CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Jwala:

After two hours, I reached the hospital. The driver told the room number, and I went there. I opened the door and saw a young girl making Agni drink juice. Is she Vedika?

As I opened the door, both looked at me. I went near to Agni, and Vedika got up from the bed as she sat beside him.

"Hi Jwala, I am Vedika. Nice to know that you are back to Agni. Till now Agni never loved anyone. But, now he is completely in love with you. Please try to understand him. I will just come," she said and left the room.

I sat beside him, and he smiled looking at me. Tears still didn't fade from my eyes.

"Why are you crying now, sweety? I am fine; I am alive. Your beast is back. Is it the reason behind these water drops?" He asked wiping my tears with his finger.

"Agni, stop it," I said.

"I am sorry, really sorry," I said holding my ears.

"For what, dear?"

"I regret doubting you and leaving you without informing you."

"That's not your fault. It's the fault of someone who created this misunderstanding between us and mine for being too bad to you in the past. I will throw that b@st@rds on your feet soon. I will never be so stupid to you again in life, and I am ready to bear any punishment given by you for that except leaving me" he said.

"Okay, don't stress yourself now. We can think about this when you are fine" I said seeing Agni touching his chest where surgery held.

I think he was in pain as he reacted too angrily.

"How do you trust me without proving the truth?" He asked me

"My heart told me the truth," I said

"I am sorry for not being with you at the time of your surgery and hurting you so much,” I said holding my ears again.

"That's too not your fault. It's my fault to guess everything by myself and leaving you. I should be sorry, not you. Don't say sorry unless you are wrong" Agni said and took my hands and kissed them.

"I think you came here to say something else. Did you come here only to say sorry?" Agni asked.

I shook my head in no.

"Then?"

"I... I.. "

"You???" He asked.

"I... I.. "

"Spit it out soon. You already know that I am very impatient."

"I love you so much," I said kissing on his forehead.

"I love you too. I can't say how much I love you. Please don't leave me ever Jwala. If you are not with me, there's no reason for me to live. I never leave your hand forever" he said holding my right hand and kissing it.

We heard the door knocking sound.

"Come in," Agni said.

Vedika came in.

"Agni, I cleared the bill. We can shift from the hospital. But seriously it's a risk to move from the hospital this soon after undergoing such a major surgery. The doctor didn't agree at all, but somehow I managed" she said.

"Agni, if it's that danger, why should we shift from the hospital? Please don't shift till you recover fully" I said to Agni.

"Nothing happens to me Jwala. I didn't want anyone seeing me in the hospital. Please let me do what I want to do" he said with a bit of domination in his voice.

"As you wish," I said as I didn't want to argue with him.

"Vedika, you make arrangements for shifting," he said, and she left.

He cupped my face with one hand.

"Sweetheart, I didn't mean to be serious. The thing is I hate this hospital. I didn't want anyone to see me in this hospital. Don't worry I will be fine as you are with me now, please."

"Ok, I am just scared about your health condition. But it's ok" I said

Seven days is very less time. How can a doctor discharge him this soon when he went a major surgery? He should be under doctor's supervision till he recovers.

We rented an apartment which is near to the hospital. I went to the room where Agni was sleeping. Vedika went to her room. Is she going to stay here?

"Jwala, can you please go out for some time? I need to give sponge bath for Agni," Vedika said to me.

"I will do it," I said.

"No, you can't do it Jwala. You may hurt him as you didn't know how to give sponge bath," Vedika said.

"No, I can...."

"Jwala, go and wait outside. Vedika will call you after giving me sponge bath" Agni said.

I am his wife. I am the one who should do all this. How can Vedika give a sponge bath to my husband? Somewhere in my heart, I felt it wrong but went outside calmly. After some time, she called me, and I went to him. Vedika changed his dress, and he is looking fresh. I clenched my fist but hidden it with a smile looking at my Agni.

Vedika brought lunch for us.

"Give it to me; I will feed him."

"It's ok Jwala; you have your lunch. I will feed him."

"Jwala, she is right. It's too late, and you should have food now. As you are pregnant, you should have food on time" Agni said.

My foot! If she is right in everything, why am I staying here? I came to him to take care of him not to see someone caring for him. Bull shit. I had little food and lost my patience seeing her feeding my husband. It's repeated continuously for three days. On the third day, I lost my tolerance completely.

"Vedika, I finished my food. Give it to me. I can feed him now" I said and almost snatched plate from her hand.

Agni looked at me shockingly and with a bit of anger.

"Vedika, you can leave now to your room. I will take care of my husband" I said stressing last words.

She left, and I started feeding him.

"What happened Jwala? Why are you angry with Vedika?"

"Have food first. I don't want to talk about unnecessary things when you are ill."

"But you are misunderstanding Vedika. She is sweet and kind. Moreover, she is the one who took care of me when you are not in my life."

"That's when I am not in your life. But now I am here to take care of you, and her help is not necessary" I said.

