Arjun's POV
I only saw red at the restaurant. I was blinded by rage when I saw Shruthi and her friend at the restaurant. At first I was just pissed off that she came to a restaurant with another guy. She seemed normal. I was watching her from afar. Suddenly I saw her arguing with the guy and she slammed the table with her hand and stood up. When she tried to leave, he grabbed her wrist and said something.
He touched her.
I'm the only one who has the right to touch her.
She is my wife.
It was as though I had finally reached my breaking point. My jaw clenched as frustration simmered beneath the surface. Suddenly, I snapped in anger and it was as if a switch has been flipped, and the controlled composure I held a moment ago gave way to a burst of raw emotion. My gestures become more forceful, momentarily overpowering my usual demeanor.
The sudden intensity was palpable, leaving those around me taken aback by the unexpected eruption of emotion. Before I realized what I was doing, I went over there and punched him straight in the face. I heard a soft crack of his nose breaking and it brought me great satisfaction.
I would have decked him completely if not for Shruthi stopping me. She took his side and when she saw him bleeding she completely lost it. She shot me one look and that was enough to shut me up. I wasn't used to this. I was the intimidating one, I didn't not get intimidated, ever. However here I was, getting silenced by a glare from my wife.
Even though, she was taking his side, I didn't want her to be angry at me. So I apologized. Something I never do. I think she was surprised too but not more than how surprised I was myself. I followed her to the hospital fully prepared to be by her side the whole day but she pleaded us to leave her alone and I couldn't say no when she looked at me like that. So I left her and went back home. I had a million questions to ask her each one making my blood pressure shot up to the sky. I didn't want to know the answer to half the questions but I needed to know. Since she asked for time, I was thinking to ask her at home after she gets home.
I went home and went straight to my cabin, and got started on my work. My blood was boiling and I needed a good distraction. What better distraction than the pending work I had. I received a call from Nirmal halfway and I ignored it. He called me multiple times and I still ignored it. I was confident that he wouldn't show up today like last weekend because I had sent him to meet up with a client overseas. After some time he stopped but my satisfaction was short-lived. After an hour I received an anonymous call from an unknown number and I made the biggest mistake of picking it up and I regretted it as soon as the person on the other side spoke.
"Why the fuck are you ignoring me? ", I heard Nirmal say in a pissed off voice.
"I was not, now tell me what you want? ", I asked annoyed.
"Yes you were, I wanted to tell you we got the deal and the CEO wanted to have a meeting to seal the contract", he said a little proud of himself. I knew he would get the deal. After all he was the best negotiator there was. But I wasn't going to tell him that. He doesn't need his ego inflated more.
"Anything else? If nothing else, I've got work to do and I'd appreciate if you leave me alone"
"Nothing else, oh wait I'm meeting Shruthi next week I don't know if she told you yet but yea I just wanted to inform you"
"Cancel it", I said gritting my teeth.
"What why? ", he asked confused.
"Just cancel it and don't ask any questions", I said getting irritated by his attitude.
"I already told her, I can't ditch her now", he said determined.
"Look Nirmal I don't care what you do or tell her, come up with something and cancel it if you want to keep your job", I gave him a warning.
He scoffed and replied," You're kidding. You're gonna fire for having lunch with your wife?"
"Exactly, she's my wife, not yours. I have the right to decide who meets her and who doesn't", I said as a matter of fact.
Nirmal chuckled and asked amused, " My dear friend are you jealous? Of me?"
I rolled my eyes, "Why would I be jealous of you?"
"I don't know since you're restricting me to meeting my own best friends sister? I knew her way before she became your wife and I was merely informing you not asking your permission"
"Whatever, cancel it or lose your job"
"Im not-", he started to say but I heard a soft click of the door opening and shutting nearby signalling that Shruthi just came back.
"I'll talk to you later, send me the files", I said hanging up.
