Adultery No One Dies a Saint (Completed)

[krish_999]

Chapter 61

Anvita

 
 
Anvita's face was buried into the softness of her bed. She was pushing her face deliberately down as if to choke herself, because of a dumb hope that her death might save her from one more humiliation. More than the brutal power Rajat was using to bring her under his control, she was failed by the powerlessness that she had begun to sense in her body from the moment she was dragged into her bedroom. At the back of her mind still existed a fear that Prithvi might come to save her, thereby gifting Rajat another weapon to tame her.
Rajat had dropped his pants, and he spent no time before lifting her skirt up and then pulling down her panty. Anvita felt her naked skin cold for a second, and next moment she felt his palm pressing over her ass cheeks.
"No woman has tortured me like you, Anvi."
Rajat said, his voice filled with ecstasy.
"Rajat, please..."
Anvita tried to turn around.
Rajat's left hand wormed around her left thigh, and he lifted her knees slightly to spread them. He was preparing her. Anvita tried to get up and move forward, but his left hand quickly made a half-circle around her waist to stop her. His grip was so strong that Anvita felt it would crush her ribs.
"Leave me," she cried.
"Just stay, Anvi!"
He yelled and slapped behind her with his right palm. It hurt, and the sound of his flat palm hitting hard onto her flesh hurt even more as she became aware of her nude bottom. Rajat had managed to get her into a position he might have been dreaming for long.
"Oh yes... Finally, we meet, Anvi..."
Rajat ran his fingers along the crack of her ass, and Anvita fluttered trying to break free. Rajat pulled her torso back again and pressed his right palm between her legs, and then pushed his fingers over her pussy.
"I know you've let your husband's boss touch you... Why not me?"
He grunted and thrust his finger into her hole. Anvita let out a hoarse cry.
"Mmm... You're all juicy! Fuck!"
He moved his finger up and down and from left to right inside her, quickly.
"Have you been pleasuring yourself? Oh my, dear...I told you Atul can't do it himself. Believe me, you're gonna like it when I am inside you."
He grunted and took out his finger. Next moment Anvita felt something softer rubbing into her pussy lips, and she closed her eyes. She grabbed onto the bed sheet helplessly as she prepared herself to reject his bodily invasion by means of hatred which was now her only way of defence.
I'm going to kill him after this!
"Leave me, you bastard. I'm gonna get you killed after this!" She growled. Rajat didn't even care to listen as he moved the head of his rock hard shaft upward slightly to rub it onto her anal hole.
"Which one first, darling?"
He was laughing. He had won the game.
 
BANG!
Anvita heard a loud sound behind her, and with it, she heard an abrupt cry from Rajat. Next moment he collapsed over her and rolled to the right onto the bed.
"Hell, you!"
Anvita heard Prithvi's yell, and she got up and moved away, hurriedly adjusting her skirt.
"Oh my God!"
Anvita voice rose in panic, her mouth still open with shock, and she ran a couple of steps away from the bed and stopped as her panty fell from her knees to ankles. She bent down to pull it all the way up, her eyes still gathering to see what had just happened.
Prithvi was standing there, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He held a wooden stool in his hand. He was watching Rajat closely, prepared to attack him again in case he got up.
"Prithvi!"
Anvita cried, her eyes wide with terror and solace.
Prithvi put down the wooden stool and turned to her.
"He was trying to bang you!"
Anvita ran to him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you..." She panted heavily. "He was...he was..." Words weren't coming out of her.
"It's okay. It's okay. You're safe now."
Prithvi assured her.
Anvita looked into his eyes, and she kept breathing hard.
She wanted to thank him. She wanted to apologise to him for chiding him a few minutes ago.
"Yeah, I'm safe now," Anvita said as her panting settled a little. "Thank you for not listening to me."
She fondly patted on his cheek.
Prithvi grabbed his clothes from the chair and quickly wore them. 
 
Rajat was still lying in the bed, motionless. Anvita's attention eventually turned to him.
"What do we do with him now?"
Anvita asked, her voice wary.
"We kick him out," Prithvi mocked a grin and went to check Rajat. "Do you want him to be put in jail?"
"I want him to be thrown out of the balcony. He should die."
Anvita said with hatred. Prithvi's confident reaction was helping her breathe easily. Prithvi had a closer look at Rajat.
"I think he just did that...I mean, why isn't he breathing?"
He wondered. He grabbed Rajat's wrist and held it as if to check his pulse.
"He can't die that easy. He's such a..."
Anvita paused as she quickly realised the seriousness of what Prithvi was saying. Prithvi grabbed Rajat's other hand and held it a few seconds.
"What?"
Anvita looked at him.
"I don't know. I'm getting the pulse but I think it's my own. I don't know how to do it! You try," he suggested.
"No," Anvita moved back. "I don't want to touch him."
"What do we do now?"
"I don't want him to wake up here and see you. Let's drag him out of here."
Anvita suggested.
"To where?"
"To his house, of course. It's the opposite one."
Prithvi scratched his forehead. Anvita looked at him. "What?"
"What if he dies in there?"
A shiver went down Anvita's stomach.
"Don't freak me out, now. Are you suggesting we should take him to the hospital?"
"No, not at all. It's better to call the security officer in than that."
"No. No."
Anvita shook her head in denial.
"Okay let's move him to his house. We have no idea what happened to him. If he lives he won't tell anyone about this, right?"
"That's right, I guess. But what if he dies?"
Anvita was now repeating his earlier question.
"If he dies... It's his fate, Anvita. But we can't keep him here. If he died here we'll both be in trouble. We must get him off here."  
Prithvi said.
 
