Chapter 8 – PTP

At almost half past twelve, as Advay strode into the house, he was met with the prettiest sight ever. That of Chandini curled on top of the sofa. He wasn’t sure why she was lying there, but his heart leapt in his throat, and he wondered if she had been waiting for him.

Shaking his head at the impossibility of such a thought, he stepped closer, smiling at how pretty she was. Her hair was loose, and unbound, and it fluttered softly against her cheek. He had the sweetest memories of their childhood, of when she was a baby and slept in his mother’s arms, and in his too.

Leaning closer, he reached to tuck it fondly behind her ear, sighing at how growing up his feelings for her had always been pure, but never brotherly. Even the thought that she could be anything but his wife sent his hair rising in disgust. She was always his Chandini, the girl whom he’d pined for for almost all of his adult life. The girl destined to belong to him. In this life, and forever.

He almost bent down to kiss her, but stopped himself. He still hadn’t earned the right to, and he wasn’t sure if he would ever get kiss her. But he kissed her forehead instead, for that was a right that was always his.

Had she had her dinner? He wondered.

But seeing that the landline phone was still clutched in her hand, he assumed she’d probably been talking to her sisters and had fallen asleep on the sofa.

Work at been daunting, with back to back meetings. He hadn’t even had a moment to breathe all day, and the next day held no promise. He had a meeting first thing in the morning, which meant he’d have to leave quite early in the morning in order to avoid the early morning traffic. 

But he was a workaholic, and didn’t mind working all day, all night too, to the point he even had a couch in his office, and a set of spare clothes in the closet in his washroom. He ate at work, he even slept at work usually.

And had Chandini not been a part of his life, he would have probably slept over at work again. But his heart had lusted for him to come home and spend a few hours watching her. And now as he studied her pretty face, he was glad he had driven back him.

Carefully, he gathered Chandini into his arms, cradling her against his chest, and kissed her forehead again. She whimpered, but he smiled when she nuzzled her chest, and a smile touched her lips. It was like her soul had sensed his presence. And Advay shook his head again, not knowing what to make of this bond they shared, or why she had betrayed him when she was still pining for her Dev. 

Walking up the stairs and to his room, he kept his gaze on her, and a voice nudged him that he was missing something. Perhaps she hadn’t cheated on him. Perhaps there was more to this Vidhwan story. 

But that was impossible. He was Advay Singh Raizada. A man who was thorough in his assessment of any situation. He had raked through every possible option, and everything had indicated, Vidhwan was Chandini’s child. The records had Chandini’s name all over. Even his birth certificate had Chandini’s name on it as the mother. Although, what still remained a mystery was where had she birthed him, and how had she managed to hand him to the orphanage immediately after having lived through labour. 

Or perhaps the nurse from the orphanage had come to collect the baby from the hospital? Or perhaps Mamaji had handed him over? Or maybe Shikha had gone to the orphanage pretending to be Chandini?

There were so many questions, he didn’t know where to start. And laying her on his bed, he sat beside her and studied her again. The creases on her forehead had eased in his presence. Had she had a painful labour, his heart clenched at that thought? 

If only he had been there.

If only his parents too had survived. 

If only his brother was here beside him. 

If only…

__

Once Advay got changed, he slid upon his lounger and turned to gaze to his pretty girl. But like every night, he was yet again unable to sleep. He reached for his sleeping pills, so he could at least grab a few hours sleep. But as he kept his eyes on her, he wanted to lay there and gaze at her for as long as he could. His heart found its rhythm in her presence. And warm soothing peace had descended upon him ever since he’d brought her home.

But sleep was yet to claim him. The memories of his past had so deeply scarred him, he could never sleep through a night without the nightmares clutching him. 

“Dev!” 

He heard her whisper for him, and he stiffened, as his entire body sparked with delight. 

He was no longer Dev, with no one calling him that anymore. No even his grandmother, who preferred calling him Cheeku.

The Dev of Prayag had died with his parents. And the Advay of London no longer responded to that name. Yet, the sound of his name on her lips was the sweetest sound he’d come to learn recently. And he waited, with his heart stopping in his chest, to hear her call for him again. 

But she turned in her bed, tossing her arms against the pillow, kicking her feet like she was fighting, or perhaps running, or was she…he sat up and frowned. It seemed like she was swimming. In her bed.

Advay raised a brow, blinking at what kind of a mental she had turned into over the years.

