Chapter 82

Chapter #80

 

"Did she or did she not? It's a simple question Rachna, requiring a simple yes or no answer. Which is it, dammit?"

"Rajeev that's not fair; you can't possibly think to hold this against her. That's tantamount to accusing her of bringing what happened to her on herself..."

"So I assume that's a yes then. Even after finding out that she was pregnant she continued this dangerous game the two have been playing all this time." Rajeev groaned in frustration, as he ran his hands through his hair. If ever two women needed to be separated it would be the woman in front of him and his wife.  He turned his gaze back to Rachna. "She should have known better; she should have at least had some consideration for the child she was carrying, and the possible danger she could bring to it, not to mention herself!"

It was neither here nor there that Rachna had held that exact opinion at the time, but she would not tolerate her friend being berated in absentia, by the man who through his inaction was, in her opinion, putting her friend's pregnancy in just as much danger.

" Well, perhaps when you see fit to see yourself off that high horse you seem content to dictate from, I would suggest that you google stress and it's relation to first trimester miscarriages, Rajeev." She saw that she had shocked him, but had had absolutely enough.

"You want to talk about not considering her condition; well that is exactly what you are doing under the guise of protecting her. Why can't you understand that this unknown person does not pose the only danger to her, Rajeev? Because you are so rigid in thinking that you are doing what's best for her; that only you know what's good for her, you are not even factoring the toll all of this has to be taking on her. I know that you consider her your wife now and that's a source of comfort for you, but she doesn't even have that luxury. In her mind you have deserted her! She is alone and pregnant for God's sake, forsaken by the only man she's ever loved. Right now those babies are all she has to hold on to,...a-and if anything were to happen to them...do you think she will forgive you for that? Or herself...why can't you understand, we made a mistake by having her leave..."  If there was any more to her comment, it went unsaid when Rachna suddenly burst into tears. When she unconsciously placed one hand on the slight swell of her abdomen, both men instantly became alarmed.

Instinctively Kabir reached for his wife. "Rachna..."

She removed his hand and glared at both men. She addressed Rajeev first before turning to her husband, "Spare me your concern and save it for the woman you claim to love; she needs it more than I do. And as for you Kabir Tripathi, Don't dare to touch me after treating me as if I am your enemy in all of this. Now either call the driver for me or take me and the children home; I've had enough."

*******

She was losing everyone she cared about; one person at a time, Naomi thought as she left Heathrow after seeing   Daadi off this evening.  Daadi: her surrogate grandmother and by virtue her twins' as well, had joined the growing list of loved ones lost. She had no idea how she would move on without any of them. Although Daadi had remained optimistic to the very end, Naomi knew better and that she would was unlikely to see any of them again.

"So can I treat you ladies to dinner, since we're all together?"

"That would be great Vihaan; what do you think Naomi?"  Sareena cheerfully called out from the front passenger seat.

"I'm actually really tired; I think I'll just turn in for the evening."

"Bhab...Naomi," Vihaan corrected, "You have to eat...at least for the babies' sake."

"I will," she had replied. "I promise I'll get something; I'll eat something at home."

Sareena interjected, actually thankful that Naomi had declined, "In that case we may as well call for a rain check, Vihaan. It doesn't make sense for just the two of us..."

She blushed when the man in question glanced over, caught her eye and raised one eyebrow; seeing her excuse for what it precisely what it was - that she hadn't really wanted to dine with him at all and had only agreed for Naomi's sake.

"I can whip up some quick pasta if you want Naomi," Sareena had continued, and to cover herself, extended the invitation. "You're more than welcome to join us Vihaan."

He had no qualms in agreeing; he would see that his Bhabhi ate enough at least.

 

In the end he had ended up in the kitchen with Sareena after they had insisted that Naomi relax in the lounge with a tall glass of milk. Surprisingly between the two of them, they had worked quite proficiently in tandem to produce a tasty as well as nutritious meal.

 Sareena had laughed at the man sized portion Vihaan had placed in front of Naomi, and quickly switched out his plate for her houseguest's.

"Wait...what?"

"Really Vihaan, how do you expect her to eat so much," Sareena asked.

"But she is eating for two... well actually three. Surely: the more the better?"

Even Naomi cracked a smile at his theory. All men were idiots, she thought, but at least there was good intent behind Vihaan's actions. But even the normal sized portion proved too much as she hadn't much appetite to begin with. Sareena stopped her when Naomi went to remove her plate.

"Leave it Naomi, we're not finished. I'll get it after."

"Thanks, I'll think I just head to my room now," Naomi replied.

Vihaan sighed, as his Bhabhi left the room. "She barely ate; you can't tell me that's good for her either?"

"That's why I made the effort of insisting pulsing the extra vegetables into the sauce, Vihaan; extra nutritional value."

"Thank you."

"Well someone needs to take care of her," Sareena responded. "Especially with your brother shirking his responsibilities to his family."

Vihaan closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. He had somehow forgotten in the last hour or so, why he had issues with this woman.

