The Rose & Her Thorn

Part 35

"Did she eat?" asked Vikram, pouring himself a generous amount of the rich gravy of Rajma over the white rice heaped up in the ceramic plate.

Bags hung from Sunaina's drooping eyes and her maroon kurta sported a diffuse spot beginning at the small of her back to her shoulders. Despite the fan running at the maximum speed, Sunaina fanned herself with the frantic flapping of her free hand.

"She hasn't. She said eating dinner worsens her morning sickness. I couldn't push further,' she said, wiping the beads of perspiration from her creased forehead.

Vikram did not take long to realize his sister-in-law, even if it were on mere papers, struggled to juggle between her agonized husband and her depressed sister. And to top it all, she refused to accept the help of the housekeeping staff or the cooks, which only added to boulders of responsibilities crushing her under their weight.

"I see! Doctor mentioned Shikha should not miss her meals. I'll feed her. Have your dinner!" said Vikram with a curt nod. The depraved world had left the sister and wife deprived of peace and the privilege of sitting back and relish the food filling her stomach.

Vikram's words filled her with gratitude, and a tiny smile danced on her visage. "Thank you," she said in a mere whisper before placing the lid back onto the wok with the gravy. "She's outside."

Vikram flashed a tiny smile at her and bobbed his head in acknowledgment. He took long and purposeful strides towards the backyard whilst mixing the gravy and rice with the intricately carved silver spoon.

The creaking sound of the swing hit him before the gusts of chilly air. The tantalizing fragrance of the jasmines and night queens mixed with the alluring aroma of the scrumptious food in his hands.

With her arms folded against her chest, Shikha appeared trans-fixated at the bewitching beauty of the bright moon. The stretch of her lips danced to the rustling of the leaves of the majestic Peepal and Neem trees around the mansion.

The awkward creaking of the teak door caused a groan to slip out of her thinned out lips. "I don't want to eat, Jiji."

Vikram cleared his throat, forcing her to turn to face him with surprise, contorting her features, which had escaped the veil of darkness. The soft light from inside danced over the slope of her rather short nose and her philtrum deepened. She lowered her folded legs from the swing and placed them on the ground.

"You should eat, even if it is a small portion, Shikha. It can prove detrimental to your health if you skip meals," he said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other to ward off the self-consciousness.

"Thanks, but it worsens my morning sickness," she said, averting her gaze from him and towards the ground.

He shook his head with a faraway expression marring his features. His chin tilted towards the ground as he wondered if his presence would intensify her aversion towards food. "Just a small portion, Shikha. For your baby."

Her eyes widened and rolled to focus on the nothingness above the ground. Her chest puffed as she took a deep inhale before giving an affirmative nod. The corners of his lips stretched into a straight line, and he made his way towards the swing.

Shikha scooted and stiffened as the distance decreased between their squeamish selves. The metal chain by which the swing hung turned taut with the increased weight on either sides of the swing.

Vikram filled the spoon with the gravy mixed rice, and he placed the morsel ahead of her. With her left hand forming a cup beneath her chin, Shikha's lips closed around the spoon. Her downcast eyes and lack of protests to eat the food she had surprised the man by feeding her.

She rested her back against the swing and chewed on the food. The burst of flavors, of spice and of varied textures, forced her eyes shut to relish the warding away of the hunger pangs with the delicacy.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked, pushing the bolus towards her cheek. Vikram stopped mixing the food and shot her a puzzled look before he nodded at her.

"Where's Nikita? I haven't seen her around."

She did not miss the sharp intake of air and the way his jaw clenched. His balled fists loosened after a few tense moments, and the forceful exhalation of the breath he had held followed.

"She stays in the US now. She left the same day as you did."

Shikha's eyes bulged out of their sockets and her lips parted. "Oh! I didn't know she had that on her mind!"

"Whether it was fury, disgust, or remorse, I have no way to know. Despite my best attempts to meet her and talk to her, she wouldn't let me. Maybe the reason is hatred, and I'm in denial," he said, shrugging his shoulders with a downward curve of his lips.

Shikha looked into her lap, fidgeting with her fingers, as the morose silence that followed had deafened her. "I'm sorry," she said, fixing her gaze back at the mesmerizing moon.

"Are you? Or do you think it's something I deserved?"

"What..."

"Because I do. I wouldn't blame you if you think it's a worthy punishment for my deeds."

Her eyebrows inched closer as she shot him an incredulous stare. "Who am I to decide what's a worthy punishment, and what isn't it, Vikram? It was never about punishing you. It wasn't even about you. It was about me - my freedom and my choice. And I am not vindictive enough to celebrate the cracks in a beautiful bond you had shared with her," she said, shaking her head at his assumption with her upper lip twisted.

Except for their staggered and huffed breaths, a silence befell the couple on the swing. Her fingers twitched and her narrowed eyes widened. She turned towards him with parted lips. "Remorse? Why would you think it is remorse?" she asked, her hesitant tone making his lips stretch towards his ears.

"I know, Shikha. I know she helped you skip the state. I knew before you had left. I heard your plan when you discussed it with Nikita."

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