The Revenge Marriage

REAL VALUE

Meher

It's been 2 days in this god awful hospital. I am in some private ward that my father must have insisted to keep me in to avoid any of this getting in the news.
I haven't seen my mom or dad at all. I want to ask about them but I am scared that will make Percy angry.
He has been so caring in the past few days. He doesn't talk to me more than he has to but he is nothing but gentle towards me. He hasn't gone home. He sleeps on the couch in my room. Freshens up in the patient bathroom and eats all his meals in the hospital canteen.

The day I woke up, I was starving. Since the day I ran away from my own wedding, I hadn't eaten a morsel of food. I would easily slip into the memory of the night after my runaway wedding with Persis. The morning when I was told that food in his kitchen was not my food. The house wasn't my house. Infact I did not have a house. I was homeless and hungry.
I would often laugh at the irony of my life and the promise I made to him about paying the hospital bills and returning every penny my father stole from him. Such an emotional promise that came from that pit of my stomach, laced with self respect that I was trying so hard to save. For how long can I afford to have self respect? I wondered.

So even if the hospital food was tasteless, I ate it with a gusto. I was smart enough to anticipate what was to come. Food was suddenly a luxury. I wasn't going to be a petty bitch about it lacking taste. I knew that each extra day I spent here is going to pull me back a few months in paying back my fathers' debt. So I deligently put all my energy in healing myself.

I was far from fully recovered but I had healed enough to go home. I am getting discharged today.
Percy finished off the exit formalities and we were heading to his house in his car. I had asked for the bills that he had temporarily paid for. They were sitting in my lap. The big numbers immediately moistened my eyes.
I knew that I couldn't tap my personal bank account. Father had insisted to have a joint account with me and mom even after I became an adult. There is no doubt that the account must be frozen by now. Although I did have another account that the company opens for all employees. I had managed to save about 30% of my salary. I hope I would have been more mindful of my money splurging ways before. I hope I wouldn't have spent money on expensive dinners at high end restaurants. I hope I wouldn't have bought bags and clothes looking at brand names. I hope I wouldn't have changed my hair colour every season and had a few less spa treatments.

I opened the bank app on my phone to check the account balance. The number was very similar to the number sitting on my lap.
I took a deep sigh and tried my best to hold the tears threatening to spill out.

Persis was lost in his thoughts. I was thankful for that. He looked ahead and drove without exchanging a single glance my way.

"Send me your bank account details and I'll transfer the money immediately" I said

That broke him from the trance he was in. He nod his head to acknowledge that he heard without sparing me a glance.

How did we end up like this? I looked at his handsome face and the happy memories we have shared made way in the windows of my mind. We did love eachother dearly. I knew he did. I saw it in his eyes. Or was I dillusional?
I must have been. Inspite of all that's happened in the past few days, I don't think I've ever stopped loving him. I still crave for his touch and his warmth.
Ohh what would I give to get a warm hug from him. I can feel it in my bones that that's the only thing that can make me feel better. Craving for just 1 hug is making me dizzy.

To distract myself I looked out of the window. A mile ahead was a fruit vendor sitting at the pavement of the road.

"Can we stop at the fruit stall for a minute?" I asked biting my cheek in a timid voice. I can sense that I am going back into my shell.

He did not say anything but stopped in front of the stall. I had no money with me. If I did not want to starve, I needed to buy some fruits. I hadn't forgotten that the food in his kitchen was not my food. That statement alone had felt so insulting that I don't dare forget that ever.

"Can I get some money? I'll transfer it to you along with the hospital bill" I said in a hardly audible whisper.

He pulled out his wallet and handed me a 500 rupees note. I accepted it with a heavy heart.

I got down from the car and steadied myself as pain shot up from my abdomen. Back of my head felt a bit fuzzy for a second. I held the car and took a few deep breaths and I was back to feeling okay.

I went to the vendor and bought myself a dozen bananas and a melon as that was the cheapest fruit available.

There was a Pharmacy half a block away and I decided to go buy the medicines too.
I had blown off the 500 rupees in a go buying fruits and medicine. I guess this is the first time I actually realised the true value of money. With spare change left in my hand, I securely put it in my pocket.

Persis had moved the car ahead and was waiting for me exactly outside the pharmacy. I was thankful for that. It was getting difficult to walk even such a small distance.
As I got in the car with some difficulty, a poor homeless child came at my car window to beg for some money.

I looked in his eyes and I saw the hunger. The hopelessness and sheer desperation. I could see his sad soul in his lifeless eyes. The boy was so young, dirt covering his entire body. He stank of dirt and sweat.

It wasn't the first time I was looking at a young homeless begging for food or money. There are way to many such kids living on the streets of Bombay. I have absentmindedly donated a few bucks here and there out of sympathy but never have I felt what I felt today. I felt empathy. I felt exactly what it feels to be that boy. I was sitting in a luxurious car with food and medicine in my hand. I was going to have a roof over my head and yet I was wallowing in self pity.

I took out that spare change from my pocket and gave it to that kid. His eyes twinkled at 32 rupees I put in his hand. It probably would buy him a meal. It was spare change in my pocket. It was real money to him.

I smiled at him while he thanked me with a smile. Persis put the car in ignition and we drove off.

Once we reached under his apartment building, he parked the car and helped me get down this time. I gave him a grateful smile.

We patiently waited for the elevator to take us to our floor. Once we reached the top floor, elevator dinged and we step out. Persis took out the keys from his pocket and opened the doors to the house.
Both of us stepped in and we were immediately met with the murderous blue icy eyes of Persis's mother.
My mother in law.

_______________________________________

1353 words.
Next update Saturday.

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