Broken Vows (Chapter 11)

11

 

 

A lot of time has passed by, but neither my wife nor my girlfriend got to know about the other. Maybe I am good at managing relations. Wondered Lakshya while on his way to office. He had a smile that showed his achievement. He dialed Richa’s number only to realize it was switched off. He chose to enjoy his mental achievement rather than worrying about Richa.

 

Vaidehi only pretended to be asleep. She was wide awake whole night. Her silent sobs were silent enough to not to reach her husband.

She was still crying when her husband left for office. He hugged her, planted a peck on her forehead but couldn’t notice her swollen eyes.

After she got to know the mischief of her husband, every second it felt like a hammer being hammered on already broken glass heart.

Every day of their married life was a lie, every hug was fake, every kiss was a formality, every intimate session was a mere result of lust.

She questioned her existence, her value, her destiny. She wondered.

Do I have any reason to live now? What did I do to deserve this? What did I missed to be a perfect wife?

 

Vaidehi wiped her tears and picked up car keys. She was off to somewhere even she didn’t know, but after rash driving and almost harming few fellow drivers. She found herself standing right in front of Richa’s place.

She doesn't have her number, so she checks every room. When she reached her room. she found Richa sitting near the bed with her legs pulled up to her chest and holding them with her arms. Her face was pale, traces of tears surfaced her side cheeks, her smudged eyeliner was proof that she had cried all night. Vaidehi found Richa’s phone broken in two pieces near shattered window glass.

Richa was staring at window with no thought in mind. She didn’t notice someone entering her room. Vaidehi poked her. Richa slowly turned at Vaidehi, tears holding themselves back couldn’t hold up anymore, she jumped and hugged her. They both cried.

“I didn’t do it intentionally.” Richa said between her sobs.

“I am sorry. I suspected you.” Vaidehi said.

They were the necessary support to each other. College friendship that was not so deep, turned to be the best at this moment. The little bit of trust they had on each other during the college days, that straw of trust has now grown like a mountain. Both were in a critical situation and both needed support, all options were futile except to be each other's support. Richa skipped office that day and Vaidehi insisted Richa to go on shopping for a change of mind.

They had a brunch after shopping.  They had nothing to talk, silence wailing between them. Vaidehi chose to break the ice.

“How was your relationship with Lakshya?”

Richa shot an amazed glance at Vaidehi and found her smiling as if now she's put up with it so much it doesn't matter anymore.

Vaidehi sipped her Blue Lagoon, waiting for answer.

“I saw a new ray of light.” Richa compressed her relationship with Lakshya in the shortest way possible and present in front of Vaidehi.

“Light?” Vaidehi chuckled… “It was expiation wrapped under the pack of boon.” Her voice had a growl of seeking revenge.

“He took me on a vacation in Pune, He took me to his flat also and we ma…” Richa was interrupted.

“He took you to his flat? You mean my home. Right?” Vaidehi asked in shock.

“I don’t know where you guys live but his flat clearly looked like a single occupied.”

“Where is this flat?” Vaidehi initiated a questionnaire to fight a mountain of doubts raising in her head.

“Versova.” Richa could sense the loading carnage.

“Exact address, Richa.” her voice went a volume up.

“T-1, 9^th floor, Amarnath Towers.” Richa came forward and slowly told her the address. Richa gulped down the limp in her throat.

“What? My flat is on 7^th floor.” Vaidehi said.

“He said he bought it a month ago.”

“This man is gross… let’s go.” Vaidehi cursed him and picked up her car keys.

Vaidehi’s lips were continuously murmuring cuss words for her husband. She drove to her home.

Once inside the elevator, she pressed the 9^th floor button and called guard to come up.

“Dev Dada, I have lost the keys of our flat. Can you please unlock it for me?” Vaidehi played with guard.

Because Vaidehi was the wife of that flat owner, Dev Dada didn’t ask any question and did as he was told to.  

Vaidehi and Richa were shocked when they entered his flat. It looked like a flat of bachelor boy. Messy, stinky, liquor bottles in every corner, cigarette ashes and buds everywhere on floor. The only things kept neatly were the big picture of Vaidehi and Richa.

