Chapter 17

Rishi arrived at his office and entered his room ignoring everyone who greeted him. Sudhir followed him to the room and felt Rishi looked worse than yesterday.

Sudhir: Sir, I have been trying to reach you since early in the morning and even sent so many messages. I thought you would have seen.

Rishi: Get me a new mobile.

Sudhir: Oh, does that mean you didn’t read my message ? Sir, if you are upset of losing the tender then no we are not losing it. The Chairperson replied my mail and infact he actually made an announcement that he has rejected our rival’s tender. That idiot has done the same with two more firms so he lost his chance.

Rishi rubbed his face and Sudhir stood bewildered on his reaction and moreover Rishi’s bloodied knuckles caught his attention. Sudhir tried to help him and moved to him but Rishi stopped him.

Sudhir: Sir, your hands are injured, please let me aid you.

Rishi Mv: I have a left a broken soul which I have no hope of fixing again so this little injury shouldn’t be a problem, infact I deserve to die for what I did to her but I need to apologize to her in the first place.

Sudhir: Sir, are you not happy that we still hold the chances of winning this project.

Rishi: Sudhir, get me a new mobile and I don’t want any disturbances which includes you too.

Sudhir was shocked but hummed a ok and walked out of the room. Rishi stood by the glass wall and looked out thinking of a way to apologize.

At penthouse Aadhi arranged her things in the closet and entered the washroom to bath. She stood before the mirror and saw her puffed eyes.

Aadhi: You are strong Aadhi, don’t give up. You have your exams and you will not let anything or anyone stop you. If everyone around you is happy to see your fake personality then very well I will give that and I don’t want anything from them in return.

She picked a scissor from the cabinet and started cutting the gown into pieces. She removed the shirt she was wearing and cut it into pieces too. Standing under the shower she screamed to vent out all her frustrations. Latha shed tears hearing her scream and 30 minutes later Aadhi walked dressed in a full sleeve salwar and a shawl draped around her neck. Passing a smile to Latha she started drying her hair.

Aadhi: I m hungry aunty, do you have food for me ?

Latha rushed to the kitchen and returned with food and Aadhi started eating it. Latha saw Aadhi’s face and eyes that had no emotions, she looked like a stranger. She picked her college bag and left to her college. It was lunch time when she arrived and Malini, Chaitra hugged her with a glare but soon they were worried on seeing her face.

Malini: Aadhi, what happened girl ? Why do you look so pale and stoic ?

Aadhi did not shed a drop of tear but explained everything happened last night. Malini and Chaitra cursed themselves for suggesting the lingerie and more than that they were angry over Manjari and Rishi.

Malini: Why does that woman hate you so much ?

Aadhi: May be because her brother hates me.

Chaitra: Aadhi you better leave that sadist and go to your parents or to his parents. Let them know what he has done.

Aadhi: You want me to go to my parents home and let her complaint that I permanently ruined her life ? Also its not like my parents or his parents will welcome me with open hands. They will break me further with their rules. Let them live their life and I will live my life. Anyways, I don’t have time to worry about anything now. We need to focus on our exams.

Malini and Chaitra hugged Aadhi and entered the classroom for the rest of the classes. Evening when Aadhi returned home Latha was waiting for her.

Aadhi: Aunty, you haven’t gone home yet ?

Latha: I was worried for you Aadhi so I will stay for few days. I don’t want you to be left all alone.

Aadhi: Aunty, thank you for taking care of me but you don’t have to worry now. I know what to do and how to take care of myself. Go home and take care of your family.

Latha: But Aadhi……….

Aadhi: I will call you if I need something.

Latha left after Aadhi assured her. Aadhi entered her room and refreshed but did not change her dress. She settled on the bed and started reading for her exams. As usual she entered the kitchen and cooked dinner and continued with her studies sitting in the living. Rishi for the first time arrived early and was shocked to see Aadhi in the living with her books. He saw she was wearing a costume just like she did when she was with their parents around.

Rishi Mv: Wow Rishi, you have turned into a monster and now she has felt that her dressing has made you force on her. It wouldn’t have hurt more even if she had slapped me or even killed me than this feeling.

On seeing his shoes alone Aadhi entered the kitchen and started placing the plates on the dining table. Rishi instead of going to his room followed her to apologize but stopped on seeing her entering the kitchen with a plate of food. He saw her having her food in the kitchen. He craned his neck and saw the single plate on the dining table left for him and the casseroles placed beside it.

Rishi cleared his throat and Aadhi stopped eating but did not raise her head to look at him.

Rishi: I m sorry. I… I.. didn’t mean ..I mean I shouldn’t have done something like that. I.. I.. I m ashamed of myself. I was on the verge of losing a project and lost my cool when Manjari called me and cried over the call. No reason justifies my actions and I should have been mature and talked to you. I.. I.. I m really sorry. Please forgive me. I m really ashamed of myself. Punish me however you want. Slap me, hit me with something or even kill me please. I don’t deserve to live. Please I’m sorry.

Aadhi looked at Rishi for a mere fraction of a second and quickly averterd her gaze.

Aadhi: I forgive you.

That was all she said and continued eating her food. Rishi stood for sometime in hope she would lash out on him or slap him but nothing happened. She washed her hands and walked out leaving him on his own.

