Ajay
It would be a surprise to everyone.
Devadarshini Maam opened the door and both Sreedevi and Devadarshini Maam gasped. Devi looked at me and then at her.
"Heyy.." Devadarshini maam touched her temple trying to recall.
"Sreedevi" Devi said with a smile.
"Yeah Sreedevi..." She smiled and hugged her. Devi awkwardly hugged her back. She isn't a hugger. I know.
"Epdi irukka?" Maam pinched her cheeks.
"Nalla iruken neenga epdi irukinga?" She asked politely.
"Naa nalla iruken da" she turned to me "Yen da nee varuvanney naa ethirpakala.. Ithula un wife ah kootit varuva nu naa sathyama ethirpakala da" she said and I smiled.
"Ulla vaanga da" she invited us inside.
Devi and I went inside her flat only to be welcomed by a bunch of our office mates and Darshini Maam's friends. Sreedevi was visibly confused seeing everything. I just smiled. Devadarshini maam called her husband by her side and introduced Devi to him.
"Oh maranthuten" I slapped my forehead "Happy wedding anniversary Maam and Sir" I forwarded the gift to them.
"Thank you" they said in unison getting the gift from me.
"Wedding anniversary ah?" Sreedevi asked aloud.
"Ama da" Deva darshini maam laughed.
"15th wedding anniversary" came a voice from behind me. It was Prabhakaran sir. I gave him a sidehug.
"Vera enna ma solli kootit vanthaan?" He asked Devi.
"Onum sollala" she muttered inaudibly.
"Naa surprise ah kootit vanthen sir" I said.
"Ohhhh" they chorused.
I wanted to introduce her as my wife to whoever I knew. I wanted to tell the whole world that this beautiful lady is my wife. I wanted to let every single person I know, to know that I am in love with someone who means everything to me. When Devadarshini ma'am asked me to join the party, I found it to be the best chance to introduce her.
"Ana intha party anniversary ku mattum illa.." Prabhakaran sir said and I frowned.
"Yeah" Ma'am cooed "Namma case la jeyichitom" she said and howled.
I suddenly don't feel anything. Devi is smiling at me, but I don't feel like smiling. If it was a month ago, I would have jumped around thinking I can go for job again but now going for job doesn't excite me. It feels empty inside me.
"Ipo santhoshama da?" Prabhakaran sir asks patting my shoulders and I just fake a smile.
Devi frowns at me. I smiled at her.
Devadarshini maam, her husband and Prabhakaran sir moved away when another guest showed up. I looked at Devi who was looking around the people in the house. I found Megha and her friends standing by a corner drinking something. She hasn't seen me yet. I smirked and dragged Devi with me to her. One of her friend saw me and patted her shoulder to get her attention. Megha finally turned around showing her makeup face and beamed at me.
"Hey Ajay.. How are you?" She asked me.
"I am good Megha. How are you?" This is going to be the first and last time she is gonna see this side of mine.
"Aww I am fine" she glanced at Devi and looked her from top to toe.
Devi was looking at her with a smile.
"Oh sorry.." I touched my temples "Devi ithu Megha, enga office la thaa work pandra.." I said to Devi "And Megha, this is my wife Sreedevi" I said with a smile.
Megha's mouth went wide open and her face lost her colours. Her friends were looking at her with a shocked face. Devi was confused seeing their shocked faces. I wrapped my hand around her shoulder and pulled her from there.
I wonder where this Reba is.
Reba
Shit I am late.
I checked the watch rushing towards the elevator trying not to trip on my heels. I waited patiently for the elevator to reach down and entered in once it was opened. I pressed the 10th floor and sighed holding the gift in my hand. I checked at myself in the mirror and smiled. Long maroon dress, curled hair and minimal makeup looked quite good on me. I am excited for the party as I am gonna see him after two weeks.
The last time I saw him was on the other day at Juhu beach when he was sad. I have never seen him sad or sharing his worries but he did on that day. He told me about the little misundersating he had with his friend. I was surprised he said that to me.
