Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Anahita slumped down on the bed, hiding her face in her palms and sobbed. She wasn't angry on Yuvraaj, she was furious on herself. This was the second time, she had become vulnerable before him and that proved that she had a hold on her. Though it wasn't something that she could control but her weakness was taking a toll on her. She knew it.

Her heart was heavy as well because she felt like cheating on Mukund. So what if he is not around? So what if he couldn't see what she is doing? So what if she hated for now for yelling on her? It didn't give her the credit to cheat on him.

With her very own husband. Her subconscious reminded her.

What bothered her so much was that Anahita was not feeling anything wrong. She wanted to force herself to feel wrong the thought had something pulling inside her. It was unwelcoming.

It was something, that kiss, meant something. She could feel it. It made her heart raced, it made her inside churned and that was what she regret.

Holding the receiver to her ear, she pressed one for room service and cleared her throat, "One plate chicken scallopini, two pita breads, salad and diet coke, please."

She was thankful that she had browsed some of Italian dishes on internet before coming to Italy. Though, previously the reason was to boost before Yuvraaj that she knew about Italy and its culture, tradition and history but when she did that, she never thought that her husband would make this trip memorable like this.

Sniffing slowly, she crawled on the bed, cursing Yuvraaj, "Dog! pig! Bloody sonuvabitch. What do you think of yourself? I hate you Yuvraaj prakash. I will kill you one day with my bare hands."

Precisely the doorbell rang and she opened the door, peeking outside, "Yes?"

"Ma'am, your order."

"Alright!" She wide opened the door and let the bellboy enter, with the lavish trolley inside. Anahita gawked at the curtained trolley wide eyes. She had just seen it in movies only.

Aai has really thriftlessly arranged it all. She reckoned, standing near the door.

"Ma'am bill." She composed herself and nodded, taking the bill slip. Sauntering to her bags, she crouched down and opened her duffle bag but paused, her mind lightened up with an idea.

She stood on her feet and turned to the bellboy, passing him the slip, "Add this bill under the orders of Beach Villa No.3."

The bellboy seemed apprehensive, confused taking the slip and she smiled, "Actually, my husband lives there. So, now, will you?"

"Sure ma'am!"

"And add as much largesse as you please, he's a gem in the heart." She advised, clasping her hands together. The bellboy nodded, chipping a hearty thank you and waded out.

She smirked, widely "You made me cry, I will make your wallet cry. Argh! I need to curse you a lot." She plopped on the bed, messily devouring the delicious feast.

Lazily wandering in the room, she got bored and ordered more snacks. She called the room service again with some of exotic dishes and filed the bill under Yuvraaj's name.

"28 euros!!!" Yuvraaj screamed in disbelief as he saw the bill slip and looked at the bellboy who was gaping at him. Yuvraaj composed himself and cleared his throat, "Are you sure the bill is of room no. 687 on fifth floor?"

"Yes sir!"

Sighing, he nodded, "Fine, I will clear the bills." He took out his credit card, swiped in the machine and paid the amount.

"Thanks you, sir! Have a nice day."

"I am having one." Yuvraaj smiled. He gained momentum stepping away, mumbling. "If this girl keep rising her appetite with this speed, I will go insolvent within a week. What is she, an ogre or a incumbi?"

"Hope that he has gained a little brains today. I bet he'll apologise." Anahita grinned thinking as her cellphone beeped. She licked her chocolate messed fingers and grabbed her cellphone. Disappointment seeded in her when she noticed that it wasn't Yuvraaj who was calling her.

"Hi Mukund! How are you?" She measured each word and pressed the receiver to her ear.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have yell on you that time, Anu. I am ashamed of a that."

"That's alright, Mukund! I forgive you."

"Don't worry, baby. I will come there as soon as I can and then we will live happily, I will borne all your pains." He said making her lips curl up in a smile and after a pause, asked. "Um...where are you now?"

"I am in the room. I have told you about the hotel Right?"

"Yes. Is he with you? Anywhere near you?" Mukund asked, guarded.

