07-06-2026, 08:44 PM
Chapter 3: From Temporary Escape to Real Tangled Lives
Nikitha’s stepmother arrived at Temple with a group of relatives, her face twisted with rage and greed. “You ruined everything!” she screamed. “I had already taken 20 lakhs from that old man as ‘arrangement money’ for this marriage. Give it back, or I’ll destroy both of you!”
In the middle of the ugly confrontation, the stepmother tricked a frightened and emotionally drained Nikitha into signing some papers. Later, they discovered she had transferred all the assets and property that belonged to Nikitha’s late mother into her own name. Nikitha’s father stood there like a spineless shadow — watching everything silently, too weak to intervene.
Jay’s side was no better.
When he took Nikitha home and introduced her as his wife, his maternal uncle and father exploded in fury. “You spoiled brat! You rejected your cousin for this random girl?” They threw them out of the house that very evening with nothing but a few clothes.
With nowhere to go, Jay packed whatever he could and they spent their first night as a married couple at a friend’s small apartment. They were exhausted, scared, and completely broke.
That night, sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall, they looked at each other and laughed bitterly.
“We faked a marriage to escape our real ones,” Jay said, shaking his head.
Nikitha smiled weakly. “And now we’re married for real… with no home, no money, and two angry families behind us.”
They made a promise that night — holding each other’s hands tightly.
“No matter what happens, we’ll stay thick friends. We’ll protect each other.
This marriage may be fake on paper, but we won’t betray one another.”
I would even divorce you if you want? We know this is fake right? Jay said.
Nikitha shook her head, she said the same, if you found a women you like.. i would do the same..
I too know we were not meant to be like this..
Lets move on our own life when time comes untill then, lets together grow and build a world for us.
They both agreed.
The next few weeks were pure struggle.
Jay was thrown out of his Father's business. Jay’s maternal uncle used all his connections in Chennai to block every job opportunity Jay tried for. Doors closed everywhere. Frustrated and desperate, Jay decided they had to leave Tamil Nadu. With help from close friends, they boarded a train to Bangalore — a city big enough to disappear in.
In Bangalore, one of Jay’s friends and his wife gave them shelter. They were kind at first. Jay, who had always been passionate about gaming, applied aggressively. A common friend who had once consulted for MX Century Gaming Company recommended him.
Luck finally favored him.
Jay joined MX Century as a Junior Gameplay Engineer. The company’s aggressive, high-pressure environment perfectly matched his talent and work ethic. Within months, he started shining brightly — delivering clean, innovative code, creative level designs, and surviving brutal crunch hours without complaint. His salary quickly grew into lakhs, even in the initial days.
Nikitha tried finding jobs too. She landed a couple of small roles, but nothing stable or satisfying. Every night when Jay returned home tired, she would sit beside him while he worked on his laptop. Out of boredom and genuine curiosity, she began asking questions about his work. Jay patiently taught her programming concepts, game development tools, Unity engine, and level design.
She turned out to be a surprisingly fast and talented learner.
But as weeks turned into months, the cracks started showing in their friend’s house. The couple began treating them differently, subtle coldness, pointed comments about privacy, and growing irritation. Jay realized they were becoming a burden on the young couple’s personal space.
It was time to move.
With his growing salary, Jay rented a small but cozy 1BHK apartment in Whitefield. For the first time, they had their own space — a real home, no matter how modest.
Nikitha’s stepmother arrived at Temple with a group of relatives, her face twisted with rage and greed. “You ruined everything!” she screamed. “I had already taken 20 lakhs from that old man as ‘arrangement money’ for this marriage. Give it back, or I’ll destroy both of you!”
In the middle of the ugly confrontation, the stepmother tricked a frightened and emotionally drained Nikitha into signing some papers. Later, they discovered she had transferred all the assets and property that belonged to Nikitha’s late mother into her own name. Nikitha’s father stood there like a spineless shadow — watching everything silently, too weak to intervene.
Jay’s side was no better.
When he took Nikitha home and introduced her as his wife, his maternal uncle and father exploded in fury. “You spoiled brat! You rejected your cousin for this random girl?” They threw them out of the house that very evening with nothing but a few clothes.
With nowhere to go, Jay packed whatever he could and they spent their first night as a married couple at a friend’s small apartment. They were exhausted, scared, and completely broke.
That night, sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall, they looked at each other and laughed bitterly.
“We faked a marriage to escape our real ones,” Jay said, shaking his head.
Nikitha smiled weakly. “And now we’re married for real… with no home, no money, and two angry families behind us.”
They made a promise that night — holding each other’s hands tightly.
“No matter what happens, we’ll stay thick friends. We’ll protect each other.
This marriage may be fake on paper, but we won’t betray one another.”
I would even divorce you if you want? We know this is fake right? Jay said.
Nikitha shook her head, she said the same, if you found a women you like.. i would do the same..
I too know we were not meant to be like this..
Lets move on our own life when time comes untill then, lets together grow and build a world for us.
They both agreed.
The next few weeks were pure struggle.
Jay was thrown out of his Father's business. Jay’s maternal uncle used all his connections in Chennai to block every job opportunity Jay tried for. Doors closed everywhere. Frustrated and desperate, Jay decided they had to leave Tamil Nadu. With help from close friends, they boarded a train to Bangalore — a city big enough to disappear in.
In Bangalore, one of Jay’s friends and his wife gave them shelter. They were kind at first. Jay, who had always been passionate about gaming, applied aggressively. A common friend who had once consulted for MX Century Gaming Company recommended him.
Luck finally favored him.
Jay joined MX Century as a Junior Gameplay Engineer. The company’s aggressive, high-pressure environment perfectly matched his talent and work ethic. Within months, he started shining brightly — delivering clean, innovative code, creative level designs, and surviving brutal crunch hours without complaint. His salary quickly grew into lakhs, even in the initial days.
Nikitha tried finding jobs too. She landed a couple of small roles, but nothing stable or satisfying. Every night when Jay returned home tired, she would sit beside him while he worked on his laptop. Out of boredom and genuine curiosity, she began asking questions about his work. Jay patiently taught her programming concepts, game development tools, Unity engine, and level design.
She turned out to be a surprisingly fast and talented learner.
But as weeks turned into months, the cracks started showing in their friend’s house. The couple began treating them differently, subtle coldness, pointed comments about privacy, and growing irritation. Jay realized they were becoming a burden on the young couple’s personal space.
It was time to move.
With his growing salary, Jay rented a small but cozy 1BHK apartment in Whitefield. For the first time, they had their own space — a real home, no matter how modest.
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)