Chapter 13
Sugni was staring at him wide eyes, trying to process what he just said.
" I guess I better start at the beginning." He said. " Reva and our marriage..." he began
Reva... he remembered the first day he met her all those years ago, his mother had introduced them... she had been breathing down his neck about getting married and settling down. At 24 he was not inclined to give up his freedom as yet...but after meeting Reva at a family gathering he was mesmerized by her beauty. By the end of that evening he was under her spell alright. Pretty soon wedding bells were ringing.
It was not long before he realized that apart from her beauty, there was nothing at all nice about her... Reva's goal in life was to live the high life of a socialite, parties, year long trips abroad, the high life. Vickram was her ticket to that lifestyle, and if it was one thing she perfected at a young age was the art of charming people to perfection. If she put her mind to it Reva could charm water out of a rock, Vickram was child's play to her.
It came as a shock to her to find out that Vickram was not the dashing country hopping husband she was looking for, most of his time was either spent in his office or back in his old home town. Arguments broke out when they could not see eye to on her social aspirations him being the old fashioned type had a problem with his wife going out partying until the wee hours of the morning... or the fact that she could not seem to go a day with out consuming alcohol. He tried to make it work, he tried talking to her, counseling, nothing seemed to work...his mother told him when Reva had children she would calm down...so he even tried that...but nothing seemed to work...it was not until much later he found out she had two abortions behind his back, because to her children was nothing but a curse and chains to tie her down.
After that he could not do it any more and told her he wanted a divorce...that night she tried to kill herself, shocking his entire family, she pleaded and begged saying if he left her she would commit suicide. His mother again told him to make it work, taking that risk would only bring bad name to his family's reputation, something she would not allow..
He did have the pleasure of hearing rumors of his wife's partying ways, parties that had all human vices possible...for the sake of the families reputation he shifted to his home town permanently with her in tow..Foolishly thinking she could not possible get into trouble in a small town.
Five years after he moved back...they were joined by Adi...his late sister's son. She left him in Vickram's care after she died, he was just 7. Vickram did it all to make sure Adi wanted for nothing. Finally finishing his studies abroad and coming back to join Vickram's business.
Since he did not have kids, Adi filled the spot of his son. To him everything was fine. His wife seemed to calm down in the small village..living with her was at this point like living with a room mate, the tolerated each other but she had no interest in him as a husband and he made sure she as comfortable but there was no love lost between them.
His nephew was learning the ropes of his business..., his brother joined in ..and he concentrated on expanding and taking it to higher heights.
Then one year ago his life came crashing down...
He had returned home form a business trip two day ahead of schedule..he did not mind because Adi's birthday was coming up and he wanted to gift that shiny blue sports car he was talking about for the past few months...
Walking into his house he found the place quite. Just like he liked it. Overwhelmingly jet lagged he decided he was going to get some rest. The bottom fell out of his world when he walked into his bedroom only to find his wife in bed wrapped in his nephew's arms. An image that singed its self into his brain.
Vickram prided himself for his self control and calm nature. He had to be, to ignore all the rumors. Always telling himself, she maybe a little wild but she would never cross the sanctity of their marriage. That illusion he had shattered into a million pieces at that moment and he lost it., Moving over to the wardrobe where he had a magnum.32 hidden he reached for it, moving swiftly he delftly removed the blanket covering them with such force in the process pulling Adi off the bed.
Had his brother and mother not intervened he was sure to commit a double murder that day. His mother dragged a battered Adi away and his brother dragged him away. It took a while to calm down but he finally did. His first order of business was to make sure he cut all ties permanently with Reva and no one dared stop him now. He no longer cared about her suicide threats. She was smart enough to know she could not fight it now.
Finally he met his nephew, who was repentant and begging for his uncles forgiveness. Vickram was not inclined to. That image of them together kept repaeating itself in his head, the only reprieve seemed to come if he was in a drunk stupor. His mother and brother tried to convince him forgive Adi...
"Forgive him? Forgive him.. Why? " he asked
"Vickram he is young you know, and Reva just manipulated him."
