Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. It had been three months that I'd been married to Abhimanyu. I had little to no contact with him. I slept in the guestroom and he in his and Aditi di's bedroom and I was very happy with the arrangement

It had become a routine to wake up, get Sahil and his lunch ready along with the breakfast and lunch, drop him to school, go to work, pick him up from school, drop him home, make him eat lunch then get back to the office, work my ass off till 7, finally reach the places I had started calling home, get dinner ready, put Sahil to bed, get work done and then finally sleep.

I had two support systems here. My father in law and my sister in law. I hadn't exchanged a word with Abhimanyu since the day he had asked me to drop Sahil to school. He had engrossed himself so deep in work and I was busy too. My mother in law was hell bent on giving me a cold shoulder just because I was working now and was not submissive as Aditi di was.

" Shivanya, let's go out tonight. It has been months!" Lavanya whined over the phone.

" I can't Lav, I need to make dinner, feed Sahil and put him to bed for the night." I told her honestly.

" Come on Shivi, all our school friends will be there. It'll be fun. You haven't met them from soo long. Also, your mother in law or husband can take care of Sahil for one night. Don't be a spoilsport!" She exclaimed.I sighed.

Papa and maa were out of town for a wedding, Diya had a night stay with her friends. The only option I had was to talk to Abhimanyu.'I went towards him study and knocked the door.

" Busy?" I asked.

" Yeah. You wanted something?" He asked.

" Actually yes, can you take care of Sahil for the night. I want to go out." I told him.

" Okay." He replied, finally looking at me.

" Thanks and don't worry, I am not planning to cheat on you." I taunted him, smirking.

" That was one time I said something by mistake and you just need to use it against me everywhere you can." He said, slightly amused.

I looked at him one last time and left his study to get ready.

Shivanya's dress-

I quickly dressed into a shimmery, sparkly dress, my heels and mascara.

" Sahil, I am going out. Go to your papa and spend sometime with him. He has buried himself in work." I said, entering him room.

He nodded without saying a word. He never really talked to me.

I held him hand, took him to Abhimanyu's study and let in him through the door without being noticed. As soon as he picked Sahil up, I left.

It had been three months since the so called marriage was done. Nothing changed. I was back to work and was glad that Shivanya was not a clingy woman unlike several others. She respected everyone's space and never tried to cross boundaries with anyone. We hadn't even talked once after that day and it was all good for me. As minimum contact as possible.

I was honestly taken aback when she knocked the office door.

" Busy?" She asked, I didn't look up because I loathe being disturbed at work.

" Yeah. You wanted something?" I addressed her.

" Actually yes, can you take care of Sahil for the night. I want to go out." She told me. I wanted to ask where but decided against it.

" Okay." I said, meeting up her eyes. She did deserve a break.

" Thanks and don't worry, I am not planning to cheat on you." She tried the only thing that she had against me.

" That was one time I said something by mistake and you just need to use it against me everywhere you can." I said, amused.

She gave me a funny look and went away to probably get ready.

I got into the laptop again.

The next time I was disturbed, it was by my son.

" Come Sahil, we'll watch movies today and play." I said picking him up.

Shivanya must have dropped him because now office was now smelling like coconut and orchids.

" Yes daddy. Only Diya bua and she play with me." Sahil said, pouting.

" You don't like her?" I asked him. What did she do to make a four year old dislike her? I frowned.

" Did she hit you?" I asked, my blood already boiling.

" No daddy." He replied.

I nodded.

" I wanna play blocks." He said and I chuckled at his enthusiasm.

I spent much needed time with Sahil. Because of me grieving for Aditi, I had almost forgot that I had a son.

" Papa, I am hungry." He said once he was bored playing.

" Let's go to the kitchen buddy, I'll fix something for you to eat." I said and picked him up.

Entering the kitchen, there was food for two already kept inside the microwave.

She thinks about everyone. Doesn't she? So like Aditi and yet so different.

I reheated the dinner and fed Sahil and myself.

" Papa, will mumma come back?" He asked me.

" No beta. She is somewhere far away and lives better than we do." I told him.

" Maasi does everything mumma did." He said while I put him to sleep.

I smiled for the first time in four months.

" Goodnight daddy." He said, closing his eyes. Within in time, he was asleep.

I decided to stay with him and fell asleep.

The annoying phone voice wouldn't stop. I looked at at. Shivanya was calling.

" Shivanya." I said, picking up. It was 1 in the night.

" Please open the door." She said, sounding strange.

I went to open the door and she looked wasted.

" Why didn't you ring the bell?" I asked.

She looked at me like she had seen something for the first time.

" Stupiiiiddd....if I would have ringed the bell, Sahil would have woken up." She said.

Yeah, she was wasted.

Then I noticed, she was wearing Aditi's dress.

" How dare you?" I shouted, grabbing her by her hand.

" Wh....whaaat?" She asked innocently, as if she knew nothing. Anger was rising in me with each fucking moment.

" Why are you wearing Aditi's dress?" I shouted.

