All for Love?

Warning: 18+ (Adultery, explicit)

She stepped into his apartment, turning the lock as silently as she could. They share keys now, as it’s been a decade since that fateful day her life changed, and the talks of marriage have already started in the two families. She had heard from a common friend that he was back from his business trip yesterday and wondered why he hadn’t called her since. It was already afternoon. Maybe he wanted to surprise her again at her office desk with a gift from Singapore, the place of his official visit. So she decided to go to his house in the afternoon and surprise him instead. His parents are off on a vacation, and it’s the best plan to meet at his place after not seeing him for a month. She stealthily made her way towards the bedroom door.

It was half closed, and his giggle could be heard from the corridor. Who was he talking to in such a jolly mood? Maybe some client again. He’s been on the phone all the time ever since he got the promotion. His job had been hard, and they hadn’t met for days. The thoughts of marriage made her happy because that way, he would be with her at the end of each day… Coming back to reality from her lost trail of thoughts, she pushed the bedroom door with a smile… and her heart stopped….

He was in his richly furnished bedroom, inside the expensive linen they had brought together, but not alone. She met this girl at his promotion party. He is the one who introduced them and offered to bring them drinks. She gave an unconscious cry out of shock, and they stopped their cuddling to look at her, shocked. He sat up with wide eyes, and her vision blurred … she ran towards the main door and heard him call out her name. Never had his voice sounded so cheap to her ears before…

She got into the first cab she found on the streets and headed home, switching off her cell phone.

The next day, she switched it on in the office and it rang… it was her best friend. She picked it up, hoping she wouldn't cry…

"Hello?"

"He called me."

"So, you heard…"

"I told you this would happen. I told you ... and you are at fault over this..." She heard her snap.

"What? You are blaming me?? Being a girl, you are blaming me?" She sounded shocked.

"Look, Guys tend to stray... it is your duty to keep him interested." She couldn't believe her ears.
" Listen... I..." She tried hard not to choke on her tears.
" Now, forgive him... your wedding is fixed and your parents... think of them..." She sounded reasonable. "Otherwise, the families will face humiliation."

She felt disgusted at the words and disconnected the call abruptly. Her head started spinning like there was an unbearable load on her shoulders.

She ran to the ladies' room, hoping the tears won’t fall before she reached a cubicle away from public eyes… the voice was ringing in her ears “...forgive him... think of them”. She cried out loud. Was she a failure in keeping him interested? Is that why he cheated on her love? Did these years mean nothing to him?

Her phone rang again. Without looking at the name, she picked it up.

Huge mistake. It was him.

"Hello."

"….. Uh…. Its… it’s me… look I…"

"F**k off!!"

"You can’t blame me!! I am not alone at fault...You didn't want a physical relationship before marriage, so I... looked for it elsewhere."

She disconnected the call without hearing him out.

He called again, but she switched off the phone. When she switched it on again after reaching home, she got a message from him. It said, “Look, I'm really sorry for what I said in the heat of the moment. I'm sorry for what I did, and I want you back. I know, sorry is not enough, but I also see us together in a healthy marriage, and our families are involved. Come back”

She wondered with a sarcastic smile. Does he even know what a healthy marriage means? One who can’t maintain a healthy relationship…?

Somebody was knocking at the door. She wiped away her tears and sat up in her bed “Come in!”

It was her mother.

"Look, Dad went shopping for your fiancé and his family" " she sounded happy.

"But why, Mom?" She frowned.

"Silly girl, they are coming back tomorrow and we are going for dinner at their place" She shrugged "Hadn't he told you?" She shook her head silently. What could she say now? Was it too late?

"His mother called this afternoon. The final talks of your marriage will be done tomorrow…"

She looked at her mother’s eyes beaming with joy.

- "We are very happy. You chose the right boy. This is the moment we waited for all our lives, and it’s finally here." Her mother cupped her face and spoke.

She hugged her mother tight, controlling back her tears. The message repeated itself in her mind, “Healthy marriage… come back.”

She could not sleep all night. It seemed like the longest night of her life. She opened her laptop, hoping to get some work done. There they were. Two happy faces. A perfect couple in her wallpaper. She logged into a social networking site. Typed “Sandra D'Souza”. That’s the girl’s name as far as she remembered. There she was. With her husband. In the perfect family portrait. With their parents and siblings. She sighed. Only if he knew his perfect world had been crushed like hers.

It was 6 A.M. She took up the phone and dialled his number with a sad heart. “Don’t cry”, she murmured to herself. Thank god it's voicemail.

