Star-Crossed

                                                             

To see the honor, please click on the link - spicy-saturday-picks-march-1-2014

My cell phone was juddering and flashing for the 5th time now. Exasperated, I clutched it and threw it into my coat pocket. Sachin, Mrs.Kandimalla and others who gathered in the conference room looked at me worriedly as I paused giving my Presentation.

"Umm.... Sorry! Sorry for the interruption!" I looked at their questioning faces. 

After more 15 minutes, I took up my bag and hastily walked out of the room. I wanted to call Varun and sort out things but I hesitated. I was petrified.  

I sat in my car and sighed. I looked at his missed-calls again. No! Its time now! I must call him and end everything. I dialed his number.

                  "Hey! Soumi, I wanted to ask you something! I knew you will call me back."  I suddenly heard a not-expected-buoyant voice from the other side.

"I was busy, Varun and you know it. I was having an important meeting!" I was brash enough to break his heart again.

"Oh.. Yeah I thought you are with Sayak. Sorry!" His voice became intense.

"Ohh!! For God's sake Varun, stop this now!" I retorted back.

There was silence for another few seconds. "Anyway why did you call me?!" 

"Hmm.... Can we meet for a last time, Soumi?"

"Why?!" 

"No! I mean, just like that. I will be going off to Australia next week, Soumi. Just wanted to see you for the last time!" I was afraid of his weeping but I kept my rude voice consistent.

"Oh! But today I am going to tell Sayak that I want no divorce from him, that I am in love with him. I don't think we should meet anymore, Varun. I hope you understand!"

"He won't believe you, Soumi. He knows you love me! He can't trust you anymore. Don't leave me, Soumi!" Varun pleaded.

"I will make him understand. He's my husband. He will understand me! You're my past, Varun." 

"Please Soumi!!" I felt Varun burst into tears.

"Huh! Varun, stop crying. I didn't cheat on you ever, Varun. I fell for him. You could have understood if you were married too."

"Hmmm......" I heard his silence again.

"Hello, Varun.... I am late. We can talk later." 

"No its ok. We don't need to talk anymore. Bye and take care!" 

I switched off my cell phone and sat quietly for another 10 minutes inside my car. Sayak loved me but I didn't, when I married him. Varun and I were a couple since our college days. We were immensely in love with each other but I had to marry Sayak as he was a Bong. Yeah, in short I was forced to marry Sayak. 

           

                             
                                   I was driving my car and trying to focus on the traffic but my mind wandered back to the night when I confessed everything about Varun and my husband sat there in shock. And tonight, when everything is ready for divorce and all the papers are with me, my heart ditched on Varun. The three years of Sayak and me, the silent dinners we had together every night, our separate bedrooms, his silence from the other room at night while I lay on the bed talking to Varun-- left my heart confined in his house, confined in the man who stays with his wife, but not his lover. The time, the fate had left my heart confined with the man who loved a stranger. 

And now I am in love with this man. I am not really sure whether he will understand me. I am scared he will still sign the papers,which he knew, were waiting for him tonight. I am scared to lose him, and yes, I have told this to Varun. I hope Varun didn't consider me as a cheat. I hope Varun will find a lovely girl for himself. I hope Varun will forget me.

        "Hi, Sayak. Had a very important meeting today and I guess, it went good." I  said as I saw Sayak sitting on the sofa and his eyes, glued to the television screen.

Our three-storied house was silent. "Sayak.. How was your day?" I asked him after a pause.

"Ah. Good." He replied without looking at me.

"I have something to tell you, Sayak. Can you please look at me?!" 

"Go and change first. You're tired!" Sayak looked at me and smiled.

                             

I was splashing waters on my face when I felt something sting behind me. A sudden pain engulfed my body, awning my vision. I felt a huge lump inside my throat! I struggled to turn around and look at Sayak smiling at me gracefully, holding a knife which was red.

The shock immersed in the throbbing, crude pain as I fell onto the ground. Sayak sat beside me while I wailed on the floor. He whispered - "Sorry, Soumi! I love you. Either you're mine or you're dead."