“Deva!” she wailed for him this time, and Advay got up, worried she was awake. But when she whimpered, and turned, he realised she was lost to some nightmare. He wanted to know what it was. He also wanted to know why she was calling for him.

“Devvv!” she pleaded, and as Advay stepped closer, he frowned to find her tears escaping the corners of her eyes. With his heart catching in his throat, he slowly sat beside her. His hands reached for her hair of their own, and he began stroking her head, hoping she’d calm. And she whimpered to his touch. 

A smile touched Advay’s lips, and he gazed at her with all the love in his heart.

After ten minutes when Chandini had settled, he got up to sleep on his lounger, but stopped. Worried that she might call for him again in her sleep, he slowly slipped beside her. Chandini whimpered again, and despite being tempted to, Advay didn’t take her into his arms. He maintained a resonable distance between them, and slipped his hand into Chandini’s

As she automatically twined her fingers into his, and clutched tight to his hand, he smiled, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. 

Gazing at her for a long time, Advay’s eyes felt heavy of their own, and even before he realised, his eyes shut, and he drifted away. 

__

“Arrggghh!” A loud shrilling scream woke Advay up, and he jolted up straight in his bed. He didn’t know where he was. Or even who he was. But his eyes squinted at the bright light streaming through the sheer curtains.

Another bone chilling scream came from his side, and he shot his eyes to his side, to see what the hell was going on. He suddenly felt his hand being tugged at, and he blinked, wondering who it was who was shaking him. His mind was unable to fit the pieces of the images flashing in front of him. It was his room, and the woman beside him was….he squinted.

“Chandini!” he gasped, at the wide eyed girl beside him glaring at him in horror.

Suddenly, everything gushed back, including their wedding, her almost rape at the hands of PP. His blood chilled, and he reached to cup her cheek.

“Leaveee mee.” She fought to release her hand, but he tightened his grip, not willing let go of her. Her screams and struggles continued, and he failed to grasp what was wrong with her.

“You…how…when…” she gritted her teeth, tugging her hand out of his. “What are you doing my bed?”

“Its my bed!” he snapped, turning his head in every direction, wondering when he’d slept in his bed. In fact, how had even slept? His phone then began screaming, and he blinked. The alarm too went off somewhere, and Advay raked his fingers through his hair, pulling it away in despair.

But amidst the chaos, “How dare you?” Chandini cried. “You disgusting man!” 

“What did I do?” he snapped, wanting to shake her out of whatever mental condition that she was suffering with. But when her tears rolled, he mellowed.

“Leave me!|” she yelled, and this time he let go of her hand when she tugged. 

But Chandini pulled her hand with such force, she lost balance and fell backwards and onto the floor. 

“What the!” Advay hissed, leaning over the bed at the loud thud with which she landed on the floor. And despite not wanting to, he broke into a laugh as she remained slumped on the floor, and rubbed her hip.

He then smacked the damm alarm clock so it shut up. His phone kept screaming, but he couldn’t find it for the life of him.

“Why were you screaming?” He had to first find out what was wrong with his wife.

But with wide horror-filled eyes, she pointed to his groin. Advay shot his eyes down to his sweat pants. But seeing how the fabric around his groin had tented upwards, and bent out of shape, he smirked. 

“Chee…..you.” She covered her eyes and sobbed.

“Sorry!” he struggled to hold back a chuckle, although he wasn’t one bit sorry.

“Why is it like that?” she snapped, glaring at him, outraged to find him muffling a chuckle.

“Why is it…how else would it be…I mean….”

“When did you enter my bed?” She got up to her feet, and glowered. “And how dare you, when this is not a marriage?”

“It is a marriage.” Getting off the bed, he hissed back.

“No, its not. I don’t accept you as my husband, you blackmailer.”

“Shut up!” he hissed, searching for his phone. And when did he find it, he frowned at how many missed calls he’d had from Diane.

“Hi!” he answered at once.

“Where the hell are you?” Diane’s angry voice hissed through the phone.

“I’m not going to sleep in this bedroom another minute,” Chandini too yelled from the other side, and Advay forced a finger in his ear, unable to take two furious women yelling down at him at the same time.

“Don’t tell me you’re still at home?” Diane hissed.

“I…yes…” He glanced around, still struggling to make sense.

