The backup Bride

EPISODE 19

17/11/2019 - Sunday -At Tambaram.

Aparna's P. O. V :

" Why are you leaving now? The engagement is in a week. Rajiv is stuck in some office work, now you too. " Rajiv's mom said as we were eating lunch together.

" Don't worry, I'll be back in three days " I said assuring her. Well, I don't know if it would work.

" This Shiva is my only tension. With you around, he was at least listening to me. " She said.

" That's not it Aunty, he just needs to spend time with you. That will solve everything. " I said.

" Even today, you saw him right! He didn't even care about you or me. He just walked out. " She said disappointed.

I was silently praying to God that I wasn't related to his sad face today.

Even if this hurts him, or makes him regret his choices, he needs to get through them. Else he will be spending his entire life on this.

" And, Rajiv appa wanted to meet Jeya today, we might go to their place in the evening. It would also be a formal invitation for them to attend the engagement. " She said.

" It's nice to know that you are still inviting people in person. " I said.

" Sending invitation in whatsApp, isn't really the tradition. Seeing the relatives in person and inviting them with warm smiles, that's what makes the bond. " She said.

For the first time ever, I was looking at her with respect.

" Though we didn't get a chance to do all that in your wedding, at least we can do it now. " She said.

Respect level back to zero.

I nodded back and smiled.

I started packing my bag. Rajiv's parents left to the relatives house, I was all alone in the house. I changed into my kurti and Jean for the travel.

After packing, I started taking pictures of the house, the room I stayed in, the wooden windows. I walked all around the house and ended up in Shiva's room.

I wasn't going to steal anything. I opened the door slowly and the shabby room was just like how I saw it last week.

I slowly walked in and sat on his bed. This was the first time I had time to look around his room. The spiders were a permanent tenant in his room, with their cob webs every corner.

There were torn posters of cricket players and Cinema heroes.

My eyes then landed on his work table. It had crumpled papers all around.

I took one and opened it.

" Dear Aparna, "

The words were scribbled on the top.

I took another paper and the same was written on it.

I was mortified and curious too.

I opened nearly 10 papers and all had the same two words and nothing else.

I was pulling my hair off. He wanted to tell me something?

Was I really the reason why he was depressed?

I sat on his floor and checked for more papers. Finally I found a notebook, badly scrunched laying near his dustbin.

I dusted it off and then opened it.

The papers were turning yellow, must have been a really old note book.

I tried to stop myself from reading it, but I was leaving anyway. It wouldn't hurt him. He bloody threw it away.