He saw Rohan with me. Noone other than Tanya knows about him. People easily show sympathy and I hate it. I was worried that Ajay would see him with me and would feel pity for him, but Ajay was admiring him. It just increased the feelings and respect I have for him.
The elevator door opened, I checked myself once more before rushing to Devadarshini maam's apartment in the corner. I breathed in and out and pressed the calling bell. Devadarshini maam opened the door. She beamed at me and invited me inside. She went to the other side when someone called her. I scanned my eyes around the hall looking for him among the familiar and non familiar faces there.
Someone passed by holding a tray of juices and gave me a glass. I smiled at him and sipped the juice and walked to the other side of the house. Megha and her friends were standing by a corner discussing something serious. Their faces showed that they were talking about something they disliked.
"Hey ava paaka romba azhaga vera irukka dii" I heard one of her friend saying irritatedly.
Oh again! What else would they dislike other than a girl beautiful than them? I wonder about whom they are talking.
I saw Ajay standing by the dining table looking at the painting in the wall. I smiled involuntarily and I am walking towards him without even my knowledge. He tilted his head and saw me standing right beside him. He smiled at me. I smiled back.
"Hey Reba"
"Haii Ajay.. How are you"
"I am good.." He smiled "How are you? Brother epdi irukaan?"
"Nalla irukaan.. Avana convince panni party ku vara thaa late aachu.. Kooda varanum nu ore adam" I said
He smiled. "Namma case la jeyichitom" he said.
My mouth went wide in surprise. "Really? Athukullaya?"
"Yeah athu case kuduthuvanga fake nu kandupudichtanga" he said.
"Ohh so we are back to work?" I asked smiling.
"I guess so" he said with a smile.
My happiness knew no bounds at the moment. I can go back to work now everyday. I can see him and try to talk to him everyday.
I kept looking at him while he sipped the juice in his hands. He was looking around the room, my eyes were fixed on his eyes. I wonder how effortlessly a person can give butterflies without even doing anything. He doesn't need to do anything to give me butterflies.
All these 24 years of my life, I haven't seen or came across anyone like him. It all started as a normal crush but over these 9 months, the normal crush turned to something more. His reserved self, calm and quiet mode, the way he respects everyone around him. I have had crushes before. I loved a guy when I was in college, he showed interest back but when he came to know about my brother he left me like a trash.
I was scared to love again. My brother means everything to me. I need a person who could accept him the way he is. Look after him, like how I look after him. I didn't realise the thing I had on Ajay was serious until he met my brother. The way he admired my brother other than sympathising melted my heart.
Ajay's eyes fall on me finally afte r scanning the room. He smiled. He is smiling more today. It melts my heart.
"Ajay?" Somebody called him from behind him.
He moved aside and a beautiful woman came in my view whom I have never seen before. Shorter than me, looks elder to me, fair skin, she has a thali on her neck and sindoor on her forehead, she is married. Her eyes look gorgeous and she had a beautiful smile. She looked between me and Ajay.
"Devi ithu Reba" he introduced me to the beautiful woman named Devi.
"Reba office?" She asks in a low voice, her voice being sweet as honey.
"Yeah" Ajay nodded with a smile.
Her eyes twinkle in surprise. She looked at me from top to toe and smiled at me or fake smiled? I wonder who she is.
"Reba?" Ajay called me. I peeled my eyes off the gorgeous woman and looked at him.
He wrapped his one hand around her shoulders and said,
"Meet my wife Sreedevi"
Words that I never expected to be heard. They are just four words. Meet, my, wife. Wife. Wife. Wife. Wife. The only word that is ringing in my head right now. Its just a four letter word but I wish that word never existed in the dictionary. That single word is making my heart bleed like how it would bleed when torned by a dagger.
He is smiling at me. She is smiling at me. They are smiling at each other. I dont know how to smile. How it is like to smile. He is looking at her how I wished him to look at me. I keep waiting without moving for me to wake up from this disastrous but everything around me is moving. I realise its not a dream. Its reality.
