ᴇx-ʙᴏʏʀꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ, ɴᴇxᴛ ʜᴜꜱʙᴀɴᴅ

Chapter 43

Nishtha

I sat in the living room, in tears again.
I've been married for 1 month and now and I've cried every single day.
Is this how many times I have to handle for the next 2 years until he decides to walk off?
I can't let myself cry every time but I can't help it either - I don't plan to cry. It just happens.

I got up, wiped my tears and went to my room. On the way, I could hear the loud punching of Yuvaan's punching bag and a strike of fear shot in my body. I'm avoiding him, or I'll become his punching bag.
I already am.
He takes every anger out on me.

It's only 4pm. There's so much of the day left. I don't want to stay here. So, I changed, grabbed my my night wear and toiletries in a bag, took my laptop and went to my house, while leaving a note for Yuvaan on the fridge - in case he cares to ask. I doubt it.

"Nishu?" Aai said as she opened the door, "wow what a surprise! Come!"
I walked in and she closed the door and I hugged her, then sat down.
"How come you're here? What happened?" Neel asked, as he entered the room.
"Can't I come home just like that?"
"You can Nishtha. We were just asking casually." Baba said, "Anyway come, Aai was making chai."
"Hmm." I said and sat down, "By the way, in case you haven't noticed yet, I am staying the night here."
Aai Baba looked at me, "Ohh, okay."
"Does Yuvaan know?" Aai asked.
"Yes."
"What did he say?" Baba asked.
"What do you mean what did he say? It's my house Baba, I can come anytime, right?"
"Beta," Baba said, sitting next to me and putting his hand on mine, "of course you can come anytime, but as a married woman, you need to make sure that your husband knows about your whereabouts."
"I told you, he knows."
"Be honest, Nishu." Baba said.
I sighed, "We fought. I left a note on the fridge saying I'm coming here. If he reads it, then he knows, if not then he doesn't care and so he doesn't need to know. Simple."
Aai sighed, "Deva!" Then, she looked at me, "You and him are both so ziddi!"
I was getting upset but I tried to not lash out at my parents, "There's a lot I'm dealing with too , Aai, in this marriage. It's not easy for me."
She came out with 4 cups of chai and then sat near me, "I know beta, and I understand you. I just meant that you both need to try."
"Trying comes both ways."
"How was Mahableshwar?" Baba asked.
"It was good."
"Just good?"
"Yes." I was beyond irritated now, "I'm going to my room. I have a few work things to get done. I'll take chai there." I then looked at Aai, "Don't worry about dinner. I'll make it."
"Beta we are going out for dinner." Baba said.
"Who?"
"Aai and I, and Neel is going out too."
"I see. No worries."
"Do you want to come with us?"
"Where are you going?"
"Family friend's place. Seema Aunty."
"Are you sure you want me to come without my husband, Aai? Won't they gossip?" I said, in a petty and sarcastic manner.
"Don't say that beta! You aren't understanding how people think. I know you don't think like that but others do, and we can't change that so I don't want my kids becoming a topic of conversation for others. That's all."
She was right.
I'm getting too angry.
I shouldn't be.
I sighed, "I'm sorry. You're right. In that case, I'll sit this one out, I don't want it to be awkward for you and you having to answer where my husband is at the dinner party. You guys go."
"Okay beta." Baba said.
"I'm going inside now." I said and got up then left inside to do my work.

After almost 3 hours of work, Baba came into my room, with Aai, "we're leaving now beta."
It was 7pm. Damn I didn't even notice.
"Okay. Have fun!" I said.
"If you want, we have Neel's friend's scooter with us today, you can go for a round."
"How did you get that?"
"Neel's friend went to UK and he left his scooter here for now, he'll be back in 2 weeks."
"I see. Okay, I'll see. Where is he?"
"Neel?"
"Yeah."
"He's in his room, getting ready to go."
"Okay, have fun!"

I saw Aai Baba off and then closed the door and went into the balcony for a bit. I waved at Aai Baba, who were waiting for a cab underneath and then once they went, I was going to go back in when Neel walked in, "Didi?"
"Yeah, Neel?" I said, as he stood near me.
"Be honest now, how are things between you and him?"
I felt my voice cracking. I needed to be heard.
"I don't know." I said, sitting on the chair in the balcony, "I... sometimes he tries really hard, and sometimes he just treats me like I don't exist or like I ruined everything."
"Di, what had happened that day?"
I looked up.
Why is everyone asking me this?!
"I can't tell you Neel. Trust me when I say I can't tell you. If I could, I would."
"Why can't you tell me?"
"Because..." I can't tell him the reason either, "I can't tell you the reason either, I'm really sorry Neel but I can't tell you."
"Why are you living with this baggage, Di?"
"Because it keeps someone safe and for someone's safety, it's okay to suffer a little."
"This is not 'a little', this is too much."
"Things could have been a lot worse."
"You don't tell me, you don't tell Yuvaan, then how are you managing this? What's going on in your married life?"
"I don't know what's going on. I want to try, and some days I wake up and he's extremely nice and sweet, but other days he goes back to calling me a liar and all that. Why doesn't he understand that I'm a human too?! It hurts me."
"Di.... I think you need to talk to him."
"About what?!"
"About how you feel."
"He couldn't care less about how I feel. I could die in front of him right now and he'd celebrate with a drink the next day. He doe—"

