Loveless Marriage - My Second Wife Has A Baby

Chapter 4

Aadhi

I wake up with a feeling of heaviness which has a permanent residence in my chest.

I look around and find myself on the couch that now has lots of burn marks on it. The walls which were once a soft cream color are now grey as a result of the fire that erupted in the house. This huge villa which was once full of life and brightness is now a dark and gloomy place just like my heart. Nothing can fill the void in my heart.

When she died, a part of me died too.

Now I'm just an empty shell of a man.

I don't live here anymore as living here with all the memories I had made with my wife would be torture but I always end up coming here every night after I wind up my work at my bar.

Wiping the sleep of my face, I stumble my way towards the bathroom. After relieving myself, I pick up my phone, wallet, and car key to leave when I see the seven missed calls that I'd received while I was probably drunk to my ass.

Three of them were from my mom and four from my dad. I don't call my dad since I have no intention of hearing the disappointment dripping in his tone so early in the morning or the endless lectures he would give me about how I am spoiling my life and health.

"Hello.."

My mom picks up my call after the second ring telling me she has been waiting for my call. "Aadhi, come to Venus Hospital.."

She doesn't greet me or ask where I am like she'd usually do. So, I understand something terribly wrong happened while I was hammered.

"Who is at the hospital?" I hope it's not my parents.

"Your Aunt had a heart attack last night. She's in the ICU and she wants to meet you.."

Shit!

My Aunt's a woman who is just as much a well-wisher to me as my parents. She's been there in all my ups and downs. I feel sorry for her but I have gone through enough cruelty in my life that now I don't panic very easily for anything. The last time I panicked was two years back when my dear wife was lying on her death bed holding on to her last breaths.

Nothing in my life can shake me like that incident.

"I will be there soon.."

I drive to my apartment where I started living after Priya's death. Taking a quick shower and changing into fresh clothes which I make sure doesn't smell like hard liquor, I drive to the hospital where my Aunt's admitted. I am not surprised when I see my whole family standing outside the ICU. Even our Aunt Nadhiya has flown from The States to be with her sister.

Is it that bad? Will she make it alive?

I ponder as I walk to my cousin, Navil who is Aunt Nathila's son. "How is she now?"

"She's recovering.." He informs me with a long face. Beside him is his younger sister, Ithal whose big brown eyes are boring holes into my head. When she notices my eyes on her, she gives me a tight smile and looks away as if she can't bear to stand the sight of me.

"She wants to talk to you, Aadhi. Come in.." My father ushers me inside where my Aunt is lying on the bed with a number of tubes attached to her body. She looks nothing like the strong woman I know she is. I feel a hand squeezing my heart firmly but I keep a straight face.

Emotions make you weak. I have learnt from my past so I want to keep them at bay.

Her husband, my uncle Kavin is seated on a stool, holding her hand tightly. He gets off the stool as I walk closer to them.

"Aadhi, you came.." She flashes me a frail smile, "I was beginning to think you will not come at all.."

"How are you feeling?" I lean down as her voice is only a whisper and it's difficult to figure out what she's saying.

She nods and looks at the stool asking me to sit on it which I do. "Aadhi, I want to talk to you about something. Will you promise you will listen to me till the end?"

The moment I hear her, I know what she wants to talk to me. She is about to convince me to marry again. She hasn't talked to me about it before but others in my family have done so I can tell when someone is going to bring that topic up. If this is my parents' way to blackmail me into marrying again, then they don't know me well. A marriage is out of my thoughts.

I am about to get up from the stool and leave when I feel a hand pushing me down. I look up to see my mom standing behind me.

"Sit down, Aadhi. At least have the guts to listen to us fully.."

I grit my teeth to suppress my anger. They are my family and I don't want to say something that would tatter whatever little relationship I have with them.

"What is it? Tell me fast. I don't have the whole day.." I say not attempting to hide the rudeness in my voice.

"It's been two years since Priya's death.." My aunt begins and I raise my eyes in response.

"So?"

"How long are you going to be like this, alone and sad, Aadhi?"

"I prefer it this way.." I shrug in a clipped tone.

"Well.." She hesitates, "Your parents and I don't want you living like this anymore.."

I shake my head, "I am comfortable the way I am. I don't need a change.."

I hate the way this conversation is taking its course but there's nothing I can do about it. I have to sit through and listen to them till the end.

"This is not just about you anymore, Aadhi.."

I don't let her finish, "Then what is it? Say clearly what you have in mind.."

"Hey, watch your tone, Aadhi.." My dad snaps behind me but my aunt stops him.

"Aadhi, you do know that we all care for you, right?" She questions me carefully.

"Yes, I do and I am very thankful to all of you for that but you all don't have to worry about me. I am fine the way I am.."

"No, you are not. You think you are but we all know, you are not fine. Not when you are all by yourself with no one with you.."

