Chapter 9

Sonakshi looked down at the sonogram. "All you know how to do is lie," she whispered brokenly, letting the picture fall to the bed.

"Sonakshi - " he started, reaching for her.

She dodged his grasp with an agility borne of desperation rather than innate grace. "Don't." The word was surprisingly forceful considering how fragile she appeared.

They stared at each other for a long moment, his eyes wary, hers stricken. Deciding surprise was the best option, he reached for her again, his long legs eating the distance between them. She spun away from him, heading toward the doorway he'd just vacated. His fingers grasped her elbow and she shook him off with a violence that jarred her teeth.

She made it to the front door, slowing down long enough to grab a keychain from the counter. He was at her heels the entire time, but she slammed the door behind her. Yanking it back cost him precious time; when he reached the driveway he didn't see her.

He was patting his pockets for keys that weren't there when he saw his Porsche come out of the carpark. (Author's note : Yes, I changed Dev's car :p)

He swore loudly, cursing the day he decided to teach her driving. In the two months following the accident he had finally managed to teach her how to drive. She refused to learn on his expensive car and decided to buy herself a sensible hatchback. He had protested strongly, but to no avail.

Though she had trouble working around her car sometimes, Dev's automatic with its sleek stickshift and smooth third gear, was absolutely no problem.

Neither was remembering how to get to her house.

The problem, then, was mustering up the energy and will to climb up the steps. She hiccupped one last time, giving her damp cheeks two angry swipes.

Asha answered shortly after Sonakshi's first bell; she must've already been in the living room.

"I was pregnant" she said without preamble. Shouldering past her mother, she stood in the hallway without any clear picture of where to go next.

Asha closed the door behind them. Both of them stood without moving. "So Dev told you."

Sonakshi let out a hollow laugh, the sound harsh even to her own ears. "No. Actually, Dev didn't. Dev," she spat out the name, "it seems, isn't really into the truth. Lies are much more up his alley."

"Shona -" Asha began, but Sonakshi stopped her. "No, Maa. Don't even try to defend him."

"I can't believe he lied to me all this time. What did he think would happen?"

Asha shrugged. "Maybe he just wanted another chance to do it right?"

"Bullshit" She spat the word like a bullet.

"Shona," Asha tried again, "You don't know how broken you were during those few months. You don't remember, but we do. You retreated into a shell, beta. You and Dev had to go through probably the worst time of your life in those months. You started picking fights with him over every thing. You both were finally moving out of it when the accident happened. Can you really blame him for wanting a fresh start, with a clean slate?"

"But it was my baby, Maa" cried Sonakshi, her voice a broken whisper.

Asha took her into her arms as Sonakshi cried for the baby she'd lost. "I know, beta. I know. I'm sorry. I know you're hurting. It was your baby. But it was his as well, right?"

Sonakshi looked up with tear drenched eyes at her mother. She realized how difficult it must've been for Dev, he had to suffer alone, while she was granted the luxury of forgetting. But reproach quickly replacing sympathy, she said, "I still had a right to know"

Asha looked down and agreed, nodding her head.

"Does he know you're here?" Asha asked. "No," she replied, eyes moving towards the door as her father entered.

He was about to say something when she interrupted him, "No, Baba. You're not telling him I'm here."

"Shona beta, it won't take rocket science for him to figure out you're here," said Bijoy.

Sonakshi scoffed as she rolled her eyes, "I'm not going back there," she said. She was already in the hallway looking for her keys when Bijoy read a message on his phone. His expressions told her that Dev knew she was here and was coming to get her.

"Where are my keys?" she demanded, looking at Asha.

"Beta, please think about this with a calm mind," Bijoy said.

Ignoring him, she looked at her mother. "Give me the keys, Maa" she said, her palm out.

Asha divided a look between her daughter and her husband. "Shona - " she started, in a coaxing tone.

"Unbelievable," Sonakshi muttered, yanking open the front door, ignoring her parents voices calling out to her. She jogged down the steps, resisting the temptation to break one of the windows on Dev's beloved Porsche.

She'd walked two blocks in some random direction when she recognized her own car pulling up next to her.

"Go away," she said, not bothering to turn to look at the driver. Her arms were crossed over her chest in a gesture that was more for warmth than to convey any obstinacy. Two birds, she thought grimly.

"Get in, Sonakshi," he said, the window rolled down as he leaned over. One large hand controlled the steering wheel with ease.

"Just go to hell," she snapped, walking faster even though there was no chance of outpacing him. The adrenaline was fast fading and the cold Delhi air was seeping through her clothes. She turned a corner and her car hugged the curb as he followed.

