Relationship Embrown in the Lockdown
Sheetal woke up to the loud laughing sound. Her eyes first searched for Mohit and she was all alone on the bed. She looked at the clock and it was 2 AM. She pulled herself out of the bedroom in half sleep to look for Mohit. She found him spread out on the couch in the living room talking to someone on the phone. She was surprised and annoyed at the same time. She stared at him with anger, but he was so engrossed in the talk that he didn’t realize she was there. She stood right in front of him with a rage on her face. He looked at her and paused for a minute not knowing how to react. Then he said bye to the person on the line and disconnected the phone.
He was trying to avoid looking at her. She was still staring
at him and he was very uncomfortable. Then he tried asking casually, “What?”
With anger, she spat out, “Who the hell are you talking to in the middle of the
night?” He replied coolly, “It was one of my friends.” She asked, “At this
hour?” He said, “Yes, my friend lives in Dubai and so this is the right time
for us to talk.” She narrowed her eyes and asked, “Really? Even in Dubai, it’s
late night now. Do you think I’m mad?” He bluntly said, “Yes, you’re mad. Why
are you creating a scene? Can’t I talk to my friends?”
She pulled herself together and asked, “Mohit, why are you
lying? You were talking to that bitch, aren’t you?” He looked at her
frustratingly and said, “So, do you mean to say that as now we are married, I
can’t talk to my friends, is it?” She snapped at him, “Don’t avoid my question.
Was it Caria?” Mohit threw his hands without replying. Sheetal turned him and
asked again, “I’m asking you something. Can’t you answer?” He replied with irritation,
“Yes, it was Caria. And what’s the problem in that? We’re good friends, can’t
we talk?”
Sheetal lost her cool and said, “Mohit, it’s been just a
month that we’re married and at this time you should be spending time with me,
not Caira.” Mohit faced her and said, “In this lockdown, we’re 24X7 together,
darling and we are spending so much time with each other. What’s wrong in that
if I spend some of my time with my friend?” She was surprised at his reply but
said, “Mohit, you’re spending your time in office work, sleep and rest of the
time talking to Caira. Just staying under one roof isn’t spending time together,
is it?” Mohit irritatingly said, “I’m fed up with your questions. I am feeling
sleepy and now going to bed. Enough of this now” and he left.
Sheetal was startled by his careless behavior and was
feeling extremely helpless. She was not able to believe that this is the same
person whom she loved for 9 long years. She remembered how loving and caring he
was. And now he has turned into such a two-faced person who constantly lies to
her. She couldn’t understand why is he talking to Caira all the time? A fear
run through her nerves questioning her, “Is he cheating on me? Does he have an
affair with Caira? If yes, then why did he get married to me last month? And if
not, why is he not maintaining distance from Caira?” There was a storm in her
head, and she sank into despair. Sometime in the dawn here eyes became heavy.
Sunrays peeping through the window wake her up. She opened
her eyes with efforts and realized that she slept on the couch the last night. She
looked for Mohit and found that he was in the bedroom that was locked. She
called out his name, knocked the door, but no response. So, she banged the door
multiple times.
Mohit opened the door and asked her with irritation, “Why’re
you banging the door? I’m in middle of something.” She entered the room and
asked, “What’re you doing?” He replied sloppily, “Office work. I’m in a
meeting.” She ran to his laptop and saw Caira on the screen. She was astonished
to see her in the morning as well. Before she could react, Caira smiled and
said, “Hi, Sheetal. Good morning!” Sheetal looked at Mohit with red face and then
replied to her, “It’s not a good morning for me. Why can’t you stay away from
my husband? You’re disturbing our life and ruining our relationship. You….”
Before she could complete, Mohit closed the laptop and
screamed at her, “What the hell are you doing? What’s your problem?” Sheetal
cried out, “Don’t you understand my problem? Why’re you talking to Caira day
and night? Why have you started lying to me? Is this your important office
work?”
