Another Half Of Me - Chapter 28

The pestering thoughts of the night were still hovering in her mind in the morning. All she wanted to do was go away somewhere from all of this.

Away from Siddha.

She needed to think, to analyse everything that had happened since he had left for Bangalore. Calling him and asking would only worsen the situation. Of course, he will deny everything. But, she wanted to know the truth.

Not able to think anymore, she opened her bedroom door and came outside. Sandhya had already woken up and was making tea in the kitchen. Why had Sandhya offered to stay with her all of a sudden? Did she have genuine feelings for Roshni or was it only to drive her towards her end?

Sandhya turned and looked at her with a smiling face. Then, she poured some tea in a cup and added something to it.

Roshni sprung to her feet and rushed to her.

“What did you just put in the tea?” she asked accusingly sure of the fact that it was something that would destroy her and the baby.

“It’s just sugar,” Sandhya replied looking at her in a strange manner.

Not believing her at all, Roshni took the cup from her and drained it in the wash basin.

“I’ll make the tea.”

Shrugging, Sandhya left and went to the bedroom to get dressed.

“I’ll pick you up on the way back from the yoga class,” she shouted on her way out.

But, I’ll not go with you. This time I’ll take the public transport, she thought to herself.

Roshni sat down on the couch and her mind again started to venture in unfamiliar waters.

Had Siddha told Sandhya to stay at her place?

Was the other girl in his life Sandhya or the one who was there in his room yesterday?

Maybe, he had reconciled with Sandhya when they had met in office and the trip to Bangalore was part of the plan. If he is in Bangalore, then his hands would not get dirty at all.

Tears of anger and betrayal sprung in her eyes.

Why Siddha? Why?

You made me stay with you when I wanted to leave. You made me believe that I can also have a family and someone to call my own.

Then, why this?

Shaking her head, she looked at her phone and saw whatsapp messages and calls from Siddha. Opening her whatsapp, she selected his chat and deleted it.

She will not speak to him till he came back. No point in that. And, she has to stay alive till he returned. The shock on his face would be the ultimate revenge and then, she will leave, forever.

Sad and angry tears fell from her eyes, as she sobbed hard thinking of the dream that had shattered without even her living it once.

*************

Siddha looked at his watch and then at his phone. What is the matter with her? So many messages and she had not even replied to one. What is she angry about? He had wanted to leave for Delhi the night before when she had not answered the phone but something had stopped him. Something inside Siddha told him that Roshni was being childish.

Dammit! When is this matter going to be solved? Shaking his head in impatience, he sat down on the chair in the municipal commissioner’s office.

************

On her way back from school, Roshni had not waited for Sandhya to pick her up instead she had headed straight for the Kashmere Gate metro station. Impatiently, she looked at the public display system at the platform and saw the delay time of 5 minutes.

Unable to sit any more, she started to pace up and down. Suddenly, she felt a push from behind and was about to fall on the tracks. A man clad in jeans and t-shirt pulled her back as the Dilshad Garden metro entered the platform.

Shaking with fear and terror, she started to run towards the stairs. Looking back, she saw the man following her. She ran as fast as she can, the only thought in her mind being escape.

Suddenly, she stumbled on the last stair and fell on her face. Somebody helped her to get up. She turned to thank the person and froze.

The man.

He looked at her and started to pull out something from his pocket.

Roshni tried to move but somehow fear had glued her feet to the ground. Blinking twice, she looked at his hand holding her wallet. Putting it in her palm, he briskly walked away.

Breathing hard, Roshni sat down on the stairs and tried to gather her wits. Had he shoved her towards the tracks or was it someone else? Gingerly, she got up and started walking out of the station.

She was waiting for an auto to take her to the ISBT when she noticed the same man leaning against the wall with the phone in his hand. Quickly, she pulled out her scarf from the bag and wrapped it around her head. Then, she walked closer to him in a silent manner. He turned away from the wall and she leaned closer to listen.

“Siddha boss, Sorry could not kill the girl. Too crowded,” he said.

Roshni’s head started to spin as the words registered in her mind. Siddha?

“No, no, she has not followed me. Don’t you worry, boss, I will try again. And, next time she will be dead.”

Roshni gulped down the bile rising in her throat. Fortunately, an auto stopped in front of her and she climbed in without even telling the driver where to go. When he did not move, she cleared her voice and instructed him to take her to the bus stop.

In the bus, her phone kept on ringing inside the bag and she knew who was calling. She did not want to speak to him at all, but she knew she will have to. But not now.

Suppressing her tears, she looked out of the window and kept a hand on her stomach. 

Mama is not going to cry, baby. You and I will live no matter what even if your so-called dad does not want us to.

***********

The moment she reached home, she looked around to check if Sandhya was home or not. Convinced that she is not home, she sat down on the bed and dialled Siddha’s number.

Siddha was in a meeting when his phone started to ring beside him.

Roshni’s name and face flashed on the screen and he tried hard not to jump with joy. It had been almost 6 days since he had heard her lovely voice. Excusing himself and leaving everyone gaping behind him, he left the room with his phone.

“Hey sweetheart, where have you been? I am missing you so much,” he said with all the love in his heart. When there was no reply, he called her name twice, but she did not speak. He could hear her breathing heavily from the other side. Something was wrong.

“Roshni, what’s wrong. Are you ok?” he asked feeling a little uneasy all of a sudden.

“I want you to come back now,” Roshni said testing the waters a little.

“Sweetheart, I will. Tomorrow afternoon I will be home.”

“No, I want you to come back now, otherwise I’ll kill myself,” Roshni said delivering her final shot.

Her threatening words echoed in his mind and Siddha felt himself stiffen. Anger started to boil inside him. She had not called or answered any of his messages or calls for the past 6 days and now all of a sudden she wants him to come back.

His hand clenched in a tight fist as he tried to control his anger.

“I can’t come right now. Please understand. I am coming back tomorrow afternoon.”

Somehow, Roshni had already known the answer. Without saying anything else, she disconnected the call. 

It was time for her to leave. 

But, not without confronting him.

Siddha looked at his phone, anger creasing his forehead, when the line got disconnected. Feeling a little irritated and confused with her behaviour, he turned and stepped inside the conference room.

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