One True Bond (COMPLETE)

Shah Rukh Khan

I take a big gulp of air and drum my fingers on the table. The words sounded so flat when I had said them it makes me feel like I've said nothing at all.
"Divorce?" Gauri repeats the word her face emotionless. I nod my head an apologetic smile on my face.
"I'm sorry," I whisper looking over my shoulder to where Aryan sits on the sofa watching a kids programme.
"Why?" Gauri shakes her head, "why now?" Because I love Kajol, because the thought of losing her is devastating, because it feels right to be with Kajol.
"It's not that I don't love you but I think I have stronger feelings for someone else," I shrug my shoulders unsure of what I'm really supposed to be saying or how I'm supposed to be acting.
"Who?" Gauri asks anger rising in her voice. I close my eyes. I can't tell her-I promised Kajol.
"Papa?" I feel Aryan's little hand touch my knee. I open my eyes and look down at him trying to smile. Gauri scrapes her chair back angrily and goes to stand by the kitchen sink. I don't know whether she's crying or is just disgusted by my face. I get up off my chair and reach down picking up Aryan. I place him on the sofa and kneel down in front of him.
"Are you leaving Papa?" Aryan asks, looking at my bag by the sofa. I nod my head.
"Why are you going Papa?" Aryan asks again his mouth drooping a little, turning back to look at me.
"Because I love you and mummy very much," I say. That is my reason. If I stay I'd just hurt them both.
"But if you love us Papa why are you leaving?" Aryan asks confusion being painted on his face.
"Because I also love someone else very much," I mumble squeezing Aryan's hand, "and if I stay I might make you and mummy unhappy which I wouldn't want to do." With that I see Guari turn at the sink. She rushes over to the sofa and grabs Aryan.
"Just go," she hisses taking Aryan into his room slamming the door behind her. Her eyes aren't stained red with tears so she must just be disgusted by me. I grab my duffle bag from beside the sofa and walk towards the door. I turn taking one last look at the room behind me.
"I'm sorry," I whisper into the emptiness before walking through the door.

********************

"Wow what's happened to your face?" I exclaim shutting the door to the crappy apartment rushing over to Kajol.
"It's nothing," she tries to laugh it off pushing my hands away as I try to move her right cheek into better light. She puts her bag in the floor.
"I'll kill him, I'll kill him," I shout grabbing my car keys and walking towards the door anger raging inside me.
"Shah Rukh," Kajol puts her hand on my forearm as I put my hand on the door handle. Her touch burns through the anger building up inside me.
"What did he do?" I ask my voice calming.
"He did nothing, Ajay didn't touch me. I tripped and fell," Kajol shrugs. I turn towards her and get a better look at her cheek. Her eyes is swollen and there's a gash on her cheek bone dried blood coating it. The bruise is a deep purple. I trace my finger over it gently making Kajol tense. I look her in the eye and see she's lying. There's no sparkle.
"What else happened?" I ask eyeing Kajol suspiciously. She turns away and walks towards the fridge bending down to open the freezer.
"He got mad, I tripped, I fell," she shrugs again getting out some ice and putting it in a towel and pressing it to her face.
"So he threatened to hit you?" My voice begins to rise again.
"No," Kajol turns to me and sighs like I'm a child who can't understand something, "he just got very angry and started waving his arms round and stuff so I moved back fell over my bag and bumped into a table." I follow her as she picks up her bag with her free hand and takes it into the bedroom dropping it onto the bed. She follows and sinks into the bed. I sit next to her and remove the ice pack from her hand and press it gently on her face with my own.
"So Ajay didn't take it well?" I ask the obvious. She shakes her head and purses her lips. She opens her mouth to say something when her phone beeps. I keep the ice pack on her cheek as she reaches into a pocket in her bag and pulls her phone out. Her eyes dart across the screen as she reads it.
"Shit," she whispers before, "SHIT!"  This one comes out a bit louder.
"What's-" but she jumps off the bed before I can finish my question. I drop the ice pack the cubes bouncing on the floor as I step over them into the living area.