Chapter 15

Once out of the building, as they walked towards their car where Veeru was waiting for them, Geetha said, "You are really not going to talk to me? Fine, don't talk to me. But you should be the one to introduce me to everyone."

Ramit stopped. It actually mattered to her. "Didn't you introduce yourself just fine?"

"I had to! What else could I do?"

"What's the problem? If you didn't want to, you could've just stayed silent." He scoffed. "If you have a problem with me, just go and live at your house."

"How can I go there? Isn't it rented out?

"Did you become dumb after getting pregnant?"

Ah, it seemed she was lied to. It wasn't really that long since he came to live in Paris. She did not have the opportunity to check. "Didn't you say you were going to use it for investment?"

"Now you know it's empty. Just go there."

Geetha wanted to kick his leg, but she held herself back.

"So you didn't rent your flat either?"

He turned to her and said, "Why should I tell you that? Please stop talking for some time." So what if it was a lie? Thinking back, he hated how desperate he had been. He hated lying and being lied to, but he had to do it too. For her sake. He wished those lies were going to be the last.

She nodded slowly. He asked her to stop talking for some time. That was her life's first time when anyone called her annoying. She had never irritated anyone.

Suddenly she said, "I know!"

"What?" Ramit asked, unsure.

"That time I also didn't introduce you to my colleagues. Is that why?"

"..." He also remembered feeling bad at that time, but that had nothing to do with today. He was not talking to her for almost a month now.

"They're not worth knowing. You don't know how much pain they are to work with. They make me repeat every little thing. They bug me instead of bugging the manager. It's simply a waste of energy, okay?"

Ramit covered his eyes. She really thought everyone had kicks for revenge like herself!

"Geetha, stop. Let's go." He had to hold her wrist and make her walk to the car.

"Fine. I deserve it," she said. Given the situation, how could he want her to go to his office again? Moreover, it was just a small payback from how she behaved with him.

Ramit took a deep breath, unsure of what she meant. Whatever it was, it did not have a pleasant meaning. "What? What do you deserve?"

She stayed silent.

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When they finally reached the car, Ramit told Veeru that they could go on their own and asked him to stay at the company. Once his assistant left, he nudged her into the driver seat. She simply looked forward, not showing acknowledgement or resistance. When he also sat in, she drove quietly.

After a long time, when they stopped at a signal, Ramit, ruminating on her words of deserving not to be introduced, said, "Don't think too much. I didn't mean anything. I just don't feel like talking to you."

"Then shut up." Her hand was on the steering and her eyes looked ahead. She put her entire focus into brooding over how to deal with the one beside. It ran her mind all this time and her limbs were on autopilot.

Ramit paused. He needed to, to rewind and replay what she said and he had the biggest jaw-drop of his life. "Okay! See if I ever talk to you again!" How could she say that to him!

Geetha's realisation came a little too slowly, as one windshield after another glittered the sun onto her eyes from the busy road across. She whipped her head in his direction. "No. No. That came out wrong." Did she lose control of her own damn words!

Ramit had already turned to the window and shut his eyes.

"I meant to say, don't force yourself." She bent forward until her chest touched the steering, with her breast being pressed down by the seat belt. Yet she could not see his face.

"Really," she said, but it was lost in the sound of the horn. She looked at the traffic signal and the light was green. The car behind was honking non-stop in that minuscule moment of delay. She accelerated and drove forwards, with her eyes on the road and her whole mind on driving until they reached home. Such an embarrassing thing could not repeat.

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It was 4 in the evening when she parked the car. He was quick to act. He took off his seat-belt, opened the car door and literally whooshed off as fast as a ninja.

Geetha, on the other hand, took her time in the car, having a chocolate and wiping her snot. There was no sound as she cried. It had been a month since he stopped talking to her properly. She put her hand to her head. Every night she climbed into the bed only after he fell asleep, just so she could put a hand on him. His medicines had some sleep inducers and so she could wake up before him despite having cried to sleep sometimes. After all, he was constantly reminding her she had no reason staying with him. She was afraid things would spiral out of control.

That day she was very excited. She expected him to talk to her or at least take her presence into account. After all, they were venturing into the outside world and meeting other people. But he decided to completely ignore her even in front of them. She had gotten herself to look the prettiest she had ever been without professional help. The baby blue saree she was in was what he had gifted to her on the Diwali when their marriage was still very new. He did not even smile at her the entire day.

When she played the self blame card, he finally spoke to her almost like he had in the past. But what did she do?

She bit her lips and calmed herself down. She'd let him be for now. It's fine. She had a lot to do if she should ever win him over. She pulled out a few tissues, cleaned her face and powdered herself to perfection.

She looked at the time and blinked away the last tears. Seven whole minutes had passed. She looked around. She did not see anyone, thankfully. Five minutes of crying not staying inside a locked room was already too risky, she cried even longer. If anyone caught her, she'd feel embarrassed for 5 whole days.

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She got down and walked on the lawn for 10 minutes. The pleasant smell of the roses wafted in the afternoon air. She felt at peace. Everything was so serene and calm. Whenever a task at hand was pending, she did not take too much time away from it. Just a little tranquil time with herself was enough to recalibrate herself. She took a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth. Now she had the energy to go deal with him again!