Mohit replied with irritation, “I’m fed up of you. You are
freaking me out, always so controlling.” Sheetal said, “I’m controlling? Wow!
So you’re lying to me that you’re having an office meeting and talking to that
lady. And if I’m telling you to stop talking to her, you feel I’m controlling
you. How can you be so insensitive, Mohit? Why has she suddenly become so
important for you?”
Mohit calmed himself down and said, “Look, Sheetal. I like
talking to Caira and I won’t stop it for anything. To be frank, I don’t feel
for you anymore. You’ve become irritating, pushy and controlling. I think you
need to see a psychiatrist. I feel more comfortable with Caira. She’s way more
understanding and mature than you. So, please stop bothering me.”
Sheetal couldn’t believe her ears and she was stunned for a
minute. She collected herself somehow and swallowing the lump in her throat,
she asked, “So why did you marry me? What about our relationship then?” Mohit shrugged
his shoulders and replied unconcernedly, “I….. don’t know. And if you think we
should get separated, I don’t mind” and he looked away.
Sheetal was shaken badly and couldn’t bear the heartache.
She fell upon the floor hanging on the words said by Mohit. Mohit murmured, “Drama, again” and left her
all alone. He was breaking her every day but today she was shattered into
pieces. And the worse thing was that she couldn’t collect herself up. There
were all dark clouds in her mind that were pouring through her eyes. She cried
her heart out till all her tears were dried up.
She tried to get up and approach Mohit. He was again busy
talking over phone. He saw her coming towards him helplessly and he
disconnected the phone out of shame. She asked him, “Mohit, where I was wrong
in our relationship? Why are you doing this to me? You know I left my parents,
my home for you and now you’re leaving me?” Mohit looked away and then after few
minutes, he replied, “Sheetal, I know I loved you but Caira came in my life and
I don’t know what happened. Our feelings are not in our hand, right? I started
feeling for her and I feel empty when I’m with you. Can’t we have an open
marriage?”
Sheetal looked at him with disgust and asked, “Open
marriage, and what do you mean by that?” He replied, “It’s just like we’ll give
each other the freedom to like or love other persons as well. We won’t impose ourselves
on each other.” She asked shockingly, “What? But how? I really don’t know what are
you saying? You mean to say I should be okay with your relationship with Caira,
is it?” Mohit replied, “Yes, absolutely.” She asked, “But why do you need such
relationship? We are enough for each other, aren’t we?” Mohit replied bluntly, “No.
I don’t feel we’re. Why don’t you understand I’m happier when I’m with Caira.”
Sheetal could not help crying and Mohit got irritated again. He said, “See, don’t
start that drama again. That’s why I don’t want to talk to you. Leave it. Let’s
get separated once this lockdown is over.”
Sheetal asked him, “And what should I do after that? Where
should I go? I married to you against my parents’ will and do you think they
will accept me again?” Tears were flowing down her cheeks. Mohit unconcernedly
replied, “You’re an adult, Sheetal. You should figure things out yourself. You
can’t be dependent on your parents or me, right? And I don’t want to drag our relationship
just for the sake of it. I realized recently that our marriage was a mistake.
So, lets correct it.” Sheetal was struck dumb, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Mohit looked at her and left saying, “Oh, I can’t handle this anymore.”
She was feeling deserted and lost and didn’t know how to
stop the tornado in her head. She couldn’t see anything but darkness. Mohit dropped
a bombshell on her that suddenly changed her life. She didn’t know what to do
with herself, her life, and her future. In the lockdown, she could not meet her
friends, family, or any closed ones. She couldn’t leave the house as well and
had to live with him till the lockdown ends. She had to see him talking to another
lady, having fun with her, engrossed in her, and she couldn’t do anything. She
never felt so helpless in her entire life.
Sheetal was in dire straits over what awaited her in the
future. This was probably just a tip of the iceberg. Nothing was in her hand but
to live with him under one roof like strangers and wait to end the lockdown.
