The Wrong Woman

40. Dhruv

Rani and strange were words that had been used the very first time I'd sensed a change of behaviour in her. It had been a while since I had even thought that.

Until today.

After work, I'd come home to see her sitting on the couch, watching TV. Or that's what I thought. Not hearing anything, I peered over to see that the TV was actually off and she was literally just daydreaming. I figured it was because Kippie had gone and she felt a void. Which was understandable. It happened and I wanted to help.

"How's the preparation for that meeting coming along?" I asked, later that evening as I headed into the kitchen. I'd taken over for a couple of nights so that she could get ready for the meeting. I knew she had a lot to do, if those notes were any indication. She didn't respond for a while, flipping through the index cards ferociously. "Rani?"

"Huh? Oh. It's...going well." The forced smile told me everything I needed to know. After I heated up some food, I brought it over to her and she shook her head. "I don't have time to eat, Dhruv. I need to work."

"Who said you had to stop working?"

"What?"

"I'll feed you. Just focus on going through your notes."

"Dhruv—"

"It isn't unusual. I can count on my fingers and toes the amount of times you've done this for me."

"But that's different." I plopped right next to her and placed my arm around her waist, bringing her closer toward me. She squeaked, stiffening.

"How is it different?" She didn't respond, face a little pink. She avoided my gaze as she absentmindedly flicked through her cards and I chuckled. I hadn't realised my touch still had an affect on her. I cleared my throat. "Look, less time to work means more stress which means less time to focus on what matters. Let me do this one thing for you."

"You say that a lot," she mumbled.

"I won't have to if you weren't so stubborn all the time."

She opened her mouth and I fed her, watching her lips wrap around my fingers. I stared at her a minute too long before she opened her mouth again. "Can you help me do a mock interview where you pretend to be Tara?"

"Easy," I said with a scoff.

"And can you make me my fav—I mean, pistachio ice cream?"

I furrowed my brows. Pistachio? I shrugged. "What are house husbands for if not to make unusual requests for ice cream?" I hoped that ice cream and even sitting down beside her, encouraging her was helping her take her mind off of Kippie and the meeting. Two big things happening at once...it wouldn't be easy on her. It hadn't even been a few minutes since she had finished. I'd gotten up to wash the plate and get her a glass of water when a tug on my sweats made me stop.

She was gazing up at me, a deep frown on her face. "I need to tell you something important," she said in a voice so soft I had to strain my ears. The gravity of the situation didn't dawn on me until her lips quivered.

"What is it?"

"I...When I was coming back, I saw Frankie..." I waited for her to finish, even though the middle of my chest squeezed. This isn't going to be good, something told me. "Frankie and Anish were kissing," she blurted.

My mind buzzed like the static on some TV channels. It didn't come off as a big surprise, though, now that I could fit the puzzle pieces together.

"I know," I confessed.

***

"You knew?" Rani repeated.

"I didn't know exactly. I meant, I had a feeling. It makes sense."

"What do you mean?"

I thought back to what I had seen and settled back down on the floor next to Rani. Her body was fully turned toward me, leaning in just a little. "When we went out to the bar, I saw Anish with Frankie. I didn't think it was such a weird thing to see then," I added, noting the way Rani's eyes had widened, "Sandra and Frankie are best friends. It's normal for him to be chatting with her. Kind of like how I would talk to Sandra if I ever saw her out somewhere." Rani nodded. "I figured that was the deal there. But the way they were standing and the way they were talking..." Their heads were bent low, as if they were whispering but I had shaken that thought away. "It didn't click until now."

"What are we going to do?" asked Rani.

"I'll talk to him. I don't want him to feel like we're attacking him or anything. He needs to know." I got up again, placed the plate in the sink and got out my phone.

Me: 'You want to hang out tomorrow night at haldi's eatery?'

"And don't worry," I said as an afterthought. "I won't mention you."

"If he asks, you must tell him the truth. I'm not worried about what he thinks about me as much as how Sandra's going to take it once she finds out."

I thought about this. "Is it our job to tell her?"

"She deserves to know what her husband is doing, Dhruv."

"I'd rather not hurt her."

"By not telling her, she would hurt even more. I would hate it if my hus—you were cheating on me and everyone else knew but decided to hide it from me. I would feel like a fool."

She had had a point.

Anish: 'You know im always up for some good shawarma.'

"Looks like I've got a date," I said. This was going to be difficult. Something warm laid over my thigh and snapping my head to her, I saw that she was watching the ground, mind possibly on what she had seen. I should be the one comforting her but here she was, comforting me.

Having Rani's warmth beside me, her hand on my knee created a lump the size of Kippie's tennis ball in my throat that I swallowed down. Even if things would turn to shit, I had her. I wasn't dealing with this alone.

And neither was she.