Mésalliance (Completed)

Chapter 23

Madhu deserved a peaceful departure from the confines of the hospital. The monitors and injections made her life miserable and the silence that she had was comforting. Her father must've signed and settled the hospital bills and she knew that everything was sorted except for the divorce. The judicial system would throw her with Vikram for six more months before they could move for a proper divorce. The legal proceedings would be fine with her being dead by a bullet than to leave Vikram before a certain duration.
Sooraj stood at the entrance of the room. She knew that he tried to apologise and fix things but even the god can't undo every mistake did by his son. It's better if he stayed silent in the issue without defaming himself by standing for his son.
Vikram was around the hospital till the previous evening but he might've understood not to disturb her when she was about to leave. She didn't mind his absence at all.
A heavy cloud of apprehension hung over her as she contemplated returning home. She had been traumatised by his volatile temper and reckless behavior. It strained her love for life. The final was broken by the bullet attack.
Madhu made up her mind to go through the healing. She would find solace in solitude and keep herself busy for the time being. Her brother cheerfully entered the room with her doctor.
Madhu smiled at them and breathed deeply. The doctor gave her a sympathetic smile, "Just make sure to follow our instructions and take care of yourself."
Madhu appreciated his understanding. As Madhav gathered her belongings and took them out of the room, she felt a mix of relief and sadness. Relief that she was leaving the hospital but sadness that her marriage had ended before it had started.
She walked out of her hospital room cautiously but determined to live again. But she spotted Vikram near the exit with a sullen face and it boiled her blood. Though his eyes filled with worry and guilt, she knew it was all an act. Madhu averted her gaze from him and approached her family.
Praneet comforted her as Madhav loaded the last luggage into the taxi. Sooraj opened his mouth to speak but his self-respect stopped him from embarrassment. Madhu turned to face Vikram for one final time and shook her head.
Change might take time. She couldn't be living in constant chaos thinking that he might change in future. She repeated in her mind that it was time to prioritise herself.
They turned away from the hospital building and entered the taxi. Madhu settled into the backseat with a wave of emotions over her heart. Doubt, fear and sadness mingled with a flicker of hope for a better future. Closing her eyes, Madhu whispered a silent prayer for the strength to rebuild her life and the wisdom to make the choices that would lead her to happiness and peace.
As the taxi pulled away from the hospital, Vikram took a deep breath and waved to nobody in particular. The road ahead would be challenging but he hoped that she made the right decision. She would find strength to heal from the wounds he had caused.
They knew that trust became a broken mirror.

********

"All the evil eyes should wade off!" Revathy wished while sprinkling salt around Madhu at their home entrance. Madhu felt energetic at the warm sight of her home that she truly owned by heart. The clearance from the hospital gave her half of the energy that she lost in Mumbai. The other quarter of energy returned on her way to Bangalore.
"Finally, home!" She whispered to herself and smiled at the building. Praneet adjusted the couch for her and she sat leisurely on it. Revathy handed her a glass of water and Madhu gulped it all in a single sip.
"You need more?" Revathy asked her unsurely.
Madhu returned the glass, "Nope."
Revathy huffed, "We might have lost you because of that guy."
Praneet commented in agitation, "She is alright now. Don't talk about that family anymore."
Madhav sat beside his sister, "Is everything comfortable?"
Madhu leaned behind the couch, "Yes."
He nodded to her. That bastard would have killed his sister and got away with the sins. Madhu noticed the conflicted face of her family members, "I am alright everyone. Just see the future process so as to cut ties with them.""
"I will have to meet the lawyer regarding that," Praneet informed her and looked at Madhav. He agreed, "I fixed the appointment at five p.m."
Madhu touched her bandaged arm. The bullet felt fresh on her skin as if she was shot in the present. She felt guilty for not listening to Vikram in the hospital. They didn't even share proper goodbyes with anyone in his family. Her father was dejected from those people.
In the flight, she saw a series where the female lead was wounded in a similar manner. The male lead touched her wounded area, kissed it and soothed her. Madhu felt jealous of that fictional character.
Her husband would never show such empathy to anyone. She would melt if he showed one percent of humanity that he should have shown.
"Madhu?" Praneet called for her. "Go and sleep."
Madhu snapped out of her thought process and made efforts to climb to her room. Even though she made up her mind to live on her own, she feared the societal pressure on a single woman after marriage. She vowed to herself not to break down by any comments but her parents would be dealing with a hell amount of relatives and their garrulous mouths.
She sulked on her bed and dialled Ankitha.
"I am coming there in ten minutes," Ankitha said in a jiffy without a proper hello. Madhu shook by the telepathy that they shared and Ankitha really came at the said duration. Madhu compared her friend with her useless, heartless husband who could never come near her friend.
"It's weird to meet you here but you are not being yourself," Ankitha shared her facts. Madhu smiled with pain in her eyes. She already had inner conflict about the impending divorce and Ankitha's words were like omen.
"See, there is time for you to rethink. Even I can come there and live in your house," Ankitha offered to her friend. "Living with your husband will give you peace from society."
"But he is the guy that disrupts my peace," Madhu cut off her friend.
Ankitha, even though she was modern, often behaved like an elderly aunty. Madhu wanted solace and if being single would give her that, she didn't care for the taunts. Ultimately, nobody from the society helped her during the injury or mental distress other than her family and friends.
"What next?" Ankitha sounded bored of her friend's rants. Madhu shrugged, "Can we go to the mall?"
Ankitha eyed Madhu and her bandaged hand, "Seriously?!"
Madhu shrugged, "I don't hide a bomb in this. So I can go."

