Sorry for the late update. I was too busy these days and couldn't respond to any of your messages.
Ruhi:
I sat in front of my dadu's tomb in the middle of a field. It was located behind my house. I usually come here to pay my visit to him. It's been months now, and my baby bump has grown big. And soon I am going to be a Maa.
And I share everything with my dadu. "You know, dadu, he keeps kicking me in the night to disturb my sleep. And I gained weight. I think I am looking fat with this big bump."
"Ruhi..." Ekansh approached me and sat beside me. "Aren't you done speaking with him?" I chuckled and shook my head. He pulled me close and whispered, "You look beautiful today."
We stared at each other. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes at something, his forehead was occupied with lines too. I glanced at the spot and my eyes widened when I saw a big python snake approaching us. I never saw a snake as huge and as fat as that one.
The snake aimed to attack us, so we stood up and Ekansh hid me behind him. It was late evening and everyone left to their houses.
"Ruhi, Run!" Ekansh commanded. I shook my head. "I will not leave you!"
"Ruhi, I will fight with him. But you have to run. Please for the sake of our baby."
"Baby!" I touched my bump and spun my head.
"Run!" Python stood in front of us. "Run!" Ekansh yelled. I started to move my foot in the opposite direction and ran from there. When I turned around, Ekansh was fighting with that python with a stick. Just then I tripped on the floor and fell upon my belly. A big scream escaped out of my mouth. I cried as I felt pain in my stomach. And then blood oozed out from my vagina. Suddenly, the baby came out of my stomach and I found him to be dead.
"Ekansh!" I yelled. "Ekansh, look my baby is not moving." But when I turned around, I saw blood on the floor and EKansh was lying lifeless too.
I screamed for help. But no one approached me and the night engulfed me with his solitude and darkness. Everything looked scary. And the realization that I lost everything started to kill me. I hugged my dead baby and dragged myself to my husband. "Why is everyone leaving me alone, dadu?" I asked him staring at his tomb. "Am I unlucky to everyone, even to my baby?" I questioned him again.
.
.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself on the bed in my room. My hands instantly touched my belly. It was flat. And I wondered, "Did I lose everything?"
But then my eyes fell on the sleeping figure of Ekansh on my couch. I closed my eyes and cried for a few minutes. It was a dream. It was a dream. Nothing happened to him and my baby is still safe and small.
I opened my eyes and continuously stared at Ekansh. Even though it was late morning, he was sound asleep. What if my dream comes true and I kill him and the baby too? First, my parents died because of me and then dadu. Maybe this dream is a sign that I am dangerous to Ekansh and my baby. I shook my head, I have to keep them safe.
Ekansh will find someone one day but what about my baby? I will give him to Maa, I know she will keep him safe. Then I will go away from them. Far away.
I heard the continuous vibrations of a mobile. I have no idea where my handbag is. I climbed down and searched for my mobile. But I found Ekansh's beside the fruit bowl.
Maybe he received texts from Anthra. But the name that appeared on the screen was Harshit Pra.
Harsh: Stay with Ruhi Bhabhi, don't leave her alone and try to clear out the misunderstandings. You better show her Anthra's clip, I sent it to you last night.
I debated whether to check it or not. I gave up and unlocked his mobile. I moved to the balcony and played the clip of 5 minutes.
I could see half of Anthra's face and even an unknown woman. As the video played I was taken by surprise by the plan they had made. Fake pregnancy. If I hadn't encountered them that night, she planned to sleep with Ekansh.
Then fake suicide and suicide note.
I was trying to save you, Ruhi.
So, they blackmailed to arrest me in charge of her suicide.
I offed the screen and placed his mobile in its previous position
I know he did love me but how did he make divorce papers in one night?
I have an appointment with my gynaecologist at 11, so I woke up to get ready. I went with Maa to the hospital and Ekansh drove the car. I was in the fifth week, so the baby wasn't visible in the scan. Meanwhile, Ekansh tried to speak with me but I ignored him the whole day. In the night he came to my room and demanded to speak with him. He caught my hand, "Ruhi!"
"Ekansh, trust me you are the last person I want to speak or see in this world. So just leave me and go away from my life."
He left me and took the knife from the fruit bowl, "saza dena hai toh is Chaku (knife) se kat do Hume. Jitna Mann chahe utne ghaw dedo, par Hume chod ne ki baat math karo Ruhi." (If you want to punish me take this knife and stab me or injure me as much as you want, but don't tell me to leave, please.)
"Saza. Is choti se chaku(knife) se hum jo ghaw denge ek na ek din toh wo bhar jayange na Ekansh." (Punishment. With this small knife? And one or another day it will heal.)
"Toh phr Jaan Lelo meri." My heart dropped by his sudden words. "Shayad hum sukoon se reh toh sakenge zamin ke andar." I fisted my hands. He pulled me close out of the blue, his hands circled me and kept me tugged against him. "Kyunki aap mano ya nahi, aap mei humari Jaan basthi hai Ruhi."(Then kill me. Maybe, I will sleep peacefully under the ground. You are my soul, Ruhi.)
