My Vulnerary Husband- our journey towards love - Chapter 242

|Innaya|

Looking at the downcast expressions on Eshan’s mother’s face as she drank that vile liquid, I felt troubled. Unlike Eshan and Arjun, she had difficulty with drinking the juice. Her complexion turned paler and paler as she forced herself not to spit it out. Her nose scrunched up. From time to time, she would glance at me and then to her husband’s side.

Was she waiting for me to offer her gulab jamun? Perhaps she wanted her husband to stop her. However, he did not move and stared ahead firmly. He was not going to help her. That left me with no choice.

Making my mind, I picked up the bowl of gulab jamun and pushed it in Eshan’s hand. Keeping my gaze lowered, I slightly curved my finger and pointed towards his mother. He should be able to understand. Though I had calmed down early, I could not bring myself to initiate a conversation with his mother. What if she misunderstood me?

I did not wish to start another round of drama. Eshan’s lips curved in an unnoticeable smile. Eshan understood my unsaid words as he took the bowl from my hand and went to his mother.

“Mom, eat this.”

“Look, she is still caring enough for you people. Where is your damn conscience? How could you bear to hurt her? Were your brains eaten by pigs?” Eshan’s father snarled.

I almost jumped in my place at his imposing and stern voice. He did not yell, but his voice had a tinge of ferociousness.

A sobbing sound followed his abrupt outburst. Tentinvily I followed the source of the voice. My eyes landed on Eshan’s mother. She was sobbing with her fist held against her mouth.

I panicked with the way Eshan’s father glared at the trio. What was happening?

“Dad, please stop it,” Eshan said as he rubbed his mother’s back.

“Oh! What? Can’t bear to listen to your stupidity?” His father retorted.

“Suhas-”

‘If this continued, they would soon start quarreling.’

“Uncle, can you please calm down. Actually, all of us need to calm down. This matter won’t reach anywhere with the way we all are dealing with it,” Arjun said. “And, we have carried out the punishment without any complaint. So, can you please forgive us.”

I almost nodded at Arjun’s words. I shared his thoughts on the situation.

Eshan’s father flared up, but before he could say anything, I chimed in. “He’s right.”

“See, your daughter also agrees. Be magnanimous like her, and show some mercy on us peasants. We’re at fault, but there’s always a reason behind things. Not necessarily everything is black or white…”

Was Arjun fool? Magnanimous? Mercy? What era was we in? Did he consider Eshan’s father as some sort of king from the ancient era? The aura surrounding Eshan’s father was regal and his temperament did not pale in comparison with royals in history… but wasn’t Arjun being too much with his flattering?

The fierce expression on his face faltered and he swallowed back his words.

“Stop crying.” He passed his white handkerchief to his wife. “My daughter gave her share of sweets to you, eat it,” he then added with a little pride.

I mentally rolled my eyes.

Eshan’s mother sniffled but she accepted the handkerchief. She cleaned her face, and then took a bite of the gulab jamun. Her eyes stayed trained on me and the tears in them glistened like pearls.

It made me uncomfortable. So I did the best thing that could divert my attention. I picked up the spoon and started stuffing my mouth with the biryani. Though I did not eat like gluten with no manners, I made sure to keep my eyes on my plate. One spoonful after another, I just kept on eating the biryani.

With all the tension in the air and the weird atmosphere, I could not even taste the food. I just wanted to avoid getting myself in another terrible confrontation.

The way my in-laws behaved around me, I just wanted to flee from their sights. One showered me with accusations, vile words, and humiliation… while another one was being unrealistically affectionate.

Cough… Cough…

I choked on the rice when I absentmindedly stuffed myself. Tears sprang in my eyes

“Easy…” Arjun rubbed my back. Picking up the glass of water he held it before me. Rubbing my chest, I hurriedly gulped the water. The coughing fit forced tears in my eyes as the chilly taste splurged through my throat, and nose.

After a couple of minutes, I finally regained my breathing back and the coughs subsided.

“I’m sorry!” A choked apology came from the person I least expected once I calmed down.

With wide eyes, I clenched my fists by my side. The apology startled me. I had never thought Eshan’s mother would ever apologize to me. It felt weird. The cold demeanor with which she had thrown me out of this very same house almost a month ago was still fresh in my memory. I would often have nightmares of that day when my life was thrown into chaos.

At that time I wondered if she would ever listen to me. So, her present apology came as a shock.

“I know what I have said and done to you cannot be forgiven. I also know you can’t forget it… I had no other option.”

I blinked, looking away from her crestfallen expression. Her voice wavered and big fat teardrops rolled down from her brown orbs. She looked pitiful, gone was the arrogance and aloofness. All that was left behind was a worn-out middle-aged woman who was sad. Eshan did not know what to do as he stood stern-faced by his mother’s side.

I understood his stand though. By not being near to me, he was giving me space. He left the decision to me whether to accept her apology or not. He did not want to influence my decision.

“Ok. Stop now. Let Innaya eat first before we switch to that topic,” Eshan’s father interrupted his wife before she could continue. “Innu, eat slowly this time,” he gently added.

I frowned at his behavior. He used a stern tone with his wife while with me, it seemed as if he just ate honey. The contrast was alarmingly apparent. Ignoring it, I resumed eating again. This time I ate slowly in small amounts while chewing the rice. The gulab jamuns were gone. I did not even get to taste. I had to make do with biryani alone.

I heard a growling sound from beside. Arjun immediately placed his hand on his stomach. If he had not done that, perhaps I would not have reached the conclusion soon. But because of his haste, he gave himself away.

He was hungry.

I wordlessly forwarded my plate to him. I was not that hungry. Before this incident had happened, Eshan and I had our lunch.

“Stop right there.”

My hand holding the plate trembled when Eshan’s father barked out the order.

“You’re scaring her.”

“You’re scaring her.”

Two voices rang out at the same time. Eshan’s father looked taken aback at Eshan’s and Arjun’s words. His face fell, and his eyes guiltily darted towards me.

Arjun took the plate from me and placed it on the coffee table. His large hand came around my shoulders as he rubbed my forearm in a comforting manner. I sighed. The urge to return to the bedroom away from the tangled situation almost made me act on my desire, but I held back.

No one would allow me to get up and leave. Eshan’s father’s weirdness was getting on my nerves, causing me to raise my guard up against him. I did not realize that I was trembling until Arjun held me.

“Sorry,” Eshan’s father mumbled apologetically.

Once again, his response threw me out of the track. His tone flipped so many times in the shortest amount of time we met that I was starting to wonder if he had some bipolar disorder. How was it humanly possible to switch back from one character to another in such a short span of the time?