“I’ve been waiting for you for over half hour now,” Diane continued hissing. “And you are still at home? What’s the matter with you? Why are you not committed towards your business anymore? Is this why you had me moved here? I’m not here to keep covering for you….” Advay head began to reel as she went on and on and on and on.

“You’re a blackmailer. A criminal. And I won’t accept criminals in my life, let alone my bed,” tossing out the pillows and the sheets, Chandini kept screaming her head off. “And as though that wasn’t enough, now you try to rape me you….Chee…I’m disgusted.”

“Calm down!” he roared, at both the women. 

As Chandini stopped, and glared at him with murder, Diane went on, “The meeting’s at half eight. Its way past seven, and you are still at home.When are you going to leave? When are you going to get here? Why have you started slacking?”

But none of her words had registered with Advay, for his gaze was now locked upon his wife’s bare back, as she reached to get herself a saree. Her saree had slipped down her shoulder, exposing all the skin of her back, and her waist. And his blood thickened. He was already incredibly aroused, and this sensuous sight sent hot thick blood gushing down to his groin.

Without bothering with Diane, he ended the call. Tossing the phone on the bed, he strode up to Chandini in two long strides. 

And before she could turn to grasp what was happening, he turned her around, and buried his face in the curve of her neck. A growl escaped the back of his throat at how warm and soft she felt.

“Leave me!” Gasping in horror, Chandini pushed him with everything he had, but he tugged her till she crashed into his arms. 

It was then the black beaded chain around her caught in the button on his shirt, and she widened her eyes in horror.

“When did…” Grabbing the mangalsutra in her hand, she held it up for him to explain.

“I put it around you last night.” He chuckled, as though it was the most obvious thing to do.

“How dare you?” Chandini hissed, urgently tugging the necklace from over her head, welling with tears like something filthy had touched her.

“How dare you!” He caught her hand just as she removed the necklace and was about to hurl it at his face.

“This is not a marriage,” she hissed, choking on the tears pricking her.

“It is a fucking marriage.” Taking a step into her, he forced her backwards, till she was pushed up against the wardrobe.

“I don’t accept you as my husband.” Although she shivered, she glared at him, clenching her jaw as tightly as she could.

“No? Won’t accept me?” He caught her nape in his hand, tugging her closer. “Who do you rather accept as your husband? That bastard with whom you birthed a child?”

That was it, rage coursed through Chandini, and she’d had enough of his accusations. She didn’t want to correct his assumption, for there was no way she could explain herself without revealing the truth about Vidhwan. Instead, she used this opportunity to reinforce his belief, so he’d get rid of her as soon as he cold.

“Yes,” she hissed. “I crave for him. I crave for him every living moment of my life.”

She shivered when Advay froze. His hold around her neck tightened, and murder danced in his eyes, a voice warned her to shut up, but she continued. “I ache for him.” 

“Enough.” He pushed her back into the wardrobe. “Don’t you dare!” he warned.

“Or what?” She glared back, not one bit intimidated by him.

“Or I’ll fuck you, right here. Right now.” 

Chandini shuddered in fear, as Advay moved his hand down her neck. Turning her around, so her back was facing him, he pushed his fingers through her blouse, and pulled it down her shoulder.

She gasped at the way all of her shoulder was now exposed to him. But the moment, she felt his hot burning lips touch the curve of her neck, a moan escaped her lips.

Advay didn’t stop, instead he moved his hand down to the curve of her smooth waist, and his mouth moved down her back. She closed her eyes, wanting to feel disgust. But instead she felt tingles of current running through her. 

Moaning again, she leaned back into his, tilting her neck, so he’d kiss that sensitive spot under her ear again. Advay kissed the shell of her ear, moving down to that sweet spot in her neck, and bit hard into her soft. 

As she clutched tight to his trouser, and rubbed herself against him. 

“You crave for him, do you?” he whispered, biting softly into her ear-lobe. “Two more minutes with me, and you shall be begging me to fuck you.”

As she shot her eyes wide open, he chuckled like the devil. “Now you know why I keep reminding you, you are nothing more than a slut.” 

Tears scalded her eyes at that word again.

“You call for one man in your sleep, crave for another man all day, yet rub yourself against me like a cat in heat, whom you do not consider your husband. What the fuck would YOU call a woman like yourself, O daughter of a Mahant?”

He held the mangalsutra in front of her, dangling it like as though teasing her.

“You don’t accept me as your husband?” he hissed. “Tell you what, I don’t take you as my wife.”

