Mithra

Two Strangers… One Lockdown! {13} He looked at me and gave an understanding nod. We both sat like that for a few minutes and gazed at the stars. It felt good in a long time. Probably it was the peace that I was looking for in a disturbed life. For a moment, I did think about getting back with Atharva. Why not? We both had not remarried and he was repenting for his wrong deed and I too regretted my past behaviour. The empty beer tins, the bright moon, twinkling stars, jasmine fragrance, our entwined fingers… everything around us was screaming at us to stay together. Or maybe, it was just me and my mind which was now high on beer. I couldn’t see it coming but I felt a bond connecting both of us. Yet, there was something which was just not right. Something that was right in between us in the empty space. And then, it suddenly hit me! Ekaparnika! Of course, it was her. I had seen the admiration and respect for her in his eyes. But was there something beyond that too? I cou...

Two Strangers… One Lockdown! {12} ‘You still don’t get it, do you?’ he said letting out a deep sigh. I was clueless about what he was trying to say. ‘I did not want to fail in front of you, Sharini. I did not have the luxury of living with you as a failure. As a couple, we never ventured that deep into our relationship that we could lay bare our inner fears and passions. More than our families, friends and society, your opinion about me mattered the most. I was under constant pressure to perform better as a successful husband. I was scared that I would lose my importance in our relationship if I told you that I was not going to be promoted. But that job was killing me from inside and I was losing myself in it. I was aware that I had no option of quitting the job because we needed that money. Although eventually, I did quit when I could no longer take it. But it was already too late because I was no longer myself. And that day was the end of our relationship…’ he said closing...

Two Strangers… One Lockdown! {11} ‘What do you mean?’ I asked softly. She paused for a moment. She must be contemplating if it was right to tell me what she already knew. I waited with bated breath. ‘Your husband was in depression for over a couple of months before he lost his temper and slapped you. He needed help. But things spiralled out control even before he realised that he needed help.’ Depression! I could not believe my ears. I had heard people going into depression but never seen one. Atharva was under stress at work and this was not hidden from me. But who wasn’t? All of us are stressed at our workplace. Frankly speaking, I did not take it seriously at that time. I was about to ask her more when the door-bell rang. She promptly stood up and opened the door. Atharva walked in with bags of groceries and some vegetables. She took a bag from him and placed it in the kitchen. ‘Eka, I handed a bag of essentials to aunty. I badly wanted to go inside and play...

Two Strangers… One Lockdown! {10} ‘The next day, I could not even walk properly. After he went to office, I called up my mother and told her that I could no longer live with my husband. When I narrated the previous night’s horror, tears streamed down my mother’s face. But do you know what she told after listening to my ordeal?’ she asked slowly. All I could do was, shake my head. It felt as if I had lost my voice. ‘She only said, husbands are like that and we should adjust. That is when the realisation hit me that my mother too would have undergone something similar or maybe even worse. I just could not bring myself to accept the fact that my mother was raped by my own father and she still continued to live with him. We both could not leave our husbands because we were dependent on them. How would we survive even if we left the house? Moreover, if I leave my husband, my father would not spare my mother. He would certainly punish her for this. I spent days trying to fin...

Two Strangers… One Lockdown! {9} ‘I hope you like the coffee,’ said Ekaparnika with a smile. ‘It is perfect,’ I replied with a formal smile. Atharva had gone to buy groceries from the retail shop just outside the apartment complex. ‘How is your daughter doing?’ I asked just to know more about her family. ‘She is absolutely fine and very excited to have me around her for the past couple of days. Otherwise,  I don’t get to spend so much time with her.’ ‘Yeah… so who takes care of her in your absence?’ ‘Well, I stay with my mother and she is more than happy to keep her engaged throughout the day. In fact, my daughter does not miss me when her grandmother is around,’ she replied. She was indeed easy to talk to once I made up my mind to spend time with her. My day had begun with hectic workload and by the time it was evening, I was completely saturated. When I heard Ekaparnika’s voice in the living-room, I could no longer continue working. My curiosity ...