Five Weeks by Shruti Omar (any book recommendations .txt) 📕

“What the hell do you still have to say?” Anahita quaked out. Her voice was hoarse indicating that she had spent hours, draining the pain away. She emulated a lost, abandoned puppy surrounded by unfaithful strangers. Watching her disturbed, Yuvraaj forgot why he treaded to her all the way.

“Why are you crying?” He asked her impatiently and scrutinized her face for answers.

“Because I am so happy. Satisfied? Now, go.” She said in quietude and moved to shut the door on his face when he stuck his foot in the gap and pushed open the door, making her stumbled back. He muscled in, shutting the door behind him with one booted foot. “I asked you something. What’s wrong?”

She sniveled, evading eyes and he tugged her closer, “When I ask something, you should answer me,” he tilted her chin up, seeking her eyes, “when I ask you something, you should answer me,” she squirmed to get away and he underpinned her, “And when I hold you, you shouldn’t struggle to get away.”

Anahita lifted her eyes to him and watched him with unwavering, accusing gaze before vehemently tussling in his grip and stepped away. She prostrated on the bed, folding an arm over her eyes. Yuvraaj regarded her with a sigh and finger combed his hair before perching beside her. He called her name with utmost care and removed her arm from her eyes, “Anahita! You are worrying me now.”

She didn’t respond, pretending to sleep and he covered his face, faltering before her obstinacy. She had the soul of a defiant child trapped in the body of a graceful woman. He gripped her shoulder and made her sit. She didn’t resist but she kept her eyes closed, unwilling to regard him. Her self-indulgent behavior thawed his impending frustration. He palmed her cheek with concern, “Anahita, what…why are you so warm?”

Her skin was warm enough to grill two rinds of bacon. Vexed, she opened her eyes and swatted off his hand, “Why do you care?”

“Who else will?” he growled, holding her captive and wiped the dry trails of tear son her cheek, “Now answer me, why are you crying? Are you not feeling well?”

He slammed a finger upon her lips as she was about to speak and shook his head, “No, don’t go sarcastic over me. I want a proper answer.”

“Why?”

He blinked, plotting a story to coax her, “so that I can take care of posthumous shenanigans if you're planning to cry till death.” He rendered reverse psychology would propel her to continue what bothered her but she scoffed and moved her face away from him, “Obviously, that would you want. No one wants to see me alive,” she licked her lips and giving him a sad smile, “Everyone hates me, no one trusts me. What's the use of living if I am all alone?”

“No!” Yuvraaj soothed, wrapping his arms around her and tucked her head in his chest. He rubbed her back and kissed her hair. “Why will you think like that? I didn’t mean…”

With her emotional breakdown, she sheathed her arms around him and allowed him to hold her while she sobbed and peeled open the layers of her heart for him. She surrendered in his embrace and hiccupped, spurting out her complaints to him. “No one trust me…mom…accepted when…Misti…aunt told that…I...might ha....ve cross...ed all limits with Mukund. Dad...didn't even...believe me and... Now...he....he....cal...led me... wh… wh… whore.”

“He said what?” Yuvraaj demanded through clenched jaw and she hugged him tightly. He subdued his anger to comfort her. He felt so much rage that he could choke Mukund to his last breathe for slandering his wife but he stayed calm, “Why did he say so?”

“I confessed about that…that kiss,” she confessed, mumbling into his chest and hiccupped. Yuvraaj distanced her in disbelief and glared her. If he was genetically mad before, he was livid then. “He cursed you because we kissed? That bastard! How dare he?”

Anahita pressed her lips together, keeping her head bowed. He swallowed down most of spurting cuss words and drew out a heavy exhale, “Why the hell did you tell him about it?”

“I was guilty,” she regarded him, wiping her tears. Yuvraaj left her in shock, his anger diminished and hurt seeped into his heart. My wife felt guilty after kissing me. His subconscious howled in pain, he didn't regret that. He didn't feel guilty. He would feel ecstatic if it was her first kiss and he was the one to steal it, though the chances were pretty low.

“You were guilty because we kissed?” He couldn't hide the pain and disappointment in his voice that made Anahita shiver. She immediately shook her head, holding his hands, “I was guilty on going behind his back.”

And, that was the truth – she didn’t feel guilty for the kiss. She enjoyed it indeed but the only guilt was of going behind Mukund's back but now, even that had started to disappear. Yuvraaj nodded, covering her hand and pulled her on her feet, “come with me.”

Without further ado, he dragged her out from his room to their beach villa.

*****

It was said that the tranquil waves deftly knew to alleviate the pain of the soul the saying was counterproductive in her case. The pain that had gripped Anahita wasn't making her scarce. She had cried to the point where her nose had turned blotted and her eyes puffed up. Her hairs were disheveled on her shoulders, conspiring with the wind, blocking her way to see the deadpanned waters.

Melancholic, she was perched upon the wooden plank of the balcony and was admiring the view lost in her own chaotic notions. She wiped her tears that were paving path of the ancestors and tugged her hair behind her ear, bringing her knees closer to her chest and wrapped her arms around her, slightly shivering in the pink weather.

Her thoughts were all over the place. Yuvraaj had called a doctor just to get her examined when she was having mild fever due to excessive stress and change of weather. She had gaped at his worried face all along until it softened when the doctor gave her clean chit. He had had her diet designed and even harassed the doctor with numerous queries.