As Chandini’s tears fell, he turned her so she faced him. “But so long you remain here in my bedroom, you’re my property. I can touch you, kiss you, fuck you. I can do as I please with me.”

She shot her angry eyes to him. “Touch me, and you’ll see how I burn you down.”

“Really? Well, lets see in that case.” He pushed her back into the wardrobe. Leaning into her, he pressed his lips to the delicate pulse fluttering in her throat. As she moaned in response. 

“Good. That’s exactly how you must react to my touch.” He chuckled, moving down her neck, to kiss the top of her breast. “And you’re right,” he breathed in her ear seductively. “Keep moaning like that sweetheart, and I will burn, in the fire of passion.”

Another shiver ran down through her.

“And you shall burn too.” He kissed her cheek. “In the fire of my passion.”

“Stop…please.”

“I’m busy this week.” Resting his forehead to hers, he held her eyes. “But we’ll get busy from next week onwards, my own little doll, whom I’ve trapped under the pretext of marriage.”

Chandini shivered, but as he whistled a melody, he reached for her hangers and pulled out a plain pink saree. “I’d say this one, but you won’t wear it. Why don’t you wear what your DEV would want you to wear? You’ve been crying for him all night anyways.”

As her tears rolled down, he gave her the dirtiest smirk, and strode away to the bathroom, leaving her shaking like a leaf. 

__

Later that evening, Chandini sat on the sofa, and flicked her eyes to the clock. It was almost eight, and Advay had still not returned. After their early morning fallout, as she’d remained hidden in the terrace, he’d left without even bothering to stay back for breakfast. But that was a norm, she’d come to learn from Nani, with whom she had spent all morning, under the pretext of helping her with her pooja. 

She had cleaned her shrine, washed all the silver oil lamps, make cotton wicks, strung jasmine and champ flowers in a garland. And had even sat down and recited the Bhagwata puran, explaining Nani some of the words whenever she got stuck. All her life she’d imagined she’d work as a professor in a university in Banaras, but here in Mumbai, she didn’t know how her masters in Sanskrit was ever going to be of any use to her. 

Thankfully her English was reasonably good. And thankfully she had learnt the basics of computers with Shikha. Yet, she didn’t know what kind of job she could apply for. 

After sorting lunch for herself and Pooja, she had sat down with all the newspapers going through their job board. Except a few reception based jobs, there hadn’t been anything else she could apply for.

But to take up any job, she had to first gather the courage to step out of the house. And the thought of being caught in the middle of a busy Mumbai street sent shivers down her spine.

“Aren’t you joining us for dinner?” Pooja called for her in her sweet chiming voice. Chandini sat up and smiled. She was yet to apologise to Pooja for what had happened the previous day at the breakfast table. She had waited all day, the previous day to have a word with Pooja. But Pooja had been out almost all day, and later in the evening she had busied herself with Adi. Perhaps she’d been avoiding her on purpose she’d thought. But now that she’s approached her on her own, Chandini bit into her lip, not knowing how to bring up the topic, not knowing if she should. She didn’t want to upset her again. 

“Had you been out shopping?” Chandini asked, given she had barely seen Pooja all day. 

“Yes. I went shopping. I also had a meeting with a charity with which I plan on collaborating.”

“Charity?”

“Yes. A charity that helps women suffering from abuse, or any other issues to find their feet again.”

“Oh!”

“Bhaiyya pays for it though,” she added with a chuckle. And Chandini shook her head. A blackmailer, who kept threatening to take her by force, ran a charity. Kalyug, she reminded herself— the end of days were sure near. Perhaps Advay too was like those sinners who believed that taking a dip in the ganges cleansed them of their evil deeds. Helping downtrodden women perhaps gave him an entitlement to hurt her.

“Di, may I send Shikha a text with your phone?” she asked, wanting a distraction. She usually sent her sister a text, asking her what was the best time for her to call. And once Shikha replied, she called her back from the landline. It was only so that she didn’t end up having to speak with Meghu, or her mother. The thought of holding a conversation with her mother sent a chill through her. Her mother had demanded she returned home that night when Advay had saved her from PP. But her husband had made it clear to her that she was moving to Mumbai with him. And trapped between him and her mother, she hadn’t known what to do. But when Nani had requested her, she hadn’t had the heart to disrespect her and stay back. Her Mamaji too had advised her that moving to Mumbai was probably the best solution. But after the way in which Advay had threatened her that morning, she wondered if she’d made a mistake. 

