You and I, plus 2 years of marriage!

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 could not say. Slowly, he withdrew his hand from my hold and stood up. It was a cue for me also to stand up. Our brief bonding had come to and end with the beer. Or was this just a beginning? I tried to search his eyes for any hint of emotion that was left in them for me. His eyes perfectly fit into the mask of his face; they gave away nothing.

‘Thanks for the beer,’ I said to erase the awkwardness between us.

‘Thank you for listening to me,’ he said coolly.

I wished that he continued to speak to me, spent more time with me. My drunk mind could not come up with any topic that would stop him from going away.

‘Alright then, I think we should get some sleep. It is already late. Good night, Sharini.’

‘Good night, Atharva,’ I said and walked to the bedroom.

Before closing the door, I did turn back. He closed the balcony door and walked to the sofa where he had kept his pillow and a bedsheet. Quietly, I closed the door behind me and hit the bed. My last vision was filled with Ekaparnika’s portrait before I was dragged into a deep sleep.

****

The next day morning, I woke up after multiple alarms. I quickly showered and ate breakfast of toast and omelettes. Working from home was turning out to be more strenuous than working at office. The worst part was attending multiple calls which in fact reduced my productive time to work on actual project deliverables. Without wasting another minute, I logged into my system and that was when I heard the door-bell ring. It was hardly surprising when I heard Ekaparnika’s voice in the living-room. Last night’s conversation with Atharva came flooding back to my mind. I swallowed hard when the realization dawned on me that what he felt for her could be more than only respect and admiration. My meeting with the team was due to begin in the next five minutes.

‘Hey, Sharini,’ she said butting her head into the room.

‘Hi Eka,’ I said with urgency.

‘Oh I am sorry that I disturbed you. I made some rasagullas and bought them. Atharva likes them a lot,’ she said with a smile.

Of course, I knew that he liked rasagullas. I used to always buy some for him whenever we had to celebrate something special. But she had made rasagullas and that was the difference.

‘Actually, I have a call in three minutes,’ I said glancing at my laptop screen. I was trying really hard to suppress the pangs of jealousy burning my heart.

‘Alright, then you please continue. The rasagullas are in the kitchen, please feel free to eat them later,’ she said and closed the door.

I closed my eyes as I let out a deep breath. One of my teammates had started the meeting. I put on my headphones and joined in.

****

In the painting room…

Atharva had clapped his hands on Ekaparnika’s eyes before entering the room. He slowly guided her inside and then stopped.

‘I cannot bear the suspense, Atharva. Please let me see the portrait now,’ she implored.

He slowly moved forward and brought his mouth close to her eyes. A shiver ran down her spine when she could feel his warm breath on her neck. The memories of close proximity with her ex-husband made her hands and feet go cold. Her traumatic past made her very uncomfortable around men. Atharva was the first man with whom she had developed a warm bonding over the past year. It had taken a lot of effort from her side to bond with him but then she somehow found it a little easy to be with him. Yet, he had never come so close to her before this moment.

‘This is the best painting I have ever done,’ he said slowly and moved his hands from her eyes.

When she opened her eyes, she could see her own eyes staring back at her. The last time when she saw the painting, it was incomplete. But now, it felt as if it was her own reflection and she slowly tried to absorb all the elements on the canvas. The small hand clutching her saree in the portrait looked so real as if her daughter was indeed standing behind her. This was indeed so true because when someone new entered their house, Bhuvi was used to hiding behind Ekaparnika and clutching her saree in a similar manner. She was amazed at how he had captured her emotions so well. It felt as if the portrait was painted when her ex-husband had just appeared in front of her out of the blue. Tears streamed down her eyes when the memories of that dreadful night flooded her mind.

‘How is it?’ asked Atharva standing behind her.

But Ekaparnika was so overwhelmed that she could not speak. She closed her eyes and let the tears flow down her cheeks. He was impatiently waiting for her answer but when she did not reply back, he went and stood before her. Her tears startled him.

‘Eka, what happened? Are you alright? Why are you crying? Is the portrait that bad?’ he asked anxiously.

She shook her head and wiped away her tears. He immediately brought some tissues and handed them to her.

‘The portrait is so life-like. It feels as if I am seeing myself in a mirror. Probably this is how I will look if that monster appears before me now. It just scared me for a moment,’ she said trying to smile between the tears.

For Atharva, it was probably the highest compliment but he felt sad that his portrait reminded her of Bharat. He gently wiped away the remaining tears and held her hands.

‘He is not coming back, Eka. You don’t have to worry about him anymore. It is all over.’

‘I don’t know, Atharva. Sometimes, I am scared about what would I do if he ever came near me or Bhuvi. How would I save both of us? There have been nights when I have lost sleep over this thought.’

‘Eka, you are not the same woman who married him years ago. You have grown stronger and bolder. You are an inspiration to many because the strength you have displayed is unimaginable. I can understand your concern for Bhuvi but trust me, you are stronger than you know,’ he said looking straight into her eyes.

‘Thank you for believing in me. This really means a lot to me.’

He let go of one of her hand caressed her cheek. His touch was so gentle that it could induce peace into her troubled heart. He leaned forward and placed his forehead on hers. She closed her eyes, although she knew that she should have moved away from him at that instant. All she could hear was his ragged breathing and all she could feel was his hot breath on her face.

‘Ekaparnika, I need to tell you something.’

To be continued...