41(2)

Days passed one after the other, Kayanangai didn’t have any nightmares after that and she felt no signs of Nakan around her, though it gave her relief, she knew it must be here somewhere and watching her every move.

That’s not the only strange thing that’s happening in her life, Aathiyan is acting differently these days. He’s not talking to her like he used to be.

When she was sad he would ask her, if she was in a problem he would treat that problem as his but now she’s sad and lonely all the time but he doesn’t seem to care at all. He just spends time with his son and not once asked what she’s doing.

Kayanangai was too guilty to ask him. She thought if he had married someone else, he would have had a wonderful life. All she brought was misery to this family. His silence told her one thing: that he’s so upset that she has betrayed him because Kayanangai now contemplated that Aathiyan has been in contact with the witch all these times. He has lied to her on many occasions.

At this time she had no one to help her, so instead of fighting back, Kayanangai decided to stay calm for a while but that turned into silence before the insufferable storm.

“You should see the physician, Rani,” the maid said to her when Kayanangai felt dizzy and feverish.

“No, I am fine,” she answered and laid on the bed. She doesn’t want to face the worst as she knows why she’s sick.

“But the physician is coming here,” her maid informed.

“Who asked you to do that?” Kayanangai frowned.

“It’s the Raja’s order,”

Hearing that, Kayananagia was surprised. She didn’t know that Aathiyan had noticed that she had been sick.

The physician came a minute later, Kayanangai gave her hand and answered the questions hesitantly. Whatever one tries, they can’t stop what’s meant to happen. She looked gloomy rather than eager to know that she’s pregnant. When she heard that from the physician, she couldn’t feel happy at all. Everyone around there was happy except her and the maids rushed to inform everyone.

When Kayanangai found out that she was pregnant with Arul, she felt so happy that words can’t express that. But now she’s carrying a sin which she wanted to get rid of so badly and how she’s going to redeem this mideed makes her anxious.

Her tears slide to her cheeks and everyone cheered her up thinking that she’s crying in happiness

Aathiyan came there that time and she couldn’t look at his eyes and turn down. He asked everyone to leave, making the ambiance even uncomfortable for her.

“Kayanangai,” he called her name after weeks and sat next to her.

She looked at him and her hands were shaking to know what he’s going to say.

“I am so happy right now, my love,” Aathiyan said. Her eyes widened, recognizing this voice. It isn’t Aathiyan but the devil himself.

He came close to her and looked at her eyes in a loving way.

“You behaved so well, I wanted to do something for you. What do you want?” he asked.

Kayanangai cried, and got up to leave but she was pulled back into his arms.

“I asked what you want?” he frowned.

“Please leave me, that’s all I want,” she answered, pushing his hands.

He left her, “Why are you sad? You are going to have our son? You should be happy,” he said.

“Stop acting like my husband,” she scowled.

“You recognized me soon; you must have been thinking about me all this time?” he teased her which irritated her even more.

After a moment of silence, he said, “I want you to take care of this child,”

Kayanangai didn’t answer that.

“Don’t be too sad; try to act along,” he commanded.

“Did he know that it’s not his child?” Kayanangai asked.

Nakan looked at her for a moment, “Your fear is true, he knows,”

She stumbled on the floor as she couldn’t bear this situation. How could she face him after this? He’s never going to forgive me, she thought.

“Don’t worry, he won’t ask you a word about this,”

“Why are you doing this to me, why me out of all the women in this world?” she retorted.

“Because you are the luckiest one,” he didn’t give her a proper answer and walked to the door.

“And you still have a wish to ask me. Remember, I will do anything for you,” Nakan said and left the place.

What do I wish for?

I don’t want to have this child, I don’t want to face this Devil and I want to reconcile with my Aathiyan. This is all I need but can it grant any of this.

Hugging her knees, Kayanangai laid on the floor having no comfort in this uncanny situation.

Even after hearing the news, Aathiyan didn’t react to it and instead stayed grim thinking about how everything is ruined. With this agony and resentment, he wanted to break everything around him and scream at the top of his lungs but he smiled and showed that he’s happy in front of others.

When he came back to see Kayanangai that night she’s awake and waiting for him.

Without knowing what to say, Aathiyan stood behind watching her. He’s feeling guilty because partly he’s a reason for all this to happen. He let this happen, he got deceived and so did she.

Kayanangai knew he’s here but she didn’t look at him. She’s afraid to speak to him.

“I heard the news,” Aathiyan said. Kayananagi looked at his face which was devoid of emotions.

“Take care of your health,” he advised. She didn’t expect this from him, instead of showing his anger he’s trying to hide it.

Kayanangai hated this type of conversation with him, even knowing that it’s not his child, why is he pretending to care about me?

“Do you know everything?” she asked and that surprised him.

“What do you mean?”

“This isn’t your child,” she said, making her heart stone.

After months, he looked at her eyes properly and the pain she’s carrying with her. Aathiyan sat next to her and nodded, “Yes, I know,”

He’s scared right now to sit beside her as Nakan asked him to never be close with Kayanangai. After many days they were going to confront the things that were haunting them.

“How did you know that I knew?”

“It said to me,” Kayananagi replied.

“Is that talking to you?”

“Yes, sometimes,”

Hearing that his frustration heightened, “How could you do this?” Aathiyan stopped because he promised himself that he won’t ask that question to Kayanangai. This might make her feel that this is all her mistake but now he couldn’t control his words. Why didn’t she find that’s not me while being with that devil? Yet he knew Nakan might have gone to any extreme to get what he wanted.

But Kayanangai wanted him to speak what he’s having in his mind, that’s all she needed right now.

“Complete it, don’t hide what you are thinking,” she asked.

“Why couldn’t you find that wasn’t me?” he asked.

Instead of defending herself, Kayanangai accepted that blame.

“I.. . lost my mind. I am sorry. If you feel this way, then whatever I say you can’t understand that,” she said to him.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” Aathiyan said, understanding the cruelty in his words. That devil is capable of doing anything it wants so there’s no point in putting all the blame on her. She didn’t take his apologetic words as she’s already broken.

“That’s fine, I can understand how you feel,” she said, looking away. When he was about to touch her shoulders to hug her, she moved away, avoiding any comfort from him.

“I am sorry for all the problems I have caused you. I will accept whatever you decide,” she said.

He looked at her eyes and felt sad.

“What’s there to decide? We are not the ones who make the choice,” Aathiyan said.

She expected him to say more but he walked to his painting room leaving her alone to suffer in this.

Kayanangai’s eyes welled in tears but she didn’t let that slip from her eyes, because her tears won’t stop anything that’s happening right now. She chose to be strong even knowing that she’s the weakest at this time.