Begusarai - The saga continue

042

Niyati desperately wanted to break the silence, but she could feel the tension thickening in the room. Achintya, her husband, seemed to retreat into himself, as if hiding behind the glow of his MacBook.

She could tell he wasn’t just engrossed in his work; he was shutting her out, and for a moment, that strange sense of distance between them tugged at her heart.

But she couldn't wait anymore. "About what happened yesterday..." Her voice was soft, tentative, unsure if this was the right time.

Achintya didn’t look up, his fingers clicking away at the keyboard. "No talk of yesterday."

It was in the briefest of moments that Niyati realized: beneath his cool exterior, Achintya was holding something back—something deep, something painful. And as much as he wanted to pretend, Niyati could see through it. She knew him better than anyone, perhaps too well.

For a second, a tiny bit of satisfaction flickered in her chest. She could read him. It wasn’t just about knowing his mind, but feeling the distance he was creating.

But just as quickly, the feeling turned bitter. The hunger gnawing at her stomach was a much harsher reminder of the ritual she’d just completed—leaving her starving.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her own stomach growling, and she could feel Achintya’s eyes on her for the first time. He must’ve noticed, but didn’t comment, though the snacks Nupur had sent her were forgotten, left abandoned in the corners of the room, long overtaken by Achintya’s aggressive mood.

"But why?" Niyati pressed, trying again. "I understand what happened... You don’t have to hide from me."

Achintya shifted in his seat, his face now hardening as he looked at her, "Really, you do?" His voice had an edge, but Niyati wasn’t deterred.

"Hm. Badi Thakurain is playing politics. She’s trying to regain control of her family. You’re too focused on taking revenge, and with your Kaki... Goddess knows what she’s planning, but I’m sure it’s nothing good."

He glanced at her then, leaning against the almirah. His expression softened, but only slightly, as his rolled sleeves revealed the vein in his arm as he continued. "See... my company has made you the smartest."

"I’ve always been smart," Niyati replied, trying to suppress a smile, but her words immediately lost their edge. "Anyway, don’t sidetrack the subject."

Achintya sighed, heavily, as though the weight of everything pressing down on him was finally becoming too much to bear. With a slow movement, he set the MacBook aside and made his way to her, his presence filling the room. "Niyati... what Badi Amma did—it’s betrayal. Instead of punishing Sundar, she’s punishing me. And it’s because I fell in love with a Brahmin. For her, that matters more than anything Vijay has done... and that hurts."

Niyati felt the rawness in his words, and for a brief moment, she saw the crack in his composure. But she didn’t want to add to his pain, so she kept her voice steady, even though her own emotions were swirling. "I never said it wasn’t hurtful," she replied, grasping the edge of her pallu tightly. "I... I do understand."

"Good," Achintya said, his voice firm, even though his eyes betrayed a flicker of something softer. "Because you should."

He moved closer now, more determined. "People here are against you. Meena Kaki... she will try everything to make your life difficult. But you have to stay strong. At least for the next few months. I know this isn’t easy, but things will settle."

Niyati could see the struggle in his eyes, the weight of the family conflict threatening to tear him apart. Yet she couldn’t ignore the feeling that something else was simmering beneath the surface. Something he wasn’t telling her.