Chapter 45

It had been a day since we came back from our vacation. Everyone went back to their normal routine except me. I had asked Harsha to give me some time before I went back to work.

No one was home except me and Bharathi. She asked me to buy some supplies for her college work since she was not feeling well.

When I came back home, I saw Harsha's bike outside, but when I searched for him, he was not inside. Maybe he went to the office in the car with my husband.

It was so hot outside, I was sweating all over. I switched on the fan and sat on the couch to rest before going to Bharathi.

I searched for my phone and then I remembered that Bharathi had borrowed my phone to make a call. She had left her phone in her brother's bag by accident when we came back from our vacation.

As I closed my eyes and laid my head back on the headrest, my mind went back to the moment when I admitted that I loved my husband in front of Nija and Harsha.

"I am not leaving him... Never. I love him. How could you say that?" I was the only one surprised by my own words. Both of them were smirking at me as if they had known all along.

"We know, Aadhi," Harsha said, smiling. "It's not hard for us to know when your eyes follow him all day like a lovesick puppy."

Harsha laughed at my embarrassed face, and soon Nija was laughing too.

"When we went on that business trip, I've never seen Abhi like that... Like a lost soul... As a friend, I was concerned and asked him what was wrong.

Don't misunderstand this, but just think about it, how much it affected him for him to cry like a baby, spilling all his emotions to us.

He was always the strongest person among us and seeing him cry and hurt himself without food and sleep like that just shocked me.

I didn't know how to make him feel better. I was angry at you for hurting my friend.

Over the following days, we both did everything we could to bring him back to normal. But he smiled and pretended because he didn't want us to worry about him.

But I knew he was missing a major part of himself... He missed you, Aadhi.

Then I started observing you, and I understood that whatever you said to him was not true.

Either you were not being true to yourself, or you were doing all those hurtful things deliberately for some reason.

So I decided to make you see the diamond in front of you. That is why I involved Mia in this. She was happy to help you two.

I just had to be sure that you were interested in this relationship as much as he was.

I know it's not my place to do all that. But after everything he did for me, it's the least I can do for him. I want him to be happy...with you.

You are his happiness, Aadhi, so I want you to go and talk to him. He seems a bit angry and confused nowadays because of something going on with you.

You don't have to give a long speech... Just tell him what you said to us, that's enough.

And I am sorry if I crossed the line, I will accept any punishment for that," Nija apologized, raising his hands in surrender after explaining his side of the story.

I didn't know what to say. Although I was angry that he was poking his nose where it wasn't needed, I understood his love and care for his best friend.

I would do the same if I was in his place. Just then, I also realized how lucky I was to be surrounded by these amazing people.

Since that day, I have been preparing myself to approach my husband. I had been playing different scenarios in my mind and trying to prepare myself for all of those outcomes.

Even after all that and a pep talk that I gave myself, I couldn't overcome my fear of rejection.

I know I need to do this as soon as possible... I just don't know how.

I didn't notice someone coming inside the house while I was lost in my thoughts.

"Where's Bharathi?" my husband asked me. I saw Bharathi's phone in his hand and realized that he had come back to give her the phone.

"In her room. Wait, let me call her." I rushed toward her room, not wanting to make him wait.

"It's okay," he said and walked past me without waiting for my response.

He knocked on the door calling her name a couple of times. Since she was not answering, he unlocked the door and went inside.

I was a little annoyed at how he behaved, but then I shrugged it off. I was about to sit back on the couch when I heard a loud thud.

I turned around to look back. Harsha was on the floor with bleeding lips in front of Bharathi's room.

My husband came out of the room angrily, grabbing Bharathi's hand and pulling her with him. I've never seen anything so scary in my life.

"Abhi...let me..." Harsha tried to talk but my husband landed a punch on his face and made him fall again.

I gasped and ran toward Harsha to help him, but I was pushed away by my husband. He pulled Harsha by the collar of his shirt and whacked him again.

"Stop it," I cried out and stood in between them trying to stop my husband. That made him stop, but if looks could burn someone, then Harsha would be a pile of ash right now.

