Page 63 of Mrs. Pandey
Swallowing hard, I nodded slowly. I couldn't speak.
He stared at me like he didn't recognize himself.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, but the words came out hoarse, fragile, and far too late.
"I know," I whispered, pushing myself up. "You're hurting."
He looked away.
"And I hurt you," he said, quieter this time.
I reached out, touching the jagged edge of the ruined table. Something to ground myself.
"I didn't fix the house for praise, Prashant. I did it because I thought... if I could give this place warmth again, maybe you'd feel a little of it. Maybe it would bring you back."
He didn't reply. His gaze stayed locked on the floor. But his face... his face had cracked open.
"Maa will get her chair back," I said. "I'll find the man I gave it to. I'll bring it back, piece by piece if I have to."
Still, he said nothing. I could feel him slipping further into that dark place.
"I'm sorry..." he said again. His thumb gently wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. "God..." His voice caught. "You should not have come into my life."
I smiled sadly, though my lips still ached. "It's okay. I'm fine."
"No. You're not." His voice was a whisper of guilt. "You don't deserve this. I'm a total mess, Ira."
I touched his hand, trembling but certain. "Hurt me all you want, Prashant, but this time, I'm listening to my heart. I won't leave you again."
He looked into my eyes shining, broken wide open.
And for the first time after years, I saw the man he used to be, the one who wanted to love without fear.
_______
Chapter 29
IRA
I lay on the bed, trying to forget what had happened just hours ago. Prashant reminded me of those monsters I had run away from. Had I ended up in the arms of another one? No. No, Prashant wasn't like that. He was different, he was sweet and caring. He had just forgotten the beautiful human he used to be. I only wanted to remind him.
I glanced at the clock. It was half past eleven, but Prashant still hadn't come into the room. Was he sleeping in another room?
I pulled the duvet over my body and tried to fall asleep, but it was useless. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Kabir's face. Amish's too. Their twisted smirks and haunting eyes stuck to my memory like a magnet. I had married Prashant with the hope that he would protect me. But things had changed.
The way he behaved with me today, it shook me to the core.
Was Pari right? Had his change become permanent? Would he ever be the same Prashant who used to cycle 8 kilometers just to bring me coffee from my favorite café? The man who made me feel like I mattered?
God, I was overthinking again.
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing sleep to take over, when suddenly the door slammed open, making me sit upright in bed with a gasp.
Prashant stumbled into the room.
"Prashant..." I whispered, eyes scanning him from head to toe. His shirt hung loose over his broad shoulders, his hair messy, his eyes bloodshot and hollow.
"Ira..." he slurred, collapsing onto the bed.
