Posted:
part 4
The voice cut into her like a knife and before she could even think of looking up at him she took several steadying deep breaths. pia had hoped to be more prepared when she had to finally speak to him, with each day that passed, the stress at the thought had increased, she now wished she'd pinned him down four months ago and just told him.
As she slowly looked up, she gasped, he looked so perfect, his skin was tanned giving him a healthy complexion, his hair bleached by the sun into natural highlights, and even though a pair of aviator shades covered his eyes, she knew they'd be alert, bright, and all-seeing. He wore a pristine white t-shirt and canvas combat shorts, and suddenly she was self-conscious of the empire line summer dress she'd worn, it was comfortable, and hid her baby bump quite well, but it was nowhere near as glamorous as she suddenly wished she was.
"abhay." Her voice was hoarse and she was devastated that he still had this effect on her. She placed her hands on the counter to try and stop them shaking.
"That's me!" he grinned sarcastically. "Here for my son's birthday."
She wiped her hands on a cloth, building up to her announcement.
"Just wasn't expecting to see my ex-wife's boyfriend playing Daddy!"
She saw red, he had the ability to wind her up beyond belief, "abhay, will you just quit this? He is not my boyfriend, and he is definitely NOT playing Daddy. Can't you see that? There's no room in my life for anyone else." As she stepped towards him in anger, she noticed his eyes widen as he stepped away from her shaking his head.
"Oh...My...God!" his mouth was open as he stared at her. "You're having his baby! Already! You're still legally married to me, yet you're having his baby!" He broke into a snarl, "you wh**e!"
She couldn't believe it! No one had even guessed she was pregnant, she wasn't big and she dressed carefully. But here was abhay, one glance and he bloody knew! Suddenly she was both defensive and angry. "Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" She squared up to him, "I am not, nor have I ever been a wh**e. You take that back abhay raichand."
He laughed and it was a scary sound, filled with anger, animosity and hate.
She wanted to slap him, make him realize even a small part of her pain. But knew she wouldn't, that wasn't her as a person.
"abhay, it's not what you think."
He laughed, "So are you denying it? Because from where I look you are definitely pregnant."
She nodded, "I am. I wanted to tell you..."
"Whoa!" he held up a hand, "Don't even think about it!"
"What?" She asked barely able to concentrate over her fraught nerves.
He laughed again, in his nasty manner, "Don't try to deny it's his! What's the plan? Palm it off on the husband and bleed him even more dry? Is that it? pia dobrial you are one conniving and I will NOT fall for it! Do you hear me?"
With that he stormed into the restaurant, the shrieks of excitement as armaan saw his father could be heard in the next county.
She finished the things she needed in the kitchen, then stepped outside, needing some fresh air. She had no idea what had happened there. When did he get such a low opinion of her?
She sat on a bench in the parking lot, pulling her large black shades over eyes that threatened to well with tears. She wanted to be anywhere but there, and was missing out on her child's birthday all because of that bas***d. Deep breathing seemed to calm her anger, and keep the tears at bay.
"Hey. What's up? Your Dad sent me to find you."
pia smiled at her mom, "I doubt armaan has noticed, not when abhay's around."
mom sat beside her and took her hand, "so?"
"I can't talk about it mom, I'm trying to hold on here."
She was relieved that the older woman didn't try to comfort her; an ounce of sympathy would probably be her undoing.
"You're better than he deserves pia, and I don't think hiding out here is what you or armaan deserve. Come with me?"
pia nodded and accepted her mom's hand, following her back into the party.
abhay was the life and soul, as she knew he would be. armaan was climbing all over him, as were the other children. The women other than mom were swooning, even Sarha and Marry, despite their apologetic glances at her were totally enthralled by him. She fussed around with the food, drinks, anything to avoid drawing attention to herself. All the time repeating some sort of internal mantra to be strong, to keep going.
