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

“Of course!” He muttered, sardonically and rubbed his nose, “Now, excuse me Liza because I’ll have to get back. This place doesn’t suit me.” he waved a hand around and she snickered, leaning closer. “Same here, you know what? Daniel has brought me here and now he ditched me for a glass of whiskey. Can you believe that?”

Yuvraaj exerted a genuine laughter and jerked his thumb at his empty glass, “Can’t blame him.”

“Men!” Liza hissed and rolled her eyes. “Um, would you mind a dance with me?”

“Thanks for that but I got to leave now, it’s late and I’m too drunk.” He confessed and she nodded, understandingly, “Sure, be safe on your way. Pay my regards to the lovely lady.”

“I will,” Yuvraaj veered to leave and progressed forward only to halt as Anahita came into his line of vision, wearing a smile. She made a step forward and her smile froze when Yuvraaj grabbed Liza’s arm, pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. Liza awkwardly smiled and reciprocated his gesture but Yuvraaj’s eyes were zeroed on Anahita who was watching them in mortification. She didn’t blink, she didn’t look away, she neither came forward nor did she move back.

Is she flirting with her? He is flirting with her on my face?

Pang of pain coursed through her and she bit on her lip to not whimper. She was anything but weak and she wanted to see how low her husband could stoop. She lingered over there to purport his next move and he amazed her by sitting for another drink with the mystery woman.

She couldn’t take anymore and absconded from there, holding her tears that threatened to spill down on her cheeks. The man she just had come to love betrayed her with a woman and didn’t even glance at her. His cold gaze was relishing the torture he put her through but she had to brace herself. Even though it was like her soul vacuumed from her body, leaving her empty.

She wrapped her palms around herself and entered their bedroom to launch straight on the bed to cry her emotions out. The crashing of waves against the coastline, the faint music of the party vanquished over her sobs and she confessed her love to Yuvraaj in silence.

*****

Yuvraaj reprimanded himself for being cruel the moment he noticed hurt filled in her eyes. He wanted to confront her, snap on her and if his conscience allowed, even slap her but it all vanished the moment he saw her. She couldn’t be cheating on her, no, it wasn’t in her genes. With that innocent face, she couldn’t get behind his back yet his mind compelled him to inflict same amount of pain he was bearing.

He halted the formal dance to a stop and excused Elizabeth to a corner, “Liza, thanks for the lovely dance but my wife is alone and I have to be with my wife. Enjoy!”

He brushed past her and made his way to their cottage. He was greeted with haunting silence and blinding darkness as he stepped in, allowing the fear to seep in his bones about Anahita. He pranced to the bedroom to witness the door opened ajar and the feminine covered under the blanket from head to toe. He pushed out a sigh and stared at her, unblinking. He knew she wasn’t asleep. She couldn’t when he was struggling to erase the part where he had to hear someone confessing his love to his wife.

He ambled inside the bathroom, refusing to care about her. He was against the idea to push her against the wall and kiss her better until she confessed her love to him but wasn’t that inhumane? Had she chosen him, she wouldn’t have waited to verbalize her thoughts.

“You’re a gone case, Yuvraaj!” he hissed, banging his fist on the tiled wall and swiped his wet hair back. He snatched a towel from the rod, cinched it around his waist and materialized into the bedroom. He tossed a glance at the bed and it was empty. Rolling his eyes, he strode to the cupboard, took out his t-shirt and pulled it on hastily. He was about to slip under the covers when Anahita blocked his path, glaring at him through her red eyes.

“How long is this going? Did it start from the night you bloody saved her or was it just a trap to make me believe in your philanthropic shit?"

Yuvraaj clenched his jaw and glowered at her. He strode past her and grabbed his pillow, ready to move to the living hall but Anahita grasped his arm and veered him to face her. Tears surfaced her eyes as she beheld him, repining with her eyes only. She couldn't believe what chemical changes took place in his body that he became so distant?

Her soft touch braced him from doing something inappropriate at her audacity. He looked away and she stepped closer to cup his face, tenderly. “What has happened to you, Yuvraaj? Why did you hurt me like that?”

"Leave me alone, Anahita." He gently freed himself and was about to walk away but she pulled him, cuffing his wrist. "I won't let you go until I get my answers. Who is she to you? What's your relation with that bitch?"

"I don't owe you any answer. Okay?” He snapped, throwing the pillow on the bed and clicked his fingers at her, “You are no one to me."

“Like hell you owe me. I am your fucking wife. You can't just walk over me like that, understand? I am not some chewing gum, you'll chew whenever you wish and then spit it out. How can you even think of cheating me? How can you betray me, Yuvraaj?" Anahita hollered, pushing him on the chest and he stumbled back before he gained his balance.

"Words such as cheating and betrayal don't suit you, Ms. Maurya." Color drained from her eyes as she comprehended the term. Miss Maurya? Was she back to that in a blink from Mrs. Prakash? A trail of tears flowed down to her cheek and she stood still, “Yuvraaj?”

"Don't keep this bullshit on, Anahita. You never wanted to keep this relationship. It was always a baseless, nameless hollow term for you. Then why do you feel betrayed? Why do you feel cheated? Didn't you desperately look a way out for an escape? Now when I am gladly giving you that escape why are you yapping in my ears?" Yuvraaj gnashed teeth together, losing his calm. "You accuse that I use you like a chewing gum whereas it's you who does that. Now suddenly you've realized that you're my wife but how can you be my wife when you never accepted this relation? You don't even love me then who the hell am I to you? Why do you expect me to answer you? It doesn’t matter who I am with.”