Soon they prepared to carry Rajat out of the house. Prithvi got hold of his legs and Anvita, his arms. It was a tough task. For a moment Anvita wondered if he was already dead and it could be why he was weighing so much.
No, there's no such theory, stupid.
They almost dragged him out of the room and through the hall they made it to the other end of the hall.
"Wait," Prithvi said. "Let's have a look outside first."
 
Anvita watched Prithvi open the front door and then Rajat's door. He went in and returned after a few seconds.
"Don't just stand there, Anvita. Walk down and have a look if anyone's coming. I'll go up and see."
Prithvi insisted.
They checked the stairs and ensured no one was around. Anvita's heart was thumping hard.
No one should see this, God!
"We should pick him up. No dragging now, understand?"
Prithvi looked at her. Anvita freaked out a little more.
"Have you done this thing before? How can you behave so normally?"
She asked.
"I'm all fucked up. I don't remember how to show fear. Oh shit, he's so heavy. Pick him up."
As Anvita grabbed Rajat's hands she could feel the coldness.
"Oh my God! He's gone cold. He's dead, isn't he?"
"Stop freaking me out for god's sake, Anvi. He's not dead for now."
"For now? What do you mean? Is he dying?"
"Just lift him!"
"Shouldn't we take him to a hospital?"
"You'll get me behind the bar. That's what you gonna do. I did this, didn't I?"
"I'm so sorry, I just..."
"Lift him! Use some force."
They lifted Rajat and moved him to his apartment. Prithvi had already opened the door to his bedroom. 
"Do not touch anything. Don't leave any proof for we were here."
"Stop freaking me out," Anvita groaned.
They put Rajat in his bed. Anvita saw her blouse lying in his bed. She recognised and grabbed it quickly.
"What are you doing? It's not time to check out his things!"
Prithvi chided her.
"It's mine, you idiot!"
"What?"
"It's a long story. Don't ask. He's a moron. It's my blouse..."
"But how did it come here?"
He looked at her suspiciously. Anvita hated him for that.
"He stole it from my balcony. It was missing since long and I had a doubt it must be him. He's the biggest pervert I've ever seen."
"That's okay, but it's a very short story."
"Let's go back first. I don't want to leave this here. It'll lead the security officer to me."
"You're already thinking about the security officer? Oh, God!"
"Why, are you not?"
"No! I am not that much gutsy."
Prithvi shook his head. They walked out carefully, watching the stairs. 
Prithvi wiped the door handle with his handkerchief while Anvita ran to her house.
 
Prithvi returned soon and he picked up the water jug from the dining table. He finished half of the water in one go.
"I should go now before somebody sees me."
He said. Anvita panicked.
"I'm scared, Prithvi. Shall I phone Atul?" 
"No, don't! Don't say anything to anyone. Not even to Atul. Promise me."
"I'll die with this much tension. What if he didn't die?"
"What!" Prithvi stared at her, "what if he didn't die?"
"I'm scared if he would come after me, again."
"Do you want me to hit him again?"
"No. No! I don't..."
"Anvita, we must act now. If you think he'll come back, then we should make sure he won't. I think I should do that. He shouldn't come back. He tried you bang you; he deserves to die, doesn't he?"
Anvita pushed him away.
"How can you even talk like this? What happened here was an accident. Now you're talking about killing him for real!"
"I'm only thinking about your safety."
"Enough of my safety. You could have just pulled him aside to save me. But you chose to hit him with this..."
She pointed to the wooden stool inside her room. Prithvi looked at it.
"Oh shit! I forgot this! It shouldn't be here."
He bent down and checked its edge.
"This is going to trap us. We should use our brain, Anvita. security officer will find out how he died. And then they'll check all the wooden stools in the building... won't they? It'll be so easy!"
Anvita was stunned.
"We're dead, then!"
"Only if we get caught with this!"
Prithvi took the wooden stool to the kitchen.
"Give me something. I need to cut a piece off it."
Anvita opened a kitchen cabinet and took out a matchet. Prithvi placed the wooden stool on the countertop and struck hard on the edge with the matchet. After a few attempts, he cut its edge piece from it.
"We should now burn it to destroy," Prithvi switched on the stove and placed the wooden piece on the flame.
"I think we must think of evidence," Prithvi said thoughtfully. Anvita stared at him. 
"Let me check his house once again. I think I touched his shoes when I lifted him," he wiped under his nose. "Fingerprints are very dangerous. I will have to wipe his shoes as well. You keep it burning."
Prithvi went out readily and Anvita watched the wooden piece catch flame and burn to ash, with bated breath. She could breathe normally only after his return, five minutes later. He placed his handkerchief on the flame and watched it burn.
Anvita was silent.
"You're not thinking about Atul, are you?"
Prithvi asked. Anvita just looked at him.
"Do not make any call from your phone for a couple of hours. Because they, the security officer, would check the phone calls made after any crime, like these..."
"Is he dead? Did you check?"
Anvita's voice was caught with a shiver.
"I didn't check. I don't know. But we shouldn't behave like fools. Your phone call to him is not going to benefit you in any way. If you don't call at all, you will be absolutely safe from doubt."
"I'm just calling my husband; there's nothing unusual. I won't say anything to him. I just need to hear his voice just for..."
"No, Anvi. You'll get emotional if you called him. Tomorrow is your wedding anniversary and you can only be happy. You're just waiting for his return."
Anvita shook her head.
"Okay."
I'm just waiting for his return.
Anvita's heart melted a little.
"I hope you've forgiven me."
Prithvi spoke after a brief silence.
"What?"
"For that phone thing. I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."
"It's okay. It's... It's not a thing I think I should worry now."
"Yeah, but I know we won't be seeing each other for long. So I just wanted to hear it from you that you have forgiven me. It'll help me feel better."
"It's okay. I told you..."
"Shall I leave now?"
Anvita looked at him for a moment.
"The longer I stay here, the more dangerous," he went on.
"Yeah, yeah."
Anvita shook her head.
Prithvi hugged her lightly and she hugged him back.
"Thank you, Prithvi."
Anvita whispered.
"You'll be alright, Anvi." He smiled at her. "You know I don't want anything bad to happen to you; so nothing bad will happen to you. You have nothing to worry about."
Anvita shook her head like a child.
"If anyone phones you, then you should keep inviting them for the wedding anniversary. You keep the arrangements as it is until the bad news - if it ever happens - comes out. You understand?"
"Yes."
"You can call me in the evening. I'll get a new phone by then. But do not call me before that."
He instructed. Anvita kept nodding.
He left soon.
 
