Chapter 27

Rishi was in his room scrolling through his mobile waiting for Aadhi complete her work in the kitchen. Shruthi arrived holding a chess board in her hand and settled on the couch looking at him with a smile.

Rishi:  Shruthi, what are you doing here ?

Shruthi: Rishi, I m so bored of spending time here with you both. Look, I got the chess board and lets play a game. Just one game and I leave to sleep.

Rishi: Its late already Shruthi and I m not fond of playing chess.

Shruthi: Liar, I have seen you playing chess with uncle and grandpa. You won them every time so let me see if you could win me. Please Rishi, just one game.

Rishi: Lets go to the living then.

Shruthi: My room is next to yours so if I feel like sleeping then I can get back to my room quickly so lets play here only. Aadhi will be here any minute so don’t worry, she won’t scold you for playing with me.

Rishi: This is not about Aadhi, this is mine and Aadhi’s bed room and I don’t like anyone’s presence, its like invading our privacy so lets move to the living.

Shruthi: We shall sit on the couch only Rishi, just one game and I will leave, please.

Shruthi ignored his words and set the board ready and called him to start it. Rishi looked at the door badly wanting Aadhi by his side. He sat opposite to her and they started the game but he was looking for Aadhi to arrive soon. Aadhi cleaned up the dishes and returned to bedroom with a waterbottle and stood shocked on seeing Rishi and Shruthi playing chess.

Rishi immediately stopped playing and rose to his feet with a smile on seeing Aadhi but before he could leave Shruthi pulled him to sit back to continue the game.

Shruthi: Rishi, are you using Aadhi as an excuse to leave the game ? You better finish this off, I will sure win you today.

Rishi yanked his hand from her hold but Aadhi did not notice it since she ignored both of them and entered the closet to get changed. She entered the washroom and splashed water on her face.

Aadhi Mv: He doesn’t seem to be annoyed when she held his hand. May be he changed his rules of letting strangers in his room.

She shook her head and instead of returning to the room she entered the balcony and found solace with the moon and her dairy. She couldn’t write and held her head on hearing Shruthi scream every now and then. Rishi lost the interest in the game after Aadhi walked away without a word. He painfully waited for the game to be over and finally he won the game and sighed in relief but Shruthi was glaring at him.

Shruthi: Rishi, I won’t accept my defeat so easily so we shall play a game tomorrow and sure I will win you. I will not rest in peace until I win you. You won the game today and since you are my cousin I will be good to appreciate you. She hugged him for a second and rushed out with the board while Rishi stood shocked on seeing Aadhi who had also watched everything.

Rishi: Aadhira, I did nothing, she hugged me and I swear, I did nothing and I didn’t expect her to hug me. I m sorry.

Aadhi: I m no one to you so there is no need for all this explanations. I m just a stranger in this room so who am I to stop you or Shruthi.

Rishi: You have all the rights Aadhira and you are not a stranger. You are my wife.

Adhira shook her head and laid on the couch leaving Rishi who stood watching her. He rubbed his face and laid on the bed cursing his fate.

Morning Rishi entered the kitchen and stood next to Aadhi waiting for his coffee.

Rishi: Aadhira, I m sorry, I denied playing in the room and in fact I denied playing in the first place but she was very stubborn. I don’t think its a good idea to let her stay here anymore so how about I talk to grandpa and request him to find her a place ?

Before Aadhi could reply they heard footsteps and Rishi immediately stood behind Aadhira and caged her placing his arms on either of her on the counter. Aadhi stopped her actions and her breathe hitched to his hot breathe on her neck.

Rishi: Please Aadhira, stay still. I don’t want her around us. I only want you, I hate her presence. Please..

He whispered near her ears and Shruthi who came in search of Rishi walked away after seeing the couple in an intimate position. Rishi stood in the same position and filtered the coffee in two cups. He picked one and sipped the coffee which relaxed him completely.

Rishi: My day can’t be better without the coffee made by my beautiful wife. Thank you Aadhira and I will be working from home today. I want to spend more time with you.

He returned to the living and an hour later Shruthi left to her work. Rishi was working in his laptop and Aadhi left to kitchen to check out the vegetables to cook lunch. She recieved a call from Malini and answered it with a smile.

Malini: Aadhi, My name is Malini and I was your friend once up on a time.

Aadhi: Yeah, that once up on a time was yesterday when you were ranting about the wedding proposal so stop your drama and tell me what happened and what have you decided.

Malini: Good you are updated about my life but I want you to meet me in 30 minutes. I have called Chaitu and we are having a serious discussion.

Aadhi: Malu, Rishi is home today, I need to cook for him.

Malini: Let yor crushy baby starve for a while. You get ready and meet me immediately or I will divorce you.

Aadhi: Where should I meet you girl ?

Malini: The mall near by my home and call me once you reach.

Aadhi hummed ok and returned to the bedroom. Rishi was picking a towel to bath but stopped on seeing Aadhi who was lost in thoughts.

Rishi: Is everything ok Aadhira ? Did something happen ?

Aadhi: I need to meet my friend and I will be back in an hour or two.

Rishi: Sure go ahead or please wait for a while and I will drop you. May be we shall go out for lunch after you meet your friend or I can buy food and pick you back later.

