Quick note: this is a new story from 22.1 and 22.2 but has the same theme.
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Khushi knew she was in trouble the moment she realized she was running late. Working as an interior designer for a start-up, her job often needed her to work beyond officially stated work hours. If only her husband understood.
For the world, Khushi had a perfect life. Perfect parents who loved her, a perfect love story and a perfect husband. But only she knew that all those perfections had underlying flaws. Her parents -sure they loved her, but she was always reminded that her being friendly with boys was not appreciated. Her love story was straight out of a movie where he saw her at a college function where he was a chief guest and proposed her, but she was in her final year and wanted to wait before marrying. He convinced her (read: her parents) otherwise! Her husband, Arnav, she loved him so much that she would do anything for him, but he did not trust her commitment.
She first realized something was odd when on their wedding reception her college friends came to wish them on stage and they posed randomly for a group photo, Arnav asked them to rearrange themselves in such a way that all her male friends stood by his side while her female friends by her side.
Her girlfriends and her cousins had teased her then that 'Arnav Jiju' was so possessive of her, and she had blushed to deepest shade of pink! After all, that is how 'heroes' were represented in the movies she watched and the books she read. So, possessiveness is equal to romance, she convinced herself and brushed off the incident.
Then, soon after marriage she finished her interior designing course and got a job offer. He was supportive of it, in fact they celebrated her success by going away to a resort for the weekend. His only condition was he would come to pick and drop her at work. She didn't know how to drive, and he didn't want her to travel by public transport. So, she readily agreed. Which wife doesn't like her husband to be so caring and protective towards her?
But slowly, she realized he wanted to know everything about the place she worked at. Who all she worked with, who all befriended her, who all were her business clients and so on. At first, she convinced herself this was all his right, and he was doing this for her own good. But when he started asking her to change projects because it had more 'bachelors' in the team or started telling he didn't 'feel good' about her working with a few male clients, she felt disturbed. She tried convincing him that he did not have anything to worry about and she knew she was working with good people, but he wouldn't give up.
He didn't like if she went to shopping alone - even grocery shopping, didn't like if spoke laughingly with his or her male colleagues and friends, heck, even his cousins! He used to say her friendly behavior would give them a chance to think they can steal her from him!
And when a client named Shyam Jha made indecent attempts at getting closer to her, sending her texts that weren't strictly professional or calling her at odd times, Arnav got a chance to say his fears are valid! Of course, she did file complaint to her office HR and Shyam was dealt with, for a punishable offense. But this incident gave Arnav a chance to say how he was right about her working in 'unsafe' male dominated industry, and she didn't know what to say.
The recent reason for their arguments was her new work colleague and her friend from college, Neeraj Kumar aka NK. Arnav had gotten to know that NK used to like Khushi when they were in college and since then, Arnav had become extra wary of her work hours, her meetings, heck her appearance!
"Where is your mangalsutra, Khushi? And your engagement ring? At least put on some sindoor!" he had asked her that morning, when she was ready with both their lunch boxes and wearing her shoes, to leave with him for the office.
