Chapter 10

Siddharth's pov__

After the argument with Abhay, I made the conscious decision not to engage in further conflict. He had been there for Raha during her tough times, and I couldn't deny that. I didn't want to give him more reasons to believe that I didn't care about her, although the truth was quite the opposite.

I replied to him with a composed tone, "Alright, I won't meet her." Abhay left the room after my statement, and I watched him as he headed to Raha's room, undoubtedly to check on her.

Feeling a mix of emotions, I decided to retreat to my own room. The tension between Abhay and me was palpable, and I needed some time alone to gather my thoughts and emotions. My thoughts were consumed by Raha, and even though I wanted to resist my feelings for her, I couldn't help but be drawn to her.

As the smoke from my cigarette curled into the night sky, I couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of frustration and longing. Abhay was in there with Raha, taking care of her, making sure she was safe. My decision to stay away from her had never been more agonizing.

My thoughts raced back to that fateful day when Raha entered my life as my wife. At first, I saw her as an annoyance, an unwanted presence. I had no intentions of letting her disrupt my life.

But she had a way of getting under my skin, of challenging me with her stubbornness and her fiery spirit. And as much as I tried to deny it, I couldn't help but be drawn to her. Her laughter was like music, her presence like a gentle breeze in a suffocating room.

I took another drag of the cigarette and exhaled, watching the smoke dissipate into the night. It was the only way I could clear my mind, even for a moment. The images of Raha's face, her eyes filled with vulnerability and fear, haunted me.

I knew that I had to keep my distance from her, for her own safety and mine. My anger towards Abhay, fueled by my suspicions, was one thing, but my growing feelings for Raha were another. It was a battle I couldn't afford to lose, especially now that Shivansh was back in the picture.

But as I sat there in the quiet of the night, I couldn't help but wonder if it was too late. Had Raha already managed to break through the walls I had built around my heart?

The next morning, I woke up to find that it was 6:00 AM. The thought of checking on Raha crossed my mind, knowing that it was likely the time when Abhay was still asleep. I wanted to see her without any conflict, and my intention was to quietly make sure she was alright and then leave.

I got out of bed and began walking towards Raha's room. As I approached the entrance, I noticed that her room's door was slightly ajar. I hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to open it or not.

As I stood there contemplating whether to open the door, I suddenly heard the sound of sobbing from inside the room. It was unmistakably Raha, and she was in tears. Without a second thought, I pushed the door open and walked in.

My assumption was correct. Raha was sitting on the floor, holding her legs close to her chest, her face buried in her lap. She was crying, and her attempt to control her emotions was evident. It was incredibly difficult for me to witness her in such distress. Seeing her like this pained me, despite all our differences.

I approached her, and she didn't initially notice my presence. Carefully, I sat down beside her and gently placed my hand on her shoulder. Startled, she turned her head towards me, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw me.

She quickly scooted away, putting some distance between us. She looked at me and, in a pleading voice, asked, "Please don't call him."

Confusion filled my mind as I wondered who she meant by "him." Raha appeared deeply frightened, and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her in that moment.

I reached out to touch her shoulder, but she pulled away, her voice trembling as she said, "Don't touch me."

"Alright, I won't," I reassured her.

I asked her, "please don't be scared, you are all safe here." I consoled her.

"Please don't call him," she said with teary eyes.

"Who?" I asked.

"Him," she replied.

"Who, Raha? I don't understand," I said to her.

"Shi... shivansh," she replied with hesitation.

"What?" I was shocked at her statement.

"Please don't call him. I promise I will leave your house, and your brother too... But please don't call him," she said and cried.

Now, this Little girl is under the impression that I want her to leave my house, that I don't want her presence. She believes that I'm eager to get rid of her.

"I will leave this home right after Abhay leaves for the office, I promise," she said, leaving me shocked.

"Look, Raha…" Before I could complete my sentence, Abhay was standing right in front of me. He took Raha's hand and pulled her out of the room. I followed them. Raha just remained silent. I watched them and saw Abhay had taken her into a different room, and he came toward me with aggression.

He came towards me and held my collar, which shocked me by his actions.

"Siddharth, why are you like this?" He asked, leaving me confused.

"What?" I responded.