The afternoon was lonely and scary for Anvita. She felt like she was imprisoned, righteously by the almighty. She had done the wrong and she was getting the punishment.
A few hours ago, she thought, I was mating with a boy like a nymphomaniac. And now... She couldn't believe she had orgasm twice that day. I don't remember that. She thought sardonically. I remember how I got him killed. Well, almost.
 
Anvita later gathered her guts and decided to clean the house. She replaced the bed sheets and pillow covers and washed all of it. She had a light lunch and resumed the task soon after. She wiped the floor and vacuum cleaned the couches. She kept her front door locked from inside. Eventually, she began to feel normal.
Nothing will happen, Anvita. She kept assuring herself.
 
She got phone calls from her dad and her friends in the evening. She answered all of them. She was confident. She felt she had it under control.
And then, she had Rajyavardhan's phone call, in the night. Her heart began to race even before she answered it.
"Dad..."
She thought her voice was stuck inside her throat.
"How did it go?"
Rajyavardhan asked straightaway.
"Horrible," Anvita didn't think twice. "It went horribly, dad. I want to see you..."
She cried.
"What happened, my child?"
Rajyavardhan's voice softened.
"I slept with him, dad. But..but... After that Rajat came here. He forced me to...he..." Anvita couldn't find words. "Prithvi attacked him to save me. And he...I think he's..."
"Anvita. Just calm down first, Anvita. Are you safe?"
"Yes. But I'm scared, dad. I fear he'll come back."
"Who, Rajat?"
"Yes. He tried to assault me and Prithvi hit him with a stool. He fell unconscious. We've moved him to his apartment but I'm scared if he'd come back. And I'm also scared if he's dead too. I don't know what to do."
"Where's Prithvi now?"
"He's gone. He went back."
"When did all this happen?"
"Right after we talked. Prithvi had come with a gift. A sandal. And he..." Anvita swallowed. She remembered it again. "I slept with him, dad." She said.
Rajyavardhan's response came after a brief pause.
"And?"
"And then I got the doorbell. It was Rajat. I told him Atul is here but he knew the truth. He walked into the hall. I had asked Prithvi to hide already. Rajat had come with a motive. He forcefully dragged me to my room and...he slapped me...and... But before he could do anything Prithvi attacked from behind and felled him down."
"Did he see the boy?"
"No. He fell before he could see Prithvi. He had hit him with the stool, hit him behind his head."
"Just one blow?"
"Yeah."
"So he isn't dead, yet."
A shiver went down Anvita's spine.
"He laid hand on something he shouldn’t have.”  She remembered Rajyavardhan's words.
"I gave him a choice and named its mercy."
"Dad..."
Her voice was wary.
"So you're worried about him coming back to you," Rajyavardhan said. "It's too late for me to leave now, but you shouldn't worry. You can handle it yourself for now. If he comes again, do not open the door. Call for help from your other neighbours; I mean the families from the other floors. Like Chandrakant - I know him; you can trust him. Tell them the truth that you're alone and ask them to come to your door to turn away Rajat. No matter what he says. Don't be scared. I'll be there tomorrow and I'll handle it myself."
"When... When will you come?"
That was all Anvita wanted to know, desperately.
"By evening."
"Can't you hurry a little, please?"
"You have nothing to worry, my child. No one can harm you. I promise you.'
Anvita believed him. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. However, she felt at peace now.
"If you want to go out of the house in the morning, make sure you have someone accompany you. Anyone but your friend Neeti."
"Okay."
"Now go to bed and sleep peacefully. It's going to be alright, my child."
He said before he ended the phone call.
Anvita wished he was right there to comfort her. To calm down her. Somehow she was able to find sleep very soon.
 
