Sanchi’s mood was put off as she saw Kabir leaving through the front door of the house. He was going to attend the meeting which was oh-so-important than their honeymoon. She grumbled lowly and turned to the balcony where she had laid their breakfast which was untouched. He was in a hurry to finish the meeting, had been his explanation. He had not even wished her a goodbye before going and this bothered Sanchi a lot.
She sat in the balcony and watched as the waves crashed off the shores and retreated back to the vast sea. The breakfast that she prepared early in the morning for them was cooling down on the table. She sat there alone as Isha and Pragya were still in their rooms with their husbands. She did not blame them, it was still early in the morning and she did not want to disturb them as they were enjoying their honeymoon. She sat there soaking the raw source of Vitamin D for some time. Then the waves looked irresistible to her. She changed into her modest swimsuit and went near the shore for a swim thinking that maybe the swim could take her mind off her negative thoughts.
*****
Isha and Pragya woke up in the late morning. They came down to see breakfast in the balcony which was cold and untouched. They could not find any sign of Sanchi in the whole house. They assumed that Sanchi had gone with Kabir and did not bother to venture more about her disappearance.
*****
Kabir entered the house at mid afternoon. The meeting had stretched more than he had expected. He entered the house searching for Sanchi but he could not find her. He looked everywhere but there was no trace of her. He fished out his phone and dialed her number but he heard the ring from the house. Great, she had left her phone! He waited for Isha and Pragya to return back with Karan and Veer as he thought that Sanchi might have gone with them.
He freshened up and changed into comfortable clothes before he went to the living room and waited patiently for all of them to return. He took out the file and went over the clauses before finalizing the contract. After two hours, he heard the front door rustle open. He looked up to find Isha, Pragya, Karan and Veer but Sanchi was not with them. This had him furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.
KK: Where is Sanchi?
I: What do you mean where she is? She was with you.
KK: No, she is not with me.
P: What do you mean? We came down this morning and found out that you both were gone so we thought that she was with you.
Kabir now turned his file down and neared them. They all stood in the middle of the big hall as they discussed about Sanchi’s disappearance.
VM: Okay. We will start from the beginning. Kabir was Sanchi with you when you left? And where did you go?
KK: I went for a business meeting. Yes Sanchi was there when I left. In fact she made me breakfast but I did not have the time.
KO: Isha and Pragya when did you come down and notice that Sanchi was not there?
I: It was nearly 10:30.
KK: I left around 8.
VM: Okay so Sanchi left the house in between 8 to 10:30 but where did she go? It has been nearly six hours since she has left.
P: I think that I know why she left.
Pragya said shooting a menacing glance at Kabir. He stood quizzically as he did not understand why Pragya was giving him that look. He raised his eyebrows as though silently asking for the reason.
P: Who keeps their meetings scheduled in the middle of their honeymoon?
She asked as she placed both her hands on her waist. Isha too joined her as she had a disappointed look on her face.
I: You did not even eat the breakfast she made for you. You left her alone when it was supposed to be your honeymoon. She must have been upset. Wait let me call her.
Isha reached for her phone when Kabir stopped her.
KK: She forgot her phone.
Isha and Pragya shared a look and then spoke together.
I&P: Careless as always.
VM: We will wait for Sanchi for the next few hours and if she does not return then we will involve the police.
I: But we cannot sit ideally and not do anything. What if she is in trouble? She does not even have her phone to contact us!
P: Yes, Isha is right. I think that we should go looking for her.
Pragya insisted. Soon all the five of them left the house and went in different directions to look for Sanchi in the nearby areas.
*****
Sanchi loosened the sarong that she had tied around her body and kept it under the shell on the shore. Since it was morning, not many people were on the shore. She swam in the crystal clear water an hour and then got tired of swimming. She came out and wiped herself with the spare towel and quickly done her sarong over her body. Since her body was not dried properly, the sarong stuck to her body like a second skin. She walked along the sea shore as her mind was running a mile per second.
Why did Kabir not tell me about his meeting before? I would have been prepared. His negligence towards me and my feelings is bothering me though it should not. What was I expecting from this marriage and that too with Kabir? I knew that our marriage was not like all the other marriages. It was not normal. It was forced and I had expected much from him. After knowing him for a week, I could tell that he did not consider other’s feelings and did as he bid fare. It was my mistake to even think that this marriage would be normal and he would show love and care.
My thoughts were disturbed when I bumped into someone. The person was drunk and he was giving me those lustful glances. I saw him beckoning his friend who was equally drunk and pointing towards my direction. I was instantly on alert and quickly mumbled a sorry in small voice for bumping into him and turned around and made a mad dash towards the small clearing that lead to the road adjacent to the beach.
Once I reached the road, I breathed a sigh of relief to see that no one was behind me. Those people were probably so drunk that they could not even walk properly. I gazed at the sky to see that the sun was high up which indicated that it was well into the afternoon. Exactly how many hours have I been out for? I started making my way towards the house when I heard sounds of commotion. My curiosity got the best of me and I turned towards the voices.