His anger flared up.

"You want Raha to leave this house, don't you? Well, she will. But don't you dare to interfere in her life again," he said sternly.

I was taken aback because I didn't want Raha to leave this house.

"I don't have any problem with her staying here," I tried to explain.

"Stop lying, Siddarth. I heard with my own ears that Raha said she would leave your house," Abhay said, without knowing my side, and misunderstood everything.

I knew he wouldn't listen to anything I had to say, and he would likely blame me for everything that happened with her. He was clearly very angry, and I wasn't in the mood to fight with him. I was done with everything that had happened last night with Raha. Deep down, I knew that Shivansh had found out about her address because of me. I already felt guilty, and I really didn't want to argue with Abhay.

I removed his hands from my collar, "Take care of her," I said before leaving the house. I made my way to the office.

In the office, it was already 3:30 pm, and I was struggling to focus on my work. I had already lost two contracts because I couldn't muster the interest or energy to convince my clients. I simply let those deals slip away. My mind was filled with thoughts of her. I couldn't help but wonder if I had made her scared. I felt a sense of sadness because she didn't seem happy with my presence at all.

Somehow, it was 9:00 pm, and I found myself still in the office, working tirelessly. I gathered all my important belongings, put them in my bag, and walked out of the office. Approaching my car, I inserted the key, started the engine, and began driving, my thoughts consumed by ONLY by her.

As I drove, I noticed a small boy on the roadside selling gas balloons shaped of flowers. It was a heartwarming sight, and I decided to buy them for Raha. Perhaps this small gesture would bring a smile to her face.

I pulled over, got out of my car, and approached the boy. I requested five balloons, and he happily handed them to me. I handed him 500 rupees, not having exact change. The boy beamed with gratitude, and I smiled back.

I rushed back to my car, ensuring none of the balloons would burst. I carefully placed them inside the car and then continued driving towards the house.

I arrived at my house, carefully exiting the car with the balloons. I made my way inside and headed straight for Raha's room. To my surprise, her door was locked from the inside, and I decided not to disturb her.

Instead, I arranged all the balloons outside her door and left them as a silent gesture. Afterward, I proceeded to my room to freshen up.

After freshening up, I changed into lightweight clothes and decided to check on Raha to see if she had received the balloons. I stepped out of my room and made my way towards her room. To my surprise, the balloons were no longer outside her door. I assumed Raha had picked them up, which made me happy. I wanted to thank her for accepting my gift, so I continued on my way to her room.

I stood in front of her room, contemplating whether to knock on the door. As I gathered the courage to do so, I was about to reach for the door when I heard giggles coming from inside. I cautiously pushed the door open and saw Abhay and Raha watching a Barbie movie again, with the balloons in Abhay's hand. It seemed that Abhay had probably told her that he got all the balloons for her. Jealousy welled up within me as I watched her, realizing that she appeared genuinely happy with him.

I observed Raha closely and noticed that she wasn't wearing a nuptial chain, and there was no application of vermilion in her parting. It made me wonder if she had forgotten that she was married. How could she not wear these symbols of her marriage?

"I brought your favorite strawberry juice," I observed Abhay offering Raha a small box of strawberry juice. How did he know she liked that? She's my wife, not his!

"Thank you," Raha thanked him.

"Why do you like this juice? It's very sweet, how can you drink this?" Abhay asked her. But why did he want to know that?

"Because it's pink," Raha replied.

"You're so girly," Abhay teased her.

"Why did he have a problem with her liking pink? It's her choice;" why was he making fun of her?

I couldn't take their conversation anymore, so I left the house.

Overwhelmed by their interaction, I decided to leave the house. I made my way to my car and drove to a nearby convenience store.

Inside the store, I headed straight for the chocolate section. I filled my basket with all the pink chocolates they had available. My thoughts were focused on making her happy. Afterward, I went to the juice section and grabbed as many strawberry juice boxes as I could find, all in pink, until my basket was overflowing.

I paid for my items and returned home. I asked one of the household staff to arrange the chocolates and juice boxes in the freezer, making them easily accessible for her to enjoy at her convenience.

With the surprise prepared, I headed to my room. Sleep was uncertain; thoughts of her and the situation occupied my mind.