The Corporate Monster ✅

O P P R E S S E D

Aruvi and Krithi packed their belongings from the hospital, and left for their house as the sun began to sink into the horizon. The twins babbled happily, unaware of their surroundings, while their sister tried to buckled them to herself in the backseat.

Aruvi fell asleep during the ride while the adults talked animatedly. Kanya was too fond of Aruvi, since she had also been a factor in lessening her internal conflicts. She had thought no one had loved her, but had never even acknowledged that she never offered love in return.

Her brother was too kind to let her stay in his house, but she also felt ever so grateful for her gracious sister-in-law. They said they had a guest house no one occupied, and told her it would be wonderful if she stayed there with them. At first, Kanya was suspicious of their kindness. But she then realized that she had nothing to give for them to manipulate her into offering. She was a waste in this world.

Every man in her life had either disregarded or used her. Prakash had never seen her as family, while Chinna used her body to feed his ego.

Aniket was a man who woman generally thought to be reliable. He had never even hurt a mosquito, afraid the blood would stain his hands. He wasn't deeply religious, but had enough morals that unlike his wife, he believed in god.

For Aniket, everything changed when Krithi came into his life. He had been minding his business and getting used to his boring college life when his seductress of a wife came waltzing into his life and turned its course. He had realized that she was the first thing he had desired. She had awakened his greediness from its slumber, as he laid his eyes on her.

Sitting in the backseat and observing the couple, it was clearly evident to Kanya why Aniket had chosen Krithi. Not only was it fate that bounded them together, it was also that they so similar yet so different. They think they contrat and balance each other, but within themselves, they have never figured out that they were a team. They both had the skills to live life, but without each other, they would never see the world in a positive light. They gave each other hope, and inspired Kanya that she could also find love in a similar manner.

If her twin brother had a soulmate, she firmly believed god had created her one too. She hadn't been searching, stuck in a well filled with snakes, but she needed to jump out of the world and leap into the vastness of the world to learn its nature.

Krithi was observing Kanya through the rear-view mirror, perceiving her obvious change in mood. "Kanya?" She called. "You alright?"

Kanya nodded. "Just peachy." She said sarcastically.

"What's wrong?" Aniket asked, stepping on the gas as he saw the signal change to red in the distance.

Kanya pointed at her bandaged arm. "It's hurting." She lied. The painkillers the nurses had given her had faded the pain, and since she only used a silver butter knife, the cut had barely been effective. Although the laceration was bleeding somewhat significantly, the extra bandages Krithi had warped had definitely helped.

"They already gave you an overdose of painkillers." Krithi pointed out, slyly denying her more medication. Her mental state was too fragile for them to put her on more drugs.

They reached home twenty minutes later. The sky was filled with light hues of orange and red mixing faintly. Krithi ushered Aruvi and Kanya into their house, while she picked up the twins with great care. They somehow dozed off, and Krithi frowned since it was not according to schedule. They were going to keep her awake all night now, giggling like two idiots  and blabbering nonsense.

"You alright?" Aniket asked, shutting the car door close. He held his arms out to receive the twins but Krithi shook her head.

"You don't know how to hold them properly."