Forbidden Desire

CH 12 || The Face Off

Aditi

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Cross-legged, the man from my past was sitting at twelve o'clock, exhibiting no signs of conceding. His eyes glued to the legal papers kept in his front which were probably my documents whilst I was on tenterhooks on my seat, even when his eyes weren't on me.

He wasn't the same as that night, half a year ago. I conjured up the night, where he was wearing a brown leather jacket, underneath which was a black tee. A pair of black jeans was his lower wear and his hairs, disheveled, not gelled up at all. Uncouthness was dripping from his personality as if he just stepped out of a wild dream of mine.

Even In his rough look that night, he looked quite fetching His winsome smile for me, even when he seemed in a soul crippling affliction had bowled my mind.

My life was already not at par and then the tempest of a few months back was in front, whom I had assumed to be defunct.

"You are married." He said to himself, flipping through the pages of my docs. His expression was blank. I remembered I hadn't told him I was married. I felt culpable for hiding the truth from him, even when I wasn't obliged to tell him.

While he was engrossed in those sheets laced with the vocables of black ink, I was hauled to the night that wasn't entirely iniquitous, but somehow, still was.

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FLASHBACK

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Vidyut and I were supposed to go on a date to celebrate my twenty-seventh birthday. He had booked the lakeside view table in my favourite eatery. At the outset, Vidyut was expected to take a leave but an important meeting deranged our preliminary plan. We decided for him to join me directly at the restaurant after his scheduled meeting.

All-day, I was immersed in talking to my family, my friends. The teasings of everybody on facetime were directed mostly on me as it was my first birthday after marriage.

The day went well but I had missed Vidyut supremely.

In my exhilaration, I even reached the venue an hour prior, in the evening. I received zillions of calls of wishes from my ex-colleagues when I was waiting for my husband.

It had been two hours of me waiting but Vidyut didn't show up. I was trying to reach my husband through a call and he wasn't picking up. I thought to bide some more time, awaiting Vidyut's presence. Having knowledge of how hardworking he was, I was convinced he for sure would have been stuck at something exigent, otherwise, I wouldn't have to wait for that much.

I cool my heel's four hours, all alone. My eyes all the while on the doorway while I was consistently texting my husband.

I witnessed family, couples, arriving at the restaurant, having their meals while conversing, laughing. Every time I would catch sight of that scene my heart would sink, drowning in the pain.

There was a group of friends, celebrating one of their friend's birthday. I remembered how my friends used to pamper me on my special day. For a fleeting moment, I thought to call Dhriti, who along with my best friend was also my soul sister. But, I refrained myself even when I had picked up the phone to dial her number. I didn't want her to trouble her at all.

I behold people coming and leaving. It was eleven in the night when the manager of the restaurant approached, "Excuse Me, Ma'am, We are about to close." A look of pity was on his face that made me detest the state I was in.