The Voice Or The Echo? (COMPLETE)

Chapter 25

Padmini froze in her seat, heart heavy with pain and suffering, mind reeling with the overload of information. Even though she had given up hope on winning Chandrakanth's heart long back nevertheless, as a wife she felt humiliated discreetly with news of his repeated lustful escapades.

He had abused her on all layers; having illicit affairs added another dimension to the torture and humiliation she was subjected to. The extramarital affair with Kayla crushed her dwindling hope even further, and now their new relationship status was the final nail on the coffin.

'Where does this end, Chandra? When will it end?'

Her heart ached! She knew their marriage was a sham and she never meant anything to him. A machine presumably to him; that can multitask as a cook, servant, prop wife, sex slave, punching bag and so many other things except a mutually respected and loved life partner.

'A child!'
A choked breath fought out of her heaving chest. Padmini's head spun, vision clouded she held onto the table nearby to steady herself from collapsing.

'No. I'm buckling again, breaking. That's what he expects and that's what I gave him all along. Not anymore. Begging, pleading, crying, reasoning nothing worked. He never understood and never will. No more of that.' Furiously wiping her eyes Padmini took a deep breath and summoned her bearings back. For the first time, Kayla witnessed a steely resolve in Padmini's eyes.

"Not once you felt guilty about what you were doing?" Her voice quivered with fury and muffled sobs.

"I... My marriage..." Kayla stuttered reminiscing about her past. "I was forced to marry someone for my father's political benefits. I was just another trophy for him, things were breaking apart between us and that's when I met Chandrakanth again. I couldn't afford to miss Chandru again, he was my first and only love. My husband divorced me when he knew I was pregnant with Chandrakanth's child."

"You knew that we all existed? His family?" Hostility filled her insides suffocating her lung, Padmini was trying to steady her breath. She had never felt so much hatred in her life towards anyone, the hate was burning her soul.

"Didn't it occur to you that you were ruining the life of another woman? Mine was a forced marriage too."
Traces of confusion were cast upon Kayla's face.
"Elders from his family decided our marriage and I was raised to abide by the words of the elders and never knew otherwise." Padmini paused realising she was deflecting from her original plan.

"No point in talking about the past. I have a proposal for you. I think it will benefit all of us."

"So, now you will decide about what's beneficial for me?" Kayla cocked her eyebrows haughtily.

Padmini let out an exasperated sigh squeezing her eyes shut, "Kayla, we both are adult women and I assume you are smarter too. So, let's stop being judgemental and sarcastic and hear each other out. I'm willing to divorce Chandrakanth. In fact, I was about to do that soon after Aparna's marriage but..."

Padmini continued after a beat,
"The divorce proceedings will happen quicker and I won't press any charges against both of you for your illegal affair and the illegitimate child" Kayla's face brightened "provided you agree to my terms."

The anticipation and eagerness in Kayla's body were telling.

"I want you to apologise to the spare parts factory staff and Mr Xavier will be given his job back. The strike has to end, tomorrow." Kayla was about to object, she can never imagine lowering her standards to apologise to the labourers. "Kayla, I'm assuming you are a smart businesswoman. If the strike prolongs any further the company will suffer unimaginable losses. We will lose deals with our clients, relations are already jeopardised. Paarth mentioned that the strike is about to begin in our other companies too. Are you willing to marry Chandrakanth when he will be financially and socially unstable?" Kayla began calculating.