But the ruffling of plastic bags brought Chandini out of her thoughts.

“This is what I’d been shopping for this afternoon.” Smiling at her, Pooja handed her a box. 

As Chandini widened her eyes, she gasped to find the latest Samsung phone inside the box.

“Di, why did you..” Her eyes pricked, her heart thudded, and she turned the box to see how much it had cost.

“Bhaiyya asked me to collect it for you.”

Chandini froze. “Sorry?” she blinked. 

“Bhaiyya had ordered it. I collected it for you.”

“For me?” Her heart simply wouldn’t start. As more tears gathered in her eyes, she turned the box again and again. On one hand he called her all those terrible things. And on the other hand he went out and did all these heartfelt things for her. 

“Why?” she choked, as dread settled within her, and a voice told her this was perhaps some kind of a payment. Especially if he too didn’t consider her his wife, then what right did he have to buy her such expensive presents. 

“Why?” She laughed. “So that you can speak with your family whenever you wish.”

“He told you that?”

“Yes.” She laughed. “Even if he hadn’t, its easy to guess, isn’t it?”

Was it so easy to guess? As she turned the box, her tears fell, and Pooja moved closer to her. 

“He did what he had to, Chandini.” She rested her hand on hers. “I know he was wrong. But think what would have happened had you married that PP or Cheapy or creepy or whoever.”

Chandini abruptly burst into a laugh. All the names she’d used for PP had been so apt. He was cheap, and a creep too. He was worse. He was a bloody rapist, who had shamelessly touched her, a woman married to another man. 

And the rage that had burned in Advay’s eyes as he had smashed the door and pounced on PP that night flashed before her and she shivered. What would she have done had he not come rescued her? What would she have done had he murdered PP in his fit of rage? He cared for her, she knew it deep in her heart. But he also confused her…

“I don’t understand him,” she choked. “He says one thing, does something else….”

“That’s Bhaiyya for you.” Pooja laughed. “Its normal for us. If he says he doesn’t care, it means he’d lay his life for that person. And when he does shower his care, you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself…he’ll overwhelm you so much with his affection.”

“Don’t you think he’s wrong in the way he married me?” she choked.

“Of course he is.” She smiled. “But he had to. You had left him with no other choice.”

“How did he know PP was a criminal?” She pouted in anger. A very big part of her was grateful to Advay for having strong armed her into marrying him. He had saved her from PP, twice, once from the marriage, and again when he had forced himself on her. Yet, there was no excuse for blackmail. 

“Bhaiyya runs a multi-million pound company, Chandini. He surely couldn’t have managed that without something called gut instinct. He’s met more crooks in his life than we can imagine. And he has an uncanny ability to read people. He must have believed in his instincts to have forced you to marry him like that.”

“Why did he abandon me like that then?” She glared at Pooja, for siding with her brother, despite being a woman herself. 

“He was angry.”

“Advay is no noble man. He married me to ruin my reputation, to defame my family, mainly my mother. And what happened with PP later was unexpected. And he probably came to rescue me out of humanity, or because your family name was at stake.”

“Family name?” Pooja laughed. “Bhaiyya doesn’t care for all that, Chandini. But I won’t defend him. As you get to know him, you will yourself start to realise who he truly is under the mask he wears.”

“You know him, Chandini.” She gave her a knowing nod. “You’re both made for each other.”

Yeah! Whatever nonsense, Chandini thought. Marriages were made in heaven. But hers was crafted in hell, by the devil himself. 

“Anyways, you call your sister, and I’ll serve dinner to the others.”

“Di.” She panicked. “I don’t know how to use this.”

Chuckling, Pooja pulled the phone out, and within minutes, it flickered to life, and was ready for use. Although boxed, it seemed like Advay had already had it all set-up, with even the numbers saved in it. The screensaver, to Chandini shock, and surprise, was a close-up shot of Vidhwan. As her eyes welled with tears, she gazed at the picture. It was so beautiful. Her child. And he was smiling. It was Meghu’s hand around him, she realised. And it broke her heart all the more at what she had done. 

“You miss him don’t you?” Pooja smiled.

She nodded, wiping her tears. 

“He’s so precious.” Pooja smiled at the picture. “There are more,” she added. “Go through the gallery. Shikha has forwarded loads of pictures.”

