When I was in Switzerland, I received a job offer from a prestigious dance academy. I finally emailed them back to say I was interested. They were glad to have me. I was going very, veryfar away from him. I hated him for not helping when it mattered most, but more than that, I still loved him. What if I cursed him, too? What if something happened to him because of me? Breaking every tie was the only way.
Suddenly, my phone chimed with a flood of texts from an unknown number. I opened them and froze. They were photos of Saurav with another woman. I recognized her immediately, she was the same woman from the party, the one who was with him when he video-called me.
My breath hitched as I scrolled through more images. With trembling hands, I sent a single question mark. A reply came instantly.
“Hey, this is Tanya. Remember me?”
“Yes,” I typed back. “How could I forget a poisonous snake?”
“Now you see who is the real poison in your life: your own husband. He’s already moved on. I expect he just used you for a good time on that Bali trip.”
“Shut up!”
“Once he gets what he wants, he discards people like tissues. I’ve been with Saurav all my life, Kavya, but he cheated on me, too. He promised to marry me and then refused at the last minute. I even tried to kill myself before Mr. Chauhan saved me.”
I didn't reply.
“Don’t think you’re special. He’s always been like this. He never cares about feelings.”
I turned off my phone and closed my eyes, breathing shakily. Suddenly, the memory of a lipstick mark on his neck and the scent of floral perfume came rushing back. I swallowed my tears. It was useless to cry for a man who treated me like nothing. I looked at the photos one last time. In some, they were in uniform; in others, they wore civilian clothes. He looked so comfortable next to her. I realized then why Saurav never took photos with me. He didn't want the world to know he had a wife so he could keep playing around with other women.
The doorbell rang. I frowned, wondering who could be visiting at this hour. I went downstairs and opened the door. I froze. It was Saurav, standing there with his duffle bag.
“Hey… ” he said, stepping inside. “You look shocked.”
“I didn't expect you,” I said coldly.
“You should have,” he said, dropping his bag on the floor. He turned to face me. “How’s your sister now? I’ve called and messaged you multiple times, and you haven’t responded. What’s going on?”
Tears stung my eyes and my heart wrenched. Without a word, I walked into the kitchen and brought him a glass of water.
“I asked you a question, Kavya,” he pressed.
“She’s gone,” I whispered.
He let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “I told you, you're just making up stories to get money, aren't you? Is money really that important to you?”
I squeezed my eyes shut and ran upstairs without listening to him further. I slumped onto the bed, covering my mouth to muffle my sobs. I hated when he talked to me like that. I hated that he looked at me like I was a common gold digger.
I half-expected him to follow me, but he didn't. I was glad. I didn't want him to see me broken. I forced myself to get up and get ready; I had paperwork to prepare for my move to Switzerland.
When I went back downstairs, Saurav was sitting on the sofa. He turned his head the moment he heard my footsteps.
“Are you going somewhere?” he demanded.
“Yes,” I replied shortly. “To see a friend.”
“Name?”
I frowned. He had never questioned my whereabouts before. Why now? His expression was stone-hard, his fists clenched as he waited for my answer.
“Noor,” I said.
“When will you be back?”
“I don’t know.”
Without waiting for his another question, I walked away. Since I didn’t know how to drive, I hailed an Uber. My movements felt robotic; my mind was a blur of Tanya’s poisonous texts and the echo of Saurav’s cruel laughter ringing through our empty home.