CHAPTER-20

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Vivaan after parking his car entered the resort premises and headed towards the reception desk.

As luck was not his side that day, Vikram was also present in the lobby. One thing he was sure about that was Vikram was his foe and thus should never come to know much about his personal life.

He turned looked towards the pictures present on the walls as if they held something very interesting for time to pass. But in reality, he was counting every second for his rival to get disappeared, making his coast hurdle free. In no way, he was going to agree to her demand for sharing a room. It was definitely beyond his tolerance limit.

As Vikram left with his room's keys, Vivaan approached the reception desk, accepting a warm welcoming smile from the lady.

"How can I help you, sir?"

"Book a room."

"Sure." She passed him a smile at turned her gaze at the screen of the computer.

"Sir, your name?"

"Vivaan Bharadwaj" With this name, her relaxed composure turned into a horrified one in a mili second. She turned her head towards her colleague who was a few minutes ago assisting Vikram. They shared the concern with eyes remembering the crazy woman, they met before.

But she quickly composed herself and looked at him, passing a sad smile.

"Sir, we are sorry. All rooms are already booked."

"What the hell! Just now you gave the other person a room but at my turn - all the rooms magically got occupied." Vivian couldn't believe his bad fortune.

"That was the last room unbooked. We are really sorry."

Suddenly a chuckle was heard. Vivaan turned back only to find the most doomed face of the world.

"Grow up man. You are still behaving like a child, feeling all jealous. Just admit I have a bit of better luck. But don't worry, this time it is just a room, next time, it will be your everything. And it will not be a coincidence at that time." He smirked at him.

"But what confuses me more is the need for a new room when one is already booked under your wife's name. An interesting sleeping preference of a weird couple."

Vivaan fisted his hands in anger. What he saw now was all red.

"That is for my driver."

"Who never came here." Who was he to interfere in his life? Moron.

"You are asking for it."

Vivaan grabbed his collar at a lightning speed, raising his fist to punch his face but there was no trace of fear on his face. He actually gave a crooked smile.

"I am not scared of you, baboon." He took a step forward, letting go of his jolly side.

"Now.. Now...It is not allowed here. If there are issues to solve, go outside this premise." The lady whom Radhika confronted, analysing the heated argument decided to intertwine.

"I don't, this loser has," Vikram said with an accusing gaze at Vivaan.

"Wait I will tell who is the loser here." Vivaan took a long stride to recover the distance but before he could come in action the lady came in between, pressing her palm against his chest to check him from creating any nuisance.

"Sir, please stop it or we will be obliged to call the police." Vikram gave him a smirk which soon turned into a smile when the lady's face came in front. Wiping invisible dust off his blazer, he went away.

As soon as he went out of sight, Vivaan took a long sigh which he was unknowingly holding for long.

Vivaan also turned toward the exit in search of another resort. Seeing his retreating body, the lady panicked. She definitely had to do something for the reconciliation of the couple. She hurried to catch up with his pace.

"Sir, where are you going?"

"Weren't you the one to say - there is no room to occupy here? I am going to search others nearby."

"T-They all are booked. I..I mean it is an active season for tourism now." Mentally she was continuously asking sorry from God. Somehow she convinced herself that a lie spoken for the benefits of others is not considered a lie. She looked outside and continued, "And the weather is not favourable also."

"So what do you suggest - should I make my bed here in some corner of this lobby for tonight." She shook her head negatively, " No, Sir.."

She had to somehow make him remember of her wife who was also present here where he had to go anyhow because she didn't want any sin of separating a couple on her head.

Who knew this could be a last straw to the relationship. The lady seemed very miserable but the man standing here was as dumb as a lamb. So she decided to play some hinting game. Maybe his long last memory of his wife could return.

"How romantic this weather is.." she said singingly to Vivaan.

Vivaan gave her a weird look at her change of tone but she didn't let it affect her determination. "Aren't people visit this place with their partners...hands in hands, passing the beautiful streets of this city... stealing kisses from time to time...laughing...giggling...not to forget the sweet-spicy roasted as well as boiled corns sold roadside...that too feed by a lover." She swallowed the saliva forming in her mouth on the mention of the food.

"It seems you have the same side-business of selling corns as mentioned. What a peculiar way of advertisement! " She ashamedly lowered her head at the lack of reply.

