Ishq Junooniyat (Book 3)

49. Anniversary

"Dinner's ready. Everyone is waiting for you" Aarchi said emotionlessly, trying to look for the man she fell for.

"You are just so plain and boring Aarchi. Look around you, people are doing so much and then there's you who's more concerned about whether I had dinner or not" Vihaan turned around angrily running his hand through his hair in frustration. Aarchi took a step behind hurt by his words.

"Why are you being mean to me?" She asked in a small voice.

"Am not being mean yaar am telling you facts. Probably this is the same reason why Surya cheated on you, Gautam left you. You have no X-factor in you. There's no reason to stay loyal to you to return to you" Vihaan shouted on her in anger. Tears formed in her eyes but she gulped them down.

"You talk so much, don't you get tired of speaking nonsense?" He asked looking at her cruelly.

"The day I'll stop talking to you, your world will turn silent Vihaan Malhotra. You'll be in public and yet alone. You used to tell me that I brought music back to your life once upon a time, if I'll stop talking, the music would leave. Anyways dinner is ready, if you are hungry join or else don't" She turned around and walked away from the room.

"Is he coming beta?" Her mother-in law asked worried noticing the lost look on Aarchi's face.

"He said you can start eating, he'll join later" She made up an excuse out of habit for Vihaan.

"Leave him. You come we all start eating" She asked Aarchi to join them for dinner.

"Am not hungry ma. I'll eat later"

"Aru?" Her father-in law asked concerned.

"Am fine dad. I had a heavy evening snack so not in the mood to eat" She replied smiling and walked to the garden. She sat on the swing wrapping her arms around her.

"X-factor" She scoffed repeating the word.

"Pyaar kiya tha tab yeh X-factor nahi dikha tha?" She asked herself.

"Did Surya and Gautam leave me for that reason? I had nothing unique?" She asked herself wondering for an answer.

"Stop taking care of them and they'll know what the X-factor is. Stop doing things they could do for themselves but you do it" Her mother-in law sat beside her and answered her question.

"Huh?" She looked at her confused.

"You know why men don't respect their wives?" Her MIL asked smiling, looking at the star-filled night.

"Why?"

"Because they think that what you do for them is your duty. It is your job. They forget that you do their work not because it is your job to do it, you do it because you care for them.  Break the pattern and watch them realise that what you do for them is because you love them" She placed her hand on Aarchi's hand.

"Maa" Aarchi laid her head in her lap and sobbed loudly explaining her everything Vihaan said.

"Mujhe mere ghar jaana hai. I've heard enough, waited enough. Ma don't I deserve one apology from him? Puri duniya ke aage mujhse shaadi ki thi unhone yeh din dikhane ke liye? At every step he is humiliating me, mocking me, what have I done such that I am getting such treatment? I can't wait any longer ma anymore. Mujhe pata hi nahi hai ke mein kis galti ki maafi mang rahi hoon unse" Aarchi sobbed in her lap as she patted her head and knew that her son was wrong for hurting the poor child's heart.

"Maa I want to go back to my home and never return to him. Aab nahi horaha mujhse. In the last 4 months there's not one thing we have done as husband-wife. He hasn't had one meal with me in all these months, he has mocked me for caring for him. He's called me many mean things and yet I waited for him. Ma he is behaving as if I hurt him. One sorry is all I expected from him. Unse naraz hone ka haq hai mere aur mujhe manane ki unki zimedaari hoon. In 2 days its our first anniversary and am sure he doesn't want to spend it with me" Aarchi wiped her tears and sat straight.