Under the photo frame of Vaidehi, there he kept more liquor bottles and under Richa’s picture, packs of flavored condoms, flowers and scented candles.

This somehow sums up the relation he has with both the ladies. Vaidehi became his reason of stress and Richa became a source of his stress relief. Vaidehi was a bad habit he wanted to leave and Richa was a new life he wanted to start. Vaidehi was scorching sun of summers and Richa, evening of springs.

Vaidehi’s phone buzzed, Lakshya it was.

“Hello?”

“Vaidehi, can we go out on a dinner tonight? There’s a lot between us that needs to be solved.” Lakshya said.

Richa heard as Vaidehi put the phone on speaker.

Vaidehi’s mind clicked and she said yes. She then cut the call after wishing him ‘Love you’ out of habit. She later cursed herself too.

“Insert your sim card in my phone and text him that you want to go on a dinner date with him.” Vaidehi guided Richa.

It was all too much to be believed for Richa, her pale face reflected shock. She did as she was asked to.

 

 

As soon as Lakshya received message, he called Richa. Vaidehi put the phone on speaker. “Hello Richa… Where have you been? I’m calling you from last night. Why was your phone switched off? And you didn’t show up at office today, is everything alright?” Lakshya let out his train of questions in one breath.

Vaidehi felt his energy level for Richa’s concern and was bit jealous but what difference does it make now? She gestured Richa to reply him. Richa, already disgusted with his crime couldn’t say a word. She had to push herself to act like she knows nothing. She took time in which she heard Lakshya calling her name continuously.

“Meet me tonight, I’ll tell you everything.”

Lakshya sensed her unusual voice and asked “Richa… Is everything fine?”

“Yeah… see you tonight.” She said wiping her tears.

Vaidehi catched this minor detail that Lakshya can catch Richa’s mood by her voice only and can’t see her crystal-clear suffering in her eyes. Vaidehi has turned into a stone hearted woman overnight. She took Richa 2 floor down at her place. Vaidehi left Richa alone as she knew she needed time to get over this.

 

 

Lakshya finally wrapped up his work and was heading home. He texted Vaidehi, “I am coming home. Have you decided the place?”

Vaidehi quickly searched for the nearest restaurants. “Lord of the drinks” she texted back. “Be there.” She added.

Then she handed her phone to Richa. She knew what she was supposed to do. She typed a message “are you coming?” and waited for 10 minutes, then she sent it.

“Yes baby.” Replied Lakshya, quickly.

Vaidehi grinned, “How Lakshya, how?”

Lakshya literally wanted to sort out things between him and his wife and also had a plan of making love with his girlfriend, but to disappointment, he was unaware of the surprise destiny had for him.

 

Ladies drove to the ‘Lord of drinks’ and once after settling down on different tables, Vaidehi texted Lakshya from Richa’s number. “I’m waiting at ‘Lord of drinks’… Come soon.”

 

All his happiness turned into sweat. He stopped the car near a cigarette shop. Got out of the car to catch some fresh air then he lit a cigarette. How the f**k they are in the same restaurant? Is this planned? Do they know each other and most importantly do they know how they are related through me? He lit another one, when Vaidehi called him. His anxiety was on roller coaster. He answered. “Hello…”

“I have reached here, where are you?”

“On the way… Just 5 minutes.”

“Okay.”

Vaidehi maintained her straight face and straight voice.

Lakshya quickly called Richa. Vaidehi ran up to Richa’s table…

“Pick up the phone.” She said.

“Hello…”

“Hello, Richa. I am struck in traffic might get late. Why don’t you go home and wait for me? Will that be okay?” Lakshya said trying his best to sound normal and concerned.

Vaidehi gestured to deny his plea and tell him you will wait.

“I am okay with it. You take your time, I’ll wait here.” Richa said in upset voice.

“Aaahhhh… okay… I’ll try and be there as soon as possible.”

He cursed his destiny but he didn’t know, this was just the first few words of the book. He couldn’t think of any other idea. He called Vikram for help but his phone was unreachable. After banging his fist on bonnet, he folded hands and prayed for survival. Before exiting his car, he wiped his face, took deep breaths and prayed again.