My Beating Heart

Chatper 34 - Redemption

Sivaangi came and sat in front of the TV with a huge bowl of potato chips and a water bottle.

Her favorite show was going on on the TV but her mind was completely else where.

It had been almost one and half days since Ashwin had come back home after the fateful incident.

It it not like he avoided her, he did answer her phone calls even though they were short and less than a minute in duration, he messaged her asking if she ate something all three times, even now he had messaged her his usual good night, lock the door, love you, but some how she felt there was no life in the message and only concern and responsibility.

"How can I help some one who doesn't want my help " she mumbled to herself while stuffing her mouth with hand full of chips and turned her concentration towards the show with extreme difficulty.

She got from her sleep startled by the sound of the door unlocking.

"Sorry, disturb pannitena? " he asked while walking inside the house.

Sivaangi stood silently, still sleepy and shocked not sure whether he is real or the figment of her imagination.

"Why are you sleeping here? TV paathute thoongitiya? " he asked while running his hand through her hair.

His touch was enough to let her know that he was completely real that she hugged him tight like never wanting to let him go.

"Finally, you are home" she said side hugging him while walking towards the bedroom.

"Yeah it had been chaotic at the hospital for past two days and I am damn tired and you too look like you are sleep walking, poi un room la thoongu, kaalaila pesalaam" he said and kissed her on her forehead before disappearing behind the close door leaving behind a speechless wife.

"En room la thoonganuma? enna solraan ivan, ippo naan enna pannanum" she mumbled still standing frozen in front of the closed door.

She wanted to run after him and make all his worries go away, but she was not sure how he will perceive it in his current mind set.

"Should I talk to him now or give him his space, gosh this is so frustrating" she screeched silently holding her head.

Now she understood how Ashwin would have felt in the initial days of their marriage not knowing how he should handle her.

"Some times there is no right choice " she mumbled when her phone rang.

"Ranjith anna sollunga" she immediately answered, slowly walking away from the door.

"Safe ah veetuku vandhutaana ma? " Ranjith asked really worried.

"Yeah anna, he just came, but he looks so, so " she struggled to find the right word

"life less? " Ranjith finished for her.

"Yeah.. enna anna aachu? " Sivaangi asked sitting on the sofa.

"Too many things happened ma, too many bad things, he is broken into pieces inside, please be with him, he needs some one right now even though he would never accept help" Ranjith said and she could here his voice breaking down on the phone.

"I want to anna, I want to help him, but I am totally clueless here as to what I should do, not unless I know what happened, please tell me" she pleaded even her voice cracking.

"Too many betrayals, it was as if like people were waiting for him to do a mistake, waiting to pounce on him and destroy him, kizhichu thonga vittutaanga " Ranjith said in anger cum dejected tone.

"Enna anna solreenga? enna dhaan aachu? details please details" Sivaangi asked really worried now.

"He has been barred from OT for one month with just consultation and desk duty and demoted from Chief of Cardiac Surgery " Ranjith said like he was spitting those words out of frustration