Bhairav's POV:

Three months had passed since Sanjana began giving me the cold shoulder.

She barely looked at me during the day. She always sat so far away while we were eating. Whenever I returned from work, if she were talking or laughing with Maa and Aradhya, she'd get all gloomy and go back to the kitchen. She avoided me at all costs.

I had spent so much time trying to win her over with gifts. Whenever I left a parcel wrapped in newspaper for her on the table, she wouldn't even look at it. When I talked to her and handed her the gift personally, she'd just nod and leave it on the table. I even got her flowers once, but my wife left them to wilt without even a smile.

Nights were even more awful because she always put the children to sleep in our room. I couldn't even touch her while they were around. She was far too smart about these things.

I knew that I shouldn't have thrown the glass of milk like that. She wouldn't have gotten hurt if I had been more careful.

But how was I the only one at fault?

She lied to me.

She chose my brother's side over mine.

What was I supposed to do?

I was more hurt than her. From the day Keshav was born, I had always taken care of him. I had taken him to his first day at school, I had protected him from bullies, I had taught him to read and write... It was all me.

Bhargav knew it all, and that was why he was on my side. But my wife? She was just as naive as Keshav.

Did she expect me to encourage my brother to have a relationship with a married woman? And the worst part was that the fucker had gotten her pregnant. Baba wasn't alive to reprimand him, so I had to step in and take charge.

Why did Sanjana have to meddle in that?

Besides, I already apologized countless times. What more did she want from me?

Whenever I apologised and tried to get close, she'd glare and hiss like a viper and move away.

Had I really done that bad of a crime?

"Baba... Baba..." Raghu disturbed me for the third time since I picked up the newspaper. He wriggled onto my lap, and seeing that, even Janu did the same.

"Bahar jaake khelte kyun nahi?" I sighed.

(Why don't you go outside and play?)

"Baba dekho gaadi!" Raghu poked the picture of a car until he tore the newspaper.

(Baba look, a car!)

"Raghav!" I snapped. He froze as he stared at me with large tearful eyes. Why was it that they cried only when I got angry and not with Sanjana? I was sure that she yelled at them more.

"Akbaar ke saath aise karoge toh phaad jayega na? Samajhte kyun nahi. Ab Rona band karo," I pressed the bridge of my nose.

(If you do like that with the newspaper, it will tear. Why don't you understand? Now stop crying.)

Janaki wiped her brother's cheeks as he cried, "Ro mat Raghu... Baba sab pe gussa karte hain."

(Don't cry, Raghu... Baba gets mad at everyone.)

"Kya?" I blinked at her.

(What?)

"Maa ne kaha tha ki aapko gusse ki bimari hai," my daughter pressed her hand to my forehead, "Aap agar davai khaoge toh theek ho jaoge, Baba."

(Maa told us that you have an anger illness. If you eat medicine, you'll be alright, Baba.)

My lips twitched. What the hell was she telling the children?

"Raghu, Janu, chalo cricket khelte hai," Saarang came downstairs with a bat and ball in his hand. The children got down from my lap and ran after him.

(Raghu, Janu, come on, let's play cricket.)

"Koi hai? Dak le lijiye!" I heard the postman shout outside. Even Sanjana came out of the kitchen to see what the commotion was about.

(Is anyone home? Please collect the mail!)

"Malik... Chitti aayi hai," Gopal brought the letter inside.

(Malik... Here's the letter.)

"Kiske liye hai, beta?" Maa asked from the couch. Rekha was in her arms, and even she seemed excited about the letter.

(Who is it addressed to, beta?)

Gopal inspected the envelope and his lips parted in surprise, "Thakurain...?"

"Idhar do," I snatched it out of his hands. The letter was addressed to Sanjana, from... Keshav?

(Give it here.)

"Mere liye hai toh aap kyun padh rahe ho?" My wife glared at me. I couldn't even say anything as she took the letter from me. Sanjana sat beside Maa to read it.

(If it's for me, then why are you reading it?)

Why the hell was Keshav writing her a letter and not me? Even though I had kicked him out of the house, he was supposed to apologise to me.

"Woh ab bhi zinda hai?" I scoffed.

(He's still alive?)

The women were reading the letter intently, and they ignored me. What had he even written in that? My curiosity would eat me up. So I too got up and hovered over Sanjana's shoulder.

She glanced at me once, but didn't snap at me like usual. From the letter, I understood that Keshav and Payal were living in Purampat, a city three days from our village. He had a friend there, so through him he managed to get a job at a school.

In the letter, he wrote that they were doing well. While he worked, Payal tried to earn money with her hobby of drawing. I didn't know that the girl could draw...

Sanjana was smiling as she read the letter. Maa had tears in her eyes because he had written that he missed her the most.

"Mera bacha..." She dabbed her eyes with her pallu. My chest ached to see her like that.

(My child...)

