2.1.53

Chapter Seven: Broken life

The car couldn't pick up pace due to the traffic. I looked outside the window, the biggest day of my life. My book will hit the shelves starting today, I was going to be on the podium and not amongst the audience in a book launch, I will read out an excerpt from my book and I will give Prinita the biggest surprise of her life. It was all planned out. I kept on nervously tapping on the arm rest of the limousine that the publishing company sent for the special night. I wanted this night to be perfect for me and for her.

I looked at her, she was busy in her phone. She wore a red dress contrasting my black suit, her hair was tied in a messy bun, which apparently was the trend. She hardly wore makeup except her lipstick and kohl and that night was no different. But still she looked like the masterpiece of the finest painter, in her case it was God perhaps.

After that night, I devoted all my focus on getting the book ready, I edited, re-edited and changed the ending within the three days that I had. We didn't talk about the incident after that night. And as I was redoing my story, I contemplated my decisions, my relationship with her.

But unfortunately, I couldn't remember much of us. I had no memories of us and every time I focused to remember something, my head started to hurt. If I told Prinita, she would have told me to go to a doctor, perhaps she will take me to a doctor herself. But I didn't. With the submission deadline and trying to figure out how to make it up to her I hardly got time to talk to her.

She too tried to avoid disturbing me or maybe she tried to avoid confrontation about the incident to a point that she hardly stayed home. She left for work early and came home late and went to sleep as soon as she came in those three days. I wanted to ask her but I was never the jealous and controlling partner, so I gave her the time and space she needed to feel all right.

When I was coming home after submitting the story and getting positive feedbacks from my editor and all my peers in the publishing company, I ordered food from her favorite Chinese place. I wanted to take her to a restaurant but I know she would choose eating at home with a horror movie over any restaurant any day.

I called her when I reached home to take a leave and come early from work today but her phone was showing switched off. It was unusual for her phone to get switched off. I got worried and called her company and my anxiety rose when they told me that she didn't clocked in that day. I got anxious and tried calling our mutual friends but no one knew where she was. I was about to file a police complaint when I asked the AI home assistant if she left any message.

"I am leaving for my sister's house, she broke her arm so I need to go" the speaker played her voice.

I called her sister but the number was showing invalid. Perhaps her sister changed it considering the fact that according to the call log the last time I called the number was about a year ago, probably when Prinita and I just started dating. I wanted to go there but decided against it. She needed this time off and as a good partner I didn't want to disturb her.

She returned in the morning. There was a certain relief plastered all over her face. Perhaps staying with her sister made her recover as well. When I asked about it she said that I was just wishful thinking. She also informed that she will fly back again the next day itself and only came back just to be with me on my special day, which made me feel special. I wanted to hug her but by then, she was already in the bathroom.

I figured she was still not fully recovered but we still talked sparsely. I told her about how I ended the novel, and about the positive feedbacks. She congratulated me. But I could feel a hesitation in her voice. I asked her about it but she blew it off. But the thing that surprised me most was when she opened a bottle of whiskey and poured herself a glass. She didn't drink except for some rare occasions.