She left a message. “We are going to your home to talk about our so-called healthy marriage. Our families are not going to know”… she disconnected the phone as tears came back…

She has chosen her dream life with him over every odd. She loved him, and that’s all that mattered. She was ready to be his bride and face the odds. She stared at herself in the mirror. It looked like she was sick for days, with those bags under her sleep-deprived eyes, and her face looked dull. She sighed.
"Can I do this?" She asked herself, "Wake up every day knowing..." She stared at her own reflection.
"No! No! NO!" She shook her head. Going to the washroom, she splashed water on her face and took a deep breath.
Walking to the breakfast table, she sat down in front of her parents.
"We need to talk." Her voice made them frown.
"What's wrong?" Her dad asked worriedly.
"I can't do this. I can't marry him. He... I can't let go of my self-respect..."
"What happened?" Her mother rushed to hug her as she cried.
"I love him, I do. But I love myself a bit more. I love my respect a bit more." And that day, wiping away the tears, her parents smiled proudly, knowing they had raised their child right.

Purnota: Chapter Sixteen

It had been a month since Bondita had started working in the firm. With Somnath’s wedding date being set for winter, many things were keeping Trilochon and Kalindi busy as they took charge of the smooth running of things leading up to the wedding. They needed to shop for everyone, buy gifts and choose jewellery and sarees for the bride. Despite his attempts, Trilochon found Binoy reluctant to participate in his son’s wedding arrangements. Somnath took him and Kalindi to places they wanted to go, especially Kolkata for shopping, and Trilochon made arrangements to make sure that the first wedding of the generation was grand enough. Bondita tried to help as much as she could as she noticed Aniruddha being oddly aloof from the entire thing. She assumed it was due to Trilochon’s reactions to his lack of interest in marriage. Trilochon kept pestering her to enquire into his reasons while she kept stalling him with excuses. Bondita also failed to know more about Kalindi and Trilochon’s past, ...

My Everything

Kunwar Pratap stormed into the Mahal at Gogunda amidst uncertainty and chaos. Happy faces of the chieftains and soldiers welcomed him as Rawat Chundawat, and some other chieftains stopped the ongoing Raj Tilak. A visibly scared Kunwar Jagmal looked clueless at a visibly angry Kunwar Pratap. Rani Dheerbai Bhatiyani hadn't expected Kunwar Pratap to show up, that too, despite her conveying to him his father's last wish of crowning Kunwar Jagmal. Twenty-one days after Udai Singh's death, she was finally close to a dream she had dared to dream since Jagmal was born. He was not informed about the Raj Tilak as per Dheerbai's instructions. She eyed Rawat Ji. He must have assembled the chiefs to this revolt against her son, against the dead king. No one except them knew where Kunwar Pratap was staying. It was for the safety of his family. " What are you doing, Chotima?" A disappointed voice was directed at her. She could stoop down so low? For the first time, an anger...

Towards You

The Afghans, after Sher Shah Suri's untimely demise, were at loggerheads for power. Their troops near Mewar were now led by Mehmood Shah. They secretly captured territories in the forests and waited to attack Mewari camps when the time was right. Rawat Chundawat and his spies had confirmed the news, and Udai Singh sent a warning to Mehmood Shah to withdraw his troops from Mewar in vain. Now that it was out in the open, it was time they declared war. Mehmood Shah had limited resources in Mewar. His internal rebellion against his commander did not help his cause. His spies clearly suggested that in no way could he win, especially with Kunwar Pratap leading his troops. He was having second thoughts about the war. It was then that one of his aides suggested a perfect plan. Maharani Jaivanta Bai had decided to go to the Mahakaleshwar Temple near the outskirts of Chittorgarh, in the forestlands of Bhilwara. They had travelled a long way and across the Gambhiri river that meandered during...

Purnota: Chapter Seventeen

Bondita opened the curtains of her room at The Park to find the view of Stephen Court and the street below going towards the Maidan. She eyed the double bed and placed her things on one side while lying down on the empty side. The soft bed made her yawn as she sat up, staring at the clock. She needed to change for a quick dinner. They had an early matter at the High Court, and the client’s car was supposed to pick them up around 9 AM. As she changed into a full-sleeve black top and jeans, removed her earrings and adjusted her smudged Kajal, she heard a knock on her door. She opened it to find Aniruddha standing in a pair of jeans and a grey polo-necked T-shirt, his hair brushed back, as he cleaned his thin-rimmed glasses with the edge of his T-shirt. “Are you ready for dinner?” He asked, putting the glasses back on. As she nodded, she grabbed her handbag. They walked into The Bridge, and Bondita was a little conscious of her environment. Many foreign guests, businessmen and even s...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty One

The morning after the Chief Minister of the state attended the reception party, Binoy wrapped the newspaper that had just arrived at their threshold, eyeing the picture of him and Trilochon with the chief minister smiling proudly, made a mental note of framing it for his office in Siliguri and stepped out to see the car waiting for him in the entrance to take him to the station. He glanced over his shoulder at the house, still asleep and watched Bihari put his luggage in the back seat. Bihari had been with the Roy Chowdhury House since he was a teenager. He eyed Binoy as he lit his pipe and straightened his jacket when Bihari approached him. “Boro Saheb, should I inform Kotta Moshai once?” Binoy eyed Bihari with a disapproving glance. “If I wanted to tell him, I would have done so myself, Bihari. Where is the driver?” He checked his watch. Bihari sighed as he ran to check on the driver. Bondita stopped on the gravelled path leading from the entrance to the main gate as she watched...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Two