"Uhun."

"See, Anahita, I may sound absurd but don't think as if i don't trust you. I love you, I trust you but I just don't trust any man around you, so make sure to stay away from Yuvraaj. Don't let him touch you, don't let him kiss you, don't even comply whatever he says. I don't want you-"

"What are you exactly trying to say, Mukund?" Anahita could feel her anger rising. One man in her life was asking her to stay with her boyfriend and other one was demanding to stay away from her husband, both of them succeeded in making her feel disgusted with herself somehow.

"Don't get me wrong but all I am saying is maintain distance from him." Mukund's voice poured into her ears.

"Do you at least trust me, Mukund!" She asked dejectedly and contemplated whether to tell him about what just happened hours ago or just shut it out.

"I do. Why don't you believe me?"

"Then stop telling me what to do or not. Maintaining distance from him or not, should be exclusively my decision, why do you have to preach me on this topic? It doesn't matter if he kisses me or I kiss him back. I will never forget that it would be just for a moment, but in my heart, you're the only one in my heart." She spoke out desperately, "He publicly humiliated me to stay with you and you are sayi-"

"Did you just kiss him?"

"Huh? What?"

"I said did you kiss him?"

"Out of everything, this is the only thing you heard." She scowled, "I said that even if-"

"I never expected you to be a whore Anahita." Mukund grudgingly certified her character, making her numb.

"Mukund!" Anahita whispered in disbelief. Tears bouncing down her eyes, she pressed her lips together. This was not she had expected him to say.

"Don't! Don't you dare put forward an excuse. I didn't think you could be so desperate to open your legs to anyone. One week and you kissed him, what about next four weeks? Are you goi-" His words scorched Anahita. She lost the last thread of her patience. She muffled her cries in her fist and hiccupped frantically.

"I have thought that..."

"JUST SHUT UP, MUKUND! I HATE YOU, BLOODY BASTARD!" Anahita shrieked fed up of his wrath. "DON'T YOU EVER SHOW ME YOUR FUCKING FACE, YOU CUNT! I HATE YOU. GO AND JUST DIE."

She spattered and cut the call, face planting on the bed. Her eyes rained on the pillow and she bit her lips to stop her tears.

***

"Hey mom, yeah we reached safely." Yuvraaj said as soon as Mrs. Prakash received the call and he plopped on the tuffet, rubbing his face with the another hand, tired of the eventful day.

"Are you guys not together?" His eyes snapped open and his face spasmed as he heard the most unexpected question at oddly timing.

"Yea, we are. Why would you ask so?" He asked, measuring his words. In the back of his mind, the plan was ready to wring Anahita's delicate neck if she spoke a single word about them to his mother.

"Because Anu already called me to inform that you've been reached safely, checked in the hotel and had the dinner. Why would you tell me the same thing again?"

He screwed his face and denuded the topic afar from it, "Mom, I actually called to ask if you want some perfumes. Sardinia has some good collections of perfumes."

"Yuvraaj?" He winced slightly, aware that he had been caught up. He was see through for his mom. Lying was a given here.

"Mom, I thought she forgot, so I called being the responsible one." He tackled the situation, purporting it with a new context.

Mrs. Prakash laughed heartily and fondled him, "It is not like that yuvi. You underestimate her, she is very responsible and obedient. Cut her some slacks and enjoy time with her, don't be the despotic and try to understand her."

He calmly heard her mother's opinion about the girl who was definitely opposite as portrayed.

"She is not like other girls Yuvi. If you will try to oppress her, she will become more rebellious and would challenge to the extent it becomes unbreathable." This was the point he agreed with his mother. At times he had witnessed it, so he let her continue, "But if you will try to be considerate to her and would let her rule her decisions, she will come around in blink."

Yuvraaj was impressed with the way his mother had deciphered his wife. Quiet amusingly, he gained interest in the topic and listened attentively.

