I have never been more insulted in my entire life. Who does Manik think he is? Who does he think I am? Neither am I his slave, nor am I somebody who will silently bear this abuse from him.
I am unable to comprehend his actions. Manik wasted so much food, and for what?
What sick pleasure did he derive from it? More importantly, what kick did he get from dropping those dishes on my head?
If he thinks that just because I am smaller in size to him and a woman, I will bear all these insults and abusive behavior, then he is highly mistaken. Sure, he's my husband, but that doesn't give him a license to treat me like trash.
Isn't that what he called me just a few minutes ago? Who gave him the right to label who I am?
I let out a frustrated groan, lowering myself to the ground. I feel disgusting, no better than the filth one sees lying in a dumpster. And this is all because of that stupid Devil.
All my expectations from him have shattered. Quite frankly, I'm doubting whether or not I even knew the real Manik. Because if this is his real self, then I rather stay a thousand miles away.
Was the man in the car - the one whose friend injured Chachi - the real Manik? Or is it the one I've come to know over the past few weeks?
The one who is ready to embarrass himself in front of a huge crowd just for me. The one who readily falls to the ground first, thereby cushioning my fall, so that I don't hurt myself.
As I'm trying to sort out the spider web inside my brain, my phone begins to ring. My eyes cut towards the dressing table from where it is causing my headache to increase. I stare at it for a few seconds, before finally getting off the bed.
"Amms, I'm a bit busy right now." I say, before my grandmother can even get a letter across. "Can I please call you back later?"
"Nandu," Amms says, her tone urgent. "Nandu, I'm so sorry, I didn't know."
The urgency in my grandmother's voice causes my heart to leap into my throat.
"What happened? Is everything okay? Chacha, Chachi - "
"Shanoo didn't tell Manik," Amms cuts in. "All that while he thought he was marrying Alya, and not you."
"W-What?" I stammer, confusion washing over me. I was doubtful of this because of what Manik said earlier in the morning, but hearing it directly from Amms' mouth makes it seem real.
"Shanoo made a huge mistake and I just found out," Amms continues, her tone slightly calmer now. "I just found out. I'm so sorry, Nandu. I hope you're not paying the price for our wrongdoings."
I am! I want to yell at my grandmother, but I don't because it's no fault of hers. Why would Chachi do this? I even asked her and she blatantly lied to my face.
The sting of betrayal spreads through my heart. Didn't she even once consider the repercussions of her actions? This is no mistake. This has been purposefully done.
"W-Why did she...Why'd she do this?" I ask, lowering myself onto a chair. It feels as if someone has slid out the carpet I was standing on right from underneath my feet, and that I will fall at any given moment.
Chachi has always been like a mother to me, but a mother puts her child's best interests first, right? Then why did she not even once consider the heavy price I'd have to pay for her wrongs?
"Nandu, that's not important. What's done is done. I want to know if you're fine," Amms says. "How did Manik react when he found out? You two are fine, right?"
Fine? I almost laugh at that word. Manik and I are far from fine and suddenly, it all makes sense.
"Yeah, as fine as we could be," I say, clearing my throat.
"Nandu, I can talk to Manik. I'll beg for forgiveness." I can hear the concern in my grandmother's voice.
"I have to go, Amms. But don't worry, there's no need for that. Manik and I are...fine," I say. "Bye."
Before she can get another word in, I end the call and place my phone on the dressing table.
I don't understand whether my shoulders are more weighed down with the betrayal, or with the stress of what I'm going to do next.
If I'm feeling this sick with what Chachi did, then I can well imagine as to what Manik is undergoing. For him, not one but two people betrayed him - Alya and myself.
No, I'm sure he thinks that our entire family played a sick game with him. He doesn't deserve this.
As it is, Manik said his greatest fear is of humans and today morning he even said that I've proven he's right. Of course I have.
Aiyappa, he must be in so much pain right now. If only I could do something to help him. But what will I do? I repulse him, and why should I not?
