Page 77 of That Same Old Love

He nodded absently. “Sure. I know we were supposed to plan a trip together. Why don’t we take it in the coming few days? I’ll make time somehow. Pick whatever place you want to visit.”

She broke into a sob. “No Sidhu. I don’t want to go on a trip, I need a break. I just can’t take it anymore. I’m becoming crazy and I feel like I will burst if I spend one more day here.”

He looked alarmed. “Anu… I’ve already told you that many times. Let’s start looking at some houses soon. There are some really good gated communities that will be perfect for Srishti and us. Maybe we can pick one of those—”

She shook her head. “No Sidhu. I need a break from you. I can’t bear to see you or sleep with you without loving you more and more deeply… and remembering again and again that you—”

He held her face in his hands and looked slightly panicked seeing tears in his strong wife’s eyes. In their decade of marriage, he barely saw her cry. She only shed tears when her grandparents or someone she loved had passed away.

“Anu, what is it? Remembering again and again that I what? Please I’m begging you, tell me,” he insisted.

She felt humiliated that she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down her face. “That you loved Mahi so much and still have feelings for her. Feelings that would blossom into something more if I wasn’t standing in your way.”

He looked shocked. “Anu, are you mad? I would never ever cheat on you. I love you!” He had shouted the last part.

That made her cry more. “I know you would never cheat on me physically. You are way too principled and nice for that. But emotionally you want her and I find that even worse than cheating on me physically,” she told him softly.

He looked shaken. “Anu, I don’t want anyone but you. Both physically and emotionally. Stop imagining things,” he told her, hugging her desperately.

She broke into sobs. “Please, I need this break. I’m begging you. Let me go for a while. I need to sort myself out.”

His heart was pounding and he felt helpless. “Where? Where will you go Anu?”

“Maybe to my parents’ house. I can stay with my brother. I need some time alone to sort the mess in my head,” she told him softly.

He was quiet for a while and then, “Okay. Take some time away from here. I’ll take care of Srishti. Don’t worry about her. Let her miss you a lot and know how much you mean to her.”

Ananya hugged Sidhu harder while he gently rubbed her back.

“I’ll leave in the morning.”

***

Srishti was at Samrat’s place, playing Stimmulus games along with Mahi for almost three hours. She left later that evening when a car was sent to pick her up.

As soon as they saw her off, Samrat cornered Mahi. “It’s been a month already since we have decided to be together. When can I let my family know about us?” he demanded.

Mahi had been insisting that the ‘right’ time would come soon. She had dragged him to a lot of events with her friends where they were treated as a couple. He had even met her aunt and her cousin. Even at work, almost everyone knew that they were together.

“Soon. I just want it to happen naturally. I don’t want to invite Ananya specifically to apologize again, and then tell her that I’m nailing her brother, and that we are a couple,” she said.

He was irritated. “I don’t like all this sneaking and hiding things from my family. Especially when you were able to announce to everyone you cared about that we are together,” he grumbled.

“Just a few more days and the opportunity will arise soon. I promise,” she said, feeling a little guilty.

The next morning, when Mahi went to work, Ananya came to stay with Samrat with her bags.

Samrat had a mixed reaction when his sister told him that she was planning on staying with him for a few days. At first he was angry that Sidhu had done something to her, making her want to leave him. He had badgered his sister to ask her what had happened, but she was pretty tight lipped. She looked sad and forlorn and just stayed inside the guest bedroom all day. She just came out for meals and refused to even answer phone calls.

Finally he had called Sidhu to ask him what had happened between him and his sister. Samrat usually hated being involvedin other couple’s fights or drama, but since Anu looked like something catastrophic had taken place, he was worried.

Sidhu had been at his wits end as well, calling his wife all kinds of fool. He told Samrat about how Ananya felt that Sidhu was still in love with Mahi and that he just settled for Ananya currently, because he had no choice.

Samrat was taken aback listening to the reason. He cursed his sister for being so blind to her husband’s love. Sidhu had been crazy about Anu right from the moment Srishti was born. He had been so protective and caring towards her, always wanting to spend as much time with her and Srishti even though his work demanded more from him.

CHAPTER 28

It has been two weeks since Ananya left Sidhu to come and stay with her brother. At first she was too torn up and simply focused all her energy in finishing up her books or added some more blog posts. She didn’t answer phone calls or talk to anyone.

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