***********

"Looks like you've got what I want..." A svelte girl in a bodycon approached Vikram in the pub. For the first time, he couldn't drink but the place became his getaway. A habit that he wanted to change.
"Not today. Go away!" He waded her off. The girl noticed a distressed state, "Wife problems?"
He tried to be calm, "I asked you to go in the polite way that I know."
She sat down next to him, "You might need a shoulder to cry on and maybe a hole to fill on."
"You are bothering me, woman. Fuck off!" Vikram howled at her. Sex won't serve a purpose to his frustration anymore. He dreaded that the one-night stands might harm his family members in the future. Madhu taught him a lesson without literal teaching.
"Did you mess up in your relationship?" She shot out the perfect question. Vikram looked up in surprise. She leaned in with the elbows on the table.
Vikram inhaled deeply, "I... I messed up. I hurt my wife, Madhu, and I regret it so much now. She didn't listen to me as I used to say trivial things in the past. I let my anger get the best of me."
The girl listened to him with full attention. "Sometimes, emotions get the better of us. It's good that you know what you did."
Vikram turned pale. "She went to her parents' place now. I miss her badly. I want to make things right but it's impossible. I hope that she will forgive me."
The girl reckoned, "Then you can have discreet pleasures with me."
Vikram thought that she would leave but she stooped low. "Listen, woman. I can understand that you need something in between your legs but I don't even want to see another woman. Stand up and run from here before I break your head."
The girl chuckled nervously, seeing the intensity of the res hues on his face. "I gotta go. But show that you genuinely regret. Express your sincere apologies if you really need her back. Go to her parents' place without ego and let her know that you care about her. Show her family that you're committed to change to earn her back."
Vikram's face reflected determination. He must've taken serious efforts if he wanted her back like begging for her forgiveness as Krish advised. He had to face his mistakes and amend them.
"I hate my mind!" He talked to himself. It only directed him to leave her as she went but it immediately wanted him to take responsibility.
The girl was gone already and he thought of her as omen. Relationships are meant for ups and downs, though he wasn't interested in being a husband material, he wanted a proper closure of arguments with her. As he drowned in his sorrows, Krish walked before him.
"You won't stop drinking." Krish commented in anger. A huge problem dazed them and Vikram couldn't stop drinking.
"I didn't drink," Vikram replied to him. "I needed to be somewhere to clear the regret from my heart."
Krish lended him ears.
Vikram blurted out his worries to Krish with slow tears. He committed a mistake unintentionally. "I can't forgive myself for it."
Krish listened to his rants attentively. Vikram understood the consequences of his actions. Krish spoke firmly, "I can see the depth of your regret and that's a good start. You need to change and heal the wounds. Your dad would be happy too."
Vikram hoped that it wasn't late.
Krish reassured, "Forgiveness is not easy, Vikram but you have to give her space to heal. She is hurt and has decided to the extent of leaving this place. Show her that you are genuinely committed to change."
Vikram sighed, "I want her to know how sorry I am, Krish."
Krish smiled empathetically, "Don't think that she will run behind you if you just say sorry. Your words must be backed by consistent actions. It will be a journey and you should have the determination to put in the effort."
Vikram mustered the courage to embark on the path of redemption.