“Has she?” She urgently searched the phone, still learning where to look for pictures.

“She has this number. I messaged her earlier. Talk to her.” Patting her hand, Pooja left her. 

But while Chandini flicked through the gallery, she broke into a sob at all the pictures there were, of the baby, and of her sisters too. They were all latest pictures, with Shikha having taken shots of the room Vidhwan had now been assigned. He really seemed happier, healthier too, and she kissed his photo several times. But it was her Meghu’s glistening eyes that shattered her heart. How she wanted to apologise to her sister. Although she was consumed with guilt, it had to be done.

As she continued flicking through the gallery, she stopped to find two pictures from their wedding. Gasping, she sat up and frowned. There was one where Advay was fastening her mangalsutra in place. And another when he’d filled her parting with Sindoor. Was this a conincendence, or was he trying to a make a point, she wondered. But tossing her phone beside her, she sat with a sulk. Gifting her a phone with pictures of her baby had been the sweetest gesture, but she wasn’t going to forgive him that easy. And she would never take him in her bed. Never. Ever.

Pouting, she clicked the phone again, and found his name saved on top of the list. But then his name did start with an A. She was tempted to change the name to Thathiya— wasp, but she kept that thought to herself.

__

Three hours later, as she dozed on the sofa, the clicking of his shoes on the polished marble floor jolted her out of her sleep. Sitting up, she waited for him to stop. But when he walked past her, she cleared her throat and got up to her feet. 

Advay spun around, raising a brow in surprise. He had strode into the house not expecting his wife to be waiting for him, especially not after what all he’d threatened her with that morning. But now that she was standing in front of him, he flickered his eyes all over her voluptuous body. 

Until meeting Chandini he hadn’t realised how sexy a simple cotton saree could be. But watching the way in which her curves were all on display for him, he gazed at her with lust. And as she stepped closer, the edge of her saree slipped from her shoulder. She pushed it back, but didn’t realise that most of her cleavage was now on display, sending his blood surging down to this groin.

“Dinner?” she asked, walking past him to the dining area. 

“I had…” But he followed her silently.

“Why two plates?” he asked, when she began plating the food.

“Because as far as I can count, we are two, and not three, or four, or five.”

A mischievous smirk touched his lip, and Chandini felt her belly twisting. “We will soon become three, or four or five, six even, or perhaps thirteen.” Stepping closer to her, he held her gaze in his dark passionate eyes. 

“This…this…this is a thank you, don’t get any ideas in that filthy brain of yours.”

“Huh! You do agree I have a filthy brain.”

“Yeah! Very filthy.” She glared.

“Any guesses, on what’s on my mind right now?” He lowered his eyes to her chest, and licked his lips. As she followed his gaze, she gasped to find her cleavage pushed out of her blouse. 

Covering herself with her saree, she scuttled around the table.

“Don’t you want to get changed?” she  asked, when he sat down.

“You want me to get changed?”

“Arey!” She frowned at him.

“Its late. And I’m starving.”

“Oh!” But she raised her brow. “Won’t you even wash your hands?”

Advay lifted his eyes to her. “My hands are clean. I just washed them in the toilet.”

Covering her mouth, she almost puked. “Toilet,” she scrunched her face, and he laughed. 

 “How can you wash your hands in a toilet and call it clean?”

Taking the edge of her saree, he wiped his hands to it. “Now its clean.”

“You’re a disgusting man,” she muttered under her breath. “Even pigs are better.”

Chuckling, he waited for her to plate the food. And raised his brow, when she plated for herself too. 

“You didn’t eat?” he asked.

“I thought….I wasn’t hungry.”

“You were waiting for me?” He flickered his eyes all over her.

“Like I said, this is thank you.”

“Thank you for?”

“For the new phone.” She smiled. “Even a simple one would have sufficed.”

“Hmm.” He nodded, but flicked his eyes to the phone. “Did you like it?”

“Its very good. I’m still learning…nothing like my old phone.”

“The one that died the morning you moved here.”

“I forgot the charger.” She bit into her lip, thinking of her phone that had died the night after she’d moved to Mumbai.  “You should have just got me a charger.”

“That model is obsolete.” He rolled his eyes. “It should be kept in a museum.”

Pouting, she filled his cup with some dal, and placed a few rotis.

“Pumpkin?” He raised a brow.

“Nani said its your favourite.” 

He smiled. “Hmm….my wife’s trying to impress me?”