"Get in the damn car before you freeze to death."

"I'd rather freeze than get anywhere near you." Setting her jaw against the cold, she kept walking. She could practically feel her cheeks and nose pinkening against the cold. Her breath came out in short, hurried white clouds.

His voice grew tighter. "I could just shove you in the car, you know."

"I'd scream for the cops."

"I'd be happy to tell them you'd escaped from the psychiatric ward of my hospital."

Damn him, he was mocking her. She stopped so suddenly, the car went ahead a few feet before reversing.

"This isn't funny," she told him once he'd stopped.

"I'm not laughing," he said, no trace of a smile on his sharp features. "Now come home"

The sky broke then, pouring rain with a ferocity that left her drenched in seconds. She could have laughed at the perfection of it all. Instead, she turned and began walking the same way she'd come. To his credit, he didn't give up, choosing to pull her car in reverse and become her shadow. Her tires crept parallel to the curb and he didn't even bother looking behind him. Negligence at it's worst, she thought snidely.

"Damn it, Sonakshi," he said. "You're going to get sick. Get in the car."

Rain collected on her scalp and streamed down her face. She sniffled, "I hate you," she said.

He sighed. "I know"

She stopped again, hugging herself tightly as if to keep her insides together. Teeth chattering, she finally looked at him. "How?" she asked, rain slithering across her lips. "How could you look at me everyday and lie to my face?"

"I didn't lie," he said.

She gave him a withering glare. "Omission. I wouldn't split hairs right now if I were you."

"Get in the car," he repeated. "We can talk about this at home."

"I don't want to go to your house."

"It's ours."

"Never felt like it," she muttered.

He stumped the steering wheel in obvious frustration. "So we'll move. Just get in."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" She stood still, squinting her eyes against the weather. Rain drenched her lashes and she blinked rapidly.

The time for lies had passed. So he looked her dead in the eye and answered, "No."

Emitting a low sound of disgust, she resumed walking. Behind her, Dev slammed out of the car and jogged the distance between them. He lunged her elbow and spun her around, water flinging from the wet pelt of her hair in a clean arc.

"You can't park there," she said hotly, looking at her still car.

He glowered down at her, his hand a manacle around her arm. "Do you honestly think I care about the car right now?"

"Why would you?" she burst out, yelling over the drumming rain. "If it was your precious Porsche, I'd never hear the end of it, but my car can get towed, is that it?"

"What the hell do our cars have to do with anything?" he exploded.

"Nothing!" Trying to wrench her arm free, she continued her harangue. "You're just selfish. Selfish and cruel and- and..."

"And?" he coaxed, shouting now. "Don't stop there."

She yanked free of him to bring her hands up near her hand. Searching for words she clawed at the air around her hair. "And terrible!"

"Fine! I'm the bad guy." He pointed to himself with a vicious stab of his finger. "Whatever's easier for you, Sonakshi."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're always the victim, Sonakshi. And I'm always the jerk. It gets old."

"Are you seriously trying to turn tables here? You lied to me, you kept just about the biggest secret there is from me."

"Yes! I did!" He leaned forward and she could see rain clumping his lashes. "Aren't you even curious why?"

"I know why," she cried, wrapping her arms around her waist once more. "Because you were sick of living with a wife who cried over a dead baby all the time."

He shook his head at her, water flinging around them. "I don't even know what to say to that." Arms outstretched, he asked, "What do you want me to say?"

Cold, tired, and feeling alone as the day she found out her baby died, she began to cry. Her tears heated cheeks already damp from the rain. Saline and rainwater mingled together as she looked up at the night sky. The stars were hiding. "I want- " She hiccupped. "I want you to hurt like I hurt."

Which made her just as selfish as she'd accused him of being. Worse. Because even as she looked at him, loathing the betrayal the sight of him conjured, she ironically, sought comfort from the very person who'd caused her such pain.

The bleak thought was her undoing. Giving up, she crumpled into the sidewalk, her feet holding her weight as she pressed her forehead to her knees. When he reached for her with two strong hands, she didn't bother resisting. A moment later her soggy dress was ruining the upholstery of her car.

Exhausted but still unwilling to concede, she turned her head away from him as if to remind him he was far from forgiven. She stared out the rain-splattered window for the first few minutes of their journey. Somewhere between Connaught Place and his house, she fell asleep.

-

Author's Note : That's all for today. Hope you liked it :) We are nearing the end of the story now, only 1-2 chapters to go. Thanks for sticking around :)

Love,

Malvika