"Nishtha!" The sound of my name made us both turn back to see who the source was. Yuvaan?
What's he doing here?
"Y...Yuvaan?" I asked.
"What did you say?" He said in anger.
"Nothing." I said.
"Neel," he said, looking at him, "Please tell your sister to not say stuff like this again."
Neel chuckled, "Dada, you'll get used to this. All this has become her favorite words." Then he looked at me, "Di, I need to leave. Take care of yourself, please." He said, holding my hand.
"Okay. Be back soon."
He nodded and went ahead and stopped near Yuvaan, "See you Dada. I have to meet friends."
"Bye Kiddo. Take care. Don't do anything stupid, okay?" Yuvaan said in a much softer tone, holding Neel's shoulder.
"Of course." Neel said and then left.

After Neel left, Yuvaan went and locked the door, and then came back to me. I was still in the balcony, watching him.
Did he hear everything?
Is he going to get mad again?
"I.... I need to go." I said, and tried to escape when he caught my hand and pulled me to him.
My back collided with his chest, and his hands came securely around my stomach.
"Nishu. I need to know what you meant."
"W...what?" I whispered.
"What is this that you can't tell Neel, your own brother, you couldn't tell me, your boyfriend, and I doubt even Aai Baba know? Who are you suffering for, Nishtha?"
As I feared, he heard it.
"N...No one. I was... making a story for Neel."
He chuckled, "I wasn't born yesterday."
I didn't reply, I tried breaking free instead.
"There's no point." He said, "I'll let you go when I want to let you go."
"N...No. Go from here Yuvaan."
"I don't want to."
"I don't care what you want. Just go."
He let go and pulled me inside, and closed the balcony door. Then, he sat on the couch and pulled my hand so I fell right on his lap.
I froze.
"What are you doing?" I shrieked.
"Nothing." He said, playing with my hair.
"Yuvaan. Can you please let go of me?"
"I will, if you tell me what you were talking about to Neel."
"I was telling Neel about our amazing married life, happy?" I scoffed.
"Damn." He said, chuckling, "How is our amazing married life?" He said, coming close.
"W...what?"
"How's our married life? Romantic, right?"
"Sure." I said sarcastically, "Nothing about you is romantic anymore. I'm over it."
He chuckled, "Is it? So I don't have an effect on you?"
"No. You don't." I said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
His face was inches away from mine and I put my hands on his chest to create some distance.
"Y...Yuvaan go." I said, looking away.
He didn't reply, instead just kept coming closer and closer.
Is he going to?
"Yuvaan." I said, looking away.
He used his fingers to put them on my chin and guide my face in his direction. He came closer and his lips slowly caressed the crook of my neck until he placed a small kiss on my neck, making me shiver and clutch his shirt tightly.
He pulled back, "No effect it seems."
I looked at him, then looked away, "No effect."
"Your hands clutching my shirt say a different story." He smirked.
I instantly let go and tried to escape when he caught hold of me again, keeping me on his waist.
"I'm not done with you yet." He said, "Why did you come here?"
"Because I don't want to stay with someone who calls me a compulsive liar."
He sighed, "Nishtha, think from my perspective. My wife is constantly lying to me about what happened that day when all I'm doing is trying to help her. What am I supposed to feel?!"
"You're supposed to trust your wife."
"What if my wife has a record of not being trustworthy?" He asked and my heart broke.
"The...Then, she shouldn't be your wife." I said and let myself go and ran away.

I covered up my tears on the way to my room and sat on my bed, opened my laptop and got to work again. Yuvaan walked in within a minute and sat next to me, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
"I don't care. I'm unbothered."
He chuckled closely, "Your tears say that"
"Yuvaan. Just go. Please."
"Nishtha, I'm here now. Let's go home."
"This is my home." I said, angry.
"I meant your other home."
"Please, that's not my home. Someone very clearly told me that I'm living under their roof, here I live under my own roof." I scoffed.
He sighed, "Nishtha."
"Go, Yuvaan."
"Okay then. I'm also staying here."
"What?!" I got up, "No."
"This is my house too. Right?"
"I..." I turned around, "Just go."
"I'm staying here tonight Nishu." He said and took out of his phone as I looked back at him.
He got on a call while looking right into my eyes, "Hi, Deepak."
"Ji, Sir?"
"Please have someone send a pair of home clothes and next day wear for tommorow and my toiletries for tommorow, and send some outfit for Nishtha ma'am also please, to Nishtha's house."
"Okay Sir, will be there in 20."
"Thank you Deepak." He said and cut the call.
How dare he?
"So Nishtha, what we doing?"

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