*******

"Don't dare to touch me after treating me as if I am your enemy in all of this ..."

He could not shake them; Rachna's words had played over and over in his head for hours.

 

Kabir was convinced that the darkness he stared out at could not compare the black stain that blighted his honor after the abysmal manner he had treated his beloved wife. He had felt and remained completely and utterly ashamed from the moment the plaintive words escaped Rachna's lips this afternoon. What did it say of his character that he could so callously treat the woman who had always stood for him; who had loved him through thick and thin; the one who had made him whole; the mother of his children. He had been nothing before her; he fully understood this, and yet it had been so easy to mistreat her. Worse yet, he had felt justified in doing so.

 

Her  reaction would  forever astound him , when she had carried on as normal; fixing  the evening meal for their family before happily settling the two children for the night and then taking the extra step of  ensuring that he was settled, and not in need of anything else before at last finding her own bed. Without complaint; without reproach, his loving wife had seen to his needs, after being made to feel the villain for the past twenty-four hours. He closed his eyes. Truly there was no greater cad on the face on this earth. Amends of a colossal magnitude were necessary, and he would do so. His first step would be to stop being the irrational ass he had been for the past 24 hours and to do what he should have in the first place: to give his wife's discovery due consideration. And then to take a sensible approach to what it all meant. So he left their bedroom and headed down to his studio, where he would have the privacy and also not disturb Rachna rest.

 

The email to his lawyer to ask for the immediate cessation of the investigation was the easy part. Unashamedly it took him several false starts to actually dial the telephone number he had been provided. His heart was still broken over the entire situation so if his voice came across a little strained; there was nothing he could do about that either. The call, once placed, was picked up on the second ring.

" Hello this is Dr. Sareena Arora"

"Dr. Arora, this is Kabir Tripathi. I am calling from Banaras, India."

*********

 

She couldn't stop re-reading the email that had come from the local Registrar's office; the official cancellation notification of their legal marriage ceremony. She should have just deleted it, but could not bring herself to do so. Over and over she read the list of recipients and wondered why even this had not prompted a response from Rajeev. Their respective email addresses had been listed first and second, so he had to know the steps she had taken.  Had it meant nothing to him at all?  

 

Naomi gave into the self-pity that hit her like a ton of bricks and curled herself into a ball on the bed. She held her stomach; knowing fully well that only that their children growing inside her were her only grip on reality. If not for them she would give up completely. If nothing else, she had to remain strong for them and only them. But it never felt harder than it did tonight.  Oh God what was she going to do, she thought as her tears dampened the pillow beneath her head. She missed him so much, how could he not be missing her too?

 

Rajeev slammed the laptop closed and held his head in hands.  He should have never come back to the flat, he thought. He should have taken up his parents' offer to return home for a few days of recuperation.  Once again his mulishness had gotten the better of him, and the perdition he now found himself in was one of his own making; or if he was accurate was of her creation. Naomi presence was everywhere, almost as if his home had become a living entity given animation by her essence that   seemed present in every corner of his house. Now that she was gone from his life, he could not escape her. He was exhausted;  his eyes burning from his lack of sleep, but  he couldn't settle down in any room, and he had tried. But each contained reminders of her: every last one of them.  Yet none were as bad as his bedroom, where logically he should be resting right now. He had avoided his bedroom like the plague all day,  Aside from her photo on his night table; aside from the suitcases containing her belongings being stowed in there, it was the room itself; the place where they had consummated their love, that he avoided. He closed his eyes and swore he heard her voice, and the words they had spoken that day:

"I'm sorry everything was such a mess...So will it be lunch or conversation Rajeev?"

 "Neither,"

One word was all he had answered her with before unabashedly capturing her lips, crowding her with his presence and lifting her and carrying her to his bedroom...to his bed.  He knew that he had overwhelmed her that day, purposively coaxing her passion. For one who valued control, Rajeev realized that he had none around her; especially  on that day when Naomi had finally realized how he felt about her - that she was all to him.  He was blatant in his seduction and initially he had been unable to stop himself, but in the end he had offered her the choice instead of sweeping her along with him. He had seen the fear of the unknown in her eyes,  but couldn't contain his elation when she had had said no, when he had asked her if they should stop. Once assured that this was truly what she had wanted he had sought to make her first time all it should be. There was no clear seducer after that; her shy overtures endearing, yet more erotic to him than any experienced lover, had been a gift of pure love. In the end it became a first for both of them and the melding of two souls destined to be together.  That they had conceived the first time they had made love had only validated their bond in his eyes;  this was a  conclusion preordained by Heaven itself. They had been destined and now without her, or even the possibility of her sharing this revered space with him ever again, Rajeev was filled with dread. What had once been their haven was now his own personal hell... and he could not bear it.

 

He couldn't do this, if he stayed, he would surely go mad. Grabbing his keys he ran from home as if a demon was on his heels. But once seated behind the wheel of his car, he found he couldn't even leave. It would be akin to denying her, to leave the home he had asked her to create in anticipation of their future together. He was the one to insist on it, deferring to her preferences so that it she would be happy in what he had fully intended to be her marital home. He had already done a disservice to her, and as Rachna indicated was possibly setting her up for a tragic end if he didn't do something about it soon. He couldn't exasperate the situation by leaving home too.