I started to get up but as soon as I heard the shower running, I sat back down. After 15 minutes I heard her come out and I left my cabin and went to my bedroom. She was standing there folding the laundry and I leaned against the wall and took of my watch and placed it on the table. She looked up at sound and her eyes immediately found mine. Her eyes roved all over me and I took off my tie slowly knowing she was watching my every move.
She swallowed but didn't look away. I cleared my throat and our eyes locked again. I raised my eyebrows at her and her cheeks turned red under my gaze. I smirked at her, knowing that I had such an effect on her. She looked away and I removed my tie in a swift move and threw it into the laundry bin. I walked over to the closet to take my casual clothes and went into the bathroom without a another word.
After a quick shower I changed into my long sleeve T-shirt and sweatpants and came out. I pushed back my sleeves and was drying my hair with the towel when I noticed her staring again. She had finished with the folding and was sitting on the bed with her book. She started staring when I came back.
"Enna sight adikuratha mudichutina pesalama? ", I asked smirking.
(If you're done staring, can we talk?)
Her eyes met mine and her cheeks colored.
"Naa- Naa onnum sight adikala, enna pesanum?", she asked stammering.
(I -i wasn't staring, what do you want to talk about?)
I slid beside her on bed and became serious because there was so much I wanted to ask her. Shruthi saw the look on my face and said, "I know you have questions and please be patient. I'll try to answer them but if I can't, don't get angry"
Something squeezed in my heart. Did she think I get angry so easily? Nonetheless I nodded.
"How do you know that guy? "
"Who? Veera? ", when I nodded she continued, "He was my senior in med school then he flunked his last year and graduated with me and Anandhi."
When I asked if they are close and she answered smiling, "Very close, he was there for me when no one was. Even Anandhi wasn't there always but he was no matter what he was doing. If I called he would come rushing over. I've always loved that about him"
My eyes widened and I choked on my words when I asked, " You - you love him?"
Shruthi turned to look at me and when she saw my face, she rushed to say, "No no no, Veera is like a brother to me! He was there whenever I missed Aarav. And whenever I needed a brother he was that for me. Its not what you think!"
My heart lowered to normal speed, I let out a sigh of relief and muttered, "Thank God", under my breath.
Shruthi asked, "What was that? "
I shook my head and said, "Nothing, but why does he keep calling you princess?".
She laughed at said, " We had an assignment and we were roleplaying and ever since that he started calling me that and I couldn't say anything because he enjoyed it so I just let him"
I folded my arms around my chest and said frowning, "Well I don't enjoy it so ask him to stop! "
Shruthi chuckled and said, "Stop acting like a child Arjun. It's just a nickname"
"Even I don't have a nickname for you and I'm your husband ", I argued.
She narrowed her eyes at me and said, "That sounds like a you problem, it's not my fault you can't think of a nickname"
She doesn't need to know but I already have a nickname for her.
Angel. My Angel
I think I kept quiet for too long so she asked me, "Why were you at the restaurant anyways, isn't your office at in velacherry?"
I raised my eyebrows at her, "How you do know where my office is?"
Her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink and said, "I-i- You told me before"
I smirked shaking my head, "I've never talked to you about my work"
She looked around panicked, "Then Aarav must have told me, I don't know! Can you just answer the question? "
I'm pretty sure she stalked me but I wasn't going to call her out yet because she looked cute when she was flustered.
Wait wait wait, did I just think she was cute? No no shit this can't be happening! That was all in the past, I needed to get over it!
I was too lost in my thoughts and only realized I hadn't answered her questions when she snapped her fingers in front of me. I came back to reality and answered her question.
"I was there to meet the owner of the restaurant. He is one of my long time clients"
Shruthi looked at me confused. I sighed and explained, "AV Tech sells him his security cameras, I was there to do a routine check when I saw you"
Realization dawned on her and she nodded.
Shruthi looked at me again and said, " Any other questions?"
I had a million more questions but there was one question nagging at me for a long time.
"Why did you move to Scotland?", I asked softly.