On reaching the area, I found that one person was lying on the road and he was bleeding badly while three people were involved in a fight. My blood boiled at the sight. How stupid and inhuman of them! There was a person dying and they were fighting. I marched towards them and bent down to check on the person. He was still breathing but his pulse was very low.
S: Are you people mad? This person is bleeding to death and you are fighting here.
The three men turned towards her. They gave her a look and one of them spoke.
P1: Who are you and why are you so concerned?
S: I do not matter. We have to take him to the hospital now or else he will die.
P2: We have called the ambulance. It is on its way. We cannot do more than that. We don’t even know him.
Sanchi was appalled by their blatant replies.
S: What if you don’t know him. You must take him to the hospital. His pulse is very weak. He may not survive till the ambulance arrives.
P3: Look woman, just stop wasting our time. If you want to take him to the hospital then you are free to do so. Do not bother us.
He threatened Sanchi. Just as she was going to reply, a car stopped near them. A person got out from the car and immediately went to the half unconscious man. He started to check the man and Sanchi inferred that he is related to the medical field.
M: We have to take him to the hospital. This man is in a very critical condition.
S: That is what I have been telling to these idiots but they are not ready to listen!
Sanchi exclaimed. The third person gave her a murderous look and was about to retort when the man spoke again.
M: I will take him with me but I need you to help me, lady. His head is damaged and we need to be extra careful.
Sanchi nodded her head and followed the man’s instructions carefully. They reached the hospital in about half an hour and the emergency proceedings started immediately as the man had called the hospital and informed them earlier. Soon after the police arrived and from then on they started investigating in the accident case and called the victim’s family members.
Meanwhile the man and Sanchi were in the cafeteria having coffee and a conversation.
S: Thank you so much for the help. I don’t know what would have happened if you were not there.
M: Don’t thank me. It was my duty. I am a junior resident in this hospital.
S: Oh so that explains the phone call.
M: What are you doing here? I mean no offence, but you know your attire is a bit weird for a stroll on the street.
S: Oh I went for a swim and then some drunkards were chasing me so I ran and reached the street. This reminds that I have to get going. What time is it?
M: 7:10 in the evening.
Sanchi’s eyes widened as she calculated that she was out for more than 8 hours. She then hurried to get up and go back to the house. Just as she was turning around to leave, the man interrupted her.
M: My name is Aroon, nice to meet you.
S: I am Sanchi. Thank you for the help.
They shook hands and before Sanchi could withdraw and leave, she was held back by Aroon again.
A: I will drop you on my way.
S: No need to take the trouble. I will manage myself.
A: Well I see that you don’t have a phone and any purse with you. It will be difficult to commute this late at night. Come I will drop you.
Sanchi hesitated but she agreed. They went towards the car and Aroon started to pull the car out of the driveway.
A: So where do you live?
S: Near to the area where the accident happened. I don’t know the exact location but I can guide you once we reach there.
Aroon nodded and started driving. Soon they reached the road where the accident happened and Sanchi guided him from there on. Once they were outside the main gate of Sanchi’s temporary resident, she bid a farewell to Aroon and thanked him for the hundredth time. As she made her way towards the house, she could clearly see that the house was in a chaos.
*****
All the five of them returned after searching for more than an hour. Isha and Pragya were mad with worry and even Kabir was starting to get agitated. They all went inside the house and gathered in the living room.
VM: A man on the beach said that he had seen Sanchi swimming in the sea this morning around 9.
KO: Yes and another one confirmed that she was on the road arguing with some men.
Kabir’s hands fisted as he heard them. What if she had involved herself into something that she could not get out of? If she was hurt then what would he do?
KK: That’s it, I am informing the police.
He said as he searched the number of Thailand police on his phone. Just as he was about to dial their number, the gate opened to reveal a tired looking Sanchi who was partially covered in blood. His heart unknowingly started to beat fast as he saw her in blood. Some very disturbing memories surfaced that he had buried deep within himself. His hold on his phone tightened as he made way to her in three big strides. He took hold of her shoulders tightly and gave her a rough shake.
KK: Where were you? Why did you not take your phone with you? Do you have any idea how much everyone was worried for you? Now will you explain this childish behavior of yours?
His behavior shocked the ladies while Veer and Karan made a move towards Kabir. They knew that blood triggered the beast in him and they did not want the girls to see his this side as of yet, especially Sanchi. They took hold of his hand and separated him from Sanchi after some struggle.
VM: Sanchi please just go and clean up. You have blood all over you.
Sanchi was too shocked to move. She stood still staring at Kabir as he stared back at her with his emotionless eyes. The same she had seen on the day of the reunion. Her eyes trickled with tears as she stared at her husband. Karan nodded towards Isha and she took Sanchi with her to Sanchi’s room. Pragya followed hot on their heels.
