58. My Cruel Fate!

Anika’s PoV

His cold behavior towards me is killing me. He ordered me to do chores all day and also expects me to finish the jewelry in my free time. Free time? Like if there is any. He woke me up with a harsh comment which I don't even want to think about. I could still remember those lust filled eyes when he saw me, yet he called me a low word. Above all, he thrusted the tray full of earrings on the floor and with the force he pushed, some of them broke into pieces. All my work went in vain.

I am getting tired of his behavior in just two days. How can I manage his insults and arrogance for the rest of my life? Do I still love him after all this? My stupid heart says YES. But I am not here enduring all this shit just because I love him. I am here because I am indebted to him. He has helped my family with a huge amount of money though I didn't ask for it. He wants me to repay it to him by being a servant maid for him. If that is what will make me free from the bounds with him, I am happy to do that.

Love will not bound you, instead it will give you enough freedom. These bounds he had made, are made out of hate. When he thinks that he is done with the insults and punishment for me, I will leave him immediately. Yes, that is what I am going to do. I cannot stay in this loveless relationship even though I have boundless love for him in my heart. Love should free you instead this love I have for him is toxic and suffocating.

After he left, I helped granny take a bath and wear her gown. When I ate the breakfast I made, I felt really sorry for him and granny. It lacked taste. I went on to make lunch and clean the home. It is very exhausting. Just when I finished mopping up, someone came to the door.

“Hello, are you Anika?”

“Yes, who are you?”

“I am here to get the sample order.”

“Oh, that, I am not prepared for 100 pairs. But I do have 40 pairs. You can take them for now. And I don't think I can make 500 pairs every week. I promise you that I can make 100 pairs every week. Also, I am planning to make necklaces and bangles that will match the earrings. So if you are looking for better designs and quality, I can vouch for that.”

“Oh, that is good to know. Many make false promises and could not deliver as they promised. I am glad you opened up with the truth. Yet, I am not the decision maker in our business. I will let my boss know. He will call you from this number.” He gave me a visiting card with the name of the fancy store.

“Oh, thanks. Here, I have packed them up.” I gave him the bag that I have already packed with the rest of the earrings that survived my husband's attack earlier in the morning.

It is a tiring day with cleaning up the room upstairs and cooking and cleaning and taking care of granny. Me and granny had our lunch together and I settled her in her bed and went on to clean up the kitchen. When I went to her room to see her, she was struggling to get her medicine.

“Here, why didn't you call me, granny?” I gave her the medicine that is to be eaten at noon.

“You are already loaded with work. I didn't want to bother you. Did you do something wrong that my grandson is angry with you?”

“I am here to take care of you. So you calling me for help is not bothering me. And no, I didn't do anything wrong but your grandson thinks that I did something wrong. So he is punishing me.” I told her as a vent. Anyways she is going to forget anything I said. She doesn't even remember my name.

“Oh, you don't know my grandson. He is a very generous man just like his grandfather. He would even give his life if someone is in need of it. But he would never tolerate dishonesty. He has been like that since his childhood. I still remember it like yesterday, once his grandfather told him that he will give his rifle to him if he gets a centum in mathematics. Ajju was very bad in math and he barely passed the exams. But he got a centum in the next exam and came to Coimbatore to get his grandfather’s rifle. When his grandfather told him that he would give it to him after a year, he got very angry and stopped talking to his grandfather. He told me that if you give your word to someone, you should keep it no matter what. And he lives to his word until I remember clearly. He neither spoke to his grand-dad until he passed away nor touched his rifle. He is a strong headed man but is a very good man.”

“I agree to that. Your grandson is a very strong headed man. His anger got him nothing. Is that the moral of the story? He neither got the rifle he wanted nor understood the pain of ignorance of his grandfather. And yet you talk high of your grandson.” I told her. I truly don't understand how this story is supposed to show any goodness of him to me?

“Hahaha, you have a very sharp tongue. I really like you. That anger is not a great quality but that is him. He is composed of compassion and anger in equal quantity. It is true that his grandfather felt too bad that he didn't talk to him but he was also very proud of his grandson as he saw a little version of himself in him. So don't just blame him for his anger, it runs in the blood. And you are missing a point, Ajju’s anger is always justifiable. He will always have a strong ground for his anger.”

I read her some pages of Mahabharatham and left her room when she was fast asleep. I still have 2 more hours before Arjun comes home. I started to mould the clay in different shapes looking at the youtube tutorial. While doing it, I kept on thinking about what granny said about Arjun. His anger is always justifiable. Strong grounds to have anger. He is angry that I betrayed him. He is angry that I had a love before marriage. He is angry because he thinks that I am still in love with Arun. Where is the strong ground?

Wait a minute, he was all lovey-dovey until I slipped out Arun’s name while coming here the first time. When nobody noticed the blunder, he did. He noticed because he was aware of Arun even before that. He was ok with that before but he got angry when I mistakenly said his name. That is why he thinks that I am still in love with him.

Now when I think about everything that was happening since our marriage, he was happy to be married to me first. But he was disturbed during our first night. When I confessed my feelings, that disturbance disappeared. Again after that little trip to Maharashtra, he was mad again. So it must be it. That is when he must have known about Arun. Yes, Adu too said that he spoke to Arjun when he was on his trip. But he let it go, asking for a fresh start after Nitvik’s party. What made that change of mind? He was still ok with it when he realized I genuinely didn't know what I did wrong, I think. But my cruel fate had to get in between and play on my tongue to make him hate me more.