Shruthi looked at me intently before looking away and saying, "Don't you know I went there to study medicine"
"Yes but why Scotland? "
"I wanted to be independent and live on my own"
"You're still not answering my question"
She knew what I meant and was still avoiding it. I didn't want to force her but I've been wanting to the answer for a long time.
Shruthi sighed and looked back at me, "I wanted to get really far from my parents and-"
"And?"
She looked away and said, "and some other people"
I didn't understand. Did she face some problems with people here? And if she was how did I not know about it?
"What other people?"
"Arjun can we just drop the topic here? I don't want to talk about it", she asked with pleading eyes.
But how could I drop it? Something had driven her all the way to across the world. Of course I wanted to know what or who was the reason behind it.
I urged her more, "But who was it?"
She got annoyed, "Arjun can you stop? I said I don't want to talk about it! "
I shook my head, "You don't need to, just tell me the name"
She avoided my eyes and half yelled, her voice breaking, "I can't"
"But-", I was interrupted by her.
"Which part of drop it don't you not get? ", she said snapping.
I let out a frustrated sigh and said, "It's just a fucking name Shruthi, how hard can it be to say it? "
She stood up and slide off the bed, pointing her finger at me, "Don't you dare yell at me. If I don't want to say it, fucking respect that. You might be my husband but you are not the boss of me! "
I felt bad for yelling at her but seriously why was she trying to defend that person so much. Were they that important?
Shruthi walked over to the door ready to leave but I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to me, "Im sorry for yelling but why are you saving the person? I just want the name"
Her eyes glazed over and she snatched her arm away from me harshly and shouted, "Because it's you! I'm trying to save you! You are fucking the reason I left for Scotland! "
She slumped down on the bed and put her head in between her hands and started crying. I wanted to console her. I couldn't see her like this broken, crying. But I couldn't do anything because I was broken too. My heart split the second she said it was me.
The weight of realization pressed heavily on my chest as I discover that my actions had driven Shruthi to move away to another country. My chest tightened, and a heavy ache settled in my heart as I try to comprehend the situation.
I was left grappling with the haunting emptiness that accompanied the awareness that my actions had caused the woman I loved to leave, and the weight of heartbreak settles in, leaving me with a profound sense of loss and a longing for what could have been.
Yes I loved Shruthi, I always have since young.
"I- I drove you all the way to Scotland?", I asked my voice breaking in the end. I wanted to do something. I wanted to break something. But I couldn't. I stood rooted to the spot numb and unable to anything but stare at Shruthi.
She looked up with tear filled eyes and just nodded.
"B- but- but why? ", I didn't want to know but I couldn't stop myself from asking.
"My parents, they- they treated you more like their son than they ever treated me as their daughter. All those comparisons, those taunts and praises of how you were the perfect child. A child that they never had but desperately wanted. With you in front of them, I was just a disappointment to them while you were the son of their dreams. I just couldn't - I couldn't take it so I ran away", she said while tears rolled down uncontrollably.
I've always thought that she saw me as just her brothers best friend. I knew from the start she didn't have feelings for me but I didn't expect her to hate me. I kept distance from her because I thought she needed space and that she will warm up to me in the future. Now I realize she never would have. She hates me.
I knew she didn't like the idea of marrying me but I only agreed to the marriage because I loved her and it was like god had finally given me a chance in life. I thought I was given a chance to finally tell her what I couldn't last time. I wanted to tell her. So many times but the opportunity was never there.
When Aarav asked me, I selfishly agreed so I can finally spend the rest of my life with the one person I've ever loved in my whole life. But I didn't think my selfishness would lead to ruining her life right now.
"I'm sorry", that's all I said before I left the room. I left her there alone and I walked away. This was too much even for me. I took my car keys and hopped onto the car and drove around aimlessly for what felt like hours. Finally I stopped at the beach and got off. I walked in the sand not caring about my shoes and sat down.
I started thinking about the time I fell for her.
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How was the chapter?
The truth is out guys😭. I felt so emotional when writing this chapter. Next chapter will be a flashback so stay tuned and vote all chapters please. Its free and it will encourage me so much to write more ✨
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