The Rose & Her Thorn

Part 33

"How's Jijaji? Is he doing fine?" asked Shikha, chewing the vegetarian pulao mixed with the rich gravy of paneer butter masala fed by her elder sister. Vikram had insisted on the choicest of foods for the recuperating pregnant lady.

Sunaina's hands, mixing the rice with gravy, stopped for a moment before she let out an anxious sigh and continued with the task at hand. "Doctors say he's doing okay. The stitches seem to heal well. If it was not for the timely intervention of those men..."

Sunaina could not find her voice to complete the sentence. The menacing cackles of the hooligans sent to tackle them reverberated in her eyes, and she shut her eyes to erase the merciless glimmer in their bloodshot eyes.

"Jiji..."

Sunaina's eyes flung open, and she pushed the stray tendrils of her hair behind her ears with a sniffle. "Sorry. I don't think we should talk about whatever happened at the safe-house for a few days."

Shikha looked down into her lap and gave a slight nod. Her right hand, free from the blood pressure cuff, rested against her belly and her fingers ran across the curve, muttering an apology to herself for posing danger to her little one on that fateful day.

Sunaina filled another spoon and directed it towards Shikha's downward curved mouth. "I didn't expect Vikram to agree to marrying you. He appeared quite distressed and despaired to see you in an unconscious state. He's changed a lot," she said.

Shikha's pale and chapped lips set into a thin line in response to her sister's observations and deductions. She swallowed the morsel in her mouth without masticating it to a fine paste. "I'm not keen on showering praises on him, Jiji. My heart cannot accept he's doing it without an ulterior motive, and he has no one but his past self to blame for that."

Sunaina shook her head as she arched her eyebrows at the predictable reply from Shikha. "I agree. I know you spent every moment over the past five years under the terror of Vikram tearing your new life apart. I know that, Shikha! I know it snatched every remnant of peace from you. Which is why you have to let go of that fear and animosity towards him."

"You called those goons, didn't you?" demanded Shikha, panting and gasping for breath as she stared at the ground with her eyebrows knotted.

Confusion and annoyance replaced the concern swirling in Samar's eyes. His eyes narrowed, and he scoffed. "Called those goons? I saved you, madam. I was not expecting gratitude, but I never thought someone could think I called those eve-teasers. Why would someone even do that?"

Shikha scowled, huffing and stepping away from him. He was their neighbor. And if it was the same Shikha as she was months ago - untouched by paranoia - she would see him as a gentleman. But one man had erased her trust in humanity. One man had shattered the lens she used to see the world, and suddenly everything appeared crooked. Every one appeared crooked.

"To paint yourself as some saviour? To enamor me? I don't know!" she spat, shocking Samar further. He shook his head, letting out a vexed sigh. "You know what? My bad, Shikha. I thought it was the basic decency to help one's neighbor. I didn't know it was the code for conveying I want you. I am sorry."

It was Sunaina who had explained the reason behind Shikha's irrational behavior to Samar. It had taken her a year to trust the man was just kind and not on some twisted quest. It had taken her two years to allow an amour to blossom in her heart. And it had taken three years to take the plunge.

How could she let go of the terror that haunted her? Wrinkles marred the root of Shikha's nose and creased her forehead. Her eyes narrowed, and she cast a look of disbelief at her. "What do you mean, Jiji?"