A Suitable Husband

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Abhi paced restlessly back and forth across the balcony. Every moment of Pragya's absence felt like a thorn spiking into his skin. He wanted her to get home. They had so much they needed to talk about, and waiting for her was driving him crazy.

He had thought about going to whatever restaurant she was at with Angad. He could interrupt their "date." Stomp right up to their table and snatch away his wife. Curl his arm around her waist and tug her to his side, where she belonged.

Imagining that scene gave him a vicious thrill of satisfaction. If he wanted to, he could inspire a lot of chaos. He had always been careful to control his temper in public. If he chose to unleash it now, the consequences would rip through the tabloid headlines like a cyclone.

But that would be self-destructive more than anything. He had the most to lose if he ruined his public image by openly acting like a jealous, controlling hulk. He didn't much care about his career right at that moment, but Pragya did, and Daadi did, and that was why he couldn't storm across the city to end this stupid and pointless non-date between Pragya and Angad.

Instead, he was maturely and responsibly waiting for her at home. That was what Pragya always said she wanted - for him to be mature and take responsibility, to be considerate and think before acting. Reminding himself of that was the only way he could endure what felt like an endless wait.

When he caught himself checking the time every two minutes, he stripped off his watch and tossed it into the bedroom. For good measure, he jammed his phone under the cushions of the balcony couch so he couldn't look at the clock onscreen. That left him with no way to tell exactly how long Pragya had been out.

But he knew in his bones that it was too damn long.

He wasn't really worried about her spending time with Angad. It annoyed him that everyone was calling their dinner a "date," but he didn't think there was any serious risk of her falling in love with his tv star cousin in just a few hours. Abhi knew Pragya loved him, and that wouldn't change even if she did somehow end up saying yes to this disastrous marriage idea his daadis had cooked up.

Abhi knew Pragya loved him the way he now, finally, understood that he loved her too. Soul-deep, irrevocable, and as natural as breathing. No matter what happened in life, nothing could change that their hearts beat for each other.

But Tanu's lies could force them to live apart. This supposed pregnancy created an impossible situation. It had taken a few hours for him to work through the shock and guilt he felt at learning about how he had misbehaved with Pragya that night, but now he could think more clearly about everything. And he was more sure than ever that he had not touched Tanu that night, no matter what she said. So what if he couldn't remember what he had done? He wouldn't accept blame for something he knew instinctively he couldn't have done. That night, he had been enraged at the thought of Pragya choosing someone else over him. No amount of alcohol in the world could have made him then go and bed Tanu, or any other woman. He was sure of that.

But no one would believe him unless he had proof on his side. Tanu had somehow managed to manufacture pregnancy and DNA reports that he was sure were fake. He needed to disprove her claims, but he hadn't figured out how yet.

In the meantime, Pragya's overzealous sense of justice had her ready to walk straight out of his life. She had already told him over and over that the non-existent baby's needs were more important than what she might want. Abhi had made up his mind that he would never give up on Pragya, but there was an all-too-real chance that Pragya might give up on him if he couldn't make her understand what was really going on.

And for that he needed to talk to her - if only she would get home.

The pacing wasn't helping his agitation. He stopped and leaned against the balcony railing, tipping his head to the night sky. A cool breeze caressed his brow, and he shut his eyes to better enjoy the tiny moment of peace. His mind conjured up the image of the lakeside he had stood at only a few weeks ago. The memory of Pragya's softly-spoken love confession played in his mind for the hundredth time.