Wrecked - An After-Divorce Romance✨

X

A/N Added extra to this. So read until the end.

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When Khushi left the washroom, Dhruv realised that he had failed to make her laugh twice today. And then his thoughts took a dangerous turn as he tried to recall the last time his wife had laughed.

He washed his face and scrubbed his face with a towel. He couldn't recall when last she has laughed or even genuinely smiled at him. Maybe it was because they had rarely met the couple years due to her having her final year. They met for the occasional coffee or a meal. But it has been quick and sober, she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but with him. He chalked it to academic stress. But now, he realised that they had slowly drifted apart.

She had told him that she had cheated on him. It was such a normal day for him. He wanted to spend some quality time with her so he had invited her to dinner. She had been late but it didn't dampen his mood. They ate in silence. He had even made coffee and handed her the mug. She looked at the coffee and then out the window.

He knew something was wrong but he would've never guessed what she had said next. She told him that she had cheated on him with a blank look on her face.

He had laughed. He thought it was a joke. But her expression didn't change and he realised that she wasn't joking. He could feel the rage and confusion. He saw red. So he told her to get out. She didn't hesitate or apologize. She just did as he told

The next time they met, he tried to keep cool. He wanted to know more. And still, she had made him mad with her cavalier attitude. He placed his palms on the counter and looked at the mirror. Today, he promised, he won't lose his cool.

There was still a part of him that wanted it to be untrue. He wanted to know more. How many times it had happened and with whom. Keeping his cool was proving to be difficult. He could barely take the pitiful glances everyone had thrown him today.

She came back in with a bottle of micellar water and some cotton pads. He turned and she made a motion to hand it to him. He only grinned and clasped his hands behind his back leaning down to her eye level. He saw her roll her eye but she didn't back out. She tipped the bottle to a cotton pad and rubbed his face. He closed his eyes.

"God! Not even matte stuff is this stubborn. What did they even put on your face?"

He chuckled at that. "It was one of their pink make up kits. I think we might have a couple of beauty bloggers on our hands."

Still nothing. He opened his eyes and her face was passive. As ever. He wondered how and when he had lost ability to make her laugh. And most of all whether it was too late.

"It's done." She said moving away from him but he held her wrist.

"Come back home."

"No." She shrugged off his hold as if his touch had burned her. She could've pushed a dagger straight to his heart and it would've hurt less.

"We can talk. We should talk. Come back." He urged her.

"You told me to get out."

"I was angry."

"I'm not some robot, to follow your orders. To get out when you don't want me and to come back when you want me to." She snapped at him.

Even though his own anger was rushing, he kept his emotions and his voice under check. It would be futile to get angry and spook her.

"Tell me it's a lie. Tell me, You didn't cheat on me."

He should've knows that if he curbed his anger, the sadness would overflow. He thought he saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes too and then it was gone and replaced with a strong stare.

"I wish it wasn't. But it is." She said and to enunciate how serious she was, she didn't back out, infact she walked closer.

He digged his nails in his palms and tried to keep his rage at check. But his heart was beating so fast pumping hot blood and his breaths came out in pants.

"Why?" He could only mutter that in his red haze.

She only let out an exasperated sight waving her hands about, "Why does it matter?! It doesn't matter now."

"If it doesn't then tell me. Tell me who it was and why. I deserve to know that."

He looked at her and she slammed the makeup pouch in the counter and looked at it for a long time and then she started stiffened her shoulders as if gathering courage.

"Fine. You're right. You deserve to know that. It was -"

"No. I don't want to know." He shut his eyes and walked away from her. He couldn't hear that. That would make it real. And he couldn't swallow the bitter pill of reality.

"I forgive you. It doesn't matter. Just....just come back."

When she said nothing, he turned to look back at her and she started at him as if in disbelief.

"I didn't ask for forgiveness. I don't need it nor do I want it."

Anger washed over him and he walked closer to her until their noses touched. "You should! You should apologise!"

She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away.

"If an apology will give you peace of mind then I will but I am not sorry, Dhruv."

"How!" He realised that he had shouted that word but he swallowed the rest of the sentence and he held his head and took deep breaths to calm down. "How could you even say that?"

"It's the truth."

"It's cruel."

"Truth often is."

He laughed sarcastically. "No. It's not. It's a fallacy. People say I'm brutally honest and they're just brutal. The truth just needs to be true not brutal or cruel. But you - I don't understand...." he swiped his palms over his face.

"I don't understand why. I have never wronged you. All I did was love you. How could you do this to me?!"

"It wasn't romantic or easy. It was just something that happened."

"God! Was it worth ruining everything?"

"It wasn't. Dhruv, it happened. I don't want to justify it nor do I want to defend it but nor am I ashamed of it."

"You've ruined my life. This will stay with me forever."

"I'm sorry for this. Only this."

He didn't listen to her but he hid his face between his palms. He couldn't breathe. His chest hurt and he eyes burned.

"God! You've wrecked us. You've wrecked me. I'm wrecked."