Unwanted

Chapter 18

Archit

"Then can you tell me, what exactly is my business?" I asked frustrated.

"Look, my son is sleeping. I don't want to argue with you here." Saying this Priyodorshini exited her room. I followed her. Priyodorshini and I went upstairs to the balcony.
"What do you want?" Priyodorshini said crossing her arms.
"I just want you to answer my question." I said.
"Why do you always avoid it when Priyangshu's asks what he should call me?" I asked.
Priyodorshini sighed. "I am not letting him call you Baba." She said turning away, looking at the sky. "He already has one." She said in an annoyed tone.
"He doesn't need to call me that." I said bowing my head. "But, please you should answer his questions. Atleast tell me what to do when he asks this." I said.
"I hate it when I fail to answer him." I said. "I just hate it when I don't know what is going on." I said making Priyodorshini turn around. She looked at me. I looked away.
"That day, I felt like a failure when that woman kept insulting you. I felt like I couldn't protect you." I said, my eyes were becoming blurry. "You always ignore me. You never tell me anything. Even when I ask, you keep ignoring me."
"Y-you." My voice broke.
"That day you told that woman that I was no one." I said trying to control my anger.
"Ami ki porichoy dewaro joggo noi?" I asked closing my eyes.
[Translation: Am I not even worth introducting?]
"Just ekbar bole dite parten je ami apnar shami!" I said controlling my tears. I am not going to cry infront of her.
[Translation: Just for once you could've mentioned that I was your husband.]

Priyodorshini stayed silent. I looked at her. Her face was devoid of any emotion. I looked away.
"Who was that woman? Why did she keep mentioning her son?" I asked in a serious tone.
"You don't need to know abo-"
"Please Priyodorshini, please don't say that it isn't my business." I cut her off.
"It is my business. I have the right to know who that woman was who insulted my wife, called her a sl*t." I said making Priyodorshini sigh.
She came closer to me. Suddenly she grabbed my jaw and turned me towards her making me look at her.
If looks could kill then she would've been arrested for murdering me. Actually no, Baba would have bailed her out of jail.
Her eyes were filled with anger. I could feel her cursing me internally.
"Tumi janona je karur sathe kotha bolle tar chokhe chokh rekhe kotha bolte hoye?" She said in a mocking tone.
[Translation: Don't you know that you should always look into the eyes of a person while talking to them?]
She left my jaw. I looked away again. She sighed.

"That woman was my Sasuri Ma." Priyodorshini said making me look at her. "What?" I asked her.
"She is my husband's mother." She said.
"Your husband?" I asked confused.
"Priyangshu's father. He is..." She paused for awhile "He is no more." She finished her sentence.
"Oh! Your late husba-"
"Archit!" She cut me off.
"Be respectful. I won't tolerate even an ounce of disrespect towards him." She said making me frown. You want me to respect him but you don't respect me. I felt a little jealous.
"Priyodorshini."
"What?" She asked a little irritated.
"That day, when that woman kept insulting me, why didn't you stand up for me?" I asked.
Priyodorshini stayed silent.
"Why did you want to hide my identity? Why did you refrain from introducing me as your husband?"
Why do you hate me so much?
"Priyodorshini, do you even.." I paused. "D-do you even consider me as your husband?" I said. I felt a lump in my throat. Priyodorshini stayed silent.
"Please don't stay silent." I said.
"Please, please say something." I said pleading. She still stayed silent. "On the day of our reception, you and your cousins kept whispering to each other. Your cousins told me 'it's a family matter.' When I asked them what had happened. They made it clear that I wasn't family. But, you still stayed silent instead of saying anything." I said. "Whenever I ask you about something you say 'it's not your business.' You ignore me. I just want you to tell me what is wrong." I sniffled.
"The day we came here, you and your cousins kept on talking, didn't even let me speak, kept making me feel left out, kept ignoring me. And then, when I left you got angry." Priyodorshini's face was expressionless.
"That woman insulted me, called me a manwh*re, called me characterless and what not." I looked at Priyodorshini.
"You still kept silent."

Priyodorshini let out a humourless laugh."Was she wrong though?" Priyodorshini said.
"What?" I asked.
"You are a manwh*re, aren't you?" No, I am not.
"You are characterless, aren't you?" No.
Priyodorshini came closer to me.
"Archit, I didn't defend you that day, because that woman was right."
"You are nothing but a manwh*re, nothing but a characterless brat. A spoiled brat who only knows how to trouble his poor father."
"No, I AM NOT." I said raising my voice.
"Don't. Raise. Your. Voice." Priyodorshini said. "Denying won't change anything." She said.
"My cousins made you feel left out, right?" I looked away.
"You know why?" Priyodorshini said sounding pissed off.
"No." I answered.

"They ignored you because they were shocked and disgusted with you." What? I looked at Priyodorshini.
"Right after my bidai. That woman, my Sasuri Ma had come here. Brishti, Arunima and Deepanjan were still at house. That woman insulted my mother infront of them." Priyodorshini said. I stayed silent.
"You know what that woman did?" I bowed my head down. I think I know the answer. She must have said something about me.
"That woman aired all your dirty laundry infront of everybody." I closed my eyes.
"My Ma had fallen sick after that. On the day of our reception my cousins were 'whispering' that to me." Priyodorshini said emphasising the 'whispering'.
"Deepanjan, Brishti and Arunima were disgusted when they got to know that" I closed my eyes.

"YOU GOT YOUR N*DES VIRAL."