In the morning she woke up early and phoned Rajyavardhan right away.
"I'm on my way, child," he assured her.
"Thank you, dad."
Anvita said graciously. There was nothing to worry now. 
He's gonna set everything right today. Anvita was sure.
 
However, her worst fears became real that noon.
Anvita was pushed out of her self-imposed solitude with a panic-inducing doorbell, and she spent a moment to peep through the hole before opening the door.
It was Shashank uncle, one of their neighbours.
"Where is Atul, child?"
"He's not here, uncle. He's in Mumbai. What happened?"
"There's sad news. Our Rajat passed away!"
"What!"
Anvita's awful cry luckily did not escape her throat. She felt her world upside down, and a feeling of dizziness gripped her body and mind. She held on to the wall for support.
"But how?"
Her voice was shaky.
Shashank uncle looked at her.
"Rajat's brother-in-law found him dead in his bed. Please leave a message for Atul."
Anvita nodded.
"Do you want to have a look?"
"No!" Anvita said quickly.
"Everyone should move out. The security officer are coming."
She heard someone saying aloud from the Rajat's apartment. Men began to walk out, and Anvita froze. She slowly closed her door and cried.
 
It was happening. Her worst fears had come true. She and her boyfriend together had murdered her neighbour. She remembered Rajat's wife Pooja and their new-born baby.
Oh, God!
She cried.
She thought she was the one got Rajat killed. She wouldn't have answered the door in the first place, had she been alone in the house. She was charged with anger when he rang the doorbell and it had led her into act foolishly.   
 
She phoned Rajyavardhan and told him.
“Don't panic, Anvita. We can still handle it. Don't do anything stupid now; I mean don't tell anything to anyone. You didn't do anything wrong but Prithvi's involvement might make it a bit complicated. You better stay home, for now, that's enough to keep you out of trouble. Just remain calm, my child. Nothing will happen to you."
Anvita sat in silence for long after the phone call ended. Rajyavardhan's assurance had failed to calm her down, for the first time. Perhaps her mind was crippled by fear as well as guilt; she could not make her believe anything good. The only thing she knew she could do was to wait with dread until the security officer showed up at her doorstep to arrest her. She thought of getting arrested on the eve of her wedding anniversary.
Oh God! I can't live that moment.
At one crazy moment she even picked up a pen and began to write a note - a suicide note - but she couldn't decide how to put it into words. She had a big story to tell without which people would blame Atul for her death. There was the only way to tell Atul why she wanted to die; a confession.
I must seek his pardon. Anvita decided.
 
Eventually, the security officer came. Anvita said her husband was not home.
"He's gone to Mumbai."
The cops asked about Rajat. Anvita said she had no idea when he had come to his house.
"He doesn't come here very often, since his wife's pregnancy he stays with them. So I have no idea when he comes and leaves. Sometimes we see him here, that's it."
Half an hour later the cops returned to ask about Atul.
"He works at Walzec Systems. He's not here since yesterday; he’s in Mumbai right now."
She repeated. They noted down Atul’s details. Anvita was sure it was just a matter of time the cops would return and tell her that you're the prime suspect.
There could be evidence which Prithvi couldn't erase.
They'll come and arrest me. They'll take me to the security officer station. They'll take my mobile as evidence. Anvita envisaged.
Suddenly she thought about the video she had shot a few months ago; the proof of George exploiting her. She has shot it to keep George coming after her again. One blackmail to counter another one. It wasn't needed though, because of Rajyavardhan's intervention.
She didn't want to lose it, yet. Rajyavardhan had made it sure George wouldn't think of her for a while. But who knows? Anvita thought of ways preserving the evidence. There was only one way; keeping it in cloud storage. But her own cloud storage wouldn't make it secure. The cops might trace it and once someone has it, it'll be simply leaked and shared by horny men.
Anvita had to rush before the time ticked out. At the back of her mind, she was anticipating the cops showing up at her doorstep; with a handcuff.
Anvita had to think wisely. She chose to upload it to Dropbox, a file hosting service. She knew Atul's Gmail password and logged on to it. He had never used it before, and he will never use it, probably and Anvita knew it was the perfect place to hide something.
She uploaded the video to his Dropbox account and deleted it from her phone.
Now, no one will find out.
She thought confidently.
 
She was waiting for the doorbell, but it never happened throughout the evening. Her tension mounted and Atul was still not home.
She phoned him but her call went unanswered.
 
