The semi-wet mehandi paste on her hand went crushing into crumbles. Balling her hands into a fist, Yashodha tried not to scream at him and get attention from the guests nearby. There was a raging fire within her.

"How are you, Yashodha?" Arun asked in attempt to start a smooth conversation. Omitting the fact that she isn't happy to see him there. 

"What are you doing here?" She hissed.

"How have you been coping up with life, Yashodha?" He ignored her question.

"Why the hell do you even care about how I have coped myself? Listen, I'm not interested to meet you nor talk to you! I'm surprised who even invited you here" she fumed.

"Why? am I not worth it enough to be in the same place as you are?" 

Yashodha took a few breaths to calm herself down. She couldn't digest that he had the audacity to come to her family function and ask her questions. This unexpected meet up and him attempting to present himself as the good guy was infuriating her more.

"You know what, I don't want to talk to you so, stay away from me" she turned to walk out of the poolside but she was grabbed by a hand. Yashodha immediately yanked her hand out of his grip.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she roared. The young boy who still held Yashodha's other hand wince at her sudden change tone, Raul grabbed her hand tighter.

"Don't hurt my Yasho" the eight year old boy mumbled, trying to shield her. 

"But I need to talk to you, Yashodha" Arun insisted ignoring the little Raul.
Yashodha however, held a hand up as Arun took a step forward and stopped him from coming  towards them.

"Raul, I want you to run to your Amma. Don't go anywhere else, okay. You don't need to be here" she said softly, calming down the boy.

"But... Is he going to hurt you?" asked Raul.

She smiled at the care the little boy showed. Despite being the son of the only cousin she doesn't go along with, Yashodha was glad Swathy did not instigate him against her.

"I'll be fine, little guy. Go now"

She watched Raul run to a safe distance before turning back to Arun.

"What is that you want to talk to me after these many years?"

"I have been trying to reach you for a very long time. I heard about Kabilan's wedding and thought this could be the only place to meet you and I want to settle the issue"

"Settle the issue? Oh really? What issue, Arun?" Yashodha was trying hard to keep her anger at bay.

Arun, on the other hand seemed to act as if whatever happened was nothing sort of a big issue. He wasn't shame of himself even. She watched him carefully, "I want to fix things between us" he said.

"No way, Mr. Arun. We are done. There is nothing to fix over here–" she took a step back.

"No, there is. I'm really sorry for what I have done"

"Do I look like a joke to you?! You had an affair with another woman in my absence and shamelessly even when I was in that same bloody house! You humiliated me before her! Tortured me when I questioned you! Your actions and treatment made me hate myself! You literally made me a fool!

And now, you want to sort things out?! Your sorry doesn't carry any value in this context. So, please get out of my sight" she turned around ready to leave but again he was hell-bent to change her mind. 

He held her hand once again tighter this time, "Please. please, I'm really sorry. I know what I did can never be undone. I promise I'll—"

"Enough! That's enough. I don't want to hear anymore from you. There are more than enough promises you have given me. I don't need more" she said and stopped as if trying to gather past information. 

"Oh wait. Where is that woman I last saw you with? Why aren't you with her? She left you?"

"She. . . she isn't the right person for me"

"What?" Yashodha gave a dry laugh, his statement was contradicting to what he said to her many years back. 

"I cut ties with her... when she started... two-timing with another friend of mine" he muttered, embarrassed.

"Oh... Brilliant! Tim for tack, huh. So, when she cheated on you, you immediately cut ties with her. Here you are asking me to forgive you for doing the same to me? How is that even fair, Arun?"  

"It's fair because we were once married, Yashodha"

"Once, Arun. Once! Not anymore!" 

"I'm only here to give back the life I had deliberately taken away from you."

Yashodha was losing her patience. What life was he talking about? Will she die if he doesn't come back into her life? Why is he so concern about her? His reasons were absolutely irrelevant it was aggravating her. 

"What the hell do you want, Arun? Can't you for God sake leave me alone?!" she yelled. 

-------

Jagdish sat on the steps where he had last seen Yashodha going out from the crowd with the little boy, overlooking the vast garden. He wondered where had they disappeared, neither Yashodha could be seen nor the small boy.

For no particular reason, Jagdish wanted to wait till he sees Yashodha around before he joins the celebration again. Ever since he notice the man she bumped onto earlier at the bazaar, he wasn't feeling really good about it. The look on the man's face had a mix of shock, hatred and anger, he could be sure the man wasn't just someone who was in a hurry. There was something else in the look, he was failing to decode.

