Conversations
“I thought you were having a nice time”, Aakash said looking sideways at his wife.
Daksha was unresponsive. She had a faraway look in her eyes.
Aakash tried once again. “To think that it was you who was so vehemently against going to your high school reunion! Looks like you weren’t that disinterested after all.”
Daksha suppressed a sigh. She knew Akash was trying to egg her on, extract a reaction — an outburst if possible.
“Must have felt really great introducing yourself as the bankers wife”, Akash’s face curled into a conceited smile, “made good use of my designation I presume”, Akash sniggered.
He really wanted to take his eyes off the road and look at his wife. He knew that this look would be the catalyst that would bring out the desired reaction in her. But he dared not. It had just stopped raining and the roads were slippery. He had already felt the car skid once.
Fortunately they were driving a long stretch of straight road and even at reasonable speed of 60 Kilometers per hour the next turn was not until another 5 minutes.
Akash adjusted the rear view mirror so that he could see Daksha’s reflection. Her nostrils were flared and he could hear her breathing get heavy — all tell-tale signs of the explosion. He felt a wave of ecstasy; he was not only driving the car, he was also controlling the emotions of his wife. He loved playing this game, pulling the right switch, turning the right knobs until Daksha could not take it anymore.
After all they had been married for seven long years and seven years was enough for Aakash to analyze Dakshas pressure points. He knew his way through her emotional terrain better than Google Maps.
Also today he was in luck because he was sure that meeting so many old friends must have made Daksha emotional.
Finding Daksha impassive Aakash took another shot. “Your friend Roshni came up to me. She was practically drooling over me, complaining about her-ex husband. I think she must have said ‘Daksha is so lucky’ at least 7 times in 5 minutes.”
Daksha bit her lips. Roshni had been a very close friend of hers in high school. Their friendship however had been unable to stand the test of time.
Akash was getting a little desperate now. He wanted to maintain the streak of his wifes outbursts. He had a private record of causing his wife to snap in the last consecutive 15 long drives while returning from various places. It had become so easy that Aakash could now do it without any planning.
The start would be the same though. While Daksha would secure her seat belt Akash would pull at his belt and release it at the same time scoffing at Daksha. This would be the first trigger. Daksha would bite her lips and look resignedly ahead while Aakash would start the car. Today the beginning had been similar but the results seem to be delayed. Daksha should have come back with some high pitched retort that would take their spat forward and finally reduce her to tears. But no joy till now.
Akash was running out of things to make up. They would soon be leaving the outskirts of the city and then he would have to focus on the traffic. He pushed the gas pedal and grimaced.
“Now or never”, he thought and said, “unlike you Roshni at least has her own consulting company that makes good money for her. Especially after her divorce..”, Aakash let his words linger.
That’s right, he had played the divorce card. This was sure to bring out a reaction from the Daksha. Through the mirror, he could see Dakshas eyes glistening. There was a small movement of her hand as if she resisted wiping her tears and then she opened her mouth to speak.
And then closed it.
Aakash was flummoxed. He turned his face toward his wife to speak and then it happened.
The left turn had come to soon but Aakash realised too late. He started turning left and put his foot down on the brakes. He could feel losing control, the car went on a crazy skid towards a tree. Daksha gasped in horror as the car skated ahead. She was probably screaming and as she braced for impact her eyes closed and then she lost her senses.
Daksha was awakened by sirens and the strong smell of fuel. “Mam are you alright?”, she heard someone say. She was still in the car. She had an ominous feeling as she tried to turn towards the driver’s seat. She dared not look at it directly. All she could register from the corner of her eyes was lots and lots of blood. She closed her eyes tightly. Her heart thumping at her chest. She could hear conversations next to her. somebody was talking on the phone. Words like “driver” and “pulse” were said.
Daksha held her breath and tried to focus.
“No, the driver was not wearing a seat belt”
“Yes we checked. There is no pulse”
Daksha let go of her breath. The dizzy feeling was subsiding. She remembered where she was. She remembered sitting in the car, remembered going to a party — her high school reunion. She remembered meeting her long lost friend Roshni. Roshni the divorcee. She remembered asking Roshni how she was doing, how she had dealt with her abusive ex-husband and she remembered what Roshni had said.
“Sometimes, nothing kills a man like silence”
Note: Mental abuse is not something you live with, silently. Speak out, seek help and address the perpetrator.
Join our free newsletter & keep up to date with new authors and help readers & writers connect!