As time passed she was convinced of how she should deal with it. Confession. She was going to tell Atul about everything. The only thing she could pray was to delay her arrest until his return. 
However, when Atul arrived, it was a hell of anti-climax.
He was not in his usual self. He was drunk again; maybe for his friend's demise, but then the cops showed up to claim and prove that he was lying about his trip. He was not in Mumbai; instead, he was staying in a hotel suite in Delhi with a woman.
Anvita was shattered. Has he cheated on me? What's his relationship with that lady? Who's that? Does he know that I've cheated on him?
She thought of the wedding eve when she had made love to Prithvi first and then to Atul. She had thought she was caught red-handed but then Rajyavardhan helped her to think otherwise. 
What if I were right?
Anvita was restless. Her worst fear was Atul learning of her betrayal and then bringing himself to involve with another woman. She knew he could not do it without a reason. Atul was not a man who would get impressed easily by any random women, no matter how beautiful they may be. He needed a motive. And Anvita feared that her betrayal was fittingly one.
When Atul was arrested and taken into custody by the cops, Anvita was taken to hell filled with guilt. She knew security officer can falsely arrest a person and put him in jail.
She remembered that a few weeks ago Atul had a spat with Rajat. 
What if Rajat had mentioned this to someone else, proving their enmity?
Anvita was worried.
 
Two hours had gone and Atul was yet to return. Anvita wanted to talk to Rajyavardhan and her parents but she did not know how to speak of Atul's involvement with a woman.
They shouldn't know. 
 
Her phone rang. It was Prithvi. Anvita told him the news.
"And there is some confusion. The security officer arrested Atul," she said.
Prithvi was stunned.
"What? Why?"
Atul hadn't gone to Mumbai, he was in Delhi only. So the security officer think we lied to save him. And he and Rajat had a small verbal argument over me a couple of months ago. They have taken him."
"They'll release him, don't worry."
"No, I don't feel anything right about it. They'll torture him because he's not going to concede. He's innocent; we know that, don't we? We killed Rajat, we know that."
"Anvita..." Prithvi's voice was shaking. "Don't do anything stupid now..."
"No, Prithvi. I can't just sit and watch this. I'm... I'm going to surrender."
Anvita cried.
"No! Don't do this, Anvi. Please."
"I have no other choice. I must save him."
"But what about me? I'll go to jail."
"Listen to me, Prithvi. I've done many bad things to my husband. But I still love him. He's being tortured for the crime I have committed. If I did nothing to save him, then what's the point in saying I love him?"
"What about me, Anvi? Is this what you give me for saving you?"
"I...I will say I've killed him myself. You were not there."
"That's foolish, Anvi. They'll easily prove you were helped by someone else. He was trying to assault you and how can you say you hit behind his head with that stool? Anvi, this isn't what we planned. You're just..."
"I have no time for this, Prithvi. I have to..."
"Then I'll tell you about my choice. I'm not going to surrender. I'll end my life before they get to me. I can't be a disgrace to my family."
"So do I," Anvita said and suddenly she heard something falling down from the other end. 
"Prithvi?"
The line went dead.
 
Anvita heard a slow knock on the door.
Atul?
She ran to the door and opened it. There was him.
 