*******

"Hi...it's me. I-I know it's late there; I guess you're asleep now, so I hope you're resting okay... And that you're okay...I don't know why I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong , I mean something more than everything ... Anyway I... well actually something made me think that you may not have contacted because you've been unwell ...at least that's what it feels like.  I hope I'm wrong though."

 

Naomi took a deep breath, which probably sounded overly loud on the other end. You can do this, she thought, as she urged herself to keep talking on the phone. She had realized as she lay in her bed, that she had to at least try to reach out to Rajeev, although it was probably cowardly to place the call now when in all likelihood he would be asleep. On the other hand  her message could just be the impetus to encourage him to call; and for her to hear his voice again. She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed before continuing.

 

" ...Anyway I'll be meeting up with my parents in the next day or so and... then I guess I'll be heading home a few days after that. Once- once I get there, I will most likely have to stay in place for a while for the sake of the...um I mean to sort out things and start over. I'll be on this number until then in case there is anything you needed to reach me for... After that I'll probably change my number...it will be for the best I think...Rajeev, I  still don't understand how any of this happened, all I wanted was us, you know...um so you can reach me here if you need or want to..."

 

 

Naomi had started to cry halfway through leaving the second part of the message for her fiance, and by then end had dissolved into uncontrolled sobs. From the doorway, Sareena peered into the dimly lit bedroom. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop; had in fact hoped to find her still up so that she could discuss the phone call she had just received. She didn't quite know what to make of Kabir Tripathi, and was hoping that Naomi could help her. All of that was pushed aside now and as she entered the guest room. She plucked a few tissues out of the box on the chest of drawers. She offered them to Naomi when she sat beside her on the bed.

"That was very brave of you, Naomi; I'm not sure under the circumstances I could have done the same."

"I miss him so much. I just don't understand what's going on. Everything feels so wrong. I thought that after a few days that things would be clearer, and that maybe he would realize that he was mistaken..."

Sareena reached to hold Naomi's hand and surreptitiously took her pulse when she did.  She frowned slightly. "Why don't you get some rest, Naomi? Maybe after a goodnight's sleep things will make more sense."

Naomi dabbed her eyes, suddenly exhausted. She looked up when Sareena unexpectedly took her mobile.

"But...suppose Rajeev calls..."

"Well it will be too bad, Naomi. I'm afraid I have to pull rank right now. You need to calm down for the sake of the babies. The last thing you need is to end back up in the hospital. Think of your children"

 

 Rjeev listened to the message, not understanding what the fates intended for him and Naomi. How could a window of a few minutes change everything?   On hearing her distress, everything Rachna had said rang in his head. Would she still be up he wondered? He would try, he had to. His landline rang first though.

*********

 

Rachna  was taking extra care with her makeup this morning, wanting to appear confident and capable instead of as demoralized as she actually felt. She had her first meeting with the executive from Patel Industries to review the distribution offers on the table for Banaras Beauty today. A touch more  blush and finally she was satisfied, At last looking up  from concentrating on her reflection , she perceived her husband behind her studying her in the glass.  Silently he approached her, and reached for her, adjusting her dupatta so that it lay perfectly on her shoulder.

"You look beautiful, Rachna; are you feeling well this morning, love?"

Rachna looked away, brushing off his compliment. "I am fine thank you, Kabir," she answered.  She brushed her hair to her satisfaction and then stood and began collecting her belongings. "I will just stop over to Mummy to check on Aryia, and then be on my way. Hopefully I will be back early this afternoon; I will call to let you know. If it looks as if I will be running any later I will get the driver to take me directly to the airport..."

"Airport, Rachna,"Kabir snapped.

"...to collect Daadi, when she arrives from the UK." She finished

Kabir looked confused. "I didn't know that she was flying back."

"Yes, well she called yesterday while you had gone to Mohit's.  Since I was in the position of defending both Naomi and my intentions most of the afternoon, it may have slipped my mind."

"She has left Naomi alone, Kabir asked uncomfortably.

"Don't be so foolish, KT; of course provisions have been made for her. However Daadi thought it best to get back to and support her family during such a trying time. In particular back to you, who obviously are most affected by this; after all that's what family is for isn't it... to support their loved ones in time of crisis. To do any and everything they must for them and for the greater good, which in this case is you over Naomi." She looked at her watch. "I have to go now Kabir. Have a good day."

 

Rachna left before he could say anything else, but she figured that he had enough to digest as he comprehended the not so hidden message in her words. And frankly she just did not wish to speak to her husband any longer.  As she walked briskly next door, she was kept busy with her own thoughts as she wondered what the day would bring for all of them. She prayed that it would only be good. After the past couple of days, she was more than ready for things to go their way.

[NOCOPY]

crtkelly2016-05-28 00:55:49