The word wife sent a shiver through her. But she caught her heart before it took off. What he truly thought of her was obvious. And she wasn’t going to delude herself by hoping he felt anything other than pity for her. 

“Those pictures…thank you.”

Seeing how Advay tightened his jaw, she knew she had to shut up, but she flicked her eyes to him again. “Shikha told me what you did for Vidhwan. Thank you.”

“It was my duty.” He glared at her. “Just because you have heartlessly abandoned him doesn’t mean I can let him suffer too. That’s not the kind of upbringing my mother gave me…..as of you, don’t we all know what kind of a mother you’ve had.”

Tears pooled in Chandini’s eyes, punched right into her guts by the hate in his voice. “I don’t have a mother,” she whispered, but lowered her head and pushed her food around. Suddenly her appetite had left her. And she was lost to the warm loving memories of her Janaki Maa. She was the mother she’d never had. But with her gone too, she truly felt like an orphan.

“Yet, you abandoned your child.” He glared at her. 

Chandini lifted her eyes to him in shock.

“A motherless girl, who turned her own child into an orphan,” he hissed. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”

She didn’t want to indulge this conversation. Despite how thick the tension was, she managed to drink the dal in her cup, and nibbled on the rice. 

Advay however, was on his fifth roti she noted. 

“Shall I make some more?” she asked, seeing there weren’t any extras. 

He tightened his jaw. “Hmm.” He nodded, helping himself to some more of her pumpkin curry.

“Did you like it?” she asked with hopeful eyes.

“Its like how my mother used to make.” He gulped.

A smile touched her lips, and she slowly got up and stepped into the kitchen. Of all the things he’d said, this had to be the sweetest compliment ever. Rolling out the dough, she got to work. And to her surprise, Advay followed her into the kitchen with his plate, and the bowl of the pumpkin curry too. 

As she began flipping the rotis and plating for him, he sat on the bar stool in front of her and ate. She plated another even before he finished the one in his plate. And he continued eating, without asking her to stop. It warmed her to see him like this. And for once, she felt like they were a normal couple. Where the  husband came home after a long day’s work, and the wife fed him, like she should. 

Soon she had rolled more than ten rotis, and almost all the curry was finished. But as Advay began scraping the bottom of the bowl, she smiled. 

“Shall I make it again tomorrow?”

“For lunch?” He raised a brow.

“You’ll take lunch?”

He gave it a thought. “I’ll be leaving quite early. I have a meeting a half seven.”

“Oh!” Her heart fell at that, and she didn’t know why. Perhaps because she’d fallen in love with the breakfast time they’d been sharing together.

“Just a few more days.” He sighed, like as though reading her mind. “Things will get better.”

Nodding, she watched him lick his fingers, and then cover his mouth, muffling back his burp.

“Sorry!” He chuckled. And she chuckled too. 

“My Janaki Maa always said its a good sign when a man burps.” She laughed. “Its means he’s eaten to his heart’s content.”

But seeing how pained his eyes looked, she bit into her tongue at what she’d let out. “Janaki maa..” She began explaining, but watched Advay getting up to his feet, and putting away his plate.

“Please…she..”

“I have an early start tomorrow.” He cleared his throat. “If you’re done, can we hit the sack?”

“Sack?”

“Pillow.”

“Sorry?”

“Can we sleep please?”

“Oh!” She nodded. “You go. I’ve got to clean the counter.”

“Why? Its clean.” He ran a finger across the counter, showing her how spotless it was.

“Its dirty.” She scrunched her face, and began spraying it with disinfectant and scrubbing it furiously.

“Murli will do it tomorrow.”

“Chee….to leave it like this all night.” She almost puked. “I found two cockroaches roaming the kitchen earlier.” 

“Two?” He raised a brow. “You and me?”

“What?” She laughed. “Nahi, real ones.”

“So we have two lodgers who are living her for free?”

That made Chandini’s heart clench. She was a free lodger too. 

“Mamaji was telling me that P…P….that Prayag is safe now.”

Advay stopped in his tracks, and flicked his eyes to her.

“That…P….”

“PP?”

“Yes….he’s left Prayag.” Her eyes welled, the thought of leaving this house and moving back to Prayag weighing heavily upon her. It hadn’t even been a week with Advay, and she was already finding herself drawn towards him. 

“Lets talk later.” He pursed his lips. 

