Winter Wonderland & The Cold Hearted Husband!

Rhea and Rishi were newly married and on their honeymoon in Zurich.  This was the honeymoon destination Rhea had been dreaming about all her life. She used to picture herself cosying up to her husband, saying sweet nothings in each other’s ears while the snow fell around them.

They were on their way back from snowboarding and waited for their car to arrive.  She could see the untainted and pristine snow; fall on the ground turning the land into a wintry landscape. The trees were newly clothed with white as the skies bequeathed a bounty of snow. The snow covered everything with a soft pearly white blanket which couldn’t be more uniform. She wanted nothing more than to remove her hand gloves and let the snowflakes land on her fingers and watch them melt because of the warmth of her hands.

“How beautiful and romantic is this! This is the first time I am experiencing snow; I couldn’t be more excited! Thank you for planning this trip.” She said to Rishi

“I can accompany you on your business trips, that would be fun! Wouldn’t it? Mixing business with pleasure,” she said mischievously.”

“Not sure about that Rhea! I don’t think it’s a good idea. Work is important to me and I wouldn’t have the time for sightseeing or anything else. You would get bored all day besides I don’t like mixing business and pleasure!” Rhea felt little disappointed. This wasn’t the answer she was expecting. “He could have said a yes just to make me happy” she thought. “Why did he have to be so upfront and direct?”

The car arrived and the driver called out to them. She expected him to open the door for her to sit. She looked forward to cuddling with him in the backseat.  Winters are so cold despite that they have a way of igniting the fire within!

Rishi did open the door but not the one Rhea expected, he opened the front door of the car and sat beside the driver. Rhea looked at him in disbelief wondering whether to show anger or tell him how boorish he was. Every woman expects chivalry from her husband, opening doors, offering their jackets when they are cold and treating them like a queen.

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“Why are you still standing out? It’s getting late; we don’t want to get caught up in the snow. Please hurry up and get inside the car,” he interrupted her thoughts. Rhea was angry and dismayed, she felt let down by Rishi. Theirs was an arranged marriage and they were just getting to know each other. Rishi was busy talking to the driver in German language and she had no clue what was being spoken. She had nothing better to do than to look out of the window on the long way back.

The first snow you experience is like the first love, there is something unquestionably magical about it! You always remember it and it is forever etched in your mind! Here she was with her first love in a snow-clad wonderland and all she could experience was her husband’s lack of affection and attention!

She could see the snow falling soundlessly covering the roads in a carpet of white, it seemed like the coldest day she ever experienced! She was shivering coz of the chilly weather and could do with a warm hug, but Mr Husband didn’t care one bit! He didn’t even talk to her the whole way.

The driver was laboriously driving at a snail’s pace on the snow-clad roads. It was extremely cold and foggy outside, and the visibility was very low. The heater in the car didn’t help much either. She could hazily see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, and she seemed lost and lonely all alone in a winter wonderland with her cold-hearted husband!

“Yes, that’s what he is-a cold hearted man who didn’t care at all!” She wondered what was colder, the winter or her husband’s heart!

He never remembered to compliment her or appreciate her; he rarely spoke, and he was a man of very few words. When she tried to speak to him, all he did was smile or give her one-word answers. By now she had told him everything about herself- her childhood, her friends, her first job, her likes and likes. In return he told her nothing about himself, she didn’t know what his hobbies were or what his childhood was like. She didn’t even know if he even loved her in the first place!

He seemed like a good man, he was courteous and respectful but also seemed indifferent to her! She felt rejected and unloved! She always dreamed of a romantic and passionate marriage, she dreamed of a guy who would serenade her and sweep her off her feet-Her Prince Charming! With Rishi there was no spark at all! Well at least none from his end.

“Maybe it was a forced marriage, or he loves someone else,” she thought. She didn’t feel his stone-cold heart would ever melt! They were married and this was the life she was going to lead, forever and ever! She accepted her fate; after all romance is not everything in life! Her world seemed frozen and cold like the winter and her future seemed blurry like the view outside her window. She self-crowned herself as the queen of her winter wonderland living with her husband- the king of cold hearts!

