Secret wife

Chapter 11

Rajiv's family had finished breakfast, and the boys had already left. Gomati opened the kitchen door and greeted the two people who were knocking, "You both are back! How was the journey?"

Janaki, a thin woman in her late 40s, entered the kitchen, followed by a slightly shorter man, Mani, who appeared to be her age.

"The trip was very nice," Janaki smiled.

"Finally!" said a beaming Rajiv, who entered the kitchen fully dressed for the office, "Now my home seems complete."

Both Janaki and Mani exchanged happy glances.

"I am so sorry that I could not attend Praseetha's engagement. But I will definitely come for the wedding," said Rajiv.

"Sir, without you, there won't be a wedding. You helped so much," said Mani.

"Come on, Praseetha is like my own daughter," said Rajiv. Then he remembered something and said, "Why don't you come to my study," he said to them and went there. Mani and Janaki met Padmanabhan and then went to Rajiv's study.

"Close the door," he instructed them, and Mani immediately did it, understanding that it was serious.

"Leena is here," Rajiv said to them. Mani and Janaki whooped in joy and hugged each other.

"Hush... hush... It's not like that," he said and explained what was happening at home in their absence.

"But this is so cruel, sir! She is your wife, and she should be sleeping upstairs in your bedroom and eating at your dining table," said Mani, upset.

"And the kids are calling her aunty? I can't even imagine the heartbreak she must be having. With so much pain she carried and delivered them, especially Kiranmon," Janaki wiped her eyes.

"You are lucky she loves you so much to give up everything for you to be safe," said Mani.

"I know..." said Rajiv gloomily.

A knock at the door was heard, "Rajiv, it's 8:30, shouldn't you leave?" It was Indrani.

"Sir, this is also cruel. You should tell Indrani madam that you aren't interested in her," said Mani in a hushed tone.

"One of these days," said Rajiv as he motioned for Mani to open the door. They all greeted Indrani and parted ways without explaining why they were having a conference so early in the morning.

At night, when Leena arrived, she, Janaki, and Mani had a tearful reunion in the annex.

"Kunje, Rajiv sir will fix everything. We can't wait to see you back in the house," said Mani, drying his eyes.

A few uneventful days passed by. Janaki would secretly prepare meals for Leena and send them to her. The three would meet in the outside kitchen to talk about the kids, and Janaki and Mani would share detailed information about their likes, dislikes, and personalities since the boys only casually met Leena.

One evening, after coming back from the office, Leena stopped at a department store to buy supplies. Rajiv, who was driving behind her, also parked his car and followed her into the store.

"What are you doing here?" asked Leena, surprised to see him in the fruit aisle.

"I wanted to spend some time with you," he told her, pretending to be just another shopper as he examined some apples nearby.

"What if somebody sees us?" she whispered to him.

"We are far away from home, and nobody recognizes us here," he said, subtly grazing her arm while picking some oranges.