"Chinta mat kijiye, Maa..." Sanjana squeezed her shoulder, "Woh wahan bahut khush hai. Ache se jee rahe hai... Aap bhi khush rahiye."

(Don't worry, Maa... They're living well and are really happy. You should be happy too.)

"Par itne mahino se maine apne bache ko nahi dekha..." She broke down into sobs. Sanjana consoled her, but she glared at me too.

(But I haven't seen my child in so long...)

Was it all really because of me?

When Bhargav returned from the temple with Aradhya, I told him about the letter. We were smoking on the terrace, and we could hear the kids shouting as they played downstairs.

"Ab aap kya karne wale ho, Bhaiya?"

(What are you going to do now, Bhaiya?)

"Kya hi kar sakta hoon?" I muttered, taking a long drag of the cigarette, "Gaowale ab bhi baat karte hain uske baare mei... Log sirf burai kar rahe hain."

(What can I do now? The villagers still talk about him... They're only badmouthing us.)

"Kuch log achha bhi toh keh rahe hain..." My brother replied, "Aakhir usne us ladki ki jaan toh bachayi hai."

(Some are saying good things as well... After all, he saved that girl's life.)

"Kaise?" I retorted, "Use bacha dekar? Kya bol rahe ho? Agar pehle se use kothe mei le jaaya hota toh yeh musibat nahi hoti..."

(How? By getting her pregnant? What are you saying? If we had taken him to a brothel sooner, then none of this would have happened...)

Bhargav laughed as he leaned over the roof, "Aap kahi par bhi use le jao, Bhaiya... Pyaar ko rok nahi paoge."

(You could take him anywhere, Bhaiya... But you wouldn't be able to stop love.)

Aradhya was in the courtyard holding Rekha in her arms. She was trying to reach a hibiscus flower with a gentle smile. Bhargav's gaze was solely fixed on her as he sighed.

Even Sanjana was near her. She'd often rest her hand on her baby bump. It made me wince on the inside. I couldn't even hold her in my arms anymore.

"Bhabhi ne aapko maaf kiya abhi tak?" Bhargav asked. I only glared at him.

(Has Bhabhi not forgiven you yet?)

"Kitne hafte ho chuke hai? Panch-"

(How many weeks has it been? Five-)

"Theen mahine," I crushed my cigarette on the railing.

(Three months.)

"Baapre... Aapne maafi maangi?"

(Dear god... Did you apologise?)

"Hazaro baar," I muttered, "Zindagi bhar naraaz rehne ka irada hai uska."

(A thousand times. She's decided to stay mad at me for eternity.)

"Aapne puchne ki koshish ki?" My brother eyed me.

(Did you try asking her?)

"Kya?"

(What?)

"Bhabhi se puchkar dekho. Maafi ke liye aapko kya karna chahiye?" he shrugged.

(Try asking Bhabhi what you should do to make her forgive you.)

I scoffed at his words, "Agar woh gussa rehna chahti hai toh rehne do. Main kuch puchne wala nahi hu." Bhargav sighed.

(If she wants to stay indifferent, let her. I'm not going to ask her anything.)

At night, as I was busy working at my table, Sanjana stepped out of the shower in a pretty cotton sari. Her hair was wet, and she was busy drying it in the mirror beside me.

"Mujhe khat likhna hai... Agar aapka kaam ho gaya hai toh zara uthiye," she mumbled, still not meeting my gaze.

(I need to write a letter... If your work is done, then please get up.)

"Baith jao phir," I leaned back on the chair and patted my lap. She rolled her eyes.

(You can sit down.)

"Pehle toh badi aasaani se baitthi thi..." I slowly slid my hand around her waist. Just as Sanjana tried to push me away, I pulled her into my lap.

(You used to sit quite easily before...)

"Hilo mat," I bit her ear as she began squirming around to escape. My arms were wrapped around her firmly.

(Don't move.)

"Shaant ho jao, meri gilehri..." I whispered, "Mujh pe bharosa karo."

(Calm down, my little squirrel. Trust me.)

"Nahi karna bharosa," she squeezed my arm, "Mujhe jaane dijiye."

(I don't want to trust you. Let me go.)

I slid my hand underneath her pallu and caressed her baby bump. Sanjana closed her eyes; she was fighting herself at this point. Why couldn't she just give up so that I could show her a good time?

"Char mahine ho gaye honge na?" I kissed her shoulder.

(It's been four months now, right?)

"K-kyu kar rahe ho yeh sab... Agar phir se gussa hi karna hai toh..." There were tears in her eyes. I held her face and kissed her cheek, "Phir se nahi hoga, jaan. Mujhe maaf kardo... Keshav ki baat thi, isliye-"

(Wh-why are you doing all this... Eventually you'll get mad again...)