Rishi looked at the food waiting for him and on her disappearing figure.

Rishi: What I did to her is a sin and I don’t deserve any good from her in return, even her forgiveness.

Rishi Mv: She should have killed you the moment you stood in front of her and about the food how do you expect her to eat sitting in front of you after what you did to her ? And about eating in the kitchen, would you let her have food anywhere other than the dining table ?

Rishi: How will I face her in the room now ?

Rishi slapped his forehead and stood holding the counter for a while. He pulled his hair in frustration and shed tears unable to bear the pain of hurting her. The image of her broken state haunted him and he couldn’t bring himself to have the food. He entered the room and looked for Aadhi but she wasn’t in the room.

Rishi Mv: May be she is in the balcony as usual. I will beg for her forgiveness and will not stop until she forgive me from her heart.

He stepped into the balcony and saw it was empty too. He knocked on the closet and opened it but saw her luggage missing. He quickly walked out and saw her entering the guest room with a water bottle and closing the door. The sound of the latch was a real slap to his face.

Rishi returned to his room and sat on the bed holding his head which ached like someone was banging from inside.

Rishi: Wish she slapped me or least a word to hurt me.

He laid on the bed and closed his eyes with his arm. In the morning he woke up stretching his arms and saw the time was 6.30.

Rishi: fuck.. fuck.. how did I sleep for so long ? Wait a minute.. she didn’t turn on the music system today ?

He jumped out of the bed and saw her toiletries were missing too. There was no rose and vanilla fragrance. He got ready and arrived at the dining, the entire penthouse was dead silent. Aadhi walked out of the kitchen dressed in a similar salwar she was wearing the previous day. She placed his breakfast and instead of the usual milk coffee she made his favourite black tea and packed her breakfast in a box before leaving to her room.

Rishi sat in his seat and looked at his breakfast with his elbows proped on the table. The toast and black tea tasted bitter and he left the half eaten breakfast and returned to his room to pick his wallet.

Aadhi walked out with her college bag and Rishi didn’t want to ruin her day by starting any of his words so he decided to talk to her in the evening. Aadhi arrived at the college and was welcomed by her friends.

Malini: Aadhi, I couldn’t sleep last night and finally arrived at a conclusion. I think you should prove to that Rishi that his sister played with you both.

Aadhi: I don’t want to ruin their relationship. I don’t know about her but he really love his sister so let it be.

Chaitra: I agree with Malu. Its not only about her but your brother too. She has blamed that he doesn’t care fo her. Is that true ? Don’t you love your brother and don’t you think you should stand for him ?

Aadhi rose from her seat and walked out of the classroom thinking over their words.

Aadhi Mv: They are right, how could she say that bro doesn’t care for her ? I should talk to her, not for Rishi, not for me but for my brother. Yes, I will do it but without anyone knowing about it.

Rishi returned home and once again was welcomed by a complete silence. Aadhi on seeing him placed her books and made her way to the kitchen to heat the food since she cooked early and had her dinner early too.

Rishi changed into his track pant and T shirt. He stood before the mirror taking breathes to face her. A few minutes later he sat for dinner and saw only one plate placed for him and the plate on her side was missing… how stupid of him that he realized late that the person herself was missing. He looked into the kitchen to see if she was having her food over there but she wasn’t there too. He opened the casserole and saw the quantity was less. He quickly entered the kitchen to see if she saved for herself but stopped on seeing the washed plate… her plate.

He looked for her to talk to her but the door was closed and Rishi returned to the dining feeling dejected.

The next morning was the same, Aadhi as usual packed her breakfast and left to her college without a word to him. Rishi once again couldn’t talk to her and he pushed away the breakfast and left to his office. He called Sudhir and informed him to get a coffee for him. Sudhir prepared the usual black coffee and placed it before his boss. Rishi sipped the coffee and spit the coffee the next moment.

Rishi: What the fuck ? You couldn’t make a coffee ? Take it away.

Sudhir: This is the one you used to have regularly. I did not change anything.

Rishi: Get me a milk coffee.

Sudhir was surprised and shocked still obeyed his words and got a milk coffee which received the same response.

Rishi: I did make a mistake asking you for a coffee.

Sudhir looked at him with wide eyes and walked out not knowing what was happening with Rishi. Each day turned out to be a challenge to him.

Sudhir: How would I know what is running on his mind ? God, let me know a way to bring him back to his old self atleast. Have some mercy on me please.

His mobile pinged with a notification and saw they had won the tender. He rushed to Rishi’s room and saw him typing on his laptop in such a way like he was punishing the poor keys.

Sudhir Mv: The keys will sure pop out anytime soon. Let me be the saviour to the poor laptop.

Sudhir: Sir, I have a happy news. We won the tender.

Rishi gave a curt nod and continued typing. Sudhir closed his mouth being clueless and gasped when a key poped out and fell on the floor. Rishi looked at Sudhir and he immediately picked the key and tried to fix it but failed while his hands were trembling.

Sudhir: Sir, I will call the technical team to fix this or shall I get you a new laptop ?

Rishi: get me a coffee.

Sudhir held his chest and walked out knowing very well what would be the outcome.