Anvita couldn't hold back her tears.
"Oh my God! You're safe!"
Atul was standing there and watching her.
"Come in, Atul," she led him inside.
It was a moment to feel home and safe again, but Anvita felt far from it.
Atul was sitting in the couch, his eyes down to his feet.
"Atul..." Anvita spoke. "Atul, I want to tell you about something."
She was thinking of where to begin. 
From Prithvi? From Shreyas? Varun? Rajat? Or from Manhas?
Before she could begin, Atul stood up straight.
He had a story to tell. A story about how he had betrayed her. The clues and bits he had dropped during the brief security officer interrogation were merely a part of it. He had not only slept with a woman but also had impregnated her.
Anvita sat down with him. She shed tears with him.
Atul was broken with remorse, and he had asked the unfortunate woman to kill her unborn child as a corrective measure. A sin to undo another. There were enough to break the heart of a man for himself.
Anvita felt that a reason to hate her might help him.
"Anvi, Will you forgive me?"
Atul asked her in the end.
"No, I can't forgive you Atul, because I don't deserve to forgive you. This must be God-given... I don’t deserve your remorse, Atul. Because I am a sinner. I have done horrible things than you can imagine. I have betrayed you."
She was crying all the way, tears rolling down her cheeks nonstop. "I have slept behind you, many times. And I have now killed a man. I killed Rajat, Atul. He was killed in here, in this house, in our bed."
Atul was speechless, staring at her, as the reality had knocked him completely senseless.
"How? Why?"
He didn't ask. But his eyes conveyed those questions.
"You think you've cheated on me and it makes you remorseful. But to me, you didn't cheat on me, Atul. You were just lending support to her. That's why she came out to seek your permission. And you're still a man with a will to move on. That's why you denied her wish, despite knowing what it means to her.
But I'm a cheater. I was a seeker of pleasure. I've enjoyed the company of other men despite being in love with you. I lied about what had happened with Varun. I had let him put it inside me, I had felt it for a second, only to lie to you that I hadn't. Later when he came for me I gave him head sitting in his car before I completely shut myself from him. I've gone with Shreyas for lunch and dinner when you were not here. You wanted me to show a bit of kindness to him, but I took advantage of it like a whore. I didn't refuse when he asked me out. After one lunch he kissed me. After one dinner l let him touch my body and I touched him. And during one dinner we had for him here, I allowed him to kiss me, touch me, and do everything except sex while you lay passed out in our bed. Later that night I had phone sex with him, Atul. He had removed my panty and when he later told me that over the phone I got aroused like a cheap woman who has no life. The extent I had fallen freaked me out so much that I ended everything with him after that.
After dinner night, I mentioned, when I returned, Rajat caught me. He had been blackmailing me since then. He wanted me to sleep with him, and I couldn't even tell you. God only knows how I resisted him. I just hated him. Otherwise, I would have fallen to become his slave or something like Neeti. Oh my God! What the worst life it would have been!
And then Prithvi. My friendship with him has always been in the wrong direction. He wanted me and I should have put him in his place. But I granted him space, and the fact that he was your friend too aided me with more freedom. I actually took advantage of it. When you were gone to...uhh...I think Mumbai...he had visited. That night our generator burst and I let him stay with me because I was scared. But I could never tell you this. And after that, a couple of more times when I allowed him to massage my feet and even lick my feet because he wanted to worship me... and then the night George and Leona visited us in the midnight. I was dead with shame because I had been hiding about Prithvi from you. So I had to hide him from them too. In the end, I allowed him to sleep in our room...in our bed...and...and..."
Tears broke out of her eyes and Anvita took a couple of quick breaths.
"...and I had sex with him, Atul. I allowed him to have me, and I enjoyed that. I betrayed you."
Atul couldn't take his eyes off her. More than what she was telling him, the pain and shame she was enduring while confessing was perhaps holding his attention. He was looking at her as if she was telling a story that never happened. Anvita felt he would never believe she betrayed him.
"Next morning when everybody was gone, dad visited; your dad. I confessed what I did with Prithvi. He advised me not to tell you because he said it will only give you pain. I chose to obey him."
Anvita paused to wipe her tears.
"A few days after the incident George visited again, in your absence. He told me he had heard the sounds from my room, and he threatened me that he would tell you. I begged him not to, saying it was merely an accident. It was an accident. It just happened. But George didn't listen, he wanted to use me. I was already fed up resisting Rajat for the whole time because of what I did with Shreyas, so I didn't want George to destroy my life, you. I let him have sex with me."
Anvita's threw her eyes to the bedroom and she could still feel the hatred.
"When I told dad about it, he took George to his farmhouse and asked him to put his filthy hand to show inside the cane crusher, in order to spare his life. That's how he lost his hand. It wasn't an accident. It was for me."
Anvita sighed. "But what punishment will be sufficient for me? I have done more cruel things to you. The night you went to Pune, on the wedding eve of Prithvi's brother, I came here to help his friends have our inverter. We stayed back here, and I had sex with him again. And yesterday too, after you were gone, he visited and we went to bed to do things I knew you'd never tolerate even in your nightmares. After that, Rajat intervened."
Anvita went on with what happened, in detail. Atul sat in complete silence, except for his breathing.
 
"My hands are dirtier than I can live with, Atul. I must surrender to the security officer, now. That's the only thing I've got to do."
"What?"
Atul looked up at her, finally.
"I'm going to surrender. This is the right thing, isn't it? They'll find it, eventually."
"But it was self-defence."
"It may be, but he lost his life. His wife, his child..."
"Anvita..."
"Please Atul. I'm not going to ask for your forgiveness. I only want you to do one thing. Whatever happened has happened. Can you let me talk to Ridhima?"
"Ridhima? Why?" Atul's face became grim.
"Please."
Atul stared at her for a moment and then took his phone. He made the call and turned the speaker on.
"Hello..."
Anvita heard a woman's voice and her heart skipped a beat. Atul looked her in the eyes. Anvita swallowed.
"Atul...?"
She heard Ridhima's voice again.
"Ridhima..." Anvita cleared her throat. "This is Anvita. I'm..." She paused a moment and leaned closer towards the phone. "Atul told me everything."
She heard her breathing from the other end.
"Ridhima?"
"I'm sorry... I..." Ridhima's voice was a whisper. Anvita felt she was sobbing.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Anvita. I just... I just..."
"It's alright. It's alright, Ridhima. I just want to tell you I still love my husband. I don't know you'll ever understand me but it's not important. What's more important is I want to tell you that you have the right to keep your baby. You are the mother. From today, you are the mother and father of your child. Can you do that?"
Anvita's heart was racing as she spoke.
"I... Anvita... I don't know how to thank you. You are just..." Ridhima's voice was filled with a rush of emotions, "but why? Did Atul ask you?"
"No, he won't ask me. It's my decision."
"You're an angel, Anvita. Atul always told me how wonderful a person you are and how much he loves you. Now I understand more than ever how much you deserve him. I... I'm just a..."
For a moment Anvita wished she did this conversation in person.
"I'm not finding words to thank you, Anvita. Thank you is too small a word. You know I was on the brink of destruction and, I haven't met you yet, but I know the rest of my life I'll be indebted to you. You are Godsend. Like me when you are in need, God will send his angels for you. My prayers will be there always for you. I can understand what a wife can feel when she learns her loving husband has slept with another woman and even fathered a child with her. But whatever had happened, it wasn't his mistake in any sense I can remember. He is the most loyal person I've ever met. He had helped me survive a lot of hardships, but still, I ended up asking him the most valuable thing. I had lost all the hope and I didn't have the right to complain. You have saved my life, Anvita. I told you, you're an angel. We will never meet. I will never see Atul in my life. But I will never forget you. Both of you are a miracle in my life and miracles happen because of a reason."
Anvita couldn't stop smiling for a moment. She felt at peace. For a moment she felt whatever she had done in her life without really making an obvious choice about it, all of it has led her to it; to meet this unknown woman. To earn her blessings and prayers.
 