As time went on, I forgot all the misunderstandings between us and felt like hugging him tight. I hugged everyone, I cried on everyone's shoulder but I didn't get the relief, the one I knew I would get in him.
I closed my eyes as his eyes were acting like a cave of enchantments. As if they hold the spells.
"Chodo!" I demanded. (Leave!)
"Nahi!" He argued with a hoarse voice against my lips.(No!)
I inhaled deeply and opened my eyes. "What do you want?"
"Ruhi. I want Ruhi. And she has my soul."
I flared my nares, "Dhoka toh acha delethe ho. Aur aaj patha chala ki mazak bhi acha kar lethe ho aap." (Your betrayal was excellent. And today I realized that you can joke excellently too.)
"Ruhi. I went to meet her that night because she threatened to kill herself..."
"... Whatever you met her, without my permission and that's unforgivable in the first case." I acknowledged him, by stabbing my index against his chest. "Then you letting her touch you is the next unforgivable crime," I added. Taking a deep breath, "Tell me how and when did you filed the divorce?"
"With Anthra-" He started and I cut him off.
"That's it. From day one of our engagement you have been hurting me, Ekansh. What are you expecting from me? That Ruhi has a soul of Saint.. bada Dil hai ya dayalu Dil hai etc. Etc. Are insaan hai hum Ekansh." I said. (I am a human too, Ekansh!)
He lowered his head but didn't let me go.
Instead, he lifted me in his arms and placed me on my bed. Then hugging me tight he closed his eyes. "Haan hogayi galti. Saza mei sab kuch Mansoor karlinge lekin apse judai nahi."
I heard nothing from him, except his snores. After a few minutes, his grip around me loosened. I moved away from him and slept on the other side of the bed.
The next few days passed on. My family and even his family distributed sweets and clothes to the poor.
I took a few days' leave from my university. I shared with Saniya about my pregnancy. She was happy and even concerned about my present condition.
"What did you decide about Dr Ekansh?"
I sighed. "I will tell you, later."
"Fine. But take care and be careful."
"I will!"
***
A week has passed and now a pea-size fetus appeared in the. I was surprised to see a heartbeat too.
It was the first time in these two weeks I smiled wholeheartedly.
I glanced at Maa, she was smiling too but her eyes were on the scanning screen and when my eyes dropped at Ekansh. His eyes were on me. He smiled at me.
These days we both were living in the same room, but he slept on the couch and I on bed. I haven't spoken anything with him since I saw the video clip of Anthra's confession neither did he speak anything with me other than asking about my health.
Even today, he didn't interfere when I asked Maa to accompany me for the hospital visit. However, he came in a separate car to the hospital. He was giving me space, and I apprehended that.
The next morning on the breakfast table, when everyone was having breakfast, I took the chance and spoke. "Dadaji, Papaji and Taujiâ" I began, "Till now Daduâ" I gulped, "âto-took every decision of my life, or supported me in my decisions. But today, I want to decide about my life and I need your permission for it."
"Boliye, beta ji!" Kirpal Dadaji spoke out.(We are hearing.)
"I want a divorce from Ekansh!" I announced.
For a moment everyone went into silence. But Ekansh's eyes were struck on me with shock.
"Beta jiâ" papaji began but Kirpal Dadaji cut him off.(But dear-)
"Apki marji, Ruhi beta!"(Your wish, Ruhi.)
"Ap ka matlab kya hai unki marji, dadaji" came an argumentative voice from Ekansh. (What do you mean by her wish, dadaji?)
"Ekansh!" Papaji raised his voice. "How can you speak with such a loud voice to Dadaji?"
Shaking his head, "I am not disrespecting anyone. But, Ruhi is my wife. And I don't want to divorce my wife." He declared.
"We already forced this wedding on you both but now that she wants to divorce you, we want to go with her decision," Papaji spoke, surprising me. I thought he would argue with me and will never support me.
"Yes, you all forced this wedding on me and now you all want to force the divorce on me," Ekansh argued.
"We want to see Ruhi's happiness," Maa interjected now.
I shook my head, "Ruhi. Ruhi. Sirf Ruhi hi insaan hai hum nahi. Humare koi feelings nahi hai. Man liya humne ki bhut badi galti hogayi. Lekin ab Ruhi se alag karke Marne ki koshish kar rahe kya ap log." (Ruhi, Ruhi. Only she is a human and I am not? I don't have any feelings? I accept that I committed a mistake. And now you all are planning to kill me by separating me from her.)
"Ekanshâ" papaji began.
But he stood up, his glare darted at me, "Chahe puri duniya bhi humare khilaaf chali jaye, hum apko divorce nahi denge, Ruhi Ekansh Razdan!" He declared making my heart skip a beat. (Even if the whole world will go against me, I will never divorce you, Ruhi Ekansh Razdan.)