(I won't do it again. I'm sorry... I lost control because it was Keshav-)

"Isliye kya?" She sighed and pushed my hands away before getting up, "Rehne dijiye, aap kabhi nahi badalne wale hain."

(So what? Let it be. You're never going to change.)

I gritted my teeth. Why were women so fucking difficult?

"Tumhe wapas jeetne ke liye kya karna hoga mujhe? Kitni baar aur maafi mangu...?"

(What do I have to do to win you back? How many more times should I apologize...?)

I was willing to give up on my pride for her. Why couldn't she see that? I hadn't bowed before someone like this... But this woman was making me do things I swore not to. The power she had over me was terrifying.

Sanjana paused as she turned to look at me, "Maaf karne ke liye...?"

(So that I forgive you?)

"Haan... Pati ko ghutno par dekhna chahti ho?" I got down on my knees before her. Sanjana's eyes widened in surprise.

(Yes... Do you want to see your husband on his knees?)

"Pair chuna-"

(Touch your feet-)

"Bas kijiye-!" She jerked back before I could touch her feet. "Aap sirf jaakar Keshav aur Payal ko wapas aane keliye kahiye."

(Stop it, please-! Just ask Keshav and Payal to come back.)

What?

The fuck was she trying to say?

"Us kamine ko-"

(That asshole-)

Sanjana pressed her palm to my mouth as she knelt with me. "Maa bahut udas hai... Aapne unhe haveli se bahar kiya hai... Aur sirf aap hi unhe wapas laa sakte hain. Agar aap yeh kar sakte hain toh main hamesha ke liye aapko maaf karunga."

(Maa is really upset... You kicked them out of the haveli... And only you can bring them back. If you do this, then I'll forgive you for everything.)

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Not only did I have to bow before her, but also before that brat who had gone against me? Was that even necessary?

"Agar woh kahi aur khush hai toh tumhe kya fark padta hai?" I muttered and helped her off the floor. Frustrated, I sat on the bed. The children were already fast asleep.

(If he's happy somewhere else, then why does it matter?)

Sanjana climbed on the bed at the same time and wrapped her arms around my neck from behind. She hugged me, her warm cheek pressed against mine. Ugh, she was so soft and smelled heavenly.

"Thakur Ji... Mai jaanti hu ki aap bhi Keshav se baat karna chahte hai. Aise ek dusre se naraaz rehne se kya faida? Woh dono bache nahi hain, ek dusre ke saath khushi se jee rahe hain... Hume sirf unki khushi ke baare mein parvah karna chahiye, hai na?"

(Thakur Ji... I know that even you want to talk to Keshav. What's the use of being angry at each other? They're not kids anymore, they're living happily with each other... All that should matter to us is their happiness... isn't that right?)

I glared at her over my shoulder, "Tum Keshav ke bakwas kitabe padh rahe ho kya?"

(Are you reading Keshav's ridiculous books?)

Sanjana smiled at me after many months, "Aapne hi toh angrezi kitabe use di thi."

(You were the one who gave him Western books.)

I sighed, "Sab meri galti hai."

(Everything is my fault.)

Sanjana hugged me tighter and kissed my cheek, "Unse maafi maangna aapka farz hai, par wapas aana unka irada hai... Unhe zabardasti mat karna. Theek hai?"

(Apologising to them is your responsibility, but returning home is their choice... Don't compel them, okay?)

"Kyu karwa rahi ho yeh sab mujhse?" I muttered.

(Why are you making me do all this?)

Sanjana kissed my ear and nibbled on it this time, "Jitni jaldi aap maafi maangoge... Utni hi jaldi mai aapki seva karungi, Thakur Ji."

(The sooner you apologise to them... The sooner I'll serve you, Thakur Ji.)

Her seductive voice, added to the way her breasts were pressing against my back, was making me hungry. As I leaned in for a kiss, Sanjana pressed her index finger on my lips, "Maafi maangne ke baad."

(After you apologise.)

"Chup reh," I muttered and pulled her towards me by her arm. My lips found her, and I was instantly lost in her warm taste. Sanjana reciprocated this time, and eventually we had to pull away to catch our breaths.

(Shut up.)

"Meri ho tum. Meri har baat manogi, aur phir se kabhi kuch nahi chupaogi. Samjh rahi ho?"

(You're mine. You'll listen to every word I say, and you'll never try to hide anything from me again. Do you understand?)

My wife chuckled softly and kissed the edge of my lips. "Jaise aapki aagya. Main samaan taiyar rakhunga aapke liye. Kal subah hi jaiye."

(As you wish. I'll pack your things. You should leave tomorrow morning itself.)

She got up from the bed and began going through the cupboards to pack my things. It seemed like she was really eager to send me away.

Love was a trap.

A/N - Hi guys. Thanks so much for commenting, liking, and reading. As I'm in the final phase of my internship, my week is quite hectic and I won't be replying to comments for a while. Hope you appreciate the updates!