AKSHAY

Netra:
"Jeevith, leave me. I don't know who said this to you, but there is only half-truth in it. I love Akshay. We are going to marry soon after our divorce," I said.
"What are you talking? Marrying Akshay?"
"Yes!" I said, and I got a call from Akshay.
"I need to go," I said and went to the parking lot where Akshay was waiting for me. I got into his car, and we went to his house.
"So, what did you decide?" Akshay asked me.
"About?"
"Our marriage! Do you accept my proposal to marry me or else you know what I can do to you?" Akshay said.
"Look Netra, If you marry me, you will not lose the reputation in society, and everyone respects you as the wife of a minister. Otherwise, everyone will call you as the mistress of Akshay and I can make your life tougher to live. Decide soon," Akshay said, giving me a glass of juice kept on the table.
I sipped the juice without answering him.
"Netra, only we both know what happened between us that day. Till now, I have never touched you, but still, I managed to make your husband trust that you are my mistress. He may love you today, but one day he will get angry for being my mistress. No man will forgive his wife, who has an affair with someone else," Akshay said.
"Akshay, why do you want to marry me? You know well about my past and that I can't even give an heir to you," I said.
"Netra, you know my answer. I love you. I love you from our childhood. Even after seeing you as a prostitute, my love didn't fade. To bring you out of that prostitution, I entered politics and became a minister. This is all because of you, and this is only for you, Netra. Tell me one thing. Why don't you accept my love?" Akshay asked me.
"Akshay, you and Jeevith can't understand me. I can't be in a relationship. My goals are different," I said.
"Netra, I will support your goals. As the wife of a minister, you can do more than an entrepreneur. I will never distract you from your purpose with my love. I already told you that I just want you to be infront of my eyes. That's it. I don't even touch you unless you accept me," Akshay said.
"Akshay, you will get a good wife. Please, leave me," I said with tears.
"Netra, please don't cry. I can't see you in tears. I always want to see you happy. Tell me, do you want to live with Jeevith? I will leave," Akshay said.
"Akshay, you helped me a lot. Because of you, I am living a happy and respectable life today. You brought me out of that prostitution. If you were not there, I would have been a whore even today. But, you saved me from that miserable life. How can I choose Jeevith over you? But, I don't love you," I said, hugging him.
"Why?"
"I don't know, Akshay. I really don't know. Till today I never got feelings for you. I always like you as a friend. But, I have no feelings for you. Even if we get married, I don't think I can be a good wife to you," I said.
"Netra, don't try to fool me. I know why you are talking like this. I know that you feel that you are not suitable for married life. When you were raped by five men while being a prostitute, the doctor said you should leave that life and should never get intimate with anyone. But, Netra, is marriage all about sex? Nothing else than that? Why do you think that way?" Akshay asked me.
"You married Jeevith for revenge, but now you are in a dilemma as Jeevith changed now. You forgave him, right?" Akshay asked.
"I don't forgive him, Akshay. I just want to let him go. He didn't know that he is a reason behind my spoiled life. His one decision for his family ruined my life completely. He doesn't recognise me, and now he is in love with me because I am his wife. How can I forget everything and accept him?" I said.
"Cool down, Netra. We know Jeevith is a good guy, but circumstances played a major role here ruining all of us."
"Stop blaming circumstances, Akshay. It's Jeevith who ruined my life. His one-word made me a prostitute that day. Even after that, he didn't care about how would his stupidity affect the life of a girl. When I came to know the truth behind his mom, I was shocked. I know it's you who killed his mom. Thank you for that," I said.
"May I know why did you pay the fees for her treatment when you wished to see her death?" Akshay asked me.
"Few questions better to be left unanswered," I said.
"Few feelings better left unfaded ever, right?" Akshay said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean still you have feelings for Jeevith," Akshay said.
"No!" I shouted at Akshay.
"I wish it's a No forever, Netra," Akshay said.
"How could you talk like that, Akshay? Don't you know what I have lost because of Jeevith and his family? My only intention is to ruin him," I said, clenching my fist and with tears in my eyes.
"The thought of ruining him made me see raining in your eyes," Akshay said, chuckling.
"These teardrops appeared in my eyes remembering the worst times of my life where I faced the pain of death," I said.
"Relax, Netra! Let's leave this issue for some time. Every weekend, we meet here not to remember the past but to make you forget the real-life for some time and enjoy your life as you wish," Akshay said, giving me a side hug.
"This is the only relief in my most complicated life," I said.
"I have arranged everything for you to leave. This time I can't accompany you because of meetings. Take care. Have a good time there," Akshay said.
"What if our children ask me about you?" I said.
"They may not because they forget the world when their mom is with them," Akshay said.
"But they love their dad too," I said.
"I don't know when their mom will love their dad," Akshay said, raising his eyebrows and looking into my eyes. I escaped from his looks and started in the car to reach the only paradise in my life.