REPLACEMENT WIFE (Short Story) [THE MARTYR WIVES BOOK 1]

4. Baarish

VIDYUT

I entered my room, my eyes wandering everywhere to spot her figure but she wasn't in sight, her shadow and her presence nowhere. I walked up to the bathroom but the door was open ajar, with the possibility of her not inside, I stared at the balcony, not present, I stepped out of my room, Savitra standing with some water in her hand.

"Where is she?" I asked roughly, the question and the possibility of her running away from the Haveli caught on me. I wouldn't understand her if she chose to run away, maybe she was scared about the same room? Did she hide herself?

The loud water droplets started to rain outside, my eyes ran to the balcony once again, Savitra was scared, unsure of what to tell me.
Her surprise was visible on her face, her eyes wandered inside the room and back at me.

The rain grew louder, when one of the grihastha walked into the hallway, "Sir, Baisa," he said my eyes narrowed but I was already halfway in the hallway,  I strode down the stairs, and he was behind me, and more grahastyakar followed behind, and stepping down in the open hallway on the ground floor, the floors wet from the heavy rain,

In the middle of the back garden, stood Sarisha, looking up at the sky, all drenched in rain, soaking the water droplets on her face, her wedding ghaghra flared around the end but the rest of the clothing stocked to her body like her second skin.

I twisted my hand in the air, and all the people turned around, looking at the wall, forbidden from watching her.

Her skin was translucent, her complexion shone even under the night sky, where the grey clouds had raided the moon. Her brown hair strands stuck to her forehead, and the wet wave had gotten out of its pinning, hanging sideways of her face. Her rested on the darkness-filled infinity above us.

She might be young, too young, but the way my mind is evaluating every part of her body, it's uncanny. I shouldn't see her the way, but suddenly my gaze at her has changed. Making me wonder if a regard like that has ever occurred in my life, for anyone.

She was soaked in the heavy rain, the wind that came along with the heavy droplets of rain, would make anyone twitch, "Bring me a shawl!" I ordered Savitra to stand behind me facing the wall, feeling her presence instantly gone.

Sarisha sat down on her knees in the middle of the garden, like she was broken, wrecked her body shrunk like someone drained her blood out of her, and her face turned into a cry, and for the first time, I saw her bawling. She allowed herself to shatter under the rain, the place where finding her pieces will be most difficult but at the same time, it will be invisible.

My heart clenched in her state and something in my stomach twisted, I wanted to protect her from whatever was digging into her heart like this, something in me was telling me to snatch all her aches away from her.

Savitra showed up with the shawl next to me, I took it from her hand, and one of my guards opened an umbrella next to me, as I stepped out into the garden. But I stopped him from walking me, or shielding me when she was there crying in the middle of the rain.

He stepped back and walked in the rain, strolling towards her, the hawk itself soaking in the water, but its hard rugged material would spare her the cold she would feel, I walked from side way, her back in front of me, fallen on the green grass that died under my feet as I tore my path on them.

I reached her and falling to her level behind her, her head several inches downward than me, I reached for her shoulders putting the hard turquoise shawl over her shoulders to protect her from the cold, well aware that maybe I couldn't protect her from what is freezing her inside.

But as soon as my hand, rested on her shoulders wrapping her around in the shawl not conceding she fell on my chest, crying, weeping harshly, I couldn't see her face, but who can not see the shattered heart? That was right before my eyes.