Armed Forces in Love ✔

✩✩15✩✩

The semi-wet mehandi paste on her hand went crushing into crumbles. Balling her hands into a fist, Yashodha tried not to scream at him and get attention from the guests nearby. There was a raging fire within her.

"How are you, Yashodha?" Arun asked in attempt to start a smooth conversation. Omitting the fact that she isn't happy to see him there. 

"What are you doing here?" She hissed.

"How have you been coping up with life, Yashodha?" He ignored her question.

"Why the hell do you even care about how I have coped myself? Listen, I'm not interested to meet you nor talk to you! I'm surprised who even invited you here" she fumed.

"Why? am I not worth it enough to be in the same place as you are?" 

Yashodha took a few breaths to calm herself down. She couldn't digest that he had the audacity to come to her family function and ask her questions. This unexpected meet up and him attempting to present himself as the good guy was infuriating her more.

"You know what, I don't want to talk to you so, stay away from me" she turned to walk out of the poolside but she was grabbed by a hand. Yashodha immediately yanked her hand out of his grip.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she roared. The young boy who still held Yashodha's other hand wince at her sudden change tone, Raul grabbed her hand tighter.

"Don't hurt my Yasho" the eight year old boy mumbled, trying to shield her. 

"But I need to talk to you, Yashodha" Arun insisted ignoring the little Raul.
Yashodha however, held a hand up as Arun took a step forward and stopped him from coming  towards them.

"Raul, I want you to run to your Amma. Don't go anywhere else, okay. You don't need to be here" she said softly, calming down the boy.

"But... Is he going to hurt you?" asked Raul.

She smiled at the care the little boy showed. Despite being the son of the only cousin she doesn't go along with, Yashodha was glad Swathy did not instigate him against her.

"I'll be fine, little guy. Go now"

She watched Raul run to a safe distance before turning back to Arun.

"What is that you want to talk to me after these many years?"

"I have been trying to reach you for a very long time. I heard about Kabilan's wedding and thought this could be the only place to meet you and I want to settle the issue"

"Settle the issue? Oh really? What issue, Arun?" Yashodha was trying hard to keep her anger at bay.

Arun, on the other hand seemed to act as if whatever happened was nothing sort of a big issue. He wasn't shame of himself even. She watched him carefully, "I want to fix things between us" he said.

"No way, Mr. Arun. We are done. There is nothing to fix over here–" she took a step back.

"No, there is. I'm really sorry for what I have done"

"Do I look like a joke to you?! You had an affair with another woman in my absence and shamelessly even when I was in that same bloody house! You humiliated me before her! Tortured me when I questioned you! Your actions and treatment made me hate myself! You literally made me a fool!

And now, you want to sort things out?! Your sorry doesn't carry any value in this context. So, please get out of my sight" she turned around ready to leave but again he was hell-bent to change her mind. 

He held her hand once again tighter this time, "Please. please, I'm really sorry. I know what I did can never be undone. I promise I'll—"

"Enough! That's enough. I don't want to hear anymore from you. There are more than enough promises you have given me. I don't need more" she said and stopped as if trying to gather past information.