Tanhaiyan

2 • Visitor

Pick up the phone, Prerna.

Pick up the phone.

How did Prerna send this fucking envelope?!

“Sir, the car is ready.”

“Cancel my schedule for today, Shubham.”

• • •

We reached the house in a blur.

8 missed calls and a few text messages later, I'm in porch of my house.

The continuous fidgeting of my hands were a sign that how I was malfunctioning at the moment.

I ring the bell and waited for Prerna to answer it.

I ring the bell again.

Prerna, open the door.

Another bell and yet no response.

I took out the spare key hidden in the porch, and opened up the door with a thud.

“Prerna!”

My voice echoed like a ghost. The house was eerily quiet, the kitchen was all set and even her phone was thrown across the couch.

On her screen flashed my messages without a sound, it was on silent.

Oh God.

“Prerna! Prerna!”, I took long strides through the stairs to reach the floor above and I advanced towards our room.

“Pre–”, and there I saw her lying on the bed, soundly.

I could hear my heartbeats in my ear.

I took a sigh of relief and then read the note again.

Ansh,

Your wife is beautiful, it might be her this time.

Love,
Chachu.

I rushed to her side and sat down. She must have sensed movement because as soon as I sat down, she flicked open her eyes and it went from shock to surprise real soon.

She got up, trying to understand what was happening.

“Saran–”

I had engulfed in a hug. It was not intentional. But the note, the bastard who wrote it was not to be taken lightly.

“Saransh, what's happening?”, she said too surprised.

I just caressed her back a minute longer.

“You tell me, Prerna. What's happening?”

“What do you mean?”

“This-”, I said handing out the envelope,“what joke is this?”

She scrunched her eyebrows to get a proper look at it.

“Oh this, you got it? It must be something important, right? Your uncle said so.”

“My who?!”

“Your uncle, Saransh. Your chachu right?He had visited today afternoon and..”

“He what now!”, I just couldn't believe that jerk of a man came to this house.

--- flashback ---

“Yes?”

“Toh tum ho humari bahurani”, I assumed from the way he addressed me that he must be some relative I was unaware of.

“Hum Ansh ke chacha hain, beti.”

A smile formed on my lips knowing that Saransh's uncle was here to meet both of us.