Gone Wrong

A Mask

Advik Dey:

I couldn't eat. At least not sitting face to face with her. It was like coming face to face with an actual Dementor from the Harry Potter books.

I got up from the table even before I had finished eating. She didn't look up as I opened the front door and got out of the house.

How long would it be before she knew?

I had to breathe.

It was suffocating.

Maybe the rooftop would be a good place to...to stay away from her sight.

I walked out of the house, banging the door shut behind me.

She didn't say anything. She didn't scream at me for banging the door.

That was when it hit me,

She understood

She understood everything. Better than me of course.

I sat on the edge.

I felt uneasy and I couldn't even tell it out loud. I was angry and I couldn't break anything. I was sad and I exactly had no reason to be.

I was dejected even though I had been treating everyone like s**t for the past years.

And the worst part?

I couldn't do anything. I couldn't tell anything.

Of course I could do something.

How would it feel if I post about what cheat she was?

And there was solid proof.

Fuck!

I couldn't even tell it with a straight face.

It just ached. It f*****g ached!

That f*****g b***h! That shitty f*****g b***h!

I slammed my hands on the wall, pain slicing through my wrists.

It still didn't feel painful.

I looked at the horizon. The sun was up in the sky, its rays exposing me more than anything. To the world. To the whole Manhattan.

Just then, I heard footsteps. Familiar footsteps.

"Advik."

I didn't turn around. I couldn't turn around. I couldn't look at her. Looking at her would make it 10 times worse.

I just still couldn't imagine it.

Her.

Not just because she cheated. But because she now had a little thing growing inside her.

"Advik, here's the key," said Hridhi.

I turned around to take the key, only to notice her masked face.

"You're going to the hospital, aren't you?" I asked. "You're still not sure?"

Hridhi didn't say anything. She looked down at the ground. Her eyes watery.

"There's nothing to cry about," I said. "I knew it."

I looked at the burning sun. I couldn't do anything. And it hurt. It hurt like hell.

"You can finally be free of this marriage. You can finally live with your lover."

My voice cracked.

But it was justified, wasn't it?

It was how it would go.

"You will finally live the life girls like you dream of. A happy mother. Loving Husband. Tell me, Hridhi, isn't it perfect?"

She still didn't say anything.

"Come on, Hridhi!" I shouted. "You know it better than me. Isn't this just f*****g perfect?"

"No," said Hridhi, her voice small.

She knelt on the ground, as if her body couldn't uphold her weight anymore.

"Why are you...b-breaking down, Hridhi?"

I pulled her up. I noticed her eyes full of tears.

"Why are you crying? This should be the happiest day of your life," I said. "Run back to him and give the good news."

"No!"

She tore her mask open.

"You'd never understand," she whispered. "Boys like you never understand."

"Of course I won't understand," I said, my tidy little lecture finally ending. "How would I understand? I just studied. I'll just solve cases. That's it."

I looked away from her.

"Just go to him. Tell him. Get married."

At that time, I regretted wearing my shirt. Because just then, Hridhi lashed out at me, her hands on my collar as always.

"I'm not going to the hospital to prove pregnancy sticks wrong, Advik." whispered Hridhi, her teeth gritted. "I'm going to the police station to file an assault case and you...you are f*****g coming with me."