Arranged To Adore

1.

"Aradhya, please get in."

"Aru"

"Damn! Woman, you'll catch a cold!" my husband yelled from the car while following me as I walked ahead in the rain, royally ignoring him. Nevertheless, the people of Chennai couldnt ignore him and the way he was following me in the car while I kept running away from him.

He drove slowly, matching my pace while leaning over to open the passenger seat door for me, and requested again "Whatever it is, we'll sort it out later. For now, just get inside for god's sake!"

The desperation in his voice to convince me was evident, but I paid no heed to his request and fastened my pace.

"Aru, please" he pleaded, but I showed no response and continued walking.

Work has been good today. As I exited my office with colleagues, I noticed the sky was painted in a vibrant blue hue. I was about to get into the office cab when I received a call from Abi saying he was somewhere near my office for a meeting and would pick me up in ten minutes.

I had no second thoughts about waiting for him since I assumed he was serious when he said, Ten minutes. Besides, I thought the drive back home would be a good chance for us to catch up on the missed topics of the past two weeks as we were occupied with our jobs.

The ironic part was that I had been waiting for thirty minutes, yet he didnt show up. I called him three times only to hear he would reach me in five minutes, which eventually turned into another half an hour.

Despite being tired of the past two weeks of hectic schedule, I tried to remain calm, reasoning myself that he might be stuck in traffic. However, I couldn't contain my anger when the climate suddenly changed, gathering dark clouds, and blowing harsh winds.

Pulling out my phone from my handbag, I tried to call Abi, but his phone was switched off.

Wow! Great! one more reason to be mad at him.

Looking around, I let out a long, frustrating sigh, finding no cab or auto for

for the time being.

A few more minutes passed, and clouds turned darker, transforming the surroundings into a gloomy shade. It looked like it was going to rain, and I had no umbrella since it wasn't the monsoon season.

Getting drenched in rain might sound lovely to others, but for someone like me whos sleep-deprived, exhausted, and hungry, its a nightmare. I decided to wait inside the office until Abi arrived. But before I could step inside the office building, the rain started pouring, drenching me in a splash. I was too stunned to make any swift movements for a few seconds. By the time I

reacted, it was too late. I was fully drenched now. Going back to the office didn't seem like a good idea either.

There's a bus stop a few steps away from the office building and I thought I could use it as shelter until I get a bus or auto. I quickened my pace in the bucketing rain while my evil side of mind plotted in how many ways I can murder my husband tonight.

If I had taken the office cab without listening to him, I would have been at home by now. But no, my husband had to make things difficult for me, making me suffer more than I already did for the past week. How could he be so irresponsible? It had been one and a half hours, yet he still hadn't shown up to pick me up.

"Just let me reach home. I'll make him go through hell. I clenched my jaw as water dripped from my hair and face. I didn't know if it was the frustration from the work or exhaustion, but I became more aggressive thinking about how Abi is taking me lightly these days.