Aadhi: No thanks, I will be back and please order your food only this time and I m sorry for skipping my duty.

Rishi: Aadhira, please don’t be formal. You have got every right to live your life the way you want. I did made a mistake and I regret it. Please don’t lock yourself for my mistakes.

Aadhi did not reply and picked a cloth to get changed. Rishi waited for her to get changed first and once she left home he entered the washroom with a towel to bath. In the car Aadhi was thinking about Rishi and his activities in the recent days and she couldn’t deny Rishi’s words that Shruthi’s presence was annoying her.

She shook her head to get rid of all those thoughts and looked for mobile to call Malini but realized she had left it at home. She immediately informed the driver to take her back home since it had been less than 10 minutes to their drive.

Rishi walked out with a towel around his waist and picked the hair dryer to dry his hair. He turned his head on hearing footsteps and was shocked to see Shruthi in his room.

Rishi: What are you doing here Shruthi ? Get out.

Shruthi: Rishi, I need to talk to you and I know Aadhi is not home.

Rishi ignored her and made his way to the closet to get dressed. He returned dressed in a track pant and T shirt and saw Shruthi waiting for him. He grit his teeth and was about to lash out on her but Shruthi rushed to him and hugged him. Rishi jerked out of her hold and glared at her.

Rishi: How dare you ? Get out of my room right away before I kill you. It disgust me to even hold your hand to throw you out of my room.

Shruthi: Rishi, how long will you pretend to be happy with Aadhi. Do you think I m stupid to not see what is happening between you two ? She is so immature Rishi, she is not the right one for you.

Rishi: Stop your bull shit and you are no one to talk about me and my Aadhira. I will talk to grandpa and you are not staying here anymore. Get out and don’t show me your face ever again.

Shruthi: Rishi, you are everything a woman want in her man but Aadhi doesn’t know to value you in her life. I can see her pushing you away, you both are so distant and that is so evident from your actions.

Rishi: What we do is our personal choice and I won’t take a word against Aadhira. I will kill you dammit.

He turned to leave once again but Shruthi pulled him with a force and they fell on the bed with Rishi above her. Shruthi quickly wrapped her hands around his neck.

Shruthi: Rishi, Give me a chance, I will be the woman you want in your life.

Rishi felt disgusted and tried to remove her hand but before that they footsteps and saw Aadhi staring at them. Rishi yanked Shruthi’s hands from his neck and stepped away from her quickly.

Rishi: Aadhira…

Shruthi: Aadhi, I m sorry you had to see us together. I think we need to talk, I know you are not happy with Rishi so please let go of him. Let him be happy.

Rishi: Stop it you bitch…. how dare you set this up ? Aadhira, she is lying.

Aadhi: Shruthi, leave.

Shruthi walked out and Rishi locked the door immediately. He stood before Aadhi and his heart shattered on seeing the tears in her eyes.

Rishi: Aadhira, she is lying. She forced herself on me.

Aadhi turned away from him and walked slowly to leave the room.

Rishi: Aadhira, I would never cheat on you. I never had such thoughts even when I pushed you away from me. Now I want you Aadhira, I want you all to my self. How would I cheat on you when I m dying to earn a chance from you ? I will die rather than doing that to you Aadhira..

Aadhi did not stop and Rishi felt his life would be meaningless and there was no reason for him to be alive after losing her in his life.

Rishi: Aadhu…

Aadhi stopped in her tracks and turned to him but immediately lowered her gaze. Rishi knelt before her and Aadhi saw the tears brimming in his eyes.

Rishi: Aadhu’s Rishu will never cheat her. Rishu’s heart beats only for his Aadhu. Please Aadhu.

Aadhi:  Weren’t you the same Rishi who hated my presence around you and lashed out on me on every chance ? What stopped you from lashing out on her when she entered your bed room last night ? Weren’ t you the same Rishi who hated when I touched your things, so what stopped you when she touched you in fact when she hugged you ?

Rishi: Aadhu, I have no words to justify my actions but I just wanted to say that for a long time I had only one thing in my mind and that is you Aadhu. I couldn’t focus on anything other than you. I wanted to get ready and buy lunch for us, I stayed home to spend time with you. I never thought all these would happen. Please Aadhu, trust me.

Aadhi: I m mature enough to know that you will never cheat on me but I m upset that you let her take advantage of you.

Rishi sighed in relief on hearing her words yet he had to convince her who stood without looking at him all the while. He couldn’t see the tears in her eyes and how hard she was holding her sobs. He held both her hands and Aadhi tried to yank her hand from his hold.

Rishi: Please Aadhu, let me hold, please baby.

Aadhi was crying more from the way he was holding her hands and shedding tears. She felt her heart melting yet she refused to give up and stayed numb but she couldn’t stop the tears.

Rishi: Aadhu, I m not mature enough like you and I don’t know if it is the right time to confess but I cannot hold back anymore. I cannot pretend anymore that I want a chance from you because I like you.

Aadhi opened her eyes saw him looking at her already.

Aadhi: Rishi, please get up. I m not punishing you, I don’t have any rights to punish you in the first place.

Rishi: You have all the rights to punish me Aadhu and I want to confess my heart kneeling before you. Aadhu, I want a chance from you because I love you. I love you Aadhu… I love you so much.