Leap Of Faith

Chapter 12

He drives home, but doesn't come in - zooming out as soon as I'm out of his car.

I wait for him at home, till midnight, but he doesn't come back. I go to sleep, defeated.

Someone knocks at the door of my room. I wake up - its 2 am.

Why is Abhi knocking at my door?

I hurry to unlock it, and face Abhi. He has changed his clothes, and he walks in and lies down on my bed.

"Come here." He says. His voice is raspy, and despondent. Desperate. "Lie down beside me."

I comply, just because I can't say no to him.

He wraps an arm around my stomach, and pulls me to him, till we're spooning.

"What.." I begin to say, but he silences me with a finger to my lips.

"Don't say anything." He says. It's almost like he's begging.

I fall asleep, wrapped up in his arms.

- - - -

The next morning when I wake up, he's not there.

I see him in the kitchen, making us breakfast. He gives me a small, bland smile when he sees me, and I smile weakly back.

He doesn't say anything about last night. I don't ask.

In the evening, we get all dressed up. He wears a nice suit - he looks dapper.

"You're gonna be the most beautiful woman there." He says when he sees me.

"Thank you." I say.

We make small talk while he drives, and even though are relationship is majorly chaotic, I feel extremely at peace.

I look at him as he talks about his latest project, and I just know that when he leaves me, I'll be completely and irrevocably shattered, and that I'd have to live each moment I get with him. I'd take whatever he's ready to give me, and give him everything I have in return.

"I love you." I whisper, interrupting him.

He blinks at me, then nods.

I just smile at him.

"So, will you introduce me to your friends there?" I ask.

"Ofcourse I will."

We reach the destination soon, and he leads me with a hand on the small of my back.

He introduces me to his colleagues, and his boss, who he seems to be really bonded with.

Noone escapes the charms of my husband.

We're talking to his friends, when we notice a man approaching. Its the MD of the firm, Rithik, the guy who's assisting Abhi on his latest project, tells me.

The MD is a man in his late forties, with a paunch and a balding head.

"Abhimanyu." He smiles broadly at my husband, and I notice his grip on his whiskey glass tighten.

He smiles smoothly at him. "Mr. Roy. We weren't expecting you. Its great to have you here."

"Thanks. Who's the pretty lady on your arm?" He asks, eying me up and down, leering rather, and I shift awkwardly. Abhi's grip around my waist tightens.

"My wife." He punctuates. He's smiling at the man, but his eyes tell a different story.

Mr. Roy nods, giving me once last look, then leaves. I play with the stem of my champagne glass as everyone watches him walk away.

"He's such a pathetic pedophile." A girl, Leena says.

"I was going to beat his ass. Old man's dick would be in splinters." Abhi grits out and I cough awkwardly.

"God, Abhi." I say. "That's gross."

He grins at me, and my heart flutters.

"Arjun is here." Rithik announces, and we notice Arjun walk in.

He hugs each of us hello, and kisses my cheek, just to spite Abhi. Abhi glares at him, but doesn't say anything.

After a while, Abhi goes to talk to someone, and Rithik and Leena go dancing. I and Arjun stand together. He checks out girls, and I check out Abhi.

"I know things between you guys aren't okay." Arjun lets out casually, and I suck in a breath.

"Yeah," I drawl. "We had a small argument today."

He gives me a bored look. "I need some air." He tells me. "Lets get out."

We go out to the garderns, where he takes my hand firmly. "You can talk to me." He says affectionately, and I blink at him.

"I love him. So so so much. But he doesn't want me. He doesn't even care about me. I love him so much, and it just doesn't work."

He nods at me, then cups my cheek tenderly. "There are things about him you should know." He says. "Its not my story to tell, but, you need to fix him, Aaliya."

Fix him?

"What do you mean?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Come on, let's get inside."

Fix him, huh?