It was the sight of him that gave her the courage to finally put her plan into action. He had asked her every time they met over last few months if she was unwell. She wasn’t, but she might as well have been. Given the number of times she had been to see the doctors in last few months. She hadn’t told him that. She had always smiled and asked him not to worry.

She had just come back after seeing a gynecologist – yet another one. Her mother-in-law had not been with her and that gave her the perfect opportunity!

Siddhartha had come to meet Mr. Jain and had stopped by to say hello to Mrs. Jain.

“Mummy ji!” Karishma ran to her mother-in-law and hugged her, a gesture that made the older woman awkward. She was definitely not used this show of affection from her daughter-in-law. She eyed her curiously as did Siddhartha. Vikram, who had just wandered into the hall on hearing Siddhartha’s voice, looked puzzled.

Karishma whispered something in Mrs. Jain’s ears and her eyes went wide.

“Really?”

Karishma just nodded and stood up to leave.

“What is it?” Vikram asked taking a few steps towards his wife and mother.

“Well, congratulations, Vikram. The father-to-be, eh? Finally!” Mrs. Jain replied grinning widely.

From the corner of her eyes Karishma saw Siddhartha’s face going taut, but he arranged it back quickly into a smile.

“Congratulations Vikram, Karishma,” he approached Vikram to shake his hand, but Vikram’s violent reaction took him unawares. Vikram grabbed Karishma and pushed her against a wall.

“What drama is this, Karishma? Whose child is this?” he growled.

“Vikram, you are hurting me.”

Mrs. Jain was dumbstruck, but Siddhartha rushed and pulled Vikram away from Karishma. “What are you doing?”

“You stay away from this,” Vikram thundered, “Or may be not! May be its time to confess. You have done this, haven’t you?” He charged at Siddhartha this time, but Siddhartha was able to hold him off.

“Enough, Vikram!” Mrs. Jain cried, and that had some moderating effect on him, but he was still shooting dagger eyes at Siddhartha and Karishma.

Siddhartha was puzzled. But Karishma walked up confidently to her husband.

“Why Vikram? What’s wrong? Hasn’t the entire family been waiting for this day? Haven’t I been made to see a new gynecologist every other day just so we could hear this news? Why are you so upset?”

“Shut up, you whore,” he muttered menacingly, keeping his voice low, perhaps in deference to his mother’s presence.

“Why should I shut up? Why are you so sure that this child cannot be yours? Tell me, Vikram. Tell everyone.”

He glared and made to retreat. But Karishma yanked his hands.

“Why are you running away? After insinuating what you did, how can you bloody run away?” She was too angry now to mind her words, “Tell them. Tell everyone why the child cannot be yours. Or do you want to bring up this child as your own?”

“You go to hell!”

“Why can this child not be yours? Why are you so fucking sure?”

“Because I have never fucked you,” he screamed, “Because I haven’t as much as touched you.”

Karishma stepped back, grimacing, her face contorted with disgust. “That’s right. That’s right, Mummy ji,” she turned to her mother-in-law, “I am not pregnant. I can’t be. Because I haven’t slept with anyone. Not even my husband. Why has that been the case and why has he let me be mentally tortured and led from one doctor to the another all these months, only he can explain.”

With that all the anger and passion suddenly seemed to take leave of her. A cloud of misery enveloped her and tears broke through it like thin showers. She ran out of the house.

Siddhartha looked around at the stunned faces of Vikram and his mother, barely registered Mr. Jain’s presence on the stairs – he must have heard everything too – and ran out.

—

“Karishma!” He had to run after her and yank her hand to make her stop, “Where are you going?”

“Anywhere, away from this,” she said, sniffling, trying hard to wipe her tears, but failing as fresh tears overpowered her.

“Come with me.”

“Where?”

“My home, where else?”

“I can’t… I can’t face anybody right now. Kaki will be there.”

“She is sleeping most of the time.”

Karishma still shook her head.

“What were you planning? Do you want me to drop you to your uncle’s place?”

She shook her head again, “I will go to a hotel.”

“A hotel?” He was exasperated, but relented, “Fine. But let me drop you.”

She agreed to that.

“Please stop at some mall on the way. I need to buy some stuff. And then…”

She told him which hotel she wanted to go to. She had obviously been preparing for this. He drove her around, to the mall, then to the hotel, mostly in silence, and waited until she had checked in. Then he made to leave. But turned back and asked, “You were going through so much and you didn’t think of telling me even once?”

She looked way for a moment before meeting his eyes, “Would you come to my room and stay a while.”

He nodded and followed her.

“I need you to know,” she blurted as soon as they were behind the closed doors, “That it isn’t my doing. I didn’t plan for my marriage to fail.”

He stood silent in confusion and shock. Why did she feel the need to explain that?

She continued, “Before the wedding I had behaved just so…” she seemed to struggle for the right word, then settled on, “inappropriately.”

“What are you talking about?” he finally found his voice.

“The way I had… Asking you if you would have married me… I think back to it and feel so ashamed at my imposition. I must assure you, today, that you don’t need to take my antics seriously. It isn’t like you have to propose to marry to me or feel responsible in anyway–”

“What the hell, Karishma!” Busy with her guilt-ridden monologue and consumed with her fears, she hadn’t noticed the changes in his expressions. His face was now flushed with anger. “Yeah, right! That’s what I am worried about ever since that scoundrel lunged at you in front on my eyes! That I will have to marry you. How considerate, Karishma. And what wonderful thoughts!”

He stormed out of the room and she was too dumbfounded to follow.

—

To be continued