Treat You Better

Chapter 8

Radhika hesitantly stepped across the kitchen threshold to find Rekha banging pots and pans around the kitchen countertop in a frustrated manner.
'Do you need any help?', she asked gently to a very flustered Rekha.
'Oh no! Why are you awake now?You must be tired. You should be resting.', Rekha admonished her.
'I am very well rested but you don't seem like it.', Radhika said looking pointedly at the mess Rekha had created.

'The maid didn't show up today of all the days and now I have to clean up after our slovenly guests from yesterday', Rekha informed her clearly irritated.
'And therefore more reason for me to help you', Radhika said picking up a plate from the sink to wash.

'Isn't Raghu awake yet? 'Rekha asked. It wasn't like Raghu to sleep in. But again a lot of things had changed about him in the past few weeks.

After she had fixed the match between Raghu and Radhika, Raghu had stopped talking to her altogether. She knew he felt betrayed. After all she knew everything that had happened between him an Radhika's sister.

All Rekha wanted was him to stop moping around and be responsible. He lead an excellent professional life but the same couldn't be said about his personal life.
She was worried he was getting lonely and depressed and she thought she could change that by instigating his relationship with Radhika but she didn't think he would be this mad at her.

Radhika was better than Revathy in all aspects. She was soft spoken, kind, caring and even a bit ambitious and self sufficient unlike Revathy who was horrid and a goal digger who made her brother spend money on things a mere college student couldn't afford to buy.
'Radhika ,Why didn't I see your sister at the wedding? Did on one invite her?', Rekha asked curiously.
Radhika closed her eyes as if to suppress some bad memories.
'She eloped with her college boyfriend. She left a note and all. We haven't met her since the incident. No one knows about her whereabouts.', Radhika stated sadly.
'And have you met this boyfriend before they eloped',
Rekha asked trying to pay more information about her.
'No. Sadly she didn't trust me enough. But I do hope sincerely she is leading a good life.', Radhika said earnestly.
Rekha was relieved to know Radhika didn't know anything about Raghu's and Revathy's relationship but she was not slightly getting baffled by Revathy's mysterious disappearance. She certainly had not eloped with Raghu, then where did she vanish away.

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Radhika couldn't sleep the previous night. She had been introduced to a very warmly decorated room with flowers and other trinkets by Raghu's female cousins as her marital room. They mildly teased her before they left her alone to wait for her husband's arrival. She was nervous to be alone with him in a room even though earlier she had no qualms about it.

Raghu entered their room at about little past midnight hoping Radhika would have fallen asleep by then but his heart sank when he saw Radhika expectantly waiting for him.
'Why aren't you asleep yet?', Raghu asked harshly before he could stop himself.
Her smile fell  and she bowed down her head submissively.
Cursing himself for being so rude to her, he continued gently,'I didn't mean it like that. Aren't you tired? We both had a long day.'
Not bothering for a reply for her he moved on to removehis shoes and watch and plopped down on the bed while Radhika stood there not knowing what to do.
He turned his face towards her and said firmly, 'I am going to sleep and you should too.'
He turned off the ceiling lights and turned on the night lamp on his bedstand making the room glow in an eerie manner.
Radhika's eyes brimmed with tears. She couldn't believe his cold attitude. But then she knew she should have expected a more worse attitude from him. She was an unwanted burden her parents and his sister had forced upon him. She was glad he had turned off the lights. She didn't want him to see her  crying.
She went on to lie beside him not bothering to change out of her heavy bridal attire. They laid on the bed man and wife. Oak and Cypress. They were the opposite poles  forced to be together.