19 Chapter 19

Sunday started on an unusual note, Sneha didn't wake up early like she normally did and kept lying there even though she wasn't sleeping; she just pretended to be. Since it was a Sunday, she couldn't pretend any longer and had to get up anyway because Rohan wasn't going to the office and she had to face him.

The night for Sneha had been filled with emotional upheavals, blaming her father to blaming Ramona aunty and Sumit uncle. If only they hadn't pestered her into getting married. 'Why did they hide this huge secret from her? Why did people cheat her on so many fronts? Who was responsible for all this?' These were questions she had no answers for yet.

Maybe ma would have prevented this from happening. Ma wouldn't have let her child get into such an ugly situation right from the beginning. Didn't papa know about this facet of Rohan's life? Hadn't Sumit uncle and papa ever discussed this about Rohan?

Perhaps it was in the stars. She needed to know the answers because she felt helpless without them.

Why is it that in some marriages parents play such a huge role? Why is it that women trust a stranger so blindly that they just leave their families and go along with him to a distant world where they don't know anyone? Why is it that the 'stranger' doesn't make an effort to make your stay comfortable?

'Rohan had no business ruining my life! How dare he play with my feelings? I deserve better,' thought Sneha with furrowed brows.

In the midst of such emotions and thoughts, Sneha didn't realize she had already brushed her teeth - she was on automatic pilot. She went to the kitchen to make some tea for them but was so angry at Rohan she decided she wouldn't make any for him. But when she saw that he hadn't had his yet, she went back to make one for him too anyway.

She went to give him the cup of tea on the balcony where he was standing watching the blue sea in the distance. The gentle sea breeze rustled through his hair and he looked pensive. When Sneha came up to him with the tea, he looked at her and smiled and thanked her. Sneha just handed him the cup and went back to the bedroom, she had to prepare to meet Stella.

Rohan was in a dilemma. His decision about what to do was weighing more towards Stella. He thought Stella knew him well and that almost everybody in the office had known they were a couple for a long time. It would be cheating Stella again if he didn't leave Sneha. His heart was heavy with such a decision and he had a hard time concentrating and figuring out what to do.

He went inside to tell Sneha about his decision but refrained telling her as soon as he saw her in the bedroom. He couldn't…he was waiting for something to happen; he just didn't know what yet. Sneha also ignored him; she didn't want any interaction and was finding it painfully awkward and went to get ready instead.

Stella arrived about noon, just in time to have lunch. Sneha had prepared the meal and all during the time it took to make it, she'd thought of many things to tell Stella and also reprimand Rohan at the same time. She intended to insult them both.

However, when Stella arrived Sneha retreated back into her cocoon. She didn't feel like talking to Stella now and felt how ludicrous the whole situation was. Stella entered the tastefully decorated drawing room that was so clean and well-arranged that it resembled a show room. She couldn't help admiring it. She looked upon the paintings on the wall Sneha had arranged in a collage, the bric-a-brac, and then her gaze fell upon the pictures of the wedding. Her mood changed from one of admiration to one of feeling bitter. She imagined herself pulling down the pictures and throwing them on the ground, breaking them into a million pieces.

"Hi…Stella," Sneha said with some reluctance. Stella spun around in anger to see the woman who had shattered her dreams. Sneha was taken aback by her resentment but then Rohan entered the room and Stella immediately switched to being sugary sweet.

"Hi Rohan, how are you honey?" asked Stella in the most musically pleasing voice. Her sugar-coated voice was very convincing and she totally ignored Sneha thinking, 'I would have been here if this woman hadn't shown up in Rohan's life. I want to marry Rohan and when I get him to marry me; I'm going to give his old lady a hard time.'

While Rohan was used to the way Stella addressed him, he didn't like hearing it today. As a matter of fact, he found it somewhat disgusting. He answered her with a simple 'Hi' and asked her to sit and be comfortable. He noted Sneha was in a most uncomfortable situation and to ease her discomfort, he asked her to also take a seat but Sneha excused herself on the pretext of 'baking a dish' and left the room.

Tears welled up in Sneha's eyes as she entered the kitchen and by the time she reached the oven, she was crying. She cried silently so that no one could hear. She could hear Stella laughing in the other room during the conversation she was having with Rohan and was not able to concentrate on the chore in front of her.

'Why can't I stop crying?' she wondered. 'This marriage is over and it's time for me to move on. I have to think about my future and what plans I need to make.' Then, in a panic she thought, 'Where will I go from here?'

'These stupid tears, is it possible I'm falling in love with Rohan? God! This can't be! He is so in love with Stella and I refuse to show my one-sided affection to a selfish person!' she said, gaining a little more confidence.

With these thoughts still in mind, she wiped her tears and turned around. To her surprise Rohan was standing there at the kitchen door closely watching. He just smiled and asked whether everything was okay. Sneha nodded and said she would join them in a few minutes. Rohan went back to the drawing room with Stella, and Sneha went to the kitchen sink to wash her face, she didn't want to look like a crybaby.