365 DAYS 365 TALES

Living Life

"Are you going to give me a mutual divorce or not?" he asked, gritting his teeth aggressively, his small blood shot eyes wry with fury.

"Gaurav, please... Don't do this to us, to our son. Please," she wailed, pleading him as a final attempt to resolve the conflict between the once lovely couple.

He didn't want to listen to her, neither did he want to choke on her plea. The baby started to cry at the very moment, he was about to answer her, fueling his burning irritation.

"I have had enough of you and the little brat. Now just sign this up and get the hell out of this house and my fucking life," he yelled, throwing the papers on her face.

She was down on her knees, tears flowing lavishly down her cheeks while her body shook violently with grief. Closing her eyes, she whimpered. She couldn't tolerate the pain that was lashing through her, cutting her into pieces, slow and deep.

"Now, cut the crap and sign it, will you?" his voice was so harsh that she flinched at the intensity of it, drilling it's way into her heart. She looked up, but he was no longer facing her, her broken self. His heart had turned into a hot iron; at least was made with constant pressure from his family.

If he was not in the hands of his family members, he might have been different; might have lived happily with his wife and son, but no one could have been sure of what could have happened.

Unknowingly, he darted his bitter words straight in to her heart, that got stuck inside the flesh and blood, left there to rust. She was quick in her decision which was rooted on his words; that she wouldn't let him have control over her, not anymore. His reign over her heart had ended, leaving debrises on the way out that had to be collected and rearranged. It was not something to hold onto; but in time.

Brushing off the last drop that spilled from her puffy eyes with the back of her hand, she managed to poise up. Racking her hand through her hair once, she adjusted the escaped fibrils while a smirk coated her facial features. Her fake mask that she'd never used before Gaurav, was up and in display, playing a cool, strong and a badass girl.

She heaved out a heavy sigh, grabbing Gaurav's attention. He turned towards her, taken aback by the sudden change in her demeanour, strong and confident.

What had happened all of a sudden? his heart raced. Without knowing what to expect, he watched her face more closely for a sign of broken heart and completely disappointed, as an emotion opposite of what he wanted, was in display.

"Okay," she started, her voice raspy from all the crying, yet stronger, like a rock, "if that's what you wish for..." she trailed off, as if she was taking her time to think over.

In reality, she had made her choice, planned out what had to be done. She was just coying around him, to give him the slightest of hope, as of to make him expect she would sign the paper.

"There is nothing for you to think about. Just sign it and get it over with. I have got lot of other things to take care of," he bawled, his confidence dangling on the wall.

He thought he could hurt her at the place where she would feel more painful; that had been his plan all along from the day he had set for the divorce.

"I'm sorry Mister but I do have a lot to think over in this matter," she retorted - taking a few threatening steps towards him and he flinched back - "and I'm exhausted to be honest. I need rest and I have other things to attend to. I really don't have time for your shit. Maybe, I'll let you know once I have decided."

She suppressed the urge to run and attend to the needs of her crying baby, leaving Gaurav for his own demonic mind. But she couldn't do that. She'd never scooted away from her problems and she was not going to break that. She need this to be done, cleared once and for all.

"What the fuck?!" Gaurav yelled, his voice trembling a little, "Are you kidding me? I want you to sign this and get the hell out of my house this instant." He pointed his index finger towards the main door.

She snorted, shaking her head, obviously amused, as she understood she had the upper hand. "Did you forgot? Or is it the fact that you are plainly stupid?" she mocked, winking.

"Aarathi..." he bellowed - his fingers balled into fists at his sides - "Remember whom you are talking to." He took a step menacingly towards her.

"I very well know to whom I'm talking to, Mr. Shankar," Aarathi smirked, "By the way, who do you think you are? At least to me?"

"I'm s-still your husband," he hesitated for a moment.

"That relationship between us ended precisely about ten minutes ago. And I'm Aarathi Prabagar, now, Mr. Shankar," she announced, before turning on her heels to get back to the room.

"You will leave now. I'd called your parents. They are on their way," he said, more calmer than before, yet disgusted in a way.

"You are not so cool as you think, honey," she smiled nonchalantly, "besides you can't make me move an inch from here. I have equal rights in this house. You sold my jewels to pay the first payment for this house, remember? Like thirty lakhs, isn't it? Get my jewels back and I'm off."

He didn't expect this to become a problem in the divorce. All he had in mind was to get the sign and threw her out of the house. That might be because he didn't expect her to be aggressive, to fish into the matter much, as she would be devastated and broken. He thought he could send her away in a snap when her parents reach.

Clearly, he didn't expect her to steady herself so soon. He realised that he could not be able to send her away, like he had thought, not after she had gained confidence all of a sudden, from the verge of breaking down.

He pursued his lips for a moment, his brain swivelled around the choices he'd had but he couldn't come up with a proper plan.

As he was dumbfounded by her insight, she yawned, having him look up from his trance, "Now, as you have got my answer, I'm going to have some sleep. And... if you want to leave I'll be more than glad," she said and injected a seed of confusion in his mind.

She knew he couldn't leave the house like that, as he took the loan in his name. Evenif he want to get away, he should be paying back the money and she believed he was not that stupid.

"Aarathi!" he shouted - hearing her words following a teasing grin - that echoed through the house.

Placing her index finger above her lips, she shooshed him, her dark eyes blazed like a burning fire. 

"My name mean Divine fire, but I can also be the cause for destruction. You wouldn't want me as a rival."

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Akiprabagar