Marriage In The Pink City

Chapter 10

Namaste
Chapter 10

Tanushree slid against the door, the cold wood meeting her bare back. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she hiccuped in the midst of her sobs. The room held an air of emotional turmoil, the echoes of vulnerability reverberating in the silence.

The moment of her husband whispering some other woman's name in the heat of their passion replayed in her mind like a broken cassette. The weight of the betrayal pressed down on her, and she couldn't stop the tears. She cried until her head throbbed, the ache within matching the ache in her heart. The room held the remnants of shattered trust, a silent witness to the unravelling of their fragile connection.

She passed out on the floor naked, and when she woke up, her phone was ringing. It was her mother. Groggily, she answered, "Namaste maa." Glancing at the clock, she saw it was 8 in the evening. Her head throbbed, and her eyes felt swollen. "Laado, are you okay?" came her mother's concerned voice. "Yes, maa. I am fine. Just a little headache," she replied.

Sensing something in her daughter's voice, her mother continued, "How is everything there?"

"Everything is... nice," she hesitated. Sensing her daughter's distress, her mother reassured her, "Laado, we are just a call away. Please always tell us everything that is bothering you. Nothing is more important for us than you." Hearing her mother's words, silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Maa, Mai phone rakhti hu. Koi aaya hai. Take care," she lied, hanging up the call. Pressing the back of her palm against her mouth, she wept, the weight of her emotions bearing down on her. ( I am hanging up the phone, someone's on the door.)

She stood up and dragged herself to the washroom, staring at the mirror with eyes void of any emotion. Standing under the shower, the realization hit her like cold water – her husband was possibly cheating on her. And she was madly in love with him. A mix of anger, hurt, and self-blame surged within her. In that moment, she couldn't help but feel like a fool for trusting someone who had shattered her world.

She sat on the bed in silence when a persistent knock echoed through the room at 11 in the night. Ignoring the disturbance, she remained motionless. Abhimaan's voice roared, demanding her to open the door, threatening to take it down. “ Open the damn door, Tanushree,” However, Tanushree made no move, her resolve unshaken. His curses and frustrated footsteps gradually faded away, followed by the sound of keys fumbling to unlock the door. Moments later, the door swung open, and she felt his approaching footsteps behind her.

"Get up, you need to eat," he said in a surprisingly calm tone. As he observed her swollen eyes and red cheeks, something tugged at his chest, a pang of unfamiliar emotion at seeing her so lost and hurt.

She didn't answer, and Abhimaan took a deep breath, crouching in front of her. "Khana kha lo, please," he said, gently taking her hand in his. "I know I did a nasty thing and hurt you, but that wasn't my intention. I am truly sorry." A tear slipped down her cheek, and he realized she was crying. He hugged her, but she didn't hug back.

"Who is Sophia?" she asked in a whisper. He sighed, "She was my girlfriend. But then she broke up with me."

"Will you ever go back to her?" she asked in a small voice.

"No," he said without hesitation.

That assurance in his voice calmed her a bit. "Did you really love her?" she asked.

"I did," he said. She nodded, looking away.

She got up, clutching her hair in a bun, and turned to him. "Please don't treat me harshly because some other woman broke your heart. Don't take that anger and frustration out on me. I don't deserve it." she said before leaving the room.

They quietly had their dinner. Tanushree didn't speak at all, and Abhimaan observed her the whole time. Afterward, she walked back to her room and went to the closet. Taking out her guitar, she moved to the balcony, where the windy winter night awaited. The city sprawled beneath her, and, as midnight approached, she began to play. With crossed legs and the guitar poised, she sang, "Zindagi kuch toh bata," lost in her own world.

Taaron bhari ek raat mein
Tere khat padhenge saath mein
Kora jo panna reh gaya
Ek kaanpte se haath mein
Thodi shiqaayat karna tu
Thodi shiqayat main karun
Naraaz bas na hona tu,
Zindagi…

Kuch to bata zindagi
Apna pataa zindagi..
Kuch toh bataa zindagi
Apna pataa zindagi..

Unbeknownst to her, Abhimaan leaned against the door frame, listening intently. He could feel the pain in her voice. Deciding to comfort her, he fetched a shawl from the closet and wrapped it around her, embracing her from behind.

"I am sorry, Tanu. I wasn't myself. What can I do to make you better?" he sincerely asked. She remained quiet for a moment before responding, "Treat me better… treat me with respect, please.”

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