Wilful Wife | ✓

Chapter 27 : Home

"People can be homes too. You are mine."

Avinash refused to meet her eyes. She held his hand not wanting to let it go. "Avi..." she called out to him softly.

"Jaanki, you're making a big deal out of nothing. The stupid bottle broke and when I was cleaning the mess when a piece hurt me."

"You did it on purpose." She stated simply noticing that his eyes didn't meet hers. He tried to pull his hand away but she held on. Yukta entered and looked at the two of them. Her expression growing serious. "Everything okay?"

Jaanki glanced at her with red-rimmed eyes. While Avinash sat as though nothing had happened. Jaanki raised his hand but he pulled it away with force. She reached and tried hard to get hold of his hand. A little struggle and she finally was able to reveal the scar. "He's..." she couldn't even complete it. Yukta looked on shocked and stared at Avinash.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not what the two of you are assuming." He spat angrily. Jaanki lowered her gaze refusing to believe his words. "Jaanki is simply making a big deal out of it." He added. 

Jaanki's restrain broke. "You are his therapist. What the hell are you doing? Do you even see what's happening right in front of your very eyes?" She snapped at the therapist angrily. 

Yukta was taken aback at Jaanki's angry outburst. "Jaanki, he was okay..I, I umm, didn't suspect anything like that. Maybe he's trying to tell the truth."

"Yeah. Right. He's telling the truth. It's freaking written on his face Miss Yukta." Jaanki scoffed getting on her feet. "I am his wife. I can bloody read his eyes. I can understand what he doesn't speak. He's lying. He's bloody lying." Tears tricked down her cheeks. She turned to her husband. Their eyes met swiftly. She walked out of the room. 

"Avinash, " Yukta whispered trying to sound calm. Avinahs who had been counting backward with a deep struggle all the while got to his feet.

"I need to be with her." Saying that he followed his wife's trail out.

Yukta sat on the chair covering her face. How could she be so careless in judging Avinash only on the basis of his behavior? She ought to have included physical examination as a part of therapy. But then he was so confident and composed. He gave no symptoms that pointed to self-harm.

When Avinash didn't find her outside the clinic he called her. She didn't pick the call. He looked hither thither. He asked the guard whether he saw a woman dressed in red walk out. The guard nodded telling that she took an auto down the road. He stared in the direction.  She was going home. He ran to his car and took a deep breath. He turned the key when his phone's ring blared. "Drive safe." It was all that was said and the call ended. He closed his eyes and threw his head back, hitting the steering wheel hard. 

Why did she have to be so ..so wifey! She wasn't the woman he fell in love with anymore. No way. She was never the wife material. She was the girlfriend who would drive him crazy with her demands, who would go mad at him and not talk until he made up with her. But, now,  she was nothing like that. She was over-understanding, over-forgiving, and totally the wife material every man would want. She made sure he fell for her hard, every freaking minute he thought of her. She made sure he needed her, just like he needed oxygen.  She shouldn't be so nice! It was hard to let her go like that.

After he felt relatively calm and composed he started the engine and pulled away from the clinic. His mind filled with nothing but her crying face. Maybe there was no way he could stop hurting her. 

* * *

He entered the house using his key. He looked around at the well-illuminated place. His home finally looked like one. He had purposefully driven slow so that he could sort out his mind. However that never happened. "Jaanki," He called entering the kitchen. She was chopping vegetables. She didn't care to look up. "Jaanki," he called out once again to get her attention. 

She stopped chopping however she didn't look up. "I am angry right now. I have the right to be angry. Please give me some space for some time." Saying that curtly,  she began chopping again. He let out a deep breath and walked out of the kitchen to his room. He lay on the bed. Closing his eyes to think about their best memories. It was ironic how memories could give pain while some could relieve you of pain.

He didn't know when he had drifted into a deep slumber. He was woken up by his wife. He held her hand as she tapped his arm. He pulled her closer, however, she provided resistance. "Dinner is ready. Come eat." She spoke pulling her hand out of his grip. 

"Jaanki, I want to t--"

"After dinner." Her words abolished further conversation. The dinner was a quiet affair. She didn't even bother to meet his eyes. While the entire time he kept staring at her. Towards the end of their dinner, he finally spoke, "Are you leaving?"

She looked up at him with a piercing gaze. Choosing to not reply, she got up and carried in the empty plates. He carried the other utensils following her inside. Her silence was beginning to irritate him. He blocked her way when she was trying to make her way out. She stayed in place raising her gaze to meet his. 

"Don't ignore me." 

"I can never." She spoke looking deeply into his eyes. Her eyes fell on his arm as he blocked her way. His sleeves were rolled up all the way to the elbow. She held his arm and gently caressed the scar. Bending forward, she kissed it. He simply stared at her.

"We need to talk." He sighed pulling his arm away from her. She glanced at him with eyes filled with sorrow. 

"I have nothing to say, but I am willing to hear." Her voice was soft and she almost sounded defeated. He was angry at himself. He stepped closer and kissed her forehead. She wanted to hold on to him and never walk away. However, she kept the distance between them intact. She still couldn't digest the facts. A man who loved himself so much, who had his self-pride inflated to ge point it was passed as ego, had hurt himself, intentionally. It wasn't the easiest thing to digest. She felt his hand hold hers, as he led her to their room. 

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Thank you for being with me on this journey. This was supposed to wrap up by February. However, this one has gone deeper and complicated than I expected. I just finished typing chapter 30 and God, I am emotionally drained. I will try my best to wrap this one up soon.(don't worry I wouldn't compromise on the content) Too much of emotional turmoil certainly isn't good for me or for you.

Don't forget to vote on this chapter and the previous ones!

-Anami! ♡