How did he get to know about Arun in the first place? I am sure he would not have gone snooping into my past. Then how? Someone must have told him. Who would have done that? Who knows Arun? Nobody in our relatives. My class students knew that I was in love with Arun back in college. Arun’s class knew about us. Some common seniors knew. Some lecturers knew. But everyone who knew about us is from college. There is a fair chance someone from our college said this to Arjun as he was one of the chairmen in our college. But who? When? As far as I know he didn't go to Coimbatore after our wedding.

Who is my enemy? Do I really have an enemy? I would have, I have insulted many, thinking that I am being straight forward. I never knew about a technique called diplomacy where you convey your thoughts in a polished way which would gain you a good reputation and a surrounding full of friends. I neither had a good reputation nor friends except for Nithu. She must have put up with me since we were friends since childhood.

My phone rang, interrupting my string of thoughts. I took it to see that same number that I have been receiving calls from in recent days. I attended the call, hit the mute button and kept it down and continued my work. Nobody talks when I pick it up, I have ignored the calls many times but the call won't stop until I pick it up. I was so annoyed by the calls that I just attend it and keep it away. Sometimes the call goes on for even 20 minutes without talking a single word. I wonder who that stupid is, making calls and never talks.

After that call disconnected, I called Nithu. It is two days past her wedding day. Unfortunately, I could not go to her wedding. I didn't even talk to her. She must be super angry with me now. I wonder if she would even pick up my call.

“Hello, who are you?” She asked once she picked up the phone.

“Sorry, Nithu, I am so sorry. We were on our honeymoon. We just came back. It was a sudden trip, Nithu. I'm extremely sorry. Where are you?”

“I'm forgiving you this time just because you said honeymoon. We are going on a honeymoon to Kulu Manali the day after tomorrow, de. Tell me, how are you?”

“I'm too good. How are you? How's life so far?”

“Life is so good. I'm so happy, de. He is taking very good care of me.” She said with a voice overwhelming with joy. I felt a feeling of jealousy surge through my veins. But I am so happy for her.

“Good good. I am happy for you. Share your wedding pictures.”

“Yeah, wait, let me send you the ones I have in my phone. Tell me how was your honeymoon?”

“It was great. We went to Maldives. It was a beautiful place with wonderful scenery.”

“Haha, don't tell me you just went sightseeing. You were so in love with your husband even before your wedding. Your hormones were all over the place just by thinking of him. Now he is with you all the time, I am sure your honeymoon would have been wild.”

Oh, my heart is so wounded that I failed to notice my body’s reaction when he is around. I'm sure I don't have that feeling of lust as I had before marriage. My heart conflicts with my mind almost immediately by throwing the sensual kisses and love making we had. I could not resist his touches. I am yearning for it. His lustful eyes instantly make me wet.

“Anu? You there? Haha went back to your honeymoon fantasies, huh?” I heard her laugh on the other end.

“Haha maybe, maybe not. Who all came to your wedding from our class?” I changed the topic.

“Almost everyone came from our class. Just the day after your wedding, I went to our college to invite all our professors. Everyone asked about you and your wedding.”

“Oh, What did you tell them?”

“I told them that your wedding was planned suddenly. They all understood as they all knew your situation.”

“Hmmm, did all the professors come?”

“Yes, almost everyone made it. Our Digital Signals mam didn’t come. Other than that, I think everyone came. And I wanted to ask you for some help, Anu.”

“Help? Just tell me, Nithu.”

“I saw your husband’s friend in our college when I went for the invitation distribution. I wanted to ask her but I didn't as she may not remember me.”

“What? Who?”

“Remember Gayathri akka?”

“Yeah, she taught us until last year. How is she? Did she get a lecturer job that she always wanted?”

“She just finished her M.Tech. She wants to join our college as a lecturer. Her family is very poor and they struggled hard to educate her. Can you ask your husband for a recommendation for her? I know it is too much to ask, but she is really struggling and is a very good teacher as you know.”

“I will, now tell me about my husband’s friend?”

“That lady, I don't know her name, she even came to your house during your engagement.”

“Preethi?” I whispered her name.

“Maybe, I saw her waiting under a tree in our college. I thought about approaching her but I didn't know her name and also it would be awkward if she didn't remember me. So I left. Is she a partner also?”

“Anu?” She called again.

“Hmmm, yeah, um, no, she is not a partner. She must have come there for something else. Ask Gayathri akka to send her resume to me. I will do the needful. I will talk to you later, Nithu. Congratulations and all the best for your honeymoon.”

“Ok, Anu. Will talk to you after I come back. See you.”

PREETHI! Why did she go there the next day of our wedding? She wants me out of Arjun’s life? Why? She wants Arjun to hate me? Why? What will she gain out of it? Was she the one behind Anamika’s run-away too? If so, why is she doing it? She wants to make Arjun’s life miserable? Why? Is there a cold war between them? No, Arjun seems genuinely caring for her. Then what could be the reason? That bad vibe from her, Harish’s doubts! Is she in love with Arjun? I must talk to Arjun about this and clear the air.