He didn't say anything. I fed him, and at evening, Vedika came to give a sponge bath to him.

"Vedika, from today I will do this," I said to her.

"But you didn't know how to do it."

"If I didn't know, I will learn it for my husband. For God's sake, leave the room" I said and closed the door as soon as she left.

"I didn't like the way you are behaving with her Jwala."

"I too don't like many things about you, but I never said that anytime to you. Please Agni; stop fighting with your wife for others."

"Jwala"

I didn't speak and started giving a sponge bath. Unfortunately, my hand touched the sutures, and it started bleeding.

"Agni, I am sorry. I will call the doctor" I said crying.

"Don't panic, call Vedika, it's ok?" he said.

I called Vedika. She asked me to go out
After half an hour, she called me.

"How is he?"

"He is ok, nothing to worry. Bleeding stopped,"Vedika said.

I went to him.

"I am sorry."

"It's ok baby; nothing happened to me. Don't cry," Agni said.

At night, I fed dinner to him. We were about to sleep, and Vedika came to the room.

"Jwala, for few days don't sleep beside Agni. Sleep in other room," she advised me.

"Why? Are you going to sleep with him instead of me as you are already doing everything a wife does," I said seriously

"Shut up, Jwala" Agni shouted at me.

What happened to me? Why am I speaking like this with her?

"Apologize her right now Jwala."

"Agni, it's ok," Vedika said.

"Jwala, frankly if Agni allows, I am ready to sleep with him. But, unfortunately, he gave that right only to you. I am not that lucky as you are to become his wife" she said.

"What do you mean?" I said as I shocked at her words.

"I said you to apologise her Jwala. Do it, or I will ask the driver to drop you at our home tomorrow. Decide yourself. If you want to stay with me, apologise her" Agni said seriously again.

He heard what she said, but still, he is asking me to apologise to her.

"I am sorry," I said to her.

"It's ok and anyways... "

"Enough Vedika, leave now. I need to talk to Jwala" Agni said.

"Agni, it's ok, she is just possessive. I can understand her."

"Vedika, I don't like interference from anyone in my relationship with Jwala. She is my wife, and we both are matured to deal with any issue by ourselves. So please leave the room" he said.

Vedika went to her room.

"Come here, sweetheart. Sit near me" Agni said.

I went to him and sat beside him.

"Look at me," he said, but I didn't respond.

"Sweety, I shouldn't get up. So please look at me."

"What?" I said looking at him.

"Are you angry with me for asking you to apologise Vedika?"

I nodded.

"Jwala, you are a girl. Being a girl, how can you insult the character of another girl?" He asked.

He insulted me many times, but today he is scolding me for her.

"I agree that I insulted you many times, but my anger took over my morals. But you are not like me. So, you shouldn't make others feel bad about you."

"Agni, I am feeling sleepy," I said to cut the topic.

"Are you listening to my words?"

"I already said I didn't want to discuss unnecessary topics with my husband."

"Jwala she is kind and sweet."

"Didn't you hear what she said Agni? She told me she wants to sleep with you. How can you say she is good?"

"She loved me Jwala. She said she is ready for that if I agree. It means if I accept her love and marry her, then she would do that."

"Nonsense, you already know she is in love with you, but still you want to stay with her. It doesn't make any sense to me. She is showing everywhere that she is better than me as your wife."

"Jwala, Vedika is not that cunning. She had no intention of separating us. In fact, she is the one who gave clarity to me that I love you. She told that I am sticking to you more not because of hatred or lust but because of love. Please Jwala, don't hurt her. She already faced enough because of this society. Please at least for me, don't hurt her."

I agreed with him, though his concern and affection towards her had hurt me a lot.

"Jwala, I didn't ask her to take care of me as I want to avoid you. She is a nurse. So, she is giving a sponge bath as she knew how to do it well. She is preparing food for us as she knew what diet we should have. You are pregnant and still weak. I hired her as a nurse because I thought you would never come for me. But, you returned to me. Still, I continued her as a nurse, sweetheart. You love me, and you will do everything that a wife can do. But, if anything happens to me suddenly, you can't give immediate treatment. As Vedika is a nurse, she can give me immediate treatment. Moreover, you are pregnant; I didn't want you to get strain. I love you sweetheart, and no one is important to me than you. I am sorry if I hurt you by asking you to apologise Vedika" he said

"I am not hurt, it's ok. It's true that I don't have any good opinion on Vedika, but I respect your words. I won't hurt her again. But, I can't assign my responsibilities to her as you are paying to her as a nurse. If she is going to do everything for you, then why should I stay here? Please Agni, tell her to do her job but not what I can do as a wife" I said

"Your anger is showing your love towards me sweetheart. I want to tell you her past" he said

"She is my best friend from childhood. We had grown up in the same orphanage. She is so shy and innocent like you. But one incident changed her life completely. You should know about her to change your opinion on her" he said.