She plucked a pink rose.

She left her chappal at the door and marched forward with her head held parallel to the inclination of the staircase she climbed, one step at a time. She could take more in one leap. But her saree restricted her movement and she was pregnant. One look, and anyone would know she was on a mission.

"Geetha!"

She turned around to her mother-in-law, and the maid who stood with a cup of coffee. "Maa?" She smiled. She did not hide the rose in her hand.

"Let it be. You go," her mother-in-law said when she saw the rose.

"No problem. Let me take it." Geetha went to the maid, put the rose in the saucer and took it from her and marched with the same enthusiasm as before. She was lucky to have such a nice mother-in-law, how helpful!

Looking at her, both the women downstairs stared at each other. Their consensus was that it seemed they did not have much to worry about. But unsure, they still sighed.

Geetha brought her arrangement upstairs.

"Salut! Cafe!" She said as she opened the door.

There was no one inside.

She put the cup saucer on the nightstand and covered it with a lid. Next, she went to the bathroom and knocked on the door. "Are you in there all this while? What happened? Do you need any help?"

Inside, Ramit was washing his face with his left hand. While he could move his right one now, controlling the left precisely was fun in itself, he had discovered recently. He did not reply to her. Why was she pestering him so much? Did she also feel that he pestered her this much when he followed her to Paris? No way! He gave her enough time between their encounters. But she was not considerate like him. Being the sensible guy he was, he also respected her privacy and stepped back, giving her space, literally. But she would not stop getting touchy with him at all, knowing that he was not feeling good about it.

"Ramit, are you fine?" She knocked again.

"Fine!" he growled.

"Okay," she whispered so softly, the sound did not penetrate the door.

She took the rose and sat on the bed, waiting.

When Ramit came out, after five more minutes, she extended her hand, with a smile plastered on her lips.

Ramit covered his eyes with his left hand and turned towards the ceiling. What should he do with her? He heard pregnant women sometimes go mental.

He shook his head as he said, "You stop acting like this. You were much better before."

"I'm not acting..." she said, taking back her hand.

"Not that acting. Your behaviour. Set it right, it's unnerving." Since she was not taking his clues, he had to spell it out to her, no matter how awkward it made him to talk like that.

"I know what I am doing. My behaviour is perfectly fine," she said, nodding her head, "now."

Well, the change was rather great but he felt uncomfortable. He did not say anything. As he walked out of the room, she stopped him.

"Coffee," she said and pointed to the nightstand. He still turned around. She quickly grabbed his arm.

"I don't understand. What do you want exactly?"

He tried to pull his hand away but she grabbed his other hand too.

"I know I was uncaring before. I'm sorry. I really care about you now." She did in fact.

He frowned. Unable to say much, he removed her hands off himself.

"Where are you going?" She asked him and caught his hands again.

"Let go, Geetha!"

"Tell me, how should I behave?"

He tried to flung her away but her hold was rather strong. "Don't! Either of us will get hurt. You're still recovering and I'm pregnant, just so you forgot," she said, looking menacing. It was the first time he had seen the side of her. So unlike her usual self who was concerned only about herself. So overbearing. Her eyes were slightly red, telling him how mad she was.

"I'll tell you. I just don't want you around. We'll get a divorce as soon as possible." His voice trembled. He hated such confrontations, especially when forced by others.

She did not relent. Her hold only tightened. "Why? I said we'll live together. So what is it now?"

"I said leave me! What's wrong with you?"

Oh well, she hated wishy-washy people. If he could not give her a definitive reason, then on what grounds was he raising the issue of a divorce? Fine, how much weight did an apology hold? Actions weighed more than words. Was she not doing all the little things she could for him given that he did not even give her enough chances?

"Do you know how tough it is to deal with you? Say it out so that I know! Or, fine! Suit yourself then." She released his hands. She had also had enough of his silent treatment. Of the few things that utterly annoyed her was not talking and not saying things straight forward.

Ramit left the room at her outburst and went to the terrace. He sat in the shade. His heart felt empty. He thought about each of their interactions. He had some very fond memories from when they were kids. When he was 5, he had many chances to play with her whenever their mothers met. She was 1½ years old. She wasn't even a toddler.

They knew each other for 6 months before her family shifted. During that time, as she grew up, she would respond to his and to her own name without any difference, an odd habit to acquire. Every "Ramit" would make her head turn.

"Geetha! They didn't call you. They called me!" The last time he corrected her like that was the day she stuffed those paperclips in his hands.

"Okay," she would sulk each time.

Then he thought about their highschool days. Those were also equally fond memories. While he was going down the memory lane, Geetha was in their bedroom, sipping his coffee.

Her face was dull. She felt exhausted. She did not understand what his problem was anymore. Sure, she was the worst wife, but she was willing to be nice and caring and how was she going to do that if he didn't give her the chance? All that he was doing now was wasting both of their time.

Looking down, she pursed her lips. She noticed that she crumpled her favourite saree and instantly released her grip and smoothed it out. She got up and changed into a comfortable pair of clothes. The next second she dropped dead on the bed and slept off.

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