"Radhika told you to do it." He stated.

"Huh??"

"My wife said you to do this drama." He clarified.

"Please.." He huffed seeing her pleading self wondering what his wife did to make her do her part of the job done. She was indeed manipulative.

"Room no.?"

"105" She chirpingly replied, passing a spare key to the room and getting arid of a tensed situation and a burden of responsibility.

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Vivaan unlocked the room and entered inside, not before closing its door behind him.

He looked around to found his dear wife but didn't find her anywhere. Hearing the sound of the running shower, he concluded, she was inside the bathroom.

The other sound which grabbed his attention was coming from a music player, connected to some local radio station server. A romantic song was being played as listed as monsoon hits.

He couldn't understand why people connect the rainy season with romance. It seemed like they never had to face the waterlogged roads, scrambled traffic, increased humidity etc. Did such places really exist! That too in India! Above all, everyone was well aware of Mumbai's rain.

The sound of clicking the bathroom door open disturbed his trail of thoughts. He turned to see his wife in a nightdress. Neither it was revealing nor seducing, still, it couldn't check his dark thoughts to enter.

Well, Radhika's action too didn't help him. She gradually moved him, swaying her waist and waving her hands in the air on the beats of the song playing in the background.

She approached him and started removed his tie with one hand while the other was busy trailing his upper body, slowly and sensually.

He couldn't help but feel turned on. He closed his eyes and enjoyed her skin against his stubble, with the sensation of her hot breath on his neck. He moaned in pleasure.

He heard a sweet voice calling his name. But it was soon followed by a bit louder voice. He opened his eyes wide open and consciously looked around.

"Vivaan what happened to you? I have been calling you for so long? Are you alright?"

His gaze got fixed with concerned Radhika, standing at a decent distance between them.

"Y-Yes...I am fine." He somehow managed to answer in between his unsteady breaths.

His observed himself and his surrounding and ultimately concluded he was just daydreaming. Again. Or was she bewitching and playing with his mind. It had been a tale of the last six months for him, in either case. He sighed.

Anyhow, that incident was fuel to his subconsciousness which had been continuously mocking his love for Sneha.

"You are sweating." Radhika confusingly said, looking past at the current AC temperature to Vivaan's state.

She took a step forward to wipe the sweat beads formed on his forehead with the towel in her hand but to her disappointment, he took a step backwards in his defence.

"Go freshen up. I have ordered dinner for us. They might be on the way." She said, passing him a towel and a fresh pair of t-shirt and trouser.

"Where did these come from. Don't say you carry them along." He grimaced at the thought of her carrying male clothes along with her, which were definitely not his.

Radhika sneered at his query. That man was too prejudiced.

"You wish. The hotel management arranged."

Vivaan curtly nodded in satisfaction and rushed to the bathroom, preventing any further interaction between them and embarrassment.

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"You wanted to talk. What is it about?" Vivaan asked in a serious business-like tone while they sit together for the dinner.

"Yeah... Actually...I..." Radhika nervously replied as she couldn't understand how to put her words.

"Let's prioritise the supper." She nodded while again trying to rehearsal her speech in her mind.

After having dinner together, most probably for the first time, they sat across a sofa. Both were too nervous to look at each other. Somehow, She muttered the courage and said, "I wanted to say....as around six months... Oh, God..."

She hid her face in embarrassment but after a few seconds, took a deep breath," I want to talk about us."

"Can't remember a thing needed to sort in between us. Everything is fine, I guess." This was the talk, he never wanted to have because he was also not sure about them or what he wanted with their relationship.

"For you - Yes, it is but for me - nope, nothing is fine, not at all." She harshly replied, hearing his response. She never expected it.

"Care to explain." He said, maintaining his composure.

"Like every girl, I too married with a lot of desires and expectation from my husband and my marital life but things turn into something more complex in contrast."

"Then who told you to get married." He mocked. Yes, things could have been much simplified, if she was never there. And never his mind could question his undying love for Sneha.

"Then who told you to do the conspiracy with this constipated brain of yours." She replied in the same mocking tone.

"You are crossing the limit."

"I never did. You forced me to." She leaned back tiredly. They were not here to fight. The matter had to be handled maturely.

After a long silence, Vivaan dared to speak.

"What are you suggesting then.?" He asked in a concerned voice.