No wonder he's acting like a complete Devil and treating me in such a manner. There must be so much clogged up anger in him. However, this also doesn't mean that I simply sit back and withstand all his abuse. Because I am not at fault, and Manik needs to see that.
Aiyappa, what a mess. Please allow me the strength and a way to fix this. To remove all misunderstandings from Manik's head, and to show him that we both have been played with.
*****
"Can we talk?" I ask, stopping near the threshold of Manik's door. He's shifting from one end of his room to the other, clearly in search of something.
"I'm leaving," his reply is curt and dismissive.
"It's about us," I continue. The magazine that Manik was shuffling through gets thrown down on the table. It slides across the smooth glass surface and lands on the floor.
"There is no us," he says through gritted teeth.
"Manik, I'm sorry about the bride swap, but I didn't - "
Loud laughter fills the tense atmosphere, as Manik throws his head back, his shoulders shaking with laughter. But this isn't one full of mirth.
I take a tentative step back. Manik's actions scare me nowadays, more than I'd like them to. Therefore, I like to keep a certain distance from him.
"You're sorry?" He spits out the words like venom. "Yeah, that's real nice, Nandini."
I wince at the way my name sounds from his tongue. Once upon a time it seemed blessed when he said it, but today it feels like a curse.
"You didn't break my pencil, or lose my car keys," Manik continues, turning on his heels to face me. "Oh no, you married me," Manik jabs his index finger into his chest. "Without my knowledge. I think that calls for much more than just a mere sorry, don't you?"
He tilts his head to the side, beginning his painfully slow walk towards me. I witnessed such a movement today morning in the kitchen and it didn't end well then.
"Manik, I-I didn't know," I stutter, my heart beginning to beat at an ungodly pace. "I swear...I-I also got lied to."
"Aww, the innocent Angel got betrayed," Manik tsks, shaking his head. He clasps his hands together. "But it must've taken some real special skills from your family, you...Alya, to betray the Devil. Because the Devil isn't a fool!"
Manik spits out the last word with enough venom to poison a hundred snakes. He is dangerously close to me now, and I can hear the safe confines of my room calling out to me from the left side. However, although every sensible bone in my body is telling me to flee, I don't step back. Instead, I stand my ground.
By now, however, I have come to a conclusion; talking to Manik while this whole matter is still so fresh is the most foolish idea I could've ever come up with. He is simply not ready to listen.
As I watch Manik's black orbs burn with a raging fire, I realize that if there was one person in this world who I felt protected with - someone who acted as my very own safe haven - it was Manik. Alas, not anymore.
The man standing in front of me is someone I fear. A man whose actions are as unpredictable as his words. A person who hurts me without undergoing even an ounce of guilt. Quite frankly, I'm not even sure why I'm here to watch the show go on. It won't end in a pleasant way, that's for sure.
"Manik, I swear that I didn't know Chachi hadn't told you." I try to plead my case once more, even though I know my words are in vain. By now, Manik is standing in front of me, sharing the same air space as me.
"When we talked through the window, did you know or not that you are going to be sitting in place of Alya?" Manik asks, his tone dead serious.
"Manik, Chachi had told me - "
"Yes, or no," he interrupts me.
"Listen to me - "
"Yes, or no," he repeats, interrupting me once more.
"Chachi said she had - "
"Yes, or no, Nandini!" Manik's voice booms across the entire floor, as his arms stretch out towards me, his hands gripping my forearms in a death grip. He tilts his head, lowering it towards my face.
I tilt my face away from him and towards my shoulder, shots of discomfort shooting through my veins.
"Manik, get away from me." I say, struggling in his hold.
"I asked you a question. Yes, or no," Manik says, his breath fanning the side of my face. "Did you know at that point of time or not?"
"Yes, I knew," I say hurriedly, in hopes that he will let go of me.
Manik unlocks his fingers from around my arms, and takes a step back.
"See, it was that easy." He smiles, but there's no mirth in it. "You knew." Manik cups his hands around his mouth, casting his gaze up towards the ceiling.
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I need to get away from this man before he has the chance to hurt me further. Manik is toxic and I'm not sure if I want to keep polluting my world by keeping him around.