ARMAAN
Armaan Kapoor drove his children off to school and then reached his office.
The 16 story building was reflecting light , and it oozed sophistication and money.
The Kapoor industries was the leading industry of India and quite a renowned company globally.
Armaan threw his car keys at the valet and stormed inside.
He liked to drive himself and take his children to school,
Very unlikely for people in his position to do so,
But he liked it,
Driving calmed his mind,
And he always needed calming because everyday
His wife caused a scene ,
So she could get a divorce.
Why ,
So she could marry that rat
Reyansh Khanna.
His mouth twisted bitterly.
What did she see in him?
Because he was gentle and a good person unlike him.
He scoffed.
Khanna was weak in his eyes,
He would never be weak and milksop like him.
This morning she had behaved strangly,
Not about cursing him,
She always cursed and shouted at him,
Or she didn't speak at all.
It was strange that she cried and complained that he left her?
His eyes narrowed in thought,
Was it another conspiracy of hers?
What was she planning?
As the lift halted on the top floor ,
He walked into his office,
People stood and greeted him,
He acknowledged them with a professional nod.
"Sir" his secretary greeted him,
And he sat down on his chair.
His secretary looked hesitant.
"Out with it." He ordered.
"Madam sold all her shares in Khanna industries."
And it was silent.
He did not speak for a few moments.
His frown evident on his face.
He massaged his temple with his fingers.
"Do you have any idea why she did that?"he asked .
As far as he knew,
She had bought shares in Khanna industry when Reyansh had joined as CEO, and that too with selling her shares of Kapoor industries which he gave her.
She had done that so Reyansh could control the company.
She was a major shareholder in Khanna industries like 20% and with Reyansh's inherited 20% ,
Reyansh controlled things
And his other 2 brother who each only had 20% were lagging behind
In the race of successor.
Armaan exhaled.
"No,sir. She just sold her shares this morning." He replied.
He hmmed.
Could it be she had a fight with Khanna?
His heart felt a sliver of hope.
No, I must not think like this,
After 10 years of marriage,
2 children,
She still loved Khanna,
And dispised him and his children,
She could not change overnight.
He sighed.
One day ,
He would run out of patience and hope,
He might really give her divorce.
Though it was not today,
He smiled bitterly.
Today , he still felt he won't be giving up on her.
"Investigate the matter."he ordered his secretary.
The rest of the day went by quickly
And it was already dark.
He decided to take his work home.
As he entered the villa,
The housekeeper mrs.radha hovered over the door.
He gave his suitcase and blazer to the waiting servent and as the servent s tactfully left,
He turned to her.
" Madam had not eaten anything yesterday and today she .. she was cooking in the kitchen"
Anger rolled in him.
" She didn't eat anything,
And you didn't feed her?,
And you are telling me that NOW!"
He roared.
"If she didn't eat anything then you should have told me then and there."
He snapped.
" Why are you yelling at her?
Beta(son), that Mausam did not eat ,
Did not come out of her room,
Not even when we called for her,
And you know if we go inside her room,
She screams as if we are there to kill her." His mother , Reha spoke,
And the maid silently slipped past them , fearing the anger of Armaan.
Armaan seethed,
Now why did she not eat!
What could ignoring her own health possibly do?
Ignoring his mother's words,
He started to go towards her room.
But as he marched there,
She didn't open the door when he knocked ,
"Open up, Mausam, I need to talk."
"She won't open it."
His mother, who has followed him,
Shouted.
He startled,
When had she came here?
He knew that there was 90% chance she won't open but if she wanted something and had done hunger strike again for it ,
Then she would open.
" She won't open the door
Because she is not here."
His mother said.
His fist which was about to connect to the door, halted in the air.
Panic began to run across him.
His face , taut with tension turned to his mother.
" What do you mean?"
Thoughts of her somewhere far from him, alone and scared ,
Made his gut twist with fear.
She is so naive,
Where could she have gone?
Did she go to Khanna mansion?
This thought gave rise to anger in him.
"She is in the kitchen."
And again he was shocked,
"What?" He said dumbly.
"Kitchen.
She is in the kitchen,
Doing something.
God knows what!"
Reha said.
And his steps hurried,
She has never gone in kitchen before,
Why now?
What was she doing?
As he made his way
Towards the kitchen,
He heard a soft humming,
And the source was her,
HIS WIFE.
He stood there rooted in shock.
She was stirring the something in the pan.
The gas was on.
"What are you doing?" He asked her,
And it startled her.
And she yelped , and spilling the contents of the pan on her skin.
He ran towards, hurriedly taking her palm in his hands,
He examined it.
"God, what are you doing?
Kyun karti ho ye sab agar hota nahi he to tumse!"
( Why do you do this all if you can't do it! )
And he started sucking on her palm.
"I.. I.. you scared me , ese hi achanak se aa gaye tum."
( You just came suddenly!)
"Aur ye kya kar rahe ho tum!"she yelled and snatched her hand away from his, and blew on it, while glaring at him.
( And what are you even doing!)
He felt her absence so akinly.
He smirked.
"What is all this nonsense?
First you don't eat
And now you are "
He looked down at the pot,
It was something ,
He didn't know why it was,
"Rice, it's rice."she stated.
His ears turned warm.
He felt embarrassed at not knowing what was cooking,
But he was a businessman not a cook.
" Cooking rice."
She opened her mouth as if she retort
But then she closed her eyes,
And exhaled,
And opening her eyes she said,
" I like rice, there wasn't any so I was making it and Radha aunty offered to make it but I insisted on doing it."
" Kyun hum kya tumhare khane me zeher dalte he ki tumne apna khana khud banana padta he." Reha taunted her.
(
Why? Do we add poison to your food? That you are making it on your own!)
He looked at her.
She was behaving strangely.
First she was cooking,
And she was talking calmly,
She had never talked like that to me,
Not that she was very sweetly talking to him,
But she was not glaring at him,
Or giving him curses
Or
Giving him silent treatment.
She always expressed her hate to him.
Right now she was doing neither she was just calm.
" Why? Why are you doing this?
What do you want?" He questioned her.
Tell me , what is all this?
He urged her in his mind.
"She wants money or divorce,
Or all of us to die,
Seriously beta just divorce her."
Before she could reply his mother shouted.
She pursued her lips,
His eyes followed her movements.
And she averted her eyes,
Turning she looked at the rice boiling in the pot,
" Nothing , I am just cooking ,"
She said
And under her breath, she mumbled
Why are all you making such fuss."
If he was not this close to her he would have missed want she said,
Deciding to ignore this,
He went away.
If she did not say want she wanted how was he to know anything?
He could not say anything to her if she was just cooking rice.
Strange as it was.
Updated - 23/10/24