They reached home after a long drive of almost two hours. She was exhausted and starving. She couldn’t wait to have a nice warm bath and piping hot food. She didn’t have the warmth of her husband’s love, but she did have warm food to look forward to! They stepped out of the car, and she could feel the cold air sting her face. The only sound she could hear was the sound of her boots as she walked through the snowy path leaving her imprints behind. Her mind was struggling with so many unanswered questions but despite all the inner turmoil; right in that moment all she felt was peace and magic walking in such a magical place!

Nothing made her happier than entering their quaint little honeymoon cottage that was nestled in the woods surrounded by pine trees that were covered in a heavenly white. She headed for a bath and changed into her track pants and t-shirt; she had planned on wearing a sexy red negligee earlier but then she thought what’s the point in dressing up for an uninterested man. He didn’t care anyways so it was better to have a hot meal and then head straight to bed.

She was tired coz of all the excessive over thinking on the way. Her hopes, her aspirations and the future of her marriage looked bleak just like the dangerously cold world outside right now. She sat in the living room near the rustic fireplace waiting for her husband to join her for dinner. It was a sight to behold straight out of a book of fairy tales. She had imagined this so many times over in her mind, she and Rishi cuddled up close in a blanket in front of the fireplace feeling the warmth of the fire and the warmth of their love.

Rishi called out to her,” Let’s eat Rhea. You are going to love what the cook has made. One of the dishes is ‘Rosti’ –it is a Swiss style hashbrown with a stuffing of cheese and onion. It is considered a delicacy; you will relish it! Trust me.” 

Rhea replied,” Okay let’s eat.” She was very quiet at the dinner table not her usual bubbly self. Rishi asked her,” Did you enjoy today? Doesn’t seem like! If you are tired you can sleep early today as soon as you are done with dinner.”

Rhea couldn’t control anymore, and she blurted out “Yes I think I’ll sleep, anyways that’s what you would want. What else is to do here?  And why do you even care what I do?”

“Sometimes I wonder why you even married me when you didn’t like me. You barely talk to me and open to me! The whole way you kept talking to the driver, you didn’t even sit with me. Who does that on their honeymoon? I am sorry if you feel bad, but I am not the quiet one like you and I speak my mind. I feel so stupid and unloved with you!”

Rishi looked at her in amazement,” What have you been thinking Rhea? I know we had an arranged marriage, but I said a yes because I liked you as a person. I am a quiet person and an introvert, and you balance me so well! If it was not for you, I would be busy on my laptop working or attending meetings.”

“I sat with the driver ahead coz I wanted to help him drive on the way. It was snowing and there was a blizzard warning, I wanted us to reach home as soon as possible. Have you thought what would have happened if we were stuck up somewhere? That’s what we were discussing the whole way! I am sorry if you felt unloved and ignored, I wasn’t meaning to”

“I agree I am a man of few words, and I don’t know how to express myself in words, but I love you with the whole of my heart and there is no one else I would rather be with! I was actually looking forward to cuddling with you in front of the fireplace after dinner, but you seemed tired, so I asked you to sleep”

Rhea felt stupid, she didn’t know what to say! She had been quick to judge Rishi. So, what if he couldn’t romance like an actor in the movies, he loved her in his own unique way and that was much better than the movies!

All was well in her winter wonderland again; her cold-hearted husband wasn’t cold hearted after all! He made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside! It is true when they say-

 Winter Is Magic!

Someone might not love you the way you want but that doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have! People have a set idea of love that they want to adhere to and if their partner doesn’t conform to it, they feel dejected and unloved. Love comes in many forms and there are so many ways to show it. It is always there! We just need to open our eyes and hearts to it. Let us not be quick to judge someone. Our relationships shouldn’t be built on unrealistic expectations but on openness, patience, and acceptance. I hope everyone finds their true love and more importantly they learn to value it!

Image source: Pexels / Daniel Frank 

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