CHAPTER FORTY SIX

Jwala :

At late night after 11 pm, Agni returned home. I immediately sat on the bed looking at him. He came near to me. He raised his hand. I moved back, but he glared at me. I stopped in my place. He caressed my hairs and sat beside me.

"I am sorry," he said touching my cheek where he slapped.

"I am sorry for my words too. I didn't mean to say all that shit but…," Agni said.

"It's ok; I know you didn't mean it," I said.

"Are you drunk?" I asked.

"No no. I went out for some business work. Jwala, I withdrew case on your parents. They are free now" he said

"Thank you," I said.

"As soon as you recover, I will be divorcing you," he said shocking me to hell.

"Agni, I... "

"Let me complete it Jwala," he said seriously making me stay calm.

"Enough of this immature game of love between us. We both had hurt each other and made every mistake equally. Now let's give an end to this.

As soon as you recover both physically and mentally, I will divorce you. After that, I never interfere in your life. I didn't want you too to interfere in my life. Don't worry about your career because I will make sure that you will settle well before I leave you."

"Agni, can't you give me a chance to gain your love back?"

"It will be a chance to betray me one more time," he said

"What should I do to make you believe that I realised my mistake."

"Nothing, just simply nothing. Because whatever you do, I am not ready to trust you one more time."

"Please Agni"

"Ok tell me one thing that you did for me in all these days," he asked.

I tried to say, but I don't know.

"You didn't even sleep with me for me; it's for your great friend Vigna. You bore my torture but for the orphanage. You married me for the child. What did you do now for me?"

"Maybe nothing, but now I am ready to do anything for you."

"Really? Go and get me a cup of coffee by yourself," he said.

I looked at him. I can't walk, but I must walk.

"Ok," I said and got up from the bed, but he stopped me.

"I am not as cruel as you think," he said and made me sit on the bed again.

"Let me make it clear to you. If I divorce you, you are free to do as you want. But if you choose me, you must forget your freedom. You should comply with my every order, and there's no choice remained for you."

"Jwala, the important thing is I lost feelings for you. Now truly I didn't love you. Even if I didn't divorce you, I can't say that we can be a couple again. I am not saying this with anger, just telling you the truth" he said making me cry.

I know he still loves me. If not why will he be worried about me? Why does he care for me? Even his anger shows his love.

"Then why did you save me?"

“I will do the same with any girl. I saved Vedika too. Do you mean I love Vedika? It is not love, Jwala. It's just humanity.

Jwala, I loved you because of your innocence and selfless attitude. But now, you got changed. You are not that Jwala whom I loved. You are just one among my circle of girls. Now I can't like you. You learned to lie, betray, hurt, and cunningness. You are not my Jwala whom I admired a lot."

"Agni I didn't change, just because of anger at you, I did all those things."

"Then I too did everything just because of anger with you for saving my father and Vigna. Why didn't you understand?"

"Agni, I brought dinner for both of you," Vedika said.

Agni sighed me with his eyes not to talk anything. I nodded. He took plates and gave me food and a spoon to eat. I looked at him showing my burnt palm.

"Nothing happened to your fingers. You can have it with a spoon. No one is here to feed you every day. Complete it by the time I return to room" he said leaving the room.

"But where are you going?"

"I will have food with Vedika. From today, I won't be having food with you" he said and left the room.

Hearing their laughter from the dining hall, I cursed myself. I can't even question him or ask him to stay here. How pathetic is my situation? I had food struggling to hold the spoon. It's somehow tough to have food with the spoon too as palm got burnt severely. I can't ask him to help. I wiped my tears and tried to keep a spoonful in my mouth, but it slipped and fell. Just then Agni came and looked at me and the food on the floor.

"I didn't throw food. It's slipped from my hand. I am sorry."

"I know that. I want to make you clear that you can't do any work without my help now. So don't try to go away till you recover or you will fall into unnecessary problems. This time I won't rescue you."

"I don't leave."

"That's better," he said and fed me carefully.

I slept and tried to hug him, but he took off my hands and slept turning another side. He didn't leave any chance to show me how angry he is. I slept silently.

Suddenly I felt someone touching me and trying to remove my dress. I felt laugh of that b*st*rd. He was kissing me.

Agni :

"Nooooo" she shouted at once.

I got up from my sleep and looked at Jwala as she shouted at once. Her voice was shaky; her body was sweating, and breathing was difficult.

"Jwala, what happened?" I asked and tried to hold her hand.

"I hate it. Leave me please leave me. Don't touch me" Jwala said removing the hand.

She got up from the bed and looked around the room.

"Jwala, your feet will get hurt. Don't walk."

"You don't dare to come near me," she said taking the knife from the fruit basket.

"Ok ok, first keep that knife away. What happened to you, Sona?" I said as didn't understand what's going on.

"I know you want to molest me. I won't allow you to do that."

"What are you talking? Why will I try to molest you? I am not getting you."

What is she talking? Why will I molest her? Did they do anything to her? Did they molest her? Why is so scared? Is she hiding it from me? There must be something behind this behaviour.

"Jwala, look at me once. I am not going to hurt you in any way. I am your husband" I said all of a sudden.

This girl always had that power over me. Finally, I confessed that still, I had feelings towards her by saying that I am her husband. I tried to hold her hand, but she attacked me with a knife leaving a scar on my arm. It started bleeding.

As I didn't have any option, I twisted her hand a bit to make her leave the knife. She dropped the knife wincing in pain. I hugged her to make her relaxed.

"Sona, look it's me. I am your Agni. You are safe. Don't get scared. You are with me, and no one can do anything to you baby," I said.

She stopped shouting and looked at me. Then she noticed my hand which was bleeding.

"I am sorry," she said

She brought first aid box and tied bandage cleaning it.

"I am sorry Agni. I didn't mean to do so" she said with tears.

"It's ok baby; it's ok. No problem, it's minimal injury compared to the one that happened to your heart" I said hugging her.

"Don't cry sweety. But tell me what they did to you."

"No.. Nothing," she said trying to escape from my grip.

"Don't lie to me Jwala. I can find it out even though you hide it from me."

She started crying again. I wiped her tears and cupped her face.

"I won't hurt you. Please tell me, sweetheart, what happened?"

"I want to say, but I didn't want you to leave me."

"I promise whatever it is, I won't leave you."

"That idiot tried to molest me. He removed my dress and saw me nude. He kissed me, and I tried to protest, but I couldn't" she said hiding her face by resting her head on my chest.

I caressed her hairs.

"How did you escape?"

"I kicked him there and punched in his abdomen. He left me, but whipped me till I passed out," Jwala said.

"Good, you are strong enough to face idiots. I am sorry for not being with you at that time to save you."

"But he saw me nude, and it's replaying in my mind. I feel guilty" Jwala said closing her eyes.

"Sweetheart, it's not your mistake. Why are you guilty? It's his mistake, and you fought back to give him what he deserves. Jwala, I don't understand why girls often blame themselves for everything though it's not their fault. Whether it's sexual harassment or rape, it's the fault of that pervert who look every girl with their lustful eyes but not yours.

I know it's not your fault. So, please forget it for my sake. Don't blame yourself for others mistakes. You are perfect in my eyes" I said hugging Jwala to my chest.

"But what society thinks about me if they know that someone saw me nude and tried molesting me," she asked making me stop for a minute.

I understood that she was so hurt. She is in deep guilt for the mistake she didn't do. As her husband, I must help her to overcome her fears, insecurities, and guilt. I will heal her. I understood how to answer her question. I smiled and kissed her cheek before explaining to her the nature of our so-called society.