Once the ladies disappeared, Veer and Karan released Kabir from their hold. He turned around and punched the glass coffee table which resulted in the delicate item breaking into pieces. Small shreds of glass that had pierced Kabir’s hand had blood flowing from them. Pieces of glass were spread in all the directions of the living room. Karan sighed as he saw Kabir.
KO: Kabir please relax. Sanchi does not know that you don’t like blood. You should not have shouted at her.
VM: I agree. It was bad enough that you scheduled a meeting on your honeymoon and without even consulting or informing her.
KK: Since when did I start to consult people before doing anything?
He angrily retorted. Veer and Karan shared a look and turned towards his direction.
VM: We know that you are not used to considering anyone’s feelings but Sanchi is not anyone. She is your wife and this marriage is not temporary. You know it will last till you die so you must start to take care of her.
KO: We understand that this is new for you Kabir but you will have to deal with it, like everyone else and we can see that Sanchi is putting efforts in this relationship. She prepared breakfast for you even though it was not her place to do so.
Kabir closed his eyes and Sanchi’s sad smile, which she had given him while he was leaving, flashed in front of his face. He sighed in frustration. He had not intended to shout on her. He was worried when he could not find her or he could not gather any information about her and when he saw her standing at the door, relief flooded him but the blood on her dress was what ticked him off. He just could not stand the sight of blood. He nodded towards Veer and Karan and made his way to their bedroom.
*****
Sanchi told Isha and Pragya about everything from the beginning. They listened to her intently and nodded their heads in understanding. The tears that had blurred her eyes in the living room, flowed freely once she stepped foot in the safety of her room, away from Kabir. She did not want him to see her tears. She did not want him to know that he affected her so much. Isha and Pragya hugged her and consoled her. After a few minutes they let go and Sanchi went into the bathroom to take a shower and clean the dirt and blood off her body.
Just as she entered the bathroom, Kabir entered the room. Isha and Pragya, not wanting to mess with him when he was angry, took that cue and left. Kabir sat on the couch in the room and started to take off the glass shreds from his hand. His hand was now covered in blood which had oozed from the cuts.
Sanchi came out of the bathroom in a fresh set of clothes and hair still wet from the shower. Kabir got inside the bathroom without even sparing her a glance. Sanchi sighed as she started drying her hairs. Just as she was going to make her way towards the balcony, her gaze fell on the bloodied pieces of glass on the coffee table. She took out the medical box and waited patiently for Kabir to return.
Kabir came out with a pair of boxers hanging low on his hips. His hairs were still wet and water droplets were trickling down his forehead and torso. If it would have been a different situation, Sanchi would have marveled the sight in front of her but now her concentration was fully on Kabir’s hand which was covered in cuts. She got up and took his hand in hers and led him towards the couch. She gestured him to sit down and started doing his first aid. She cleaned all the wounds properly and applied antiseptic on his hands and started bandaging them. All the time Kabir kept staring at Sanchi as Veer and Karan’s words kept repeating in his mind. He understood what they were saying and realized that he owed Sanchi an apology.
After bandaging the wound, Sanchi stood up and kept the box in its place and brought a fresh towel from the closet. She circled the couch and stood behind Kabir as she started drying his hairs.
S: Why Kabir? Why so much anger?
She asked in a soft voice. Kabir leaned his head back and sighed.
K: It was not on you.
S: I know.
K: I am sorry Sanchi. I know that I should not have shouted on you like that. I just don’t like the sight of blood. It brings back memories that I want to forget.
Sanchi continued drying his hairs as she listened to his explanation. She knew that something was up with him but she did not want to push him.
S: It’s okay. I will make sure to keep you away from blood in the future.
Kabir’s hand gripped hers and he pulled her around the corner of the couch and on his lap. Sanchi let out a surprised gasp and held onto his shoulders for balance.
K: I am also sorry for scheduling a meeting on our honeymoon. I should have consulted you.
Sanchi had already forgiven him but she wanted to tease him so she crossed her arms on her chest and turned her face away.
S: You are not forgiven.
Kabir tightened his hold on her and pulled her even close. He turned her head in his direction and kissed her cheeks.
K: Now?
S: No.
He then kissed her passionately on the lips.
K: How about now?
Sanchi blushed as she knew what was coming.
S: No.
K: Hmm, then let me make it up to you.
He said as he tossed her over his shoulder and started walking towards the bed. Sanchi let out a loud squeal and started hitting her hands on his back.
S: Kabir stop it. You will hurt me.
Kabir genteelly lowered her on the bed and crawled on top of her. Sanchi looked him in the eyes and blushed as she saw lust.
S: Kabir your hand is hurt.
K: Trust me baby, there is no requirement of my hand for what I am planning to do to you.
He started kissing her neck as Sanchi giggled at his reply.
———————————
Sorry everyone. I am so late.
I hope you understand. The next update will be soon. I promise.
Please to vote and comment.
Thank you for reading.