CHAPTER SEVENTY

Jwala:

I thought to call Aneesh but stopped again. What if Agni gets angry for asking Aneesh to interfere in our issue? Moreover, he didn't scold doubting me. He just asked why I hid that matter from him. Though Aneesh explains the problem, Agni's reason for anger is different. So, I don't think it's a good idea to involve Aneesh in this matter. I guess I should talk to Agni directly. Of course, I shouldn't hide it from him. I took the mobile and called him. But he didn't receive my call.

I waited for him, and he returned in the evening. I tried to talk, but his glare stopped me from approaching him.

"Vedika, can you give me a cup of coffee," he said.

"This is too much, Agni. Your beloved wife is here now and desperate to do your works. If she finds me preparing coffee for you, she will kill me for doing your works. So, please pass your request to your wife," Vedika said dramatically.

He looked at Vedika and me.

"I will bring coffee," I said.

"I can prepare it by myself too. It's my mistake to give leave to cook and maid at once. I think it's better to fire them and appoint new people," he started shouting.

Vedika looked at me and asked through her eyes, the reason for his anger. I touched my forehead with the thumb showing it's my fate and we both laughed at once. He looked at us.

"What is that funny for you both?"

"Nothing," I answered.

"Go and get me coffee. I will get fresh up," Agni ordered.

I became silent and nodded.

"Don't use your American style to prepare coffee. I want coffee in my Indian style. I can't bear over modernised style," Agni said.

"Is there any difference in making coffee in the US and our India?" Vedika asked hiding her laughter.

"My beloved wife knows it well," he said.

"Are you going to stand here all the day or going to prepare coffee for me?" He said seriously to me.

I rushed to the kitchen as I decided not to make him go crazy. I went into our room to give coffee to him. He snatched a cup from my hand and sat on the bed drinking it and playing with our princess. He saw the alphabets she wrote.

"My Jagni is too smart, unlike her mom. She learned alphabets so soon," he said kissing the baby.

"Mumma, taulght (taught) me," Jagni said.

"Ya, you are right. Your Mumma knew only alphabets. I doubt how she became topper in graduation and MBA? Maybe she used the technique of copying or manipulating examiner with money," he teased me behaving as if he is talking to the baby.

"Ya, Jagni. Everything learned from your papa. He is good at such things. If you play with him for some more time, he will teach you also those stupid tricks," I countered.

Baby looked at us keeping worried face. We understood that she was uncomfortable with our stupid fight. I sat on the bed and took the baby into my lap.

"Don't worry, Jagni. Mumma and papa were playing. Don't worry," I said and kissed her.

"Ya, we were just playing a sweet game," Agni said and kissed baby and me too on the cheek and pretended as if it was a mistake.

I smiled at his cute expressions. Later at night, I prepared his favourites after a long time. He didn't appreciate acting anger but had food happily. I always feel delighted whenever he eats food enjoying its taste. I hope I can manage my family and career simultaneously.

I fed my baby and took her to our room. I didn't talk anything as I want Jagni to sleep first. My baby was sleeping, and I found Agni working on laptop sitting on the bed.

"Agni, I am sorry for hiding it. I didn't mean to hide it from you," I said in a calm voice.

"It doesn't matter to me. You are busy to tell it to me, and now I am busy to listen to you," Agni said.

"In case you are too busy to listen, I will leave to the US again and be happy with your busy business," I said and got out of the bed to leave, but he pulled me at once.

I fell on my husband, and my hands were on his shoulders. Lips were touching making both of us smile forgetting anger. He pressed his lips to mine making it a kiss. I blushed after breaking the kiss and kept my head on his chest hiding from his looks.

"Where will you go leaving me? Who will allow you to leave me again? Two and half years are more than enough. I missed you like hell. I love you like my breath without which I can't leave," he said hugging me to him tight.

"Last four years I didn't touch you, except once when you asked me to make love to you to assure you that you were safe. I missed you, every day and night. I missed this beauty at night and that beautiful heart in the daytime. I am so desperate to have you," he said and left me.

He kept Jagni in the cradle. I slept on the bed. He came top of me.

"These lips are so juicy and so tasty than the food you prepare for me," he kissed me again to which I responded.

"Do you know how tough it is to stay away from the wife whom we love a lot and the only one whom I had in this entire world?"

"Jagni?" I asked.

"She is a part of both of us, and she is my princess, only because of you. If you didn't decide to accept me in spite of my most sadistic behaviour, I would have missed all this happiness and Jagni too."

"Kissing you gives me the feeling of tranquillity which can't be found anywhere except beside you," he kissed me on the neck.

"Agni, actually I went with friends to the pub on the occasion of my friend's birthday. I kept a message to you saying that I am going to a friend's birthday party. There they spiked my drink to tease me. I took it and danced like that with another classmate in the conscious state. I apologise for that, but I didn't mean to create that mess. I already knew that you quit your habit of drinking just for me. I didn't take alcohol on that day," I explained to him.

"It is okay, but this should be your last time of hiding things from me," he said sucking my hidden treasures indicating that he is too busy with his business.

"Jwala, actually I feel that our Jagni is similar to me. She doesn't like you as you avoided her for some time just like me. I too hate if you don't pay attention to me. I want another baby who is like you. She should be innocent, sweet, kind and selfless," he said.

"No, Agni. I didn't want our baby to be innocent, sweet, kind and selfless. She should be like you - smart, a bit rude, loyal, sincere, and selfless only for those whom she loves. I didn't want her to face what I faced."

Tears were about to form, but he kissed my eyes making me smile.

"You should not cry. Sweetheart, I never felt you are wrong. The problem is this world is not as good as you are. That makes you unique. I don't want you to change your qualities which are your assets. I will be happy if our baby inherits those qualities from you. Don't worry about her safety because I am there to save our child forever till I am alive," he said

"You are a perfect husband and father," I said kissing him.

He kissed every part of my body making me feel unknown happiness. He made love to me, heart fully and I thought that I am the luckiest woman in the world. I slept in his arms. In the morning, I am serving food to him, and he got a call. He received the call, and after disconnecting, he looked at me.

"Jwala, we should talk to Aneesh. We should send him to mom. Mom is going to break the marriage for Aneesh," Agni said.