"I don't want anyone with me.." I snap back at her.

"Maybe now you don't but everyone wants someone with them to grow old.." She argues with me without her voice faltering.

"I have Priya's memory to grow old with.."

"That will fade away with time and you will have nothing to hold on to in a few years, Aadhi.." My mom quips in this time, "Everyone needs a life partner.."

"No.." Her idea quirks my annoyance, "Whatever plans you have for my life, you all better keep it to yourself.."

"Aadhi.." My aunt sighs tiredly, "Can you do a favor for me? Please?"

"What favor?" I curb the urge to roll my eyes at her.

"You say you are okay being all alone in your life. Fine, we believe you but I cannot say the same for my daughter.."

I frown, not understanding which daughter she's talking about. As far as I know, Nila, her eldest is happily married to the man she wanted to, and her younger one, Ithal is also married to a decent man. I had attended her wedding with Priya and they seemed like a great pair together.

"Whom are you talking about?" I prod.

She scoffs, "See, you say you are fine but you don't even know what's happening in your own family.."

"Can you please not go around in circles and come to the point?" I can't do this anymore.

"Ithu.." That's all she utters.

"What about her?"

"She's living here for a year now, Aadhi.."

Oh, I didn't know that.

"Why? Isn't she married and living in Toronto or something?"

"She was but no more. She's separated from her husband now.." My aunt completes.

I don't ask why. I have no interest in her personal life. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Can you..Uhmm.." She hesitates and looks away at her husband behind me, "Can you marry our daughter, Aadhi?"

That knocks all the breath out of my system. I stand up so fast that I knock the stool behind me. "I will pretend we never had this conversation.."

"Aadhi, we are not done yet.." My father warns.

"But I am done with you all.." I say with finality and leave the ICU with hurried steps. As I walk out to the corridor, my eyes meet with Ithal's and now I understand why she can't hold eye contact with me. She's part of all this scheming.

Glancing away from her, I storm out of the hospital.

****

I am tired by the end of the day. I open the top buttons of my shirt as I watch the last few of my customers leave the bar. It was nearing closing time.

Leaving the rest to my manager to deal with, I drive my car from the parking of the pub to my house, the one I shared with Priya.

I arrive home and head to the cabinets where I find a few bottles of whiskey which I always store here. Taking a long sip out of it, I slump down on the couch. I want to get drunk and lost in my dreams but an unexpected knock on my door, makes me groan.

Opening the door, I find my dad standing there with his shoulders slumped. "I thought I would find here. Can I come in?"

Without replying to him, I open the door wider for him to get in.

He looks around for a while but when it becomes too difficult to take in the sight of the ruined remains of this house, he brings his gaze back at me. "Can we talk?"

I take another large swig of my drink and don't miss the disapproving grunts from my father, "If this is about what we already talked about at the hospital, then shouldn't be here. Nothing you say is going to change my mind.."

"Really?" He shoots his eyebrow up. "What if I tell you that I won't give you a single penny from that pub of mine?"

"Now you are being unfair, appa.." I jeer and then slam the bottle onto a nearby table.

"I don't care if I am being unfair, Aadhi. If you don't listen to me, I will disinherit you and make Ela my sole heir.."

"You can't do that.." I rake a hand into my hair. "I left my IT job when you called me here to take after your business which wasn't as successful as it is now.."

"I know you did but if you continue to ruin yourself like this then I won't hesitate to do as I wish.." He steps forward matching his angry gaze with mine.

"Ela won't agree to it. He knows it doesn't belong to him and moreover, he would never leave the army and come serve you here.."

"Do you wanna bet on that?" He wings his brow challengingly. "He's not like you. He would do anything if I asked him to.."

Ela is like a brother to me and if he inherits my father's business it only only go to my sister, Mini but the thought that I will be left with nothing, doesn't sit well inside me.

"Marry Ithal and I will write all my properties to your name the next second.."

I think about it with a clear head. No matter how much I keep resisting, my parents will always force me to marry someone again. I don't want to marry a young, inexperienced girl who might want to love and be loved by me, which I am incapable of. That man's dead.

However, Ithal was married once before and if I know her, she must be still crippled in her own sorrow which makes her easy maintenance. She will not seek my closeness, at least emotional closeness. She'd be mature and more understanding since she'd always known how much I loved my wife. Moreover, a woman who is not married before will need gentleness and care that I don't have to spare but Ithal might be up for the angry s*x I crave if only to battle her own demons just like me.

"Fine.." I breathe out, "I will marry her.."

My father stares at me for a few seconds as though he didn't expect me to agree to it without putting up a protest. "Are you sure..?"

"Yes, you want me to marry someone. It's her or no one.." I say firmly.

"I will tell your mother and aunt. They will be very happy about it.." He doesn't wait and walks out of the house, dialing the numbers on his phone.