The Marriage Contract

67 - Super Secret Spy

"What is it that you want to tell me?" Shreya asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"My married life —it's miserable. You may think I am happy but Akshara is so controlling. I can't even go to the bathroom without her permission. It feels like I'm in grade school all over again where I fuck up between 'Can I' and 'May I' and Akshara is the strict teacher who picks at my every word."

"Is that so?" Shreya asked Abhimanyu, trying not to look too excited at Abhimanyu's confession. Instead, she furrowed her brows in concern.

"Yes." Abhimanyu digressed as he nodded his head, trying to not gag at what he was about to say or do next.

"When you came over yesterday. It was the best thing that had happened to me in a while. She and I had another one of our fights and I was feeling so lonely...so very lonely..." Abhimanyu shook his head as sarcasm dripped like acid from his tongue. He felt like gagging, vomiting –but he also knew he had to push through this.

"Abhimanyu..."

"No hear me out. Thank you, thank you, Shreya. For coming to my aid. I may not remember what happened, but you came at the right time –like my..."  Breathe in, breathe out. It's going to be okay, Abhimanyu. They are just words. "...Like my guardian angel."

Abhimanyu could visibly see Shreya's chest expand in pride and satisfaction at his confession. "No, never. I will always be there for you, Abhimanyu. Always." Shreya moved forward and grabbed Abhimanyu's hands, gently caressing them with the pads of her thumb.

Abhimanyu felt dirty and used. He hated being touched by Shreya. Akshara's words about body being a temple ---he now felt exactly what she had meant. Shreya's touch felt disgusting on his hands.

"But what...what were you and Akshara fighting about? If you don't mind me asking?"

"No of course not. You are like a friend to me." Abhimanyu took a deep breath before weaving his fictional story. "Yesterday, a girl –she showed up at my doorstep, claiming she was pregnant with my child. She said I slept with her –back when I used to have casual sex and didn't use protection. I don't remember her but she said I was very drunk that day –perhaps I was. Akshara couldn't believe I got another girl pregnant and thought I cheated on her –and you know how dramatic she can be..."

"Yeah, I know." Shreya scrunched her nose up, recalling exactly how dramatic Akshara was a few minutes ago.

"Exactly. So she said a few choice words to me and left. A few hours later, you showed up."

"Pregnant? You got a girl pregnant?" Shreya asked innocently, pretending as if the conniving bitch wasn't the one who planned and plotted the entire thing.

"Yes." Abhimanyu replied through grit teeth.

"What are you planning on doing about it?"

Abhimanyu shrugged. "I don't know. What do you think I should do?"

"Me? You are asking me?" Shreya asked, unable to trust her ears. The great cardiac surgeon, Dr. Abhimanyu Birla was asking her for advice!

"There is no one else I can discuss this with. Akshara –she won't even talk to me –and I don't think she and I are going to make it too far. And I don't want this news getting out to anyone else. So my only option is you...and I just want to say –I trust you. Completely and explicitly."

"Look Abhimanyu...this is completely your decision. What does your heart say you should do?"

"I think she is planning on keeping the child. If she is, then I want to be a part of the child's life. I was thinking maybe I can have shared custody of the child. If it's my child as she claims it is –then I want to be an active part of the child's life. And if Akshara doesn't want to be a part of my child's life –then she can leave for all I care."