Fear & Love

Forty Five

Anand's grandfather, a powerful man, had a great influence on his childhood and teenage life. If there was anything his grandfather taught him foremost, it was to command power and garner fear from others. Unlike his little wife, who thought her husband - the ruthless Anand, should be warm to others, his grandfather only taught him to order around and only think about what would gain him and the business more power and profit. The number one rule to rule over others was to never allow them to disrespect you.

Anand had never allowed anyone to disrespect him. He made sure to make them suffer greatly and degrade them if they make this mistake. Was his wife going to be an exception? Did he want to stoop to his level and be rude to his innocent and kind wife? But he can't let her have greater hand over him. If she thinks that by her good nature, she was going to change his ways, he will make her think twice. He will make her realise that men like him, who seldom feel, never change. His insensitivity would never allow him to feel and be the person she expects him to be.

His anger got the best of him.

His folded sleeves and the veins on his wrists were signs enough to know the anger coursing through his blood.

"Who the fuck are you disrespecting? Don't forget your place, little wife." He spat the words with so much bitterness. Just ten months of marriage and she thinks she can speak to him the way she wants...how naive! She doesn't know the person she is dealing with and the gravity of upsetting him.

What was her original place? Just a trophy wife who did social good and would be good for his CSR activities. In the past months, she has proved herself a great asset to him. The party he dragged her to, on the insistence of the hosts, had boasted his image as the couple who contributed and thought for the society. Ofcourse, she doesn't need to know when and how he uses her presence. He makes sure to drag her to few important business parties where his clients are more family oriented and would praise his wife's simple living. He knew to play them psychologically.

Gita lowered her eyes, scared to see him fuming. Her one sentence had angered him to a great extent. Was his ego so fragile? It's funny how something big like Ego was actually a fragile thing. It doesn't take much to hurt hollow things and emotions. They crack faster than a glass in a toddler's hand.

"I- I am sorry?" Gita managed to utter the words that could possibly calm the storm, because of which her sorry came out more as question than a statement. She easily apologized to people, not because she was at fault or really felt sorry but to not complicate things further. A people pleaser can never have people upset with them or fight them for long.

"Oh no, baby! I didn't ask you yet to apologize." Forgive and forget? Not the case with Anand. He didn't care if his wife was scared, she will have to listen to his words. Words that are bitter and equivalent to poison. She has to know the consequences of opening her mouth without putting mind to it.

"Ya, where were we?" He pretended to think for a moment and continued, "Ahh, my wife was saying something about me showing arrogance over my money. Arrogance Gitanjali, really? Then listen, not just that shop, I can even buy the whole town." Anand closed his eyes for a moment to control himself. Even now, he didn't want to blurt things that would hurt his wife and regret later.
"Congratulations! You successfully managed to ruin my mood. Just tell me one thing, the Gitanjali that is 'oh so nice' and polite to others, why do you always want to pick a bone with me?"

He raised his finger at her and warned her, "But remember one thing, don't you ever say that I am showing you arrogance over my riches because I have never done that with you." Anand walked off their room to his office room.

She knew that there were a lot of things  that he avoided saying. But what if he didn't say it? She has heard it enough from others. Like the time she went for lunch with her college friends and one of her friend casually asked why she still does a job when Anand pays double the amount she earns to his workers? The colleagues who had a hard time believing she is Anand Thackeray's wife who wears such casual clothes and not branded ones. She was thankful that Anand didn't bring up these things atleast.