Atul let out a sigh as the call ended. He knelt in front of her.
"You are truly an Angel, Anvi, to have rescued me from this... this gallows of remorse."
"I did what is right. I can't allow myself to be the reason for another life to end."
She said.
The doorbell rang, startling both together.
"Oh, my God! It must be them."
Anvita panicked.
Atul grabbed her hands.
"Anvi, I'll tell them I did it."
"What?"
Anvita stared at him.
"Put me in place of Prithvi. Rajat was trying to bang you when I returned, and I attacked him to save you. I'll tell I did it only to stop him, to save you."
"No, I can't let you do this."
Anvita pushed him away. He grabbed her again.
"Anvi..."
The doorbell rang again.
"Anvi... We don't have much time. I'll surrender... This is the best I can do for you. Please be with me."
"Atul..."
Anvita wept. Atul got up and began to turn.
"Atul..." Anvita got up and hugged him tight and wept. "I can't let you do this Atul... You have nothing to do with this. I love you."
Atul forcefully released himself from her grip and moved back.
"I know, my baby. But I too love you, more than anything. I can't let you go where you don't deserve."
He walked away and opened the door.
Anvita was going to faint before she saw the visitor's face.
"Dad..."
Rajyavardhan stared at his son's face for s long moment and walked in.
He stopped at the centre of the hall as if studying them both.
"Dad..."
Atul began to say.
"What's going on?"
Rajyavardhan asked. Anvita fell to her knees.
"I told him everything, dad. And he's going to surrender, dad. He's... I... Stop him please, dad..."
"What?"
He turned to Atul. Atul moved closer.
"I don't want to lose her, dad."
"So?"
Rajyavardhan's voice was as hard as ever.
"I can take Prithvi's place and admit that I did it to save my wife."
"Isn't it too late, my son?"
"What better option do I have? I can't let her go to prison."
Rajyavardhan turned to him and hugged him. Anvita looked up and saw the surprised look on Atul's face.
 
"You should calm down a little bit, my son. I can see how much you love her. Your decision may sound brave but it's practically useless. You plead guilty and you go to jail. Even if you manage to walk free, it'll leave your wife imprisoned by remorse. When you come back you won't get your Anvi back. She'll die with repentance. She has done more than what she could take already."
"But... Dad..."
"Listen, my son. Whatever decision I've taken in my life for you, you've defied them all. And still, you have lived and proved that you can be what you wanted to be. Looking back I can say you wouldn't have done this great if you had followed my orders. It's the perspective...I must understand that. But I'm still your father. And I'm as bloody-minded as I could get. Take it as a request; don't defy me this one time."
"Dad..."
Rajyavardhan helped Anvita get up.
"Anvita... Atul... You've got enough life left. Rajat was evil. He shouldn't be allowed to make you separate even for a moment. I'm the person who's right to deal with this type of mess."
"What are you saying, dad?"
Atul asked.
"I'll plead guilty. I came here to do this. I can cook up a theory of how I arrived here a day earlier for the wedding anniversary and I saw a man trying to bang my daughter-in-law, and I attacked him. It is me; no one will have any issue to believe it."
"No."
Atul and Anvita said together.
Anvita was devastated by his decision. She couldn’t stop crying. She felt she was just a ill fate that happened in his life. For one moment she felt she shouldn’t have met Atul and fallen in love with him. Because she didn’t deserve to be his daughter-in-law. After her marriage she had heard numerous stories of Rajyavardhan's mercilessness. She was even scared of him. But once she knew him for better, every day was a realisation. A realisation of how caring and protective a father he is. Now he was not just trying to rescue her from the misfortune, but he was sacrificing himself for her. Anvita was not going to allow him to do that.
But as Rajyavardhan had just mentioned, he was as bloody-minded as he could get. Anvita and Atul could not make him change his mind even after an hour's pleading and arguing.
In the end, Atul had to relent.
"As you say, dad. I'm sorry I had to hurt you all along."
"I'm just content about how you made your life decisions, son. One of the best is, I must say, is Anvita."
He smiled.
Anvita cried and hugged Rajyavardhan. She hugged him tightly, taking him by surprise, and kissed him all over his face, rubbing her lips into his, making his face wet with her tears, while Atul watched.
Rajyavardhan slowly pushed her toward Atul.
"Take her with you, son. Go to your room. Share some good time with her. Bring her back to life. She has a very gorgeous smile. I want to see it before I leave."
 