"She is one of a kind. The strong one, completely compatible for you. Even if she is hurt, even if she is not stable, she won't let it out, she won't show her weakness. You need to be more observant to know her, more penetrable to gnaw her outer walls. The one thing that is admirable about her is her tenacity. She won't waver from her decisions, no matter how hard they, she loves to be a free bird. Hence, do not try to holdback her, try to embolden her. This is the key of successful marriage life, Yuvraaj, if one partner turns out be high at times, there's no wrong in being low hand sometimes."

"How'd you possibly know her so well mom?" Aghast, Yuvraaj couldn't help but query, his interest was piqued by his mom. How could she know Anahita so well?

"When she was born, I had this sudden instinctive rush to make her my daughter but it was not possible, so I rendered this porion to your dad about your marriage with her." His mom recited the story he had heard thousand times with great interest.

"Since Sushant bhau was admirable of you, he immediately fell in with it and we fated you both together, deciding that we will get you married when you both are ready."

However, this time the story stroked some unknown gists. Yuvraaj could feel and assess the amount of pressure Anahita might had to tolerate because of their elders' obsession of getting them married. Where he was probably enjoying life along with studying in Australia, she was being grilled among their enthusiastic parents and their intemperate anticipations.

"Though I wanted her as my Sunbai, I had to make sure that she is compatible to you and she really has grown up smart and beautiful. Then I was sure, she is perfect to you and I deciphered her to make good relations with her. After all, I have to make sure that my son doesn't grill between us." His mom chuckled, making his own lips curved.

"Now when I have Anu as my sunbai, mala fakta majhya potajachi ichcha aahe. (I am just longing for my grandchildren)" His mom teased him and being a unapologetic hoodlum, Yuvraaj guffawed, claiming, "Aai, majha patni barobar mi majhya vivahita jeevenancha anand lutuya, ani nantara Ami tumhala jitke natvande hwe, titke deyu. Ataa apli asha sodun deyu naka. (Mom, let me enjoy my married life with my life and then, we will give you as many grandchildren as you want. Hence, don't keep your hopes up for now)"

"Nirlajja. (Shameless)" His mother gasped and he rose his feet.

"Alright. I will hung up now, mom. Good night. Take care."

"Good night and don't trouble my sunbai." His mother said and they cut the call.

Talking to his mother, Yuvraaj ruminated about the scenario from Anahita's perspective and tried to cost out the plight.

"Where am I stuck!" He sighed, rubbing his chin and dashed out, stopping at her doorstep.

"I will request at first as mom preached to cut her some slacks but if she doesn't cave in, I will mount her on my shoulder and take her back to the villa forcefully. If she thinks she can outsmart me, she is deluded." He decided. Complacent, he knocked on the door and waited for her to open. He tapped his foot impatiently looking around and knocked again, glancing at his watch.

"What's wrong with her? Why the hell doesn't she open the door?' He banged the door louder this time. "And mom said to let loose her, a girl with this attitude is definitely not compatible for me. I wish I'd have an ace up sleeves."

He fished out his cellphone and messages her, 'Are you hearing impaired? Ain't you listening that I am knocking like a retard?'

She didn't open the door, it pissed him off but the message she sent made him see red. For a moment, he appeared to remodel his notions. Apparently, the text was, 'Fuck Off, you leech.'

The unmistakable second text that followed the first one almost instantly was, 'Why the hell are you beating my door like a fucking retard?'

Anger built up to his head as he rapidly typed back, 'One more cuss word and I swear, you are gone.'

'Get lost. I am not in mood to talk to you.' Came her instant reply.

'Mind your tongue...' It was written primely when he decided to tap sent button but then he discarded it and rewrote, 'Open the door like a sane human.'

Moments later, a totally devastated Anahita opened the door with disheveled hair and puffy red eyes that complimented her red nose candidly. Yuvraaj noticed carefully that her heavy bangs of auburn hair were tangled with her earrings. The kohl of her eyes had stained her cheeks. Her lips looked blood red and he instantly concluded that she wouldn't cry this much for whatever happened between them.