Eventually after a round of 'Happy Birthday' the guests were dispatched with balloon animals, goodie bags and slabs of dinosaur birthday cake. armaan suddenly flagged; it had been a busy day for him. abhay was winding him up, chasing him, tickling him, but pia spotted him look shattered and when she opened her arms, he climbed into them in relief. He was asleep before she'd said goodbye to the two sets of grandparents.
Waving as they drove off, she turned to carry armaan up to bed, then realized that abhay was still there.
"Do you want a hand taking these gifts upstairs?"
She shrugged, "I don't want anything from you, not anymore."
Managing to open the front door one handed, armaan snoring softly over one shoulder, she started to climb the stairs to the flat, surprised at how out of breath she was at just three steps. Pausing, she readjusted her son trying to lighten the load.
"Here, let me. He's killing you." For a moment there was genuine concern in his eyes.
abhay scooped armaan out of her arms and marched up the stairs with ease. He was emerging from armaan's bedroom when she entered the flat, dumping the arms full of presents on to the dining table.
"Can I take him to mine tomorrow? I didn't bring all his gifts as I knew he'd have loads from you."
pia shrugged, "if you want. He's got school Monday so you'll have to bring him home to sleep."
With a nod he left...again...just like that.
She felt a little betrayed by her friends, and was reluctant to answer their calls later on, but then she realized that was childish, so she listening to them both 'sympathizing' with her day independently.
abhay's mother collected armaan the next morning, she was expecting abhay, and was hoping to finally challenge him, but no such luck.
So once she was alone, she headed down to the beach and strolled through the surf.
At five o'clock, his mother drove armaan home, pia asked where abhay was and she had the decency to look embarrassed. She noted the odd glance to her midriff and knew that her husband had spent all day telling everyone how she was intending to pin this baby on him.
Sighing, she sat down once armaan was asleep and decided to call abhay; this had gone on far enough.
"Hello?" It was a saccharin sweet voice that answered. alina khurana.
"Can I speak to abhay please?" pia ignored yet another burst of pain at the thought of another woman living in her home.
"What do you want?" a harsh voice dragged her from her reverie.
"abhay. Can we talk?"
He laughed, "I'm busy. We're on our way to London, if you didn't know we're starting a European tour next week. I'm spending some time before we hit the road."
"Please abhay. You know I wouldn't ask unless it was serious."
He sighed rather dramatically, "pia, I am not interested in anything you have to say."
"Why are you doing this? You refuse to talk to me, treat me like this. You were never a nasty person abhay." She desperately fought tears, not wanting to break into hysterics.
That same horrible laugh came down the phone line, "you started this pia, and you made this like it is."
"I did what I had to do. So what is this? Is this your revenge? You deliberately hurting me?"
There was no reply, so she hung up before he did and cried herself to sleep. The next morning she awoke and felt strangely settled. She'd suddenly realized that she was never going to be with him again. All this time she'd carried a secret hope that they would get back together, that her marriage could be saved, but now it was past that.
So she strode out into the sunshine that day, alone, other than her son.
The divorce papers had arrived in the post, and now as she sat looking down at them, she had to muster the effort to actually sign away the last six years.
She laid a hand over her active baby, the last few weeks she'd bloomed, and it seemed that now she'd accepted her fate, that abhay was gone, that she couldn't convince him that he was the father, and that nothing could save their marriage, the baby was happier, and was suddenly growing bigger than ever. armaan had a six week break from playgroup, abhay was if nothing else depositing a reasonable amount of money into her account regularly, so things were relaxed and comfortable.
She refused to think of anything other than that things would be more stable for armaan if only one woman was present in his life. Despite that, he was still touring in Europe, she'd not seen him in the six weeks since armaan's party, and now with very little time to go until the baby was due, she was running out of time to speak to him.
Picking up her pen, she signed the places identified by green stickers, crossed the t's and dotted the i's, then posted them back to her solicitor.
The tourist season meant the restaurant was busy, so she spent the afternoons whilst armaan napped organizing things, but she knew that when the baby came she'd have to take on a manager. There was no way she could keep doing all this herself.
Current Affairs
4