Anvita turned to Atul. His eyes were wet. His arms went around her and his lips reached for hers. Anvita didn't hesitate a moment to give in and kissed him back. There was eagerness in the way their lips met, and Anvita could instantly feel it was not because Rajyavardhan's sacrifice had gifted them a new life. Instead, it was for a belief that was filling their heart that they had both decided to forgive each other.
"Do you forgive me?"
Anvita asked when they broke the kiss.
"I embrace you," he smiled. "What about me, do you forgive me?"
Anvita smiled at him and turned her head to Rajyavardhan.
"Dad I want to torture him. Is that okay?"
Rajyavardhan laughed his heart out.
"That's my child."
He pressed his palm over her shoulder. Anvita felt warm. She turned to him to put her one arm around her and pulled him closer. She hugged father and son together and rubbed her cheeks with them one after another. She felt both the men's arms around her, and she couldn't make out which one was warmer. The only thing she could now feel was an urge within her to go to bed and start undressing and exploring that warmth. She felt shy, and she moved away. She couldn't look at Rajyavardhan's eyes, and she smiled at Atul.
 
They had dinner together. It was light. They all knew the morning was going to be unpleasant. But still, Anvita had the courage to stop thinking about it. Just because her father-in-law was there.
Anvita was excited as she made the bed.
"What are you smiling about?"
Atul asked.
"Your dad is wonderful, isn't it?"
"He is." Atul smiled, and Anvita could see his eyes shining.
Soon they were in bed, making love passionately. Anvita felt like a virgin and her body trembled as he entered her.
"What?"
Atul asked.
"Nothing. I can't believe we're making love again. I thought I’ve lost you."
"I'll never let you do that, Anvi. Because I can't stop loving you, no matter what you do."
"I wish this night never ends."
Anvita hugged him tight, welcoming him more into her.
Anvita woke up feeling fresh in the morning as if from a beautiful dream, and suddenly she remembered what was going to happen. It was her first wedding anniversary. But instead of getting applauds and gifts and greetings, she was going to live the painful sight of her father-in-law getting thrown behind bars for a crime she had committed.
But there was no way to help him. There was no way to help herself.
Anvita walked out of the room, her hair tousled. Rajyavardhan was in the hall, practising his morning yoga. He stopped and looked at her, his eyes calm.
Rajyavardhan got ready soon after breakfast. He was going to the security officer station. Anvita wanted him to wait until the cops came for them.
"What if they didn't find out the truth?"
"That's more dangerous," Rajyavardhan said. "Sooner or later they'll know the truth. My surrender wouldn't work once they've found out it's you. It's an easy guess that I'm trying to protect you."
He hugged them both for one last time.
"What we are doing is the best thing we can do. And this isn't the end of our world. I know how to get myself out of this. Maybe a couple of months. We can work it out. Atul will hire the best lawyer he could get. Why should I worry?"
He smiled and opened the front door. Anvita looked out and her heart stopped. There was a cop standing with his back toward their door. He turned and Anvita saw he was the cop who had arrested Atul on the previous night.
Yesterday he took the son. Today, the father. And it was Anvita's fate that she had to witness it all.
"Hello Atul," the officer smiled. "Thanks for helping out with the tip."
"What?"
Atul took a step forward.
"Your tip about Mohit helped us. He has confessed. He killed your neighbour."
 
Anvita could not simply believe it.
No. It's not possible. She screamed in her mind. They're again arresting the wrong man.
 
However, this time they had proved it beyond doubt. security officer had already taken Mohit into custody. He had confessed that he was the murderer.
Every details of the incident was in the media very soon.
Mohit had left for Nagpur on a two-day trip, on Saturday. But his trip was cancelled and he returned home by evening. His untimely return only resulted in him finding out his wife's deception. As he walked into his apartment he found two food plates on the dining table and his wife sleeping in his bedroom - wearing nothing. He confronted her and she confessed that Rajat was her guest. She confessed how Rajat had shown up for dinner and had taken her to the bed straight away.
Devastated by the truth, Mohit set out to confront Rajat too. He went downstairs and got into Rajat's apartment, as the latter had accidentally left the door unlocked. He found Rajat sleeping inside and that was his opportunity. Out of rage, he grabbed the bedside wooden stool and struck hard on Rajat's head, with an intent to take his life. The cops found the stool in Mohit's apartment, with blood stains on its hard edge.
 
Looking back, Anvita could see the picture clearly. The attack by Prithvi hadn't killed Rajat. It just got him unconscious, and later baffled and disappointed. And his frustration perhaps led him to Neeti. He had dinner with her and then took her to bed, not even letting her do the dish. When he left eventually, Neeti might have felt too tired and lazy to get off the bed. She, as it later turned out, had no idea she was leaving too much evidence for her husband.
 
Everyone in the neighbourhood felt for Mohit; many were saying he did the right thing.
 
Officer Senapati had thanked Atul for his help.
"The things people consider trivial are always important in these types of cases."
Anvita was happy and beginning to smile as the officer turned to his fellow cop.
“Are you happy now?”
Atul closed the door and turned to her.
“Not happy.”
“What? Why?”
Atul stared at her.
“I thought I had killed him. I should have killed him.”
She blinked at him.
“Just kidding! I'm so relieved, I can't believe it!”
She hugged Atul who in turn grabbed Rajyavardhan with his other hand.
"This is amazing," Rajyavardhan said. "I only wanted my kids to be safe. I just got you safe. Thank God for this miracle."
However, Anvita wasn't thanking God for the miracle. She was merely remembering Ridhima's words.
Miracles happen because of a reason.
 

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