Adhrit returned to his home, to silence which had the potential to break his heart more than any word ever could. Everyone would want to have someone to come back home after a tired day of work but all that awaited him was the serene atmosphere, standing up to the name of the residence - Solanki Mansion.
His wife almost never had time for him or their relationship. For years he thought that she wanted to enjoy life to the fullest before she feels the mid-life crisis and takes on her responsibilities but now when the loneliness in his mind pierced his heart like shards of glass which sucked the very emotion which kept people sane: peace. Had she been busy in her profession and that was the reason why she could not spare time for him, he would have been the proudest and the happiest man to understand her situation but he knew that the void she left in his life was to fill the void in someone's life.
The multiple articles he had seen in the magazines with attention-seeking headlines regarding his wife's rendezvous were heartrending and were shattering him on several levels. He just could not bring himself to question about it, blaming his inability to take her verbal rejection on his face, and hence never bothered to confront her expect at the first time he came to see those articles.
Swinging of heart was not an unusual phenomenon to Mohini Thakkar Solanki and Adhrit Solanki was well aware of the inseparable trait of his wife's personality. He had suffered the pangs of pain emanating from jealousy more than once, both before and after marriage but as they say, love is blind. His attachment and his addiction to her had blinded him to an extent where only her presence, even if it was for a brief period, in his life mattered to him more than the pain she caused him. He was ready to forgive every erring of her, given she keeps smiling and stays beside him.
True love which should have been lenifying owing to its purity or the lack of thereof proved to be a poisonous curse in its most lethal form; a poison which eroded him from within slowly yet steadily. He slumped into the luxurious couch with a sigh, hoping for something embalming to his aching heart.
In two months, they would complete eight years of their marriage, he thought, and they had been in a relationship for six years prior to that but still there was a void in his life, which he knew, how to fill. He had loved the idea of having children since he had studied a chapter about Dasharatha's out-of-the-world love towards Ram and various associated stories which spoke about the bliss of being a parent but eight years into their marriage and his wife practically postponed every discussion about children and family planning.
Breaking his reverie, the woman of his thoughts walked in.
"Hello Darling," she said, moving towards him in a tipsy manner, as he sighed that she had taken to wine once again. He had no objection to her satisfying her desire of alcohol once in a while, but her continuous intake of wine was a matter of concern, given the ill side effects of alcohol overdose.
He rose from his seat to receive her, setting aside his thoughts about her drunkenness. She put her arms around him and locked her lips with his in a sensual manner. Normally when she advanced towards him in a suggestive manner, the adrenaline rush would be so intense that he would roll back his eyes in pleasure, but his mental situation hindered his romantic ecstasy.
It took him less than 30 seconds, much less than his usual, to pull out of the kiss and somber up the situation.
"How many times have I told you to not drink everyday, Mohini? It is not good for your health. One of the main reasons for your fluctuating blood sugar levels is this," he objurgated.
"Oh ho! Can you stop being the head of a healthcare company at least at night? I know how to take care of myself," she answered with a pout, almost melting him, masking her melt of the heart which threatened to pour out of her eyes at his expression of concern towards her.
"You know it is for your well-being, don't you? I am afraid that it will ruin your health. It is also said that it affects fertility and the health of the unborn and you know that I wanted to have a child with you as a sign of our love since we entered into a relationship," he said, expressing his heartfelt desire, hoping that she would not set the topic aside.
Mohini's expressions turned from that of pout to severe irritation, almost as if she was fed up of putting up with something hardly bearable. There it was, the reason of putting her health at stake and reprimands from Preetika every time she met her but there was no other way which she could see at the moment as she basked in the beautiful warmth of his concern and showered in bliss of his loving gaze. The concern and love which he possessed in his heart compelled her love to take a step which she knew she would regret.
"Let me make it clear, Adhrit. Till today, I kept quiet thinking that you would understand my hints but today I realized that I need to spell it out for you. I would never have a child in my life," she said, sans any emotion or concern for her husband whose dream of 14 years which he had seen from the innocent eyes of a 15-year-old she had just broken with her words.
She had proven herself to be an actress par excellence on multiple occasions but Mohini knew that it was her most memorable act thus far, after all, her act would drive someone to take the biggest step of their subtly intertwined lives.
"But why? I mean, is there something you haven't told me?" questioned Adhrit, immediately feeling concerned for his wife. His thoughts hinted at an anatomical aspect of her answer as his heart was unable to believe that she had rejected him without a moment of thought.
Mohini clutched her fingers together as she stopped herself from breaking down in front of him as her resolve seemed to bow down to his concern, but could she let her love be defeated in front of his? She couldn't and she was determined to do everything to make her love win.
"Yes. I don't want to have a child because that would ruin my figure. You know the stigma. Post-pregnancy, women are not accepted back into the fashion industry easily. Although that hardly matters, I won't lose the figure people die for to a burden in my body for nine months and life for the rest of my life," she said, disgust and irritation lining her words, ignoring the way hurt flickered in his chocolate orbs.
Devastation would be an understatement to describe Adhrit's mental turbulence. The wife, whose every dream he had made his own and strove to fulfill every desire, had failed to understand the emotional attachment which he had with the dream. Fourteen years of being in a relationship had certainly not helped them in developing an understanding.
"What about my dream?" He asked, an unbelievable expression etched on his face.
The dream - the one pushing her into everything she was trying to run away from.
"I said I don't want to have a child. I will not stop you from having one, Adhrit. For all I care, you can find a surrogate even tomorrow if you want. You can even opt for traditional surrogacy if your heart seeks, against gestational surrogacy. Mind it, I am not speaking under the influence of alcohol. I am speaking my mind," she assured him. Assurances were meant to ease the ache of the heart but Mohini's assurance was the one which pushed the dagger deeper into the heart.
She would not mind even if his child did not carry her genes? Did that mean she would not care even if he cheated behind her? Did she even care for him and love him? Ever?
He questioned himself, standing in front of her like an idol as she looked into the mirror and removed the accessories adorning her, just as she tried to take away the burdens and emotions of her heart but with no avail. At that moment he felt like throwing everything at the mirror and shatter it like his heart did.
Why would she care, he thought? She was decent enough to not be a hypocrite. When she herself chose the company of other men over her husband's, she would not expect her husband to be in love with her as much as he was that he would not even look at other women with the adoration, love, respect and desire which were reserved for her.
That moment, the pent-up frustration was ready to burst, and he was ready to vent.
"Fine then, Mohini. I am going to find one tomorrow. Good night," he announced as he walked out on her.
She stared at his retreating back in surprise, not for his decision but for his tone, which held disgust and frustration, but soon she shrugged and continued with her mid-night beauty treatment to avoid suspicion and his eyes on herself. It was when Adhrit had completely walked out of the sight that the show she had put had finally drawn its curtains.
Mohini collapsed onto her knees, without caring for the hurt she had endured by the fall. The only family she was left with in her life had walked out on her, with disgust and irritation in his heart for her and she did not have anyone else to blame it on but herself and the step she had taken.
She had set out to win the battle of love and she knew that she had already lost so much but she was determined to find that the battle was won by love and the result was her love's happiness.
But would destiny turn the battle into her favor?