To Reach You (A Married for Money sequel)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The bar was cool and empty. Arul picked his glass and looked through it. Why was it that no matter how much he drank, he just stubbornly stayed sober? Of course, a body becomes resilient to everything after a bit of time. And nearly a year was quite a bit of time.

The whiskey sloshed in his glass as he set it down and leaned back in his chair. His mother calls everyday and he never attends. He was scared she would find out that he was still pining for her. No, said his heart vehemently, not her, his child. His beautiful never-given-a-chance child.

How could he have been such a fool? The same question he asks himself everyday popped up again. Because he had loved her and she had made him look like an idiot in front of his parents. He did not mind that, his parents had been through much embarrassing things with him, but they did not deserve to be treated to such pain.

He had retreated unable to see them suffer for him. He had seen them since his childhood, hadn’t he? He knew how potent their love was. He had been giddy many a times when they had showered their love on him and he loved just so too. How else did one love? It was an overpowering emotion and he had been overwhelmed.

He was sure his parents had met each other, the air had crackled and they had been in love ever since. Even now, they still moved in tandem with each other. Without conscious thought they would mirror each other actions, postures, phrases and what not. But they were sad, he could see that. They had been sad and it was because of him. He saw them look at each other longingly and he suspected they were not sleeping together, to put it delicately, since their son was in pain. He had damaged their love too.

Sighing, he rubbed a hand down his face, watching the remaining few customers walk ungainly out of the bar. He stood up, drained the last glass and collected his things off the table. The waiter hurriedly thrust his bill and Arul left after giving a handsome tip. So much for the escape of alcohol.

He headed towards his car, rebuking himself for driving after drinking. But then he was sober as a rock. His mother would hit him if she knew. At that thought, he had to laugh. His mother was a waif like thing, small and delicate and he was big and built like his father. When his mom hit, it was like being hit by a child. Only children don’t restrain their strength and mothers do.

He unlocked the door and pulled it open, waiting for a bus to move out of its bay so that he could take his car out without too much of a maneuvering.He looked up to check if the bus was filled and his eyes fell on her. It was her! She looked different. Her hair was different and her eyes were not lined with kohl.

For crucial seconds, he stared, watching her stare at the distance. The bus moved and she looked down, female instinct prompting her that a male was looking at her, and locked eyes with him. There was not even an ounce of recognition and she did not look back as the bus crossed him and he watched it go away.

His throat was dry and his mind was blank. Wasn’t she supposed to be overseas? What was she doing here? Rage overpowered his senses. He hurriedly got in to the car, starting it up and rushing down the road the bus went. He caught up with it at the next stop and watched as the passengers got down. She was not one of them. He followed the bus again as it set off, biting his lip in anxiety.

There were very few stops left now and he was worried. Had she gotten down in between? And why was she here? In Chennai? Why would she traveling so late in the night? And this bus comes from the bus terminus. Does that mean she was coming from some other place?

At the next stop though, his luck panned out. She climbed out and the bus hunkered away. She walked further down a side street and he waited, watching her. She did not look back.

When she was almost out of sight, he followed her. At the street end, she pushed a door and he jumped out and grabbed her arm before she could close it. She gasped in surprise and looked at him.

“Scream, Aishwarya and I will call the police on you.”

“You know me?” she asked quietly, sounding relieved.

If anything he did not expect her to feel on seeing him, it was relief.

“How do you know me? I-”

“What sort of game is this you are playing now? Checking if I can be made a fool twice?”

“I don’t understand. I-”

“You slut! You killed my baby!”

“But I-”

All the suppressed rage, the helplessness, pain, erupted in his stomach and before he knew what was going on, he slapped her across the cheek. Her long hair lashed at his cheek as she lost balance at his unexpected hit and fell to the ground. Almost immediately, he was contrite. He fell to his knees beside her.

“I am so sorry,” he whispered, his face reflecting his shock. “I didn’t mean to do it. It’s just-”

He stopped talking as she sat up, dragging herself back with her hand to her cheek. He stood up and moved away from her while she looked at him, her eyes open in shock. The silence was oppressing. She did not say anything and he couldn’t find anything to say. Twice he opened his mouth and closed it back again.

He took a step towards the entrance, meaning to get out when a middle aged woman stepped in. She stopped short when she saw him and her eyes slid to Aishu’s prone form on the ground with her hand still at her cheek.

“Is everything alright, Aishu?”

Aishu did not respond and he glanced at her through the edges of his eyes. Her eyes were unfocused and she looked angry.

“Aishu?” repeated the lady, louder now and Aishu jerked like he had slapped her again.

“Oh, I am sorry, aunty,” she said, standing up and coming to the woman and taking the child in her arms. Funny, he had not even noticed the child till then.

A wail erupted in the air and he frowned as Aishu coddled the child, turning away and hugging it to her chest. It was still an infant and would be barely three months old. Frowning, he turned to the woman.

“Whose child is it?”

“Hers,” said the lady, “And who would you be?”

Arul did not answer. He was feeling giddy. The alcohol had long since left his system and quite suddenly, it would seem, he was very near to Aishu. He walked around and dropped his eyes to the child. It was suckling on her nipple, eyes open and staring, the other hand fiddling with her top’s button.

Perhaps she had not expected him to look, for she gasped and pulled her nipple out and hurriedly held the baby close.

“You are the father, I take it?”

“Yes,” he murmured, “I am the father.”

Reaching over, he took the crying child from her resisting arms, mindful of the head. She turned away and buttoned herself up. The mewling slowed and he stared in to the child’s buttony eyes. The whites were more blue and the blacks were reflecting the light with more radiance possible for a human. Big eyes alright.

He patted the crotch gently and rejoiced with a laugh. It was a girl! Downy hair filled her head and her cheeks were so chubby, it would be difficult to lie on her side. He dipped closer to the baby’s face and the smell of milk assaulted his senses.  He nuzzled her cheeks, pressing a small kiss to her forehead. The crying had stopped completely and the baby was looking at him with great interest. They stared at each other and a tiny notch locked in her forehead.  Moments later, the pink full lips widened and she gave him a gummy smile, dimples slashing down her cheek. And for the second time in his life, he fell in love all over again.

Dears, do let me know your thoughts. I would love to hear them. And I am sorry this is so short, it is just a filler.