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

“I hate you? Are you insane?”

"No, it’s you who is insane in addition to being blind and deaf because my anger, my jealousy everything stemmed out from my love. Unlike everyone, you never saw this or maybe you didn’t want to see because you had selected a gorgeous woman for you. So, it really doesn’t matter if I am screaming my confession here, you just won’t believe that.”

“So you love me, right? Then why were you in contact with Mukund?” He demanded, agitated on her accusations and proclamations. Contrary to what he expected, Anahita laughed animatedly, “Mukund card, huh? Now you’ll use him? Wow! Can’t believe it was you I came to love. Well, I don’t care for that asshole. I am not talking to him since we came here and it’d be better if he chokes himself to death. I won’t waste a single tear on him. So, this won’t work on me.”

Her way of assertion brought a wave of satisfaction within him as his common sense kicked in and he recalled that Mukund was constantly begging apologies. She wasn’t lying with lava oozing her eyes and her jaw paled with the tightness. Did he mess up, perhaps? He cursed himself and found himself saying calmly, “I am not lying, Anahita. I talked with…”

“It was my fault to think that you liked me,” Her voice came out croaky and filled with hurt, “I was a fool to think that you’d want to move on with me. A man can’t forget that his wife had a past, right? You must've felt the same bitterness and that made you flirt with someone you don’t even know properly.”

"For God sake, I didn’t flirt with her.” He pressed, clutching his head and threw his hand in air, “She would be the last woman I would want to be with. Why do you always drag her somehow between us? "

"It's you who dragged her between us.” Anahita accused, finding it difficult to share the same air with him, “I saw you both kissing for God sake. You knew I was there, watching you and still you ignored me.”

“For that, I am sorry…”

“I don’t want empty platitudes. I heard what was needed that I am no one to you and these five weeks are ending. I will pretend we never happened.”

"No," He roared, dragging her in his arms and forced her to look at him, “I can't pretend that we didn't happen because you're the best thing happen to me. I can’t pretend we never sleep together, never shared kisses, never teased each other and never dreamt to spend our lives in each other’s arms. I want to grow older with you, so Mrs. Prakash, I can’t forget you and I won’t let you forget me.”

“Suddenly I am Mrs. Prakash?” She mocked, sluggish in his hold, “Keep your imaginations with you because I am not going to spend my life with an infidel human.”

“I didn’t do anything.” He slowly repeated and pressed his forehead onto hers. “We are in a marriage to trust and love each other, not fight and accuse. You have to trust me.”

“I trust you but you don’t.” She argued, “It's hurtful to keep my expectations high from you and then see them thrashing down on the floor by your actions. The way you behaved today is not how I want my life to be. You can't come and hurt me whenever you wish and expect me to forgive you. I definitely love you but my love is not so weak to get me on my knees before you. I am not a doormat.”

"I know you are not. Would you please give me a chance to explain?" he tried to coax and she pushed his hands aside. “There's nothing left to explain. Just go."

Instead of complying with her demand, he pinned her to him and dropped a kiss on her neck, making her shudder. Despite everything, it was a moment of weakness for her and Yuvraaj took regal advantage of that. He tipped her chin up and slammed his lips upon hers.

Anahita stumbled back with the force and grabbed his shoulder tightly to keep her immobile. Her mind was beginning to float as he coaxed her into a slow, relaxed kiss. He tugged her lip between his teeth, gave a dedicated suck and pressed himself on hers. His hands come into the play to stroke her waist up and down, making her clung onto him. He pulled back and peppered balmy kisses all over her face but she began to resist.

“This is the only thing you want from me.” She muttered, struggling to pull away and moved her face. She didn’t want to lose the conversation just because she wasn’t strong enough to resist his charm. As she crept away, Yuvraaj again tried to touch her and in her vague mind, she didn’t realize when her palm cracked across his cheek, leaving imprints and snapped back with equal force.

Everything turned eerily silent around them as they stood fixated on their places. Anahita covered her mouth, taking a step back as she realized what had happened. Speech robbed her and she kept staring at him while Yuvraaj was standing with his jaw clenched and knuckles white. His eyes were livid and his chest expanded and contracted with the intakes of heavy breaths.

Anahita felt her heart skipping to her mouth, thinking of the consequences. She wasn’t sure if he would slap her because if he so much as pinched her, she’d be splintered into tiny pieces. She knew she had to say something in defense, like how she wasn’t in mood, how she was hurt and how he was forcing but she just stood there quivering.

"Get out, Anahita." Yuvraaj icily whispered and a wave of fear swept over her. She was beyond intimated to hear him and beat a hasty retreat, with a pledge to never step inside the villa again.

*****

Wrapped in silent grief, Anahita permitted herself to pity on her fate. She wailed, hiccupped and shed tears on her scattered stars. They were all over the place, forming no sequence, accepting no miracles. Her life was full of catastrophes. She hugged herself to combat the chilly wind. Her slim shirt and slacks weren’t suitable to the weather and she wasn’t going to bargain with her pride to fetch a pullover.

The ocean was silent and night was dark despite the half moonlight spilling across the stretch of the coast. It was so serene and so comforting that if she sat and pitied on herself, sulking in a corner, no one would probably notice her. She didn’t want to be brave today because she knew she wasn’t and the fact didn’t hurt anymore. She wasn’t allowing anyone to break her imperfect heart and leave her to mend it.