Astha came out with her tear swollen eyes. Shlok was pacing the room with worry. His hair looked messed as if he had run his hand through it in frustration. Her footsteps were barely audible but her unique scent alerted him of her presence. He whirled around, worry etched in his face.
"Why did you run off Astha? What happened? Did I do something in my sleep? I am sorry if I offended you." His words were rushing one after the other.
Astha mutely looked at him in shock and anger. The nerve of this man. To ask if he had done something wrong. Shlok came up to her and reached out to touch her shoulders. Immediately Astha went back.
"Astha, what? Why are you behaving like this? Did I cross my limits with you unknowingly?" His eyes almost turned pleading.
Astha's fury hit the roof when she heard his last question. Her voice was full of anger and disgust. "I am your wife. Never forget that. You have all the rights to touch me. But not to call out another woman's name when you touch me. It is cheap and disgusting." Her eyes flared in anger and her face turned rigid.
Shlok roughly caught her. "What are you blabbering? Do you dare to accuse me of infidelity?"
"No. Never that. For that you must first accept me as your wife. Only then can you talk about infidelity. Before even attempting to talk to me first sort out your relationship with whoever is Swati. After that you can question me." Astha's stance was straight and she held her head high.
"Swati? Who told you about Swati? Tell me." Shlok's voice hit the panic mode. If Astha had any doubt about who Swati was, it became even more clear now. Obviously the woman named Swati meant a great deal to her husband. She felt her heart break into a thousand pieces within her.
"You told me Shlok. You were the one who uttered her name even when you were deeply asleep. You mistook me for her and..." Her voice broke and her eyes watered.
"Astha..." He came forward as if to console her.
"No. Don't touch me. I don't want your pity. I am sick of everything. You, your attitude, your bloody house, everything. If you can give me the right and respect as a wife, we will start afresh. Otherwise just get out. Get out of my life Shlok." She was almost getting hysterical.
Shlok was dumb founded. Hearing this from his wife's mouth left him astounded and deeply hurt. He knew he was the one who asked her to leave first. But when she herself wanted out, his heart turned painful. He knew he had some explanations to give. But he knew his wife was in no state to listen to him. Even he wanted to think whether he wanted this life. It was all so confusing. Shlok wanted to get away and think in peace.
"Astha, we will talk later. You're in no state to listen to me. I will come back." Shlok's voice was quiet. He went in to the washroom to freshen up and leave, while Astha did not even look at him. She had started distancing herself from him. If it meant only more pain, she decided it was not worth it.
Shlok left after the car was ready. Astha didn't even bother to say bye. She carried on with her work. Though Avdhoot and Kalindi thought it was strange, they did not question her.
It had been three days since Astha had come home. She was happy with her routine of helping her mom in the kitchen, having her meals, chatting with her mother on mundane things, reading some books, going on long walks. She was pushing away all thoughts of her husband away. Even if she thought about him, she immediately made herself busy to divert her thoughts. She kept a false smile and false chatter all day long.
But at nights the pretense fell away. Her tears would drench her pillow. She missed Shlok, his quiet presence, his vitality, his strong but kind face. She missed his deep thoughtful look when they had dinner together, his serious face when he had a book in his hand with the reading glasses perched on his nose. She missed his integrity when he stood up for her. She thought about his dark eyes and full lips, their almost kiss. Despite everything she wanted to be near him. This only confused Astha all the more and angered her. As if she would ever get back to that lying toad!
Shlok meanwhile was having a difficult time at his house. It had been three days since that morning. To his utter shock, he missed Astha's presence in the house. He missed her cooking, her tinkling bangles, her mutterings, her child like happiness in small things. He even missed the deliberate noise she made to disturb him. Sometimes she hid his books, and sometimes his glasses. That small package was quite something he thought with a smile.
She never let him go hungry. Always had his clothes ready for the day. For the last one month he never remembered eating a lone dinner. Even if he took the paper to sift through while having his dinner, she took it out of his hands with a "Never read and eat. Concentrate on your plate."
While she slept she clutched her teddy as if her life depended on it. She looked so young in her sleep with her pink lips slightly parted and her long lashes covering that beautiful doe eyes.
With a pang he realized he was also responsible. no mainly responsible, for killing her spirit. How could he take that bitch Swati's name with her? If there were two different people on this earth, it was Swati and Astha. Yet he had muttered that woman's name in his lips. Shit!
And then he remembered Astha's drenched sari image. Her curvaceous body in that sari was every man's dream. He went hard just remembering their almost kiss. What a fool he had been!! Hope there was salvation for him.
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