HE IS IN LOVE with his ex

CHAPTER 9 - A Forgotten Birthday

Karthik noticed that his wife had been sad and dull the past few days; not that she was happy before but she looked lost and broken now. He wanted to know what happened that made her like this, all of a sudden.

She looked like a robot with no emotions whatsoever on her face; everything she did seemed mechanical to him.

One morning when he sat at the dining table for breakfast, he found Sindhu busily talking to someone in the balcony. When she saw him waiting for her, she hastily cut the call and entered the living, serving him breakfast. Before she served herself, she got a call again making her run towards the balcony with her mobile.

She closed the balcony door behind her and picked up the call. He was perplexed to see her on the phone as he never saw her get any calls from her friends; at least not when he's at home. He observed her through the glass doors; she seemed to be in better spirits but still sad. She came back to the dining only to go back to take another call.

Sindhu was shocked to see Hemanth call her. She almost lost her voice hearing him; all the heartache and hurt she felt the past few days caught up with her and she started crying hysterically.

"I am so sorry Sindhu.. Please don't cry" She heard him from the other end but she couldn't stop her tears anymore. It was almost an year since she last talked to him.

She remembered the way he celebrated her birthday last year before leaving to US. After he went there, he called her only once.

Never did he make attempts to talk to her again nor did he take her calls; she gave up after numerous trials. She missed him so much.

"Happy Birthday princess. It's your first without me" he said, his voice cracking up.

"I hate you" she yelled at him. It was a lie; she can never hate him.

"I know you don't"

"Why did you call now? To know if I am alive or dead?"

"Please don't talk like that" Hemanth's voice sounded painful.

"You didn't care how I was. You know that you are my only best friend; yet, you left me and never cared to look back" she said, fighting back tears.

"I am sorry. Please forgive me drama queen; I will never do that again I promise" he said softly.

She remembered his nickname for her and smiled between tears. When he didn't hear her, he added "I am sorry Sindhu.. Please, I missed you too; so damn much"

"I never told I missed you" she said childishly.

"I know you did" he said, teasing her. She could feel him smile; he may be at the other end of the world but she knew him well enough to know that.

"So how was your birthday? Your husband must be all excited since it's your first one after marriage" he said excitedly.

Sindhu felt sad when she heard the familiar line she had been hearing from all her friends since morning; even her parents said that.

She remembered the conversation with her dad. He told her that he planned to visit her but cancelled as he thought the newly wed couple might have plans.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard him "Sindhu. Are you there?"

"Huh? Yes Yes. So, tell me was life at US so good that you forgot me?" she said changing the subject; which didn't go unnoticed by Hemanth. He thought something was wrong in her life but decided to let it go this time.

"No. Nothing's better than staying with one's own family. I understood that after I came here" he said sadly. He missed her and her family, more than his own parents.