"What's going on?" I asked them, expecting someone to answer me while I was helping Harsha to get up. Bharathi was just standing behind her brother and crying non-stop.

"Abhi... Please... Listen to me," Harsha pleaded.

"You were kissing my sister!" my husband yelled and hit him again, pushing me away.

"What's he saying, Harsha?" I asked, helping him stand again.

I knew he wouldn't have done that. It must be a misunderstanding, but I need to know what happened to start with.

"It's not what you think, Aadhi...it's..." He tried to tell me something with his bruised face and swollen lips.

"You sent him to my room," Bharathi said suddenly, looking at me while crying.

"So that's why you tried to stop me and go inside her room first? You were keeping watch for him, weren't you?" my husband accused me.

What the hell? I was shocked at the sudden turn of events.

"Aadhi didn't do anything, Abhi." Harsha defended me as I stood speechless.

"Bharathi, tell me what happened." This time he looked at his sister and questioned her.

"He came inside my room, saying he wanted to talk, and told me that Aadhi sent him in. While we were talking, he said he liked me and started kissing me forcefully. That's when you came in."

She started sobbing, hiding her face in her palms after saying all those utter lies.

I was beyond shocked at her lies. I didn't know what happened between her and Harsha but why would she involve me in this? What did I ever do to her?

I looked at Harsha and he looked like he was hearing this for the first time too. His widened eyes blinked back the blood that rolled down from his forehead.

"Abhi, she is lying. Aadhi has nothing to do with this." Harsha defended me again as he came out of his shock.

"Then tell me, are you saying that you didn't kiss her? Are you saying what I saw a few minutes ago was a lie?" my husband asked Harsha in fury.

Harsha tried to reason with him. "I can't say anything about it, but Aadhi is not involved in this in any way. You should trust your friend in this."

I understood Harsha was hiding something, but I didn't quite get why.

"Oh... Which friend? The friend who took advantage of his best friend's sister when she was alone?" he spoke with resentment in his words.

Harsha just stood there and lowered his head in silence.

We heard a doorbell ringing while this drama was staged. I was frozen in shock and couldn't decipher what was going on in front of me.

My husband went to attend the door. When I saw the person at the door, I couldn't help but think that my life could not get any worse.

I saw Abhi, my ex-boyfriend, at the door with flowers in his hand. Seeing him stand there, I panicked. I strode quickly toward him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him almost in a whisper. I could sense the glare from my husband beside me.

"You asked me to come here to talk, remember? I thought there was no one home," he lied through his teeth like it was nothing.

If it was a different situation, I would have killed him. I didn't know what to do as I stood between my past and my present.

Before I could act, my husband landed a blow on Abhi's face that knocked him down.

While he was trying to get up, he moved forward and punched him again, but this time Abhi escaped the punch by rolling to the side and punched him back. My husband stumbled.

They started fighting. It was like a street fight, and both were soon bleeding from the cuts on their faces. I tried to stop them but they were both too strong for me.

I yelled Harsha's name. He came and helped me separate them. Harsha was holding my husband, locking both hands behind his back.

I was holding Abhi, grabbing his hand with all my strength. Harsha dragged my husband inside. He glanced anxiously at me struggling with Abhi.

I knew what he was thinking, but I needed to concentrate on something easy to handle.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked Abhi, looking at him angrily.

"I told you, I am not giving up on you," he said, wiping blood from his lips. His words annoyed me so much. I didn't know how to make him understand that I didn't love him anymore.

"Just go away, Abhi. I don't love you anymore. Leave me alone," I said in annoyance. He looked hurt and guilty. For a moment, I thought he understood.

"I will wait for you, Aadhi, no matter how long." He walked away.

I didn't know how to take that but I had someone more important to deal with. I rushed inside to see what was happening.

"Just get out. I don't want to see your face anymore." He was yelling at Harsha.

"Both of you," he said upon seeing me walk inside.

"Just go away. I don't want to be surrounded by cheats and traitors." After saying that, he went inside his room and locked the door.

After hearing the word traitor from his mouth, I didn't think my life could get any worse than this.

He just shattered my heart into a million pieces with one word...Traitor.

Am I?