𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄||

CHAPTER 20

Everyone at her house was already talking about her second marriage even before her divorce. Maya was sitting inside her room while doing some schoolwork. Her mind was somewhere else, lost in her thoughts.

"I want to see her... only this time... p-please"

Maya gets up as she hears a similar voice, she is sure it is Karthik's voice. She walks out of the room and looks downstairs, Ganesh and Vishwanath are yelling at him.

Karthik was looking mess, all he did was shave his beard. Maya noticed his eyes red and puff.

"Leave here... don't ever come to her life again!!" Vishwanath said as he slapped his cheeks harshly.

"Appa... stop!" Maya raised her voice as she ran downstairs. Karthik looks at her, he is drunk. He can't even get up from the floor. Karthik gets up and walks near Maya.

"M-Maya... they are saying that you are getting married to another person! I-I know I am the worst husband, but please forgive me! If you want I will file a divorce case, but please forgive me!" He kneels and touches her feet and cries hard.

Maya's heart dropped a second. She tries to hold back her tears and stand him up. "W-We will talk about it later, you are not in the right mood! Did anyone come with you?" She looked outside and saw his cousin Gourav standing near the car.

Maya walks outside the house with him, "Ah Gourav! Here, take him home! H-He is not in the right mood and please tell him not to drink like this! It is not good for his health" Gourav sighs and gets him inside the car.

She sighs and walks inside the house. She wipes her tears as soon as she gets inside the house.

"Appa... it's right we are not on good terms but you have no right to hurt him, Appa! He is still my husband and you have no right to hurt him! He or his family never hurt me physically! Except for him, no one hurt me emotionally too" She said.

"But Maya-"

"If you were that worried about me, why didn't you search more about him before the marriage you just married me off just because Nataraja's uncle is your friend," She said her voice cracking.

Vishwanath was speechless, he didn't say anything to her.

"And about second marriage! I am not getting married again! And I just want some time to heal" She said while walking to the room.

As soon as she walks into the room, she bursts into tears and sits on the floor leaning against the wall crying silently. Everything happening around her is overwhelming her.

~~~

Karthik wakes up from his bed with a bad headache and looks around. His mom comes to the room with his tea with an angry face. He looks at her and sighs.

"Sorry!" He said while taking the teacup.

"You are becoming an alcoholic, Karthik and I won't let that happen," Seetha said as he sighed.

"Sorry-"

"Go to the office today onwards! Get yourself clean, change yourself and your attitude then only she will at least look at you, Karthik! Be a gentleman first" She said.

"I will give her divorce if she wants,s," He said.

"Then give her that, at least she is happy instead of being sad here," She said. "And you ruined your life for some other girl, Karthik" she sounds rude.

"M-Mom,.I didn't mean to ruin my life and it's not some other girl but Sitara! I moved on but I respect her" he said.

"It's some other girl Karthik... it is!! Sitara is dead and she is the problem of your life!! Because of her... the other girl, you hurt Maya with or without your knowledge!! You hurt a poor soul for some other girl!! Sitara is gone!! She is your past and Maya is your present and you ruined her!!" Seetha finally said what filled her mind.

Karthik was speechless. He looks away, trying to hold back his tears. "A-Amma, Sitara died because of me! Because of me, she lost her life and I am regretting my life!! She was a poor soul too! I know  what I am doing is not but A-Amma because of me, she died!" His eyes get teary.

"She was a girl with big dreams!! I fell in love with her and my love ruined her life!! Because of my love, she lost her life!! And I am afraid to love again!! I am afraid!! It's not because I hate Maya!!" He wipes his tears.

"I know Maya is innocent, she doesn't deserve my rude attitude but I am scared!! I am fucking scared to love again! Let her live her life happily!!" Karthik sobs.

"Maya deserves a happy life... because of my past, I hated her and I am regretting it! I told you before don't get me married to someone!! I won't be able to love or treat her nicely but you didn't listen!!" He said while taking his towel and walking inside the bathroom.

Seetha stands there speechless, she is really worried about her youngest son. She misses Maya...
She wipes her tears and walks out of the room.

~~~
The lawyer was talking to Maya about separation. "There will be family counseling, dear, and just say negative about him... so the procedure will be easier and he has to give you money too! Just say that he physically hurts you or abuses you during your intimate time!" He said as Maya nodded no.

"No... he never laid his hand on me!" Maya said. "Appa... If you are that concerned about me now... You should search for the groom before the marriage!! You were just rushing to get me married and take off that burden on your head" She said as she threw the papers and walked to her bedroom.

~~~

Karthik and Maya sitting on their bed, looking out of the room and don't know what to do with their life!! The butterflies which Maya felt when she saw Karthik are now turning into the stinging bees. The love she had in him is now fading slowly...