"I don't see our future together if this continues like this." She replied looking at the ceiling lifelessly.

"So you want a divorce." He joined the hints and concluded.

"I never said but..."

"You indicated this way." She took a long breath and looked at him.

"Maybe, if  things continue this way, of course, that day is not so far."

"Any specific reason to point it out now?" He couldn't help but think about Vikram's involvement in it.

"Because now you are here to listen." She replied monotonously.

"So, don't you want to share anything more." Vivaan wanted her to reveal her growing affection toward that Rathod.

"Nope. There is nothing more concerned matter from my side to speak, at least not now. Should there be any?" She asked confusingly.

"What about Rathod?"

"God, what problem you have with him. In every talk we have, you just try to drag him anyhow." She shrieked. They were talking about their future and from nowhere he dropped Vikram in between.

"Still playing the innocent card look. Not bad." He smirked.

"Stop beating around the bushes. I am not understanding what are you hinting but if by any chance, you are thinking about Mr Rathod being here, It was just a coincidence." She continued.

"We are here to sort our things and we will focus on it only."

"So this is the matter you wanted to talk about."

"Hmmm."

"I still didn't understand what you are trying to pointing at. You are not happy with the ongoing arrangements and on the other hand, you are denying your want of divorce."

"But the mere solution is not divorce." She calmly replied, trying to make him understand.

"Suggest any?" She huffed at his constricted brain.

"Like we can stop being strangers and start living like a true married couple."

"Till when things between us will get dragged like this. Till when you will continue accusing me baselessly. Till when you will keep chanting on that Sneha's name and most importantly till when should I wait for you." She paused for a second.

"Everything has a limit. It has already been six months wasted. I thought you will try to adjust with time. I did think. But here everything is falling apart day after day. I too deserve happiness. If it can't be with you then might be with someone. If things continue like this, I am afraid to say that the deadline of our relationship is near. because I TOO DESERVE HAPPINESS."

"But...anyhow I can't give you divorce" He tried to reason his mother's health conditions as always but it was true he was still confused between his love for Sneha and his growing affection for Radhika.

"Then make this marriage work. If not, I will force to take some further step in the above context."

He never wanted to ride in two boats together. Before taking a huge step, he needed time to figure everything.

"You know what I have never seen someone more selfish than you. First, you inforced a contract on the ground of your so-called charity on us. I can't understand if you didn't want me as your wife, then why you married me and in the end, I was just tagged as an evil."

"You are not the only victim here. I was too emotional forced into it. You also know my mother's condition at that time."

"Oh great!! I was the one who willingly sat in the Mandap. Moreover, let's not dig that part but remind me a single time when you tried to make this marriage success. Undoubtedly answer is big fat no." At this point, he turned silent because she was right.

"Radhika.." he said meekly.

"Let me complete Vivaan if you wanted we could have been living like a normal couple till now. What do you think about me? A substitute who will get replaced with the better replacement at a proper time. Am I a plaything? When you want you can use and at the end discard me."

It was true, Vivaan had been waiting for Sneha to return but he forgot to put the duo sisters in the equation. It was a true mess.

"I am not asking for divorce at this instance but a...whom I am speaking to. You can't think about someone else happiness above yours." She was in fury and today no one was going to stop her.

On the other hand, Vivaan was hearing everything like an obedient kid.

"Speaking to you is like letting one's head on the stone because even at the end, you will keep repeating Sneha's name as some pious mantra." She huffed in agony, getting no response from him in return.

"Good night." She spatted in anger and went to the other side of the bed. She laid down after turning off the table lamp and covering herself with the duvet.

Vivaan was too exhausted to move. He sat there, deeply thinking about everything she said.

After half an hour, Vivaan laid on the other side of the bed. Radhika had been tossing around on the bed. Sleep was away from the couple.

"I can't do anything about the last wasted six months but this time I want to ask for a deferment. Let me clear what I want and speculate every equation of relationships before making a new start." His voice echoed in the silent room. Radhika slowly moved her gaze at him.

"It should not be forced." She replied in a grim voice.

"It will not be." His voice sounded promising.

"And if Sneha di returns in between."

"Let's hope for the best. You do yours while I do mine." He curtly replied and turned his back at Radhika.

She grimaced when he put his beloved Sneha's role in their lives in the dark.

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