Ajay isn't for me. He isn't made for me. He isn't meant for me. I shouldn't have met him. I shouldn't have had feelings. I shouldn't have dreamt a life for us.
"Reba?" Ajay's voice brings me out of my trance.
"Yeah?" I cleared my throat and faked a smile. Sreedevi is smiling.
"Hai.." I cleared my throat. I couldn't speak suddenly. Words are stuck in my throat. I gulped the lump and forwarded my hands to her "Ni.. Nice to meet you" I faked a smile.
"Nice to meet you too" she took my hands in hers and shaked it.
I looked at our hands but I can't see anything. Its blurred. My vision is blurred. I retrieved my hands and cleared my throar and blinked my eyes to clear my vision.
"Ex.. Excuse me" I managed to say and moved to the bedroom. I could hear a faint yeah from her. I opened the bathroom door and locked it from inside and leaned to the wall.
Something inside me screams that everything was a lie. The dreams. The delusions. The life I wished for. Everything was a lie. I am straining to hold my vision, its getting clouded by my tears. I tried to stop it but it decided to fall. I let them. I let them fall and soak my entire grief self. Picture of him working on his system, when I first saw him crossed my mind. Picture of me and him together holding hands, from my dream crossed my mind. Picture of him and his wife who I wished was a lie or a dream, looking at each other with nothing but love crossed my mind.
I looked at the mirror in front of me. I could see a crying broken woman who deserve anything but love. Why should every single time, I get disappointed in getting love? What did I do to deserve all this disappointments? To deserve all this heartbreaks? I liked him. I believed he would like me back anyday. I tried my maximum to not make him uncomfortable. To not make him hate me. But liking him at the very initial stage itself was futile.
My body started trembling, I cupped my mouth to not be so loud and attract audience. Tears soaked my face. It soaked the minimal makeup I put for him. It soaked my complete self. The truth, the reality hit my head like a hammer. It hurted so much.
My kajal has spread down my cheeks making me look ugly. It represented how I felt from inside. Ugly. I feel ugly. I managed to wash my face. Washed all the makeup from my face. I wiped my face with the tissues and stared the mirror. Tears flowed down. I wiped them and tried to smile I couldn't. I made sure to not let the tears fall down and exited the bathroom and the bedroom.
Ajay was sitting on the couch with his wife next to him, and was having conversations with Prabahakaran Sir. His hands were intertwined with hers and she was staring their hands. I couldn't watch it anymore. It kept breaking me more. I went to the kitchen and saw Deva darshini maam serving something for her someone. I gave her the gift I bought for her.
"Maam naa kelamburen" I said.
"Yen da.. Saptut aproma polam.. " she held my arm.
"Illa oru emergency... Family la..I'm sorry" I lied.
"Achoo seri da.." She was disappointed.
I rushed out of the kitchen and almost bumped to Ajay. He muttered a sorry. It talk all my energy to not cry again.
"Ennachu.. Why are you hurrying?" He asked me.
"Illa I'm leaving" I said gulping the lump in my throat.
"Yen ennachu?" He frowned as if he doesn't know. Yah how will he know. It was me who assumed everything.
"Illa athu Rohan romba adam pudikran.. Azhuran... Athaan" I lied again. Rohan hadn't contacted me. He might be slept by now. He doesn't even know how vulnerable his sister is right now.
"Ohh ok.. Pathuko" he said.
I didn't mind to give a response. I just nodded and walked fastly. I wanted to get out of here before I could get suffocated. I managed to fake a smile at his wife before rushing outside the house. I opened the lift and leaned behind. It wouldn't have been thirty minutes since I admired myself in this same mirror.
Why should something like this, something so heartbreaking, so terrible, happen to me? Every single time?
Why don't I get whatever I wish for? Don't I have the least rights to desire?
-
Hey guys🥲
Feeling sorry for Reba? 🙂
How was the Chapter?
Sorry for the late, I had exams😭