What's a soulmate? ~ MaNan

Chapter 13

If you're here, consider dropping in a comment or two to let me know. It's a special chapter. Enjoy.

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Manik

I sat on the small jhoola in the balcony of our room smoking a cigarette as the city drowned outside, while Nandini put Mia to sleep in the room. She'd slept late last night and woken up in the middle of her sleep when her paranoid mother decided to get her out of her sleepover simply because there was a brewing thunderstorm, and that had made her cranky.

When I heard the sliding doors behind me creakingly open, I reflexively threw the half burnt cigarette, crushing it beneath my shoes with an unnecessary annoyance.

"Mia's asleep," Nandini let me know, "Can I join?"

I didn't answer. I simply moved away from the centre, making space for her on the other side.

She silently slid beside me, our sides almost touching. "This place is getting a little suffocating."

I raised an eyebrow at her. Nandini grew up comfortable, but never rich. She was never one to complain about a small hotel room or having to adjust, that was always me.

It took me a second more to realise that the place wasn't getting suffocating because it was small, it was because I was there with her.

"Cabir will come pick us up when the rain slows and water on the road clears a little," I informed her, trying not to let the hurt seep into my tone. "You won't have to be here for much longer."

She didn't reply. She just stared ahead at the grey skies and rains falling onto the garden our balcony was overlooking, hugging the towel closer to her.

"Are you cold?"

"I was sitting in the heater inside for a long time while putting Mia to sleep. I'm okay," She replied, her voice toneless. "Are you?"

"I'm okay too."

Once again, silence prevailed.

This time, I wasn't going to be the one to break it. Silence didn't hurt as long as she was sitting in it with me. Some of the things she said, on the other hand, were loud and more hurtful than the Nandini I knew could ever be.

After a few minutes, she spoke up. "I didn't ask him to come because he's not Mia's father, Manik. You are."

I shut my eyes almost as soon as her words were out, my brain fogging. Him. Aryamman. The guy who's house I picked my estranged wife up at in the middle of the night and didn't even have time to hurt about it, because I was surrounded by her. Her scent. Her voice. Her presence. And when she was here, she was all I could think about.

I had let that tiny detail slip back into my head in the frustration of the road blockage and my car breaking down and then my daughter acting a little strange, but now it was here.

Out in the open.

We were talking about him.

"Is he a good guy?"

"What do I know?" She replied, "He seems decent. But I don't know too much."

"You knew him enough to be at his house last night." Even though I tried not to, my voice was accusatory. There was hurt, and a certain coldness and emotions that even scared me.

Her head snapped towards me. "You have no right."

I scoffed. "I am still your husband. By law."

"Not for long." She reminded me, and it hurt. Every word ached. Her pressing for a divorce ached. I lost Nandini a long time ago, then why did this feel like I was losing her all over again?