The winter morning was pleasant, especially when the sunshine hit the dewy grass on the lawn, and Bihari set down the porcelain cups for Trilochon and Kalindi to start their day. Kalindi had just taken up some orders to knit sweaters and mittens for some of the neighbourhood kids as she wrapped the thick brown shawl tightly around herself, on the chilly morning as she sat down on the lawn chair with her needles, pin and colourful balls of wool, as she knit a pair of mittens while waiting for Trilochon to join her. Bondita hurried out of their place and stopped at the sight of her sitting alone, unsurely. “Do you need something?” Kalindi raised her eyes briefly from the wool and asked as she shook her head. “I was hoping to talk to Jyatha Moshai…” She shivered a little as Kalindi scolded her to find a sweater first. She rushed indoors as Kalindi spotted Trilochon in a thermal t-shirt, a pair of pants and a shawl walking towards her with the cane in hand. He stopped as he watched her kni...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty

Trilochon’s only desire for Som’s wedding was for it to be so grand that the entire Chandannagar remembered it for the longest time. He had also invited the leaders of the opposition, ministers and even the CM, and if rumours were to be believed, he would accept the invitation. That meant trying to impress him for a ticket to the next Lok Sabha elections. He knew the only way to do so was also to showcase Som as a prodigy. Their family name was enough to earn votes for the party in the area. “Perhaps you could tell him about Somnath Babu’s involvement in some of the projects here. Like the slum area where water was flooding the pathways…” Poritosh had suggested. “But it was done by…” Bapi Da had stopped as Trilochon shook his head, “How does it matter who did it? What matters is that we say Som did it.” They agreed. “Jyatha Moshai.” Bondita walked into his room, not expecting the elderly men from the Party office to be there. “ Bolo, Maa. ” “The Gaye Holud is here.” She smiled. “How a...

Purnota: Chapter Fifteen

A week was all it took for Bondita to get used to work and the new routine. She would wake up early and hurry through her chores, helping Kalindi prepare a tiffin of either Chirer Polao or bread jam and then proceeding to the Roy Chowdhury house. She would arrange the day’s paperwork before Aniruddha arrived at the study room. Occasionally, she would hear him call out to Koeli for breakfast and pack her things, knowing he was almost ready to leave. He would walk into the chamber, check his list, and they would go to work. She would follow him from courtroom to courtroom. She would be sitting in the audience and learning. She would follow him to conferences and client meetings and take notes. They would discuss complicated cases. She would share the tiffin she brought from home. He would at first take a reluctant bite, then eat more than her. She often gave him her share of food discreetly. They usually stayed back after everyone was gone and ordered food for dinner. Some days, he woul...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Three

“So the question is, do the slum dwellers get their dues to relocate, or do they protest on the road, grabbing media attention? If one of them mentions the sewage project where all this started, we can’t guarantee not dragging certain names then. It will be beyond our control.” Bondita breathed in as she eyed everyone at the table. The conference hall of ARC & Associates had an oval table with a whiteboard, projector and podium and sitting around the table were a stenographer, Bondita’s secondary attorney, Debashish Ghosal, the contractor and his attorney Biswas, the representative of the NGO with the Union leader of the slum, Trilochon, Somnath and Aniruddha. The people of the NGO appreciated her strategy with a nod. Ghoshal looked perplexed as his lawyer whispered something in his ear. Somnath did not look up from the table as Aniruddha passed a note to Trilochon in writing. “Now the decision is yours.” Bondita continued. “We are keen on out-of-court settlement if our basic ...

Purnota: Chapter Nineteen

“Wake up, wake up!” Bondita smiled, amused at Aniruddha and Batuk sleeping on his bed, hugging each other like children. She removed the curtains, and the room was flooded in daylight. “Urgh.” Batuk stirred as Aniruddha sat up. “What is wrong with you?” Batuk threw the pillow Bondita caught before it hit the floor. Her wet hair shone in the sunlight, with droplets of water lingering on its tips as she adjusted her well-pleated orange saree with a blue border and opened the window. A gust of cold breeze blew in from the Ganges, prompting Batuk to pull his blanket over his face. “Let me sleep, Daini !” He murmured. “Is it not enough that you all gave away my room to guests?” Aniruddha was stretching and yawning as Bondita chuckled, amused, pulling her wet hair to the side of her shoulder. “Why are you dressed up?” Aniruddha asked, suppressing a yawn. “Oh, you should be, too. Jyatha Moshai said We are going to Kalighat.” She raised her brows, amused. “Oh shit,” Aniruddha murmured, hitting...

RAABTA

Search This Blog