INTIMACY CLINIC - The Conversations we AVOID

WEEK THREE: Saturday - Part 01

Thirty seconds were left for the clock to strike at 4 pm. Everyone, except Maira, was present for the session. Everyone had anticipated Maira would not show up. But Charlie was looking at the door. Like he was expecting her to show up. The rest of them were looking at him.

The room was so silent that the sound of the second hand of the clock could be heard with every passing second.

Ten seconds were left. Charlie still kept staring at the door.

Three seconds were left. He thought, "Maybe, she wouldn't come." He turned to look at Aanchal. When. . .

The door was kicked open. Everyone turned in the direction of the sound. Maira was standing at the door, fuming with rage. And the clock hit 4 pm.

"You bastard!" Maira shouted, still standing at the door.

She threw a cold stare at Charlie. Charlie turned into a statue. His eyes were glued to hers.

The room filled with waves of shock. No one expected her to show up, but more than that, she would make an entry like that was beyond their imagination. Everyone kept staring at her rage-filled eyes. Puzzled!

"What are we missing?" Lovereet couldn't wait to ask.

Maira started walking towards Charlie. Slowly. Raged. She narrowed her eyes, "All your stories are true."

She pointed her index finger at Charlie, "The second story you told about the extramarital affair was true as well."

She was spitting every word, slowly, looking straight into his eyes, in a stone-cold tone.

She continued, "The real name of the girl is Pooja. And the name of her friend is Maira." She reached close to Charlie. Her eyes were burning red with a hint of tears. She shouted, "AND SHE FUCKED MY BOYFRIEND!"

A chill ran through every spine. Their jaws dropped with the third shock they just got.

Maira's hand started shivering. Tears began to flood into her eyes. She took a step forward. Leaned down at Charlie. Her face came close to his face. He kept looking into her eyes without blinking.

She moved her shivering hand towards Charlie's chest and poked her index finger on his chest as she continued, in a low but cold voice, "And you knew. You knew all this time. But instead of telling me the truth, you let me believe I am in the best relationship ever." Her finger paused at his chest. He felt the shiver through the tip of her finger. He felt her pain through her watery eyes. And he felt her rage through her stone-cold face and clenched jaw.

She paused. Her palm touched his chest and moved towards his neck. She held his collar and screamed, in a heartbreaking tone, "How dare you hide it from me."

Her eyes couldn't hold the tears anymore. She lost her strength to be strong. She couldn't stare at Charlie anymore. Her eyelids lowered. Her head turned down. And she started crying her heart out.

Every heart ached to see her like that. Nobody cared what they thought of her before. Irrespective of their opinion about her, nobody wanted her to be in pain.

Charlie held her hands. Moved them away from his collar. Straightened her as he stood up. Then he wrapped his left arm around her neck and his right arm around her back and hugged her.

She didn't hug him back. Her hands were hanging down while her head was resting on his chest. Everyone kept staring at them.

After a few moments, things started to change. She leaned on him. Wrapped her arms around his waist. And slowly, the sound of her crying started to wear down. Charlie kept her in his arms.