As he pondered about the man at the bazaar, the little boy came running. Jagdish immediately stopped the boy and inquired him.

"I made Yasho angry" said Raul, tears welling his eyes.

"Why? What did you do?"

"I took her to the swimming pool. Yasho was not happy to see the uncle" he said and ran away after spotting his mother in the crowd.

"Uncle?" Jagdish's mind instantly went to the man they bumped earlier.

He rushed to the poolside.

The pool was surrounded with at least a three feet high neatly trimmed bush that it made him difficult to see what's happening inside. Those faint voices he heard coming from the poolside sounded like an argument. He quicken his steps.

"Back in your life so you could put me in that problematic marriage for the rest of my life?!" He heard Yashodha screaming.

"No, that's not what I meant"

"Oh, please. I don't wan to hear anything from you. Why don't you just leave, Arun?"

Jagdish peeped to get a glance of the man first which happened to be not the man from the bazaar. This man was her ex-husband according to their conversation.

He slowly minced his way in and stood at the corner of the enclosed swimming pool, unnoticed.

"Then do it for your grandmother! For your sister at least!

You have such a caring grandmother and sister who wants you to fix your marriage and here you are not even trying" Yashodha knew this man isn't here on his own will Janaki was involved but which sister is he talking about?

"Sister? My sister is concern about me and you?"

"Yes. Of course. Swathy herself had invited me here assuring everything will be okay. Now, that you are older and wiser. You would make a wise choice.

I'll give you a life, Yashodha"

She huffed, the last statement of his seemed as though she was begging for a man to settle. Yashodha expected Janaki would go to any extend in regards to her marriage but Swathy involving wasn't something she expected.

"You will give my life? Why am I dying to have a man that apart from you no one will be there for me? Hello, I don't need a man especially someone like you to spend the rest of my life.

I had enough with you humiliating me in front of your family and that woman. I don't need another one in front of my entire family. I don't want to be a reason of a disaster in my brother's wedding. Just leave!" she was screaming her lungs out. 

She waited if he would leave but Arun being stubborn, stood glued to the floor.

"I'm not going anywhere until you agree to come with me" he said stubbornly.

"Why don't you leave instead of pestering the lady when she is clear in what she wants" Jagdish interrupted. He had it enough of the man being adamant, he stepped forward to end the argument.

Yashodha was startled at the sudden intervention of Jagdish. He looked equally furious as she was, she felt a little relieved to have someone by her side. 

"Who are you and why are you coming in between us?" Arun asked.

"Who are you?" Jagdish reverted the question.

"I'm her husband"

Jagdish turned to Yashodha who's fuming and asked, "husband?"

"Ex-husband. He is trying to pull me back in the miserable life he once showed me, well and clear" she responded, nonchalant. 

"That was a long time ago. Why don't you give us a chance? Another—"

"Just leave Arun. Don't create a scene here" she interjected. 

"I'm not creating a scene here! It's you!

Just accept my offer, Yashodha. We both will end the nagging coming from both our families" Arun raised his voice for the first time since they had the argument. 

"So, you are coming back for her only to stop your family from pushing you to settle your bloody issue and not because you really want her?" Jagdish fumed, he couldn't accept what Arun had said. It sounded as if Arun was forced to mend his relationship with Yashodha. 

Their quarreling continued to grow wild. Yashodha was losing her patience. Jagdish was trying not manhandle him while having the talk. However, Arun continued taunting them with his irrelevant answers and reasons.

Yashodha fell silent. Something was cooking in her head.

Her hand slowly held the bulge under her skirt, on her right upper thigh. Her most favorite thing of all she owned strapped around her thigh.

It was loaded. All she has to do was take it out of the holster and pull the trigger.

One bullet.

Just one bullet straight into his head. Everything will be over, for once and for all. 

************

I felt the argument went a little subtle than I first had it in my mind a week ago. Tried to make it more intense but couldn't 😏

Was it subtle? Or was it not? sometimes I don't even know what I write 😅

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🔔
There is this news going around which I forgot to mention in the earlier update. A few days ago, Pranu8383 notified me about Anushka's new movie in GVM's next. 

What's even more interesting, the movie is said to be a MILITARY ACTION THRILLER where she will be seen performing action sequence on her own. Something like what Yashodha along with Jagdish are about to do in upcoming chapters of this story. Super coincident, right? :D

It feels great, isn't it? You get to experience a similar genre written and later in a movie format. Eagerly waiting for it!!!

**Vote and Comment**

Happy New Year again!!!