The Love She Deserved

Chapter 3: The Cold Distance

Karuna had once believed that love was something that could be nurtured; something that could grow if given time and effort. But as weeks turned into months, she realized that with Akil, love wasn’t something that had simply faded – it had never truly existed.

She was merely a wife in title, a presence at social events, a name attached to his in the press. Nothing more.

At first, she tried. She arranged private dinners, hoping for a moment of warmth between them. She reached for his hand, only for him to pull away without thinking. She asked about his day, but his answers were clipped, distracted.

Then, she stopped trying.

One evening, Karuna sat in the lounge, curled up with a book, when Akil walked in, phone pressed to his ear. He didn’t acknowledge her, didn’t even glance in her direction. Instead, he paced across the room, his voice sharp.

“Yes, finalize the deal. No, I don’t care what the board thinks – just get it done.”

He hung up and let out a frustrated sigh, finally noticing her. “Still awake?”

Karuna marked her page and set the book aside. “It’s only ten.”

He walked over to the bar, pouring himself a drink. “I’m flying to London in the morning. Business.”

She wasn’t surprised. “For how long?”

“A week, maybe more.” He took a sip, barely looking at her. “You’ll be fine.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.

A year ago, if someone had told her she’d be married to a man who treated her like a formality, she would have laughed. She had never been a woman who accepted being ignored. And yet, here she was, sitting in a home that wasn’t really hers, next to a man who had already left her in every way that mattered.

“Do you even want to be married to me, Akil?” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

He paused, glass midway to his lips. When he finally looked at her, there was something unreadable in his expression. “Where is this coming from?”

“From the fact that I feel like I don’t exist to you.”

Akil sighed, setting his drink down. “You’re overthinking things, Karuna. Marriage isn’t some fairytale.”

She clenched her fists. “I never wanted a fairytale. I just wanted a husband who saw me.”

A flicker of irritation crossed his face. “You knew what you were getting into. You married into my world. My obligations, my business. It’s not about feelings – it’s about legacy.”

Legacy. Status. Power.

That was all he cared about.

A hollow laugh escaped her lips. “Right. And I suppose love has no place in that?”

Akil’s silence was answer enough.

She stared at him for a long moment; her chest tightening. This wasn’t a mariage. It was a transaction, a merger where her only role was to stand beside him and smile.

And suddenly, she knew.

She was done waiting for him to love her.