In retrospect
“Youcannot make him love you back and LIKE ME” he hissed
They hadbeen arguing ever since they had returned from Jaya Nagar
She hadfought with her father and Shivu had returned home and had ganged up with hisDad to tell Samidha off
She washurt and beaten but she continued to fight
“I am notmaking him do anything. I just told him its unfair to treat you that way”
“ItsFAIR. He hates me. I made his daughter pregnant without a wedding. Withoutconsent… according to him”
“Cmon, don’tdefend him, he has Shivu in his camp”
“Yeahwhats up with that kid” Avyaan was furious
“I am nowregretting wanting to see them” she said sniffling quietly
“YOU arefine. We will be fine”
“No wewont…. You know it too. You were better off without me. You have a great groupof friends, your business is turning around, your Dad was beginning to treatyou like a friend. I ruined it all”
“I amgoing to give you the compliment, you are fishing for it”
“WHOA?”
“U wantme to say I am happy where I am at and with you blah blah blah”
“I knowyou are not Avi”
“Quitmeasuring yourself against whatever yardstick your parents have for you… or Ior Riyaz” he was cold
“Theywere my everything through my tragedy Avyaan… they lifted me up. They filled mewith hope. They protected me from my mean in-laws” “Now they are worse than mymean in laws”
“Ithappens… think about it” He sat by her on the bed
“I amthinking… I was hoping they will look at me and feel compassion”
“I amsorry… but it had the opposite effect… they hated you more and were repulsed byme”
Hisfather had asked Avyaan how old he was
Avyaanhad said “Will be 31 in a few months”
“You lookvery old… are u sure”
“I canshow you my driver’s license” Avyaan had smiled
“I willnever be able to forgive my Dad” Samidha was cringing
“U willwhen u find a guy with no grey hair” he laughed
Shelooked up at him with tear filled eyes
He doesn’tfeel anything for me
He doesn’t
Heactually wants me to go hook up with someone else or marry someone else
Her shouldersslumped
“Sam…” hecooed
He NEVERsaid her name that way unless he was making love to her
Sheblushed not looking up
“Sam” hegently rubbed the back of his fingers on her warm moist cheek
“U coulddye your hair black” she mumbled
Helaughed noiselessly
“U cantbear to be with a greying dude”
“NO… USAID IT… U SAID I would forget Dad’s insult… YOU SAID IT”
Shelashed at him shoving his hand away
“Hesright…. He wants someone that looks appropriate for his daughter… not a tall muscularrunner”
“He doesn’tknow you are runner” she sulked
“Tallmassive dud then” he laughed
“U didn’thave to tell him you were going to be bankrupt”
“I didn’twant to lie…. He hates me anyway… whats lying going to bring me”
“Notlying… u didn’t have to say “Oh my business was tanking, I am hoping to turnthings around”
“Why NOTSamidha?”
“BECOZZZ”she shrieked
“Whatcould I have said? I run a licensing freight forwarding business and all is well”
“Itsimportant to ME” she begged
“I amfine…. I am greying and broke and bigger than you and made you pregnant”
“U areonly thinking about yourself” she shouted
“I am notI am protecting you from his false hopes”
“U arenot you are helping him become MORE prejudiced”
“Therewas no way he was ever going to like me or be civil to me”
“I HATEHIM” she said with satisfaction
“No you don’t”he said quietly
“I amnever going back to that house” she whimpered sadly
“We canleave tomorrow if u like”
“Can westay one more day I want to go look at the Benson Town apartment” she saidsadly
“As longas you don’t ask me to go in” he said grimly avoiding eye contact
“Umm.. no…there are tenants “ she said lowering her gaze sadly not noticing what he hadsaid
.
Cricket
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