" What!? This is my dress. Not Aditi di's and stop shouting. Sahil must be sleeping." She said, tipsy.

" This is Aditi's dress." I said. I had seen her wearing it often.

" I will never do that. I will never betray di." She said and passed out.

I was tempted to throw her on the couch but decided against it. Mom and dad will be back in the morning and they can't see her like this.

Reluctantly, I carried her to her room and put her on the bed, while tucking her in.

Then I went to my room and opened Aditi's wardrobe. Her dress was kept as it is. Which only meant that they had the same dress and I shouted on her without a reason.

Sighing, I lied on the bed to wait for sleep to come to me.

I woke up with a heavy head. Shit! I drank too much last night as the party turned wild. Thank god it's Sunday or else I would never be able to show up to work in this condition.

I grabbed a crocin with water. It was 8 in the morning.

Shit! I was late. Now maa is going to give me a good time of my life.

Wait! I don't remember anything about yesterday but Abhimanyu accusing me of wearing Aditi di's dress and then I passed out. How dare he think like that! It was my freaking dress that I ordered online!

" Shivanya, get ready or else no one will be able to have breakfast on time." I shouted at myself and went inside the washroom.

I did my business in 20 minutes and went down to the kitchen. Papa was reading newspaper, maa was doing aarti, Diya was not there, Sahil was playing with his ball with......Abhimanyu?

Thank god I left both of them alone yesterday or else they would never have had the time they required together.

I made a mental note to thank Lavanya for forcing me out!

" Oh wow! Finally her highness has decided to grace us with her presence. IS the breakfast doe?" Maa asked sarcastically and all eyes were on me.

I was tempted to say that she could have made it for today as I was no cook but decided against it. Why ruin the morning peace of the house?

" Sorry." I muttered and went inside the kitchen.

" Yamini, she is not the cook of the house and she is allowed to sleep in on Sunday. Other days of the week, she wakes up earliest and does the whole work before leaving. Cut her some slack. Besides, you could have made the breakfast today. Why did you not?" Papa had other plans so he took my side.

" It's okay papa. I'll make it in 15 minutes. Shil what do you want to eat?" I said to papa and asked Sahil.

" Sandwiches." He replied, not really interested.

" Okay, sandwiches it is." I said as I began the work. True to my word, I was done in 15 minutes and served everyone.

" Come sit. You also eat." Abhimanyu said, out of the blue.

" I am not hungry." I said, giving him a pointed look.

He must have realized that I did remember last night and shut up.

The whole day passed with a flick of the finger and I was currently making Sahil do his homework.

" You write like this." I said, helping him by holding his hand and making him write.

" Leave me. I can do it on my own." He shouted and started running around and banged his foot on the stool. It started bleeding.

He started crying as I came with dettol in my hand.

" No! Get away from me. You are not my mumma and you will never be. I hate you and papa hates you too. I don't wanna talk to you.!" Sahil screamed.

" Sahil, baby I am not trying to take your mumma's place. Please just let me tend to your would or you will get infection." I tried to pacify my four year old son.

" No. I can do it on my own!" He shouted and ran back to him room.

I sighed and knocked my mother in law's room. She is not fond of me either. Only two people in the house truly understand me, my father in law and my sister in law who is in her first year college. My so called husband wants nothing to do with me. I am only his son's nanny who is incapable of doing her job.

" Where is Sahil?" The deep voice roared in the living room.

" In his room." I replied not looking at him.

" You had one fucking job. To take care of my son and you couldn't do that too." He directed his anger towards me.

" 5...4...3...2...1" I counted backwards to calm my anger.

" I tried to aid to him. He wouldn't listen to me." I said honestly.

Without a word, he stormed into Sahil's room.

" Like father, like son. God, why do you have to make things so difficult for me!" I exclaimed, climbing up to my room.

" I am honestly done with all of this. I am no maid and will not be treated as one." I shouted as I put my clothes into the suitcase.

If I live here one more minute, I'll go mad. This was not my life four months back. The only person I had to take care of back then was myself and now it's one complete family, work and a thousand other things.

" Bhabhi, please calm down. I saw what happened in down there but if you leave, wouldn't you show your weakness? I think you should stay back and fight like you've been doing from the past four months." Diya said, entering my room.

" I am fed up Diya, just fed up. What is my fault in all of this? I never asked of this. Heck, I am the youngest in my family and thus the most irresponsible one but I'd never hurt Sahil intentionally. I love him. He may not accept this, but I feel like I'm his mother and your brother, he hates me. I don't think there is any use staying here. You all don't need me." I sobbed.

" No bhabhi. I know mumma, bhai and Sahil are being difficult but no one hates you. Please calm down while I go and talk to bhai." She said.

" No Diya. It's me who is going to be talking to your brother now. There is a very thin line between self respect and ego. I have altered my ego for this family but I am not going to compromise on my self respect. I am not shit and neither do I deserve to be treated like one." I said, making up my mind about what to do.