"You" he said and I gasped.

"What do you mean?" He stayed nonchalant at my reaction and replied " I want you from you."

I layered a protective arm around myself "do you want to?"

I took a pause unaware of how to say what I want to say.

"Do you want to have sex with me?"

"Yes. Someday when you will want it too.

I nodded my head frantically in no. "I would never want it. Will you rape me?"

"No. I would not touch you without your consent."

His answers and his calmness only left me spiralling more and more. I kept on looking at him bewildered not knowing how to take it all.

"Do you have any more questions?"

I had but I was not in a space to have myself shocked anymore. Another one of his answers and I will go through a heart attack.

I nodded my head in no.

"When do you want to get married?"

Never. The word was on my mouth but my baby bump didn't let me say it. But I had no other answer to his question.

"Since you chose to not reply and the baby is due in three months I would assume the answer should be as soon as possible."

So is he marrying me for the baby, yes ofcourse, that makes sense. It's his family's bloodline.

I must just be a way of getting to the baby.

"Do you have any dream wedding?"

Yes there was a dream way I wanted to get married through. I wanted colours firecrackers, loud music and a man who would be the happiest to see me as the bride.

But he didn't need to know that and I nodded in no.

"Do you believe in traditions."

I answered him in yes through my nod.

"Okay then, we will get married at home, Traditionally. your family would be there if you want them to be otherwise you, me and our family."

Our family, the word brought tears in my eyes and I nodded.

He came forward and rested his hands on the table.

"I have a few things to say, before you leave. I am not doing any favour here. If anything I am doing a favour on myself. The child, it is not the reason for this marriage you are. And I don't want you to lie ever."

I nodded at his response and stood to move out of the room. I wanted to turn back and look at him once more. To know if there was something that would give away his intentions

But I was not left with any courage not any more. I wanted to lay down in my bed and question the supreme being for where was my life taking me.

I wanted to cry and in the moment I just wanted to be less worried about things.

I was about to climb the stairs when I felt snake around my back, and I was held in Abhimanyu 's arms. A yelp left my mouth.

"Shh...."

"Wha....what are you doing, I will fall please let me down. Please, I am heavy. You will lose the balance. Please. Baby will get hurt" I begged as he started climbing the stairs. His jaw clenched at my words.

"Nothing will happen." He said and took me up the stairs. I was scared to say another word and hence remained silent.

His warmth radiated off him, made me feel a little better. Warm and comforting.

He dropped me on my bed, and stood there.

"You are weak. I need all your doctor's reports and we will be visiting a new doctor tomorrow."

"But..."

"Marriage will happen within a week, Ma and you can togather finalize the dates. Until then I want you to do one thing for me, research and tell me what major you want to study in."