"Two vanilla ice creams,"
"How much?" she asked the shop owner.
"Thirty rupees," he replied filling the cone with an ice-cream. She paid thirty rupees and bought that in her hands. Raghu and Sanjay were sitting in the park chair and looking at the other kids playing enthusiastically in the roundabout.
"Look, Amma bought ice- cream," Raghu said to Sanjay looking at Sathya. She gave a small smile but not her best.
Raghu was so happy right now, it feels like he's getting whatever that he wished and finally something good happening in his life. He has confidence that his presentation will surely work out and they will cogitate his idea. If that happened, then he has nothing to worry about and with him, Sathya was there as his huge support.
She gave the ice cream to Raghu and sat beside Sanjay. Tasting it with a delight Raghu observed Sathya who's silently sitting with no excitement in her face. The past few days he could see there's a change in their relationship, even if he remains like it's all fine, it isn't. But he's pretending to stay normal because he's afraid to see her tears when they have an argument at last. It'll break his peace than anything but in the meantime, he doesn't like Sathya who's acting quiet these days. He doesn't understand her heart or what's in there in this situation.
What did I do? I got a little possessive but I forgot totally on that day itself. We have reconciled then why she's still stubborn? I didn't ask about anything or didn't say a single word that could hurt her.
What else she wants me to do? Beg? Raghu gritted in frustration thinking that.
"Sathya shall we pack the bags tonight?" he initiated a conversation since he can't bear this silence.
"Hmm," she hummed nodding her head. She doesn't know what else to talk to him, something is hurting her inside. Men hide their egoistic ambiguity on wife by naming it as possessiveness. He doesn't speak anything but his actions offending her in a thousand different ways.
"Why you're silent these days?" Raghu finally asked.
"Nothing, I am normal," Sathya smiled.
"Do you have anything in your heart, don't pretend and just say it to me," Raghu told and she nodded like everything is fine, she ended the conversation by turning to Sanjay.
"Sanjay, shall we leave?" Sathya asked.
"Hmm," he hummed beaming looking at his mother. His hair was curly like Raghu and he has sharp eyes exactly like his father's.
"We should go home," she suggested. Raghu quickly got up and walked leaving them there. He waited on the bike, his face was stern and cold.
During the ride, he didn't utter a single word. Whatever that she's doing will affect him Sathya knows that very well but she didn't know the way to erase the feelings from her heart. A girl can take any kind of humiliation from anyone but when she faces this kind of doubt from her husband it will collapse all the love that she built for him.
She never doubted him even at times when he got calls from his female colleagues but why he did?
If there's someone else in his position she would have brushed it off like dirt but he knows everything and whatever I've gone through in my life. How could he even think of me in that way? For how many days I have to take these kinds of shame in my life? Sathya thought. She is so sensitive about this thing as she saw her mom being a victim of this. She can never stand if it happens to her or any other woman.
The human mind is a tricky player, a small incident makes them remember all those bad things that ever happened in their life and all their anger and hate will bust out and turn them miserable. Sathya was right now in that state. She doesn't know how to deal with these and tried her best level to not get angry with him mainly at this time.
They came home when it is dark. Sathya went to the cupboard and took her clothes that's needed for the travel. They were going in tomorrow afternoon flight. Raghu sat in the bed like a stone.
"Wear the blue shirt for the presentation," Sathya took that from his clothes.
"Don't act you are concerned about me when you aren't," his words made her eyes to well with tears.
"Why you are saying like that? Have you forgot how much I prayed and motivated you," she replied holding back her tears.
"Don't talk about something that happened yesterday. I know you did and I helped you too. But all that matters now are today. Look at your face, there's no smile then what else I could think?" he retorted. Their conversation was heard in the kitchen and Sathya's mom just stood there and heard it in panic.
"I am not a doll okay. I've all sorts of emotions and I can't stay normal when my husband is suspicious about whether I will cheat on him," she shouted and dropped the shirt on the bed. She walked out and Raghu followed her. He held her hand firmly, "Who told that I doubted on you."
"Then what you did on that day? Ask yourself and don't ever do that again." She warned him with teary eyes.
Raghu is dumbfounded he left her hand and walked out of the house; Sathya started crying and went to the balcony. She cried until Sanjay and her mom came to see her.
"Sathya?" her mom's voice made her cry even more.
"What happened?" she asked so worriedly.
Sathya didn't tell anything and just cried and cried until she becomes tired. She sat in the silence hearing sound of vehicles that are passing in the road. Her soaked cheeks dried in the air and her eyes fixed on the sky.
"Sathya, whatever the matter is you have to be patient. Anger will never solve anything," her mom advised. Sathya nodded since she's regretting now for getting angry with him. He didn't come back and it's going to be more than an hour.
"Son in law didn't come back, go and call him," she told and Sathya hesitated.
"Sathya, forgiveness is what you should have and he's your husband after all,"
Sathya considered that and stood up to call Raghu. But when she went to get her phone in the room, she saw both his phone and bike keys on the bed. She knew where he went.
"Amma, look after Sanjay. I am going upstairs," she told and came out of the house.
She's so scared thinking about how to console him. She saw Raghu's sitting on the washing stone. Gathering all her courage she placed her hand on his shoulder. He turned to see her.
"Let's go home," she told.
"No, let me stay here for some time," he replied.
"I am sorry," she apologized.
"No, I did the mistake. I made you feel that way," he nodded not looking at her face.
"I will never doubt your love for me. I am just..." "I don't know how to say my feelings..." he greatly lamented for his mistake and it's evident in the way he talks.
"I am always an idiot, I lost my mind so I just spoke without knowing," she cried.
"Sathya please... I am afraid," he said.
"Why?"
"I don't know," his eyes welled in tears too.
Sathya hugged him immediately, "Don't go away from me," he muttered embracing her back.
She didn't reply and a felt something weird. They have fought a lot of times but she never felt this way.
"Just forgot about what happened and let's pack for the travel," she said, caressing his cheeks and he nodded with a smile.
"I am always happy when you're happy," she smiled and pecked his lips.
That night Sathya slept hugging Raghu but so many weird thoughts made her sleepless. Like what happens when someday in the future she doesn't have the mindset to forgive him and he doesn't have the courage to accept his mistake?
YOU ARE READING
Bittersweet
General Fiction!!This story is now available on Inkitt. The link is given on my about page!! Sathya an honest, independent woman who believes that being kind and working hard are the main principles of her life. She is a cook in a famous Indian-Italian restaurant...
