The Life She Wants

Nine

Tanay and Aadya walked downstairs and found the front door open. They stepped out and noticed a very horrific scene.

The man who lived in the house in front of theirs was beating and cursing his wife while an audience had formed around them, including Tanay's parents.

Aadya's heart was hammering so loudly in her chest. She was afraid she would pass out any second now.

She could see herself in that situation, in place of the wife.

She snapped out of her trance when Tanay left her side and went to the man, trying to stop him.

"Sir, sir. Stop," Tanay said to the man. "Please get back into your house." The man was not listening to anyone. "Aadya," he called her name, but she felt frozen in her place. "Aadya! Get the lady in. Take her inside."

"Y-Yes," Aadya said and rushed to the woman's side. "Can you stand?" She softly asked her and helped her stand. Carefully, she took her into their house and made her sit on the couch. "I'll get you water."

She got back with a glass of water. The woman thanked her.

Aadya could see her nose was bleeding, she had a few bruises here and there, her eye was black.

"I'll get some ice."

While she was treating the woman, the rest of her family came back. Her in-laws immediately went to their room, not saying a word, while Tanay stopped and asked her if she was okay.

"C-Can I make a phone call, please?" She asked him.

"Sure. I'll get my phone," Tanay offered a tight smile.

Aadya quietly stared at her, her heart not being able to calm down.

The woman nervously looked at her and smiled; a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I...uh, I accidentally dropped and broke his liquor bottle while bringing it out to him."

Aadya's throat tightened painfully. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. Images flashed in her mind. Memories she wished she would forget someday.

A touch on her shoulder snapped her out of it. She was so startled she started looking around.

"Hey," Tanay whispered, "are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah," she looked beside her and saw the woman missing.

"She's there, talking on the phone," Tanay said to her, stroking her hair in comfort.

The woman and Tanay said something to each other, and Tanay left upstairs for his office. Words weren't registering in Aadya's mind. He grabbed the extra blankets and pillows and came back, laying them down for the woman.

She was going to stay there for the night.

"Thank you so much. You are doing so much for me; I'll never forget this," the woman smiled at them.

"Aadya, let's go," Tanay grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him.

In their bedroom, Tanay pulled her onto his lap with her legs on either side of him and hugged her.

"It's okay, baby. No one's gonna hurt you. I promise," he whispered softly in her ear. "Let it out; you're safe."

That was the last string.

Aadya couldn't help the sobs that passed her lips after that. She clutched onto Tanay for her dear life and sobbed in the crook of his neck all while he mumbled sweet nothings in her ear, comforting her in every way he could.

Eventually, she passed out, but even in her sleep, she continued to sniffle.

The next morning, Tanay woke up and got ready for his office while Aadya was still sleeping. He didn't wake her up.

The woman from yesterday, Trisha, left this morning when her brother came to pick her up.

"Chai is not ready yet?" Tanay's father questioned in disappointment.

"Woh, Aadya is not feeling well. I'll make the tea today," he told him and made the tea.

Three of them had tea, and Tanay picked up his watch and bag. He was about to leave when he saw Aadya stepping down the stairs.

Her eyes were a little red and puffy.

"I'll bring you your lunch in the afternoon," she said to him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, not caring if his parents saw.

"Y-Yes," her eyes moved back and forth between him and his parents because he was leaning down. "Tan-" he pressed his lips against her head and said 'bye.'

He bid byes with his parents too and left the house.

Aadya immediately went to the kitchen to start preparing everything. Her head had been aching a little since yesterday.

She decided to make sabji and rotis to be quick.

In the afternoon, she placed everything on the dining table and told her mother-in-law that she is going to Tanay's office to give him his lunch.

She should serve themselves for today is what Aadya told her mother-in-law.

Dressed in a baby pink saree and royal blue blouse, Aadya left for Tanay's office.

At the reception, the receptionist asked her who she wanted to see.

"Um, Tanay Mehra, he's in the marketing department."

"You are?" The receptionist asked. "It's just the procedure; I know it's annoying, but I have to ask."

Aadya smiled and shrugged. "It's alright. I'm Aadya Mehra, his wife."

"Okay, take the elevator and go to the fifth floor. The room will be right in front of you," the receptionist said.

"I'm just here to give him his lunch... Are you sure it's okay for me to go there?" Aadya questioned.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's the lunch break anyway. Go on."

Aadya followed her instructions. In the elevator, a man asked her, "Are you new here?"

"Oh, no," her eyes widened. "I'm here to meet someone. My husband."

"You're...married?"

Her floor came. "Excuse me." She stepped out.

Through the translucent glass walls, she saw Tanay talking to someone in that room.

When the door opened as the person walked out, she was confirmed it was Tanay.

She knocked on the door and heard a gruff "come in."

She blinked. Was it the same person?

She stepped in and smiled softly at him. "Your lunch." She placed the tiffin bag on the table and pushed it towards him.

"Hi," he smiled.

"Eat up," she said, leaning forward on the table.

He opened his tiffin and smiled. "It looks good, smells good."

"It's just potatoes, it was the fastest thing I could make." She shrugged.

"Hm. Want water?" She nodded. He handed her the bottle of water and started eating. "It's delicious, Aadya."

"Thank you."

"Did you eat?" He asked. Raised an eyebrow when she didn't say anything and tried feeding her a bite. She refused. "Aadya..." He trailed off with a warning tone. She then finally took the bite.

"It really is good." Aadya nodded.