"Oh so I should forgive him because he acted like some horny teenager who could find no one else but MY WIFE" the more he spoke the more angry he got.
"I am warning you all ...keep him away from me I will kill him!"
It was the day he usually waited for, his Adi's birthday, the dealer dropped the car off as arranged. Vickram came down again in a drunk rage and saw the car...a reminder of just what an ungrateful snake he brought up. Mocking him...all the love he ever showered on him.
He could swallow Reva being unfaithful to him...but Adi? He did not think he could ever forgive that.
Grabbing the keys, he jumped into the car with the intention of returning it , however at night fall he was still driving , trying to get away from the visions, the hurt and the pain. When the rain began falling he could not tell,but suddenly it was pouring...speeding down the wet road , had touble seeing two steps in front of him, all he herd was the horrible thud as he ran into something. Stopping abruptly he got out the car to see what he hit... Adi was lying unconscious on the road, his breathing shallow. ...
The police declared Adi's death an accident. But that did not absolve Vickram from his feelings of guilt. All the bitterness, hatred, anger he had towards Adi, was over taken by the feelings of intense Guilt for taking the life of the one he considered a son. All he could remember was his childhood, of being there for him. Adi's smile and his laughter. After the funeral was over, Vickram returned to his office hoping to drown himself in his work. Only when he got to his office he found a letter address to him . It was hand written by Adi:
" Mamaji,
I know that I have no right to face you right now after all that has happened. There is no excuse for what I did. How this whole mess got started I have no idea. All I knew was after I returned mami Ji was different. Having just broken up with Amrita, I was feeling horrible. She said understood how I felt, when we started spending all that time together I never realized. On the pretense of taking my mind of she would always find some parties and clubs to attend.
After a while I wanted to tell her no but she insisted saying her loneliness was killing her. I fell for it, by the time I realized what was happening it was to late. I swear to you I tried to break it off with her, but when I did she tried killing herself. She said if anything happened to her it would all be on my hands. I got scared. Finally I decided I was going to leave, forever. I was leaving before your return. She was not to pleased with that news and began acting out. When that did not work she begged me to have a drink for old time's sake. I did. The next thing I knew, you were standing there.
I am not telling you this to justify my actions, I was as much apart to blame for this mess. I can't look at myself in the mirror any more. I don't deserve your forgiveness.
Words can never express just how sorry I am. Or this guilt I will have to carry with me from now until I die. I wished you had killed me that day, at least I would not have to live with this feeling of constant shame.
As I leave, I promise you will never have to see me again. I pray that one day before I die that you don't hate me so much.
Adi...
Folding the letter that she just read, Sugni looked at him , wiping the tears from her eyes.
"So this is why you left it all." She said. He nodded.
"I couldn't take it any more. The guilt,the suffocation. It was too much."
"but it was an accident" She said
"Really? An accident? " He laughed bitterly " Sugni I spent days wishing they were dead, hell I was this close," He indicated with his thumb and index finger, " To shooting them. I don't think I hated any one like I hated those two. But looking at him lying there in that coffin..all I could hear was my sister's voice as she handed him over to me, to protect and love him as my own. All I could see was my mother's tears as she cried over her one and only grand son. What's worse, is I know Reva , once she sets her eyes on something she gets it. She was a master of manipulation. She would find a weakness and pounce on it, and no doubt that is what she did." Talking about Reva he could feel his blood starting to boil. He felt her hands rubbing his back in a calming manner, soothing him.
They both sat in silence, he dealing with all the contrasting emotions that was going through him at the moment. Relief that it was all out in the open. Apprehension about how she would react when she finally absorbed what he just said. This guilt and anger he had carrying around with him for the past year. It was a wonder he didn't explode. .Burying his face in his hands he sat there waiting to see what else fate had in store for him.
It felt like hours , but it was actually just minutes before he got his answer.
"Vickram?" Lifting his head he looked at her. Her eyes were watery with tears and she had a resolved look on her face.
"I love you." She said . Closing his eyes , he breath a sigh of relief, those three words breathing life back into his soul. Closing the distance between them she wrapped her arm around him hugging him, as he returned her embrace.
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