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

“What’s wrong with her?” Yuvraaj muttered, confused at her wife’s outlandish move to escape for the washroom and shrugged off. He sauntered to the bar and made himself comfortable on the stool, demanding for scotch while waiting for her reemergence. On the other hand, Anahita was in dilemma. She found it difficult to confess her feelings to him because she knew he was rude enough to reject her on her face.

She contemplated that there wasn’t a thing she’d done other than hurting him a lot. The chances of receiving his love were equal to slim odds. She thought he’d judge her and deem that she was willing to sponge off on him because it was Yuvraaj and he could all the things in the world. She huffed, glancing up in the mirror and emboldened herself, “Be brave Anahita. Just confess it to him. You don't have many days left. Just go and confess that you like him."

She held up her fist and motivated herself, “Fighting, spirit. Be a woman and confess your love. He’s your husband and he won’t be able to leave you anyway. Law gives rights, remember?” she considered the foresights, “On second thoughts, I can complain to Aai – Baba that he doesn’t want to live with me. I am sure, they’ll think of something.” She pouted her lips and nodded, sashaying out in search of her beloved husband.

The speakers were blaring at the top and it was turning out Yuvraaj’s third drink as he spanned his vision across the hall with his head bobbing to the rhythm, enjoying the foreign music. His booted foot was tapping on the marbled floor as he asked the bartender to refill his glass. He checked his watch, Anahita was really late and it was beginning to get him worried.

As he decided to search for her, a familiar echo of the phone buzzed around him, making him startled. He delved his blazer’s pocket and found Anahita’s phone inside, vibrating with an unknown number flashing on the screen. He suddenly recalled that she had pushed her phone in his pocket while dancing. He groaned as the call disconnected and beeped again. Unsure, he slid the pattern and attended it, “He…”

“Anu, baby…” the desperate, needful voice seeped in his ear before he could pronounce a greeting and continued with its apologies, “Why are you not taking my calls, baby? I’m really sorry for the way I behaved but I really didn’t mean it, sweetheart.”

Yuvraaj curled the phone in his fists and clenched his jaw tightly, breathing hard. He boiled in rage to register the word betrayal in his mind. Mukund confessed his love, chipped sweet talks and Yuvraaj was only fostering the image of Anahita cheating on him in his mind. He couldn’t bear that some ugly stranger called his wife ‘darling’, madly confessed his love and claimed to want her back.

Back? My ass!!!

Yet, he held himself back from cursing him because he was certain that his wife also instigate and promoted such behavior. The thought slashed him like a sharp blade cutting the flesh but he just realized that Anahita was still in touch with Mukund where he was flattering himself thinking she finally came to like him. The strings of his calm demeanor were slowly tearing up and wearing his composure down.

The fact that it was only ‘he’ who wanted their marriage to work out mocked him. At least, she was clear in her mind that she didn’t want this relationship while he was the fool who could never get that. He thought he could win her but knowing about her affair and witnessing it himself were two different things. He couldn’t overlook it at all. Now, it was difficult for him to give them a chance.

Impossible!!

“Hello, baby… are you there?” Yuvraaj rolled his eyes, realizing that ‘the spineless creature’ was still on line and snarled, “Your baby is busy right now so hang the phone up and don’t fucking call again because I don’t an asshole to contact her. One more thing, she is my fucking wife and you better stay out of our lives. Get that?”

Frustrated, he smashed the phone on the floor and chugged down the nearest whiskey, unmindful to the warning of the bartender. Past arranged itself in slides and flashed before his eyes, fanning his anger more because he deemed that all the kisses, hugs and smiles they shared were just an act of pretense.

She was faking. She was faking when she agreed to my conditions. I’ve just started to feel complete with her and she… hah!

He demanded more alcohol and poured down his throat, exalting the burning sensation. His pride, his love, his emotions were play to her that she deftly managed her affair right under his nose. He planked the glass on the counter, his eyes hued with red and he greeted his teeth, "I won't forgive you for this, Anahita. I will make you regret this."

Unable to rein in his temper, he turned to leave and saved himself from dashing into a slim woman coming towards her. His head was throbbing and his vision was turning hazy so he chipped a quick apology and moved to make a move but the woman impeded him, “Hey, we meet again.”

Yuvraaj stopped to look at him and smiled at recognition, “Yeah, we do. Nice to see you here, Elizabeth.”

“I just asked you to call me Liza the day before,” she grinned, offhandedly and looked around, “Where’s your wife?”

Yuvraaj appreciated her honesty, she was genuine while his wife was feigning everything – even the jealousy for her – but he shook the thought away and cleared his throat, “She’s not well.”

“All okay?” Concern spread across her face as she investigated and he nodded, “Just normal flu”

“I pray that she gets well soon. I really wanted to meet her. We didn’t have the proper introduction and I wanted to thank her personally.”

“Stop saying the same thing. We didn’t do anything extraordinary. It was just humanity.” Yuvraaj shrugged and she shook her head, “Whatever it was, I still owe you with my life and I am really excited to meet her because we might turn out good friends?”