As she wrung the cloth, and turned off the light, she followed him out of the kitchen and up the stairs towards their room. 

___

But once inside, Chandini laid a few sheets outside on the terrace. As she fluffed a few pillows on the floor, and began settling on the floor, having changed into his sweat pants and tee shirt Advay stepped out of the bathroom, and strode out.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he asked in horror.

“I’ll be sleeping here henceforth.”

He raised a brow.

“You can sleep on the bed.”

“Shut you mouth, and get inside,” he hissed.

“No,” she snapped. “After what you did this morning…”

Advay rolled his eyes all over his head. “And how exactly will sleeping on the floor, out on the terrace, stop me from fucking you?”

“Don’t use that word.”

“Okay! From taking you.” As she turned every shade of red, he collapsed on the cane sofa in front of her and sighed. “Claiming you, marking you, making you mine,” he began giving her alternatives. “Fornicating with you, in short fucking you.”

“Chee….dirty man.” She scrunched her face, and slipped into the sheets.

“Chandini. Come on now. Don’t annoy me,” he warned.

“Sleep on the bed. Its all for you.”

But I need you in my arms, he wanted to tell her. And when she turned to her side, he leaned back into the sofa and watched her. The monsoons were around the corner, and the air was humid and hot. Sweat beaded on Advay’s forehead. This was also why he hated Mumbai. The heat was unbearable. And giving up on the air conditioning inside, his silly wife had to choose to sleep outside like this. But the sky looked beautiful, he had to admit. And he smiled thinking of all those lazy evenings when he and his bother had slept out on their terrace in Prayag. 

Sweat began glistening on Chandini’s forehead too, and he groaned. Strolling back into his room, he looked around to see what he could do. The best solution was to carry her back into her bed. But knowing how she’d scream her head off in the morning, he sprinted out of the room, and down the stairs to the store room. They were yet to unpack. But after shuffling through a few boxes, he managed to find a table fan.

Running upstairs, he arranged it beside Chandini. Once he fitted it on the extension chord he’d pulled out of his study, he sighed, to find her smiling in her sleep. 

As exhaustion began seeping into him, he curled on the sofa. But sleep was lost to him like always. Sixteen years since he’d slept well. But he had managed to catch a few extra hours of sleep the previous night. There was something about Chandini that put him at ease. 

She was the cure to his insomnia perhaps. 

Watching her, he smiled at how easily she fell asleep. That was till she slapped her arm in annoyance, and he sat up to realise she was getting bitten by mosquitoes. 

Hoping she’d move inside, he waited. But when she didn’t, and the mosquitoes began humming around him, he strode back into the house. 

He didn’t know if they had any repellent. But he began pounding on Murli’s door.

“Bhaiyya,” he grumbled.

“I need a spray for mosquitoes.”

“What?” Murli scratched his hair.

“Give me something.”

“Hmm.” Blinking, he strode out. Opening one of the cabinets in store, he found a goodknight mat.

But it wouldn’t work out in the open. And his silly girl was lying exposed under the sky. “What else can we use?”

“What has gotten into you?” Murli grumbled.

“Just answer.”

“We have this bat?” 

“A tennis racquet?”

“Its electric.” He turned it on. “You are meant to sway it in the air, and any mosquito that touches it dies instantly.”

“Cool!” Advay took it, and ran out of the corridor, without even bothering to thank Murli. 

Once he ran out on the terrace, he began whooshing the bat through the air. Instantly mosquitoes began plopping around him. 

“Yes! Yes!” Feeling like a samurai warrior, he began moving the bat all around Chandini, slaying every mosquito that dared get too close to her. And as the night progressed, he suddenly felt on top of the world, like he had found the  purpose of his life. And it was to ensure his darling Chandu wasn’t bitten by any mosquitoes.

But soon, the buzzing of the deadly insects died, and he slumped on his sofa and gazed at her pretty face. The sea whooshed at a distance, and he craved to hold her in his arms. He battled with himself on what to do. And finally when he couldn’t catch even a wink of sleep, he slid beside her. Slowly resting his hand out of her, he waited. And like a butterfly finding its perch on the tip of a finger, she turned. And before he knew it, she’d wrapped her arms around his waist, and moved into his arms. 

A smile touched Advay’s lips, and folded her into his arms. A sigh escaped his lips as she rested her head on his heart. And even before he knew it, he’d drifted off to that dreamless blissful void. 

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