Chapter 25: chapter 25

GOWRI“Tomorrow is Sunday. Any plans?” asks Kamali, my colleague. I shrug. My colleagues don't know that I am married. So, as far as Kamali is concerned, I am single and living with a relative of mine in this city.“How about we go for a movie tomorrow?” “I will try,” I say rubbing my eyes. My period cramps are making it difficult to stay active. All I want to do now is go curl on my bed and hug the pillow and sleep forever.“Come on, Gowri, we must do something together,” she tells. Honestly, I have no objection to going on an outing with her. But my upper legs are paining and the last thing I want to do tomorrow is to sit in a theatre and watch a movie with all those loud noises.“Please, not this week. I am having my periods,” I tell.“Oh! Okay, that sucks,” she tells getting the point. “We will go next week. No more exc-”“Gowri,” someone calls interrupting her. I turn around and see my lead waving at me to come to her room.Panic rises in my chest. Kamali gives me a What-mistake-did-you-do look as I  follow my lead to her room. 🍀🍀🍀🍀My lead is a woman in her mid-forties who looks like she is in her early thirties. She is a know-it-all and no-nonsense woman who don't tolerate mistakes.“Do you have any problems in your personal life?” she asks when we are in her room.“Yes, I do,” I reply honestly. “Fine, I will not ask you what it is but sort it out sooner. You are not concentrating on your work. Two couples have raised complaints against you.”OH DAMN!! IS SHE GOING TO FIRE ME?“I am sorry madam,” I apologise. She sighs with a frown and looks at the monitor before her. Her frown lessens.“Your former lead has given good comments about you. I take it that your marriage and the transfer have taken a toll on you.”WAIT! How Did She Know About My Marriage?My thoughts should have shown on my face because she laughs and tells, “You think no one knows about your marital status. Well, I know because I was the one who approved your transfer and in it, you have mentioned the reason as marriage.”DAMMIT!! My Transfer Email.I sent the email before meeting Shiva. So, I had put the real reason. How the hell did I forget that?“I am puzzled why you are dishonest about your marital status to us but I am not going to stress it. I don't want to mix up your personal and professional lives. So, start focusing on the job.”I nod gratefully that she didn't create a big fuss for hiding about marriage.“Why don't you take a break for the divorce cases?”“You mean I should quit or go on a holiday?” I ask hoping after hope that she wouldn't fire me.“No, not quitting. It takes more than a couple of complaints from clients to fire you. Going on a holiday would help but I didn't mean that. You have done counselling at school right?”I nod. That was one of the main reasons I had come to Chennai on the past occasions.  Dealing with married couples who are falling out of love can be exhausting and depressing at times. So, marriage counsellors in my organization get to visit a few selected schools for counselling as a change.“Why don't you do that for a few days?” she asks.“Ok, madam.”“Good, I will send you the list of schools,” she tells dismissing me.🍀🍀🍀🍀I am watching TV. But the pain in my lower back makes it hard to concentrate on the program. I should go to sleep but my mind keeps playing out the scene at my lead's office.Yes, my lead is right. I am not performing up to my standard.  This is the first time in the four years that I have worked, that I  got a black mark. Caught up in my problems, I am not focusing much on the work. The only person responsible for this mess is Shiva. If only he hadn’t agreed to marry me or just moved on from Riya. Does he even know what I would lose by agreeing to all his conditions? Maybe I should demand high alimony from him but that would only prove his point of me being a gold digger.Oh God! Why should I suffer like this? Why couldn't I have a-The door opens and the very person I am thinking of enters the house. He is earlier than his normal time. If it had been any other day when I am in a good mood, I would have gone to my room but today I am not in a good mood.Instead of going to his room like I expected him to, he walks toward me. I keep my eyes glued to the TV trying to ignore the fear that rises in my mind when he stands near me.“Gowri, off the TV,” he warns in a commanding and harsh tone he always uses towards me.After reading his journals, I know he is not cold-hearted to everyone. Only to me, he is like this. Cold and angry. He will mop over a girl who doesn't deserve it but he will act like this to me. Me. Who has ruined my whole future by agreeing to his conditions. All the anger I had toward him, made me retort, “Why should I?”“Because I am ordering you to,” he tells raising his voice.HOW DARE HE?Gowri, calm down. Control. Nope, not happening. He will not treat me like this.“I am not your slave to do whatever you ask me to,” I answer back.“Off the TV,” he yells again.He Has No Right To Yell At Me.Please control your anger. He is just having work tension. You can do this.  No, I will not because he never treated me kindly.“No, I can’t,” I argue back.Before I realize what is happening, he snatches the TV remote from my hand and flings it towards the TV. I watch in horror as the TV remote hits the screen and everything goes blank.WHAT THE FRICKING HELL IS HE THINKING??Calm down. Cool down. You have more control over your emotions. Just go to your room. Don't make him angry. No, not going to happen. I have had enough of him. No more holding back. What did the TV do?Fury flares inside me. On a whim, I snatch the first thing that my hand gets hold of from the coffee table and throw it down. It falls and shatters to pieces. Only then did I realize it is the hanging fishbowl. The fishbowl was gifted by Riya.🍀🍀🍀🍀