Page 13 of No Other Love

‘So do yours,’ I shot back.

And that was true too. Some upstart do-gooder kid from a second-tier medical college with no money and pedigree was not a good match for the great and venerated Vivek Chakraborty’’s daughter. And what Vivek Chakraborty wanted, was law in their home. Anika’s mom was a shadow of her daughter’s vibrant, joyful personality.

‘Yeah, but my family does not pretend to be unhealthily attached to each other at the fucking hip. We’re happy to meet for Durga Puja once a year and stay out of each other’s lives the rest of the time,’ Anika murmured defensively.

‘We aren’t unhealthily attached to each other, Ani.’

‘This is getting us nowhere, Vikrant. We can’t talk for five minutes without fighting.’

Anika took a deep breath, and I was forced to glance at her loose-fitting scrub top. Her breasts moved against the stiff cotton fabric; the pocket torn at the edges. I wanted, so badly, to finger that tear. Then to move down to the end of her top and tug it off, all the while kissing her senseless.

It was soul-destroying, how much I could want her even though we were still fighting.

‘I don’t want to fight.’

‘Neither do I.’ She frowned. ‘And, anyway, we’re divorced now. I don’t legally belong in your family, do I? Not that I ever did.’

My heart stuttered at the casual way she said ‘divorced.’ Like she didn’t even care. It was horrifying how much that hurt. To know she didn’t care, this woman with whom I had built a whole life in my head.

‘I…’ I hesitated. ‘I haven’t told anyone yet about our separation. They think I come see you every two weekends. That you’ll join me in a few months once your resident rotation here is done.’

Her jaw dropped for the second time, and I had the incredible pleasure of making my ex-wife speechless.

‘So, you see. That’s why I need you to come back,’ I said quietly, my heart roaring in my ears. ‘Aai, Baba and Kaka-Kaki, my aunties and uncles, expect you home for the festival. And Baba’s condition is so delicate, I don’t want to stress him or Aai out anymore.’

She still said nothing.

I knew I was a bastard. It was unfair to ask this of her. She didn’t like my parents. She certainly owed them nothing. Her only fault had been to marry me. And that was now rectified. But I was going to anyway, becauseIowed my family that much.

‘It’s a week, Anika,’ I said softly. ‘It’s one week out of the rest of your life. I’ll tell them all the whole truth later. When Baba’s more stable. I’m begging you to help me save my father. I hope you don’t refuse me. Please.’

I reached out and caught Anika’s slack hand. The soft touch of her palm against mine, made the blood pump harder through my body. Like I had been electrified, in the best way possible.

‘Please, Anika. You won’t ever have to see me after this week.’

Anika slid her hand away, dropped her gaze from mine. And I felt deprived. Ended. But I knew I’d done this to her, made her hate my touch. That I deserved all of this. Didn’t make me feel any better but it was the bitter truth.

I nodded. Resigned. I was expecting this rejection, so it stung half a second less. She really had no reason to help me out after what we’d done and said to each other. ‘Okay. You’re right. I’m sorry. This isn’t your problem or your concern. I shouldn’t have come here and asked this…’

‘Okay,’ Anika said.

‘What?’ I stopped mid-speech.

‘I said Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll come to Aronda and pretend to be your wife for one week.’ She smiled and it was empty and heartbroken. ‘After all it’s just seven more days, right?’

Hope, that fickle bastard, raised his head again in my withered heart…

Six

Anika

‘You didn’t have to pick me up from the bus stand,’ I protested a week later.

I watched in consternation and secret admiration as Vikrant picked up the bulging bag from the dusty pavement and slung it over his shoulder. He wasn’t skinny like he’d been back in college. The man had filled out in all the right places, deliciously.

‘It’s no problem,’ Vikrant said. ‘It’s the least I can do after inconveniencing you.’ He indicated the direction in which to go, and I walked ahead of him.

‘Besides.’ His hand brushed against mine as he matched his longer stride to mine. ‘We don’t have ridesharing apps here, you know. I’m your designated driver for the duration of your stay.’