The Wrong Woman

33. Dhruv

Shit, I thought, rubbing my forehead before wincing at the pain my bruised nose gave me. What an impression to make, forgetting my phone and looking like a little boy who had gotten into a tuff over the weekend. Not only did I get subjected to a lot of laughs from the staff about my purple and red nose but also because I stood outside, figuring out where my phone was. How was I supposed to scan the QR code and get inside otherwise? I didn't know if it was because of what I thought I saw last night or something else entirely. I mean it wasn't like it was unusual to see the two of them together.

I got out of the rickshaw and jogged inside the parted gates. I came to a stop when I saw Rani standing outside. And she wasn't alone.

A very familiar woman stood near the steps to our front door. Her shoulders stiffened and she glared at the ground. That stance alone was enough to bring my memories back.

"Oh, hey, you're the woman I saw at the bar with Veer," I said with a smile. "Mouna, right?"

Rani, who had been standing near the door, sported a slack jaw as she widened her eyes. I furrowed my eyebrows. Had I said something wrong?

Wait, why was this woman here? How did she know where we lived?

"Do you know Rani, by any chance?"

"Y-Yes." She forced a smile. "I know her through Veer. Bye."

"Wait, come inside and have a cup of coffee or tea before you go. You came all the way here, right?" I gestured between Rani and myself, the former being unusually quiet. "We've both cooked a few things so you can have your pick of what you want to eat as well."

"I didn't come here to be fed," came the cold reply. I stepped back, letting out a disbelieving laugh. That was...unexpected. Mouna then relaxed a little, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry. That was so rude of me. I've—I just had a fight with Veer."

Ah. That made sense. "And everyone else is getting on your nerves, I get it," I chortled. "But hey, look, you're welcome to come over anytime. You and Veer. The offer still stands."

"Great." She looked over her shoulder at Rani, nodded, and then breezed past me. I watched her go with knitted brows. There was something about her. I shrugged. My main priority was my phone.

Rani was still frozen near the steps, staring straight ahead. I peered at her. She startled and shot me a close-lipped smile. "How come you're back so early?"

"I forgot my phone, actually."

I could feel her gaze on my back as I opened the door. "How do you know Mouna?" squeaked Rani.

Where was that damn phone? I thought, opening the drawers and fishing around the place. "Remember I told you I was at the bar and saw Veer? She was the woman he was with."

"Veer...Arshan?"

"The one and only." I found my phone, nearby the cutting board with no recognition of how it got there. That was when I realised Rani hadn't responded. Her face was ashen. Like she had seen a ghost. My chest constricted seeing the expression on her face that resembled being physically hurt. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing. My stomach...it suddenly hurts."

"Go get some rest. Do you want me to heat you up some food before I go?"

"No, no. I can do that. You go." I hesitated in leaving her alone when she clearly didn't feel too well. Should I call and tell them I couldn't make it today? A feathery touch on my arm made me look up. Rani peered into my eyes. "I will be fine. Don't cut work for me, mister." A chuckle ripped through me. Well, she knew me better than I thought she did. I headed out but only made it through the front door when a 'wait!' made me stop and swivel. Rani held out the red lunchbox I had apparently forgotten to take with me again. "You will need all the energy you can get with the animals."

I took the box from her, surveying it and then her. There was something about this exchange that was so unlike her, so unlike our whole marriage that I didn't know what to make of it. At the same time, it made my body light. Like I was experiencing another side to her I hadn't known existed.

"You know, I can get used to this." I waved the lunch box in the air. "Don't spoil me too much."

"What can I say? I'm a good wife." We looked at each other and the haughty expression on her face slightly faded away. She cleared her throat. "You should go to work."

On the way back, all I could think about was how different our dynamic was. More than anything I had been fighting for a relationship that had died. The connection between us had been severed. Now things were reconnecting but in a way that we hadn't approached before.

In a way I hadn't thought possible since we were polar opposites.

Whether or not she had gotten her memories back, now she was trying. As I got out of the rickshaw, I made a decision.

I was going to keep trying as well.