"Where have you been?"
Kajol just arrived at home when Shahrukh welcomed her with a suspicious gaze. She stopped then turned to stare at him lazily.
"On the set." Kajol replied briefly. She continued her steps but Shahrukh's next question made her stops again.
"You don't know what time it is?" Shahrukh rose from his seat and approached her. He lifted his hand, showing his watch to her. "I noticed you came home so late almost every day. Where were you?"
"Shahrukh, I'm so tired. I'm not in the mood for a fight." Kajol walked away but Shahrukh quickly grabbed her arm tightly.
"Hey, you are my wife. I have right to know."
They stared at each other fiercely. Kajol smirked and jerked off her hand from his grip. "Oh? You admit it now? Since when did you care about me?"
Shahrukh was taken aback. His mood changed in just a flick. The apologies he had prepared were simply erased from his mind. His heart began to burn with anger.
"If you were seeing another man—"
"You suspect me?" Kajol sighed. "Even if I do, so what? Didn't you do the same thing years ago?"
"Kajol?" Shahrukh stared at her in disbelief.
"What? It's true, isn't it?"
"What are you talking about? By accusing me like that means you don't respect me!" Shahrukh raising his voice. His chest was moving up and down as his breathing became faster.
Kajol rolled her eyes in annoyance. "2011. Don't you remember with whom did you spend your nights? You never even came home. You always spend your nights in the office with that woman, the co-star you've always been bragging about. You treat her very well while at home you always hurt me."
Shahrukh gritted his teeth, immediately interrupting her. "I didn't do any of that! You—"
"And then after that, in 2012, when you were filming with Yashji, you didn't even tell me about that scene. You let me come to the premiere and let them see my shocking face. It was your first time doing such scene and you didn't tell me. Is that what you call respect?" Kajol said while looking at Shahrukh sharply.
Meanwhile two women rushing down the stairs. It was Tanuja and Tanisha. They stepped into the living room as soon as they heard a noise from there. They just stopped at the door frame, watching Shahrukh and Kajol having a big fight.
"Mind your words! I did that because I respect Yashji! Besides, I don't have to get your permission for doing that. You never listen to me. Should I listen to you?" Shahrukh pointed Kajol's face arrogantly.
"Maa, let's go back to the room. They don't seem good." Tanisha grabbed her mother and took her away to avoid the fight. Tanuja has just recovered from her illness and she doesn't want it to recur. But Tanuja just kept quiet, disobeying her.
"Wait, wait. I need to know what's going on between them." Tanuja was about to walk towards Shahrukh and Kajol but Tanisha hold her still.
"No, Maa. Let them work this out on their own. Let's just go." Tanisha said worriedly.
Shahrukh and Kajol were too busy with their argument that they didn't notice their surroundings. They don't see Tanuja and Tanisha in the corner of the room, staring at them with wide eyes.
Kajol took a deep breath. She couldn't hold her anger anymore. "Since when have I not listened to you? I've always—"
Shahrukh laughed arrogantly. "Oh, you forgot? Why do you think your asshole ex-husband fucked you? Because you didn't listen to me!"
Kajol clenched her fists then landed a hard slap on Shahrukh's cheek. Her heart always hurt when she remembered the incident. "Fuck with your ego, Shahrukh! You always bring up this matter without wanting to solve it! You never want to hear the truth! You're too selfish! You only mind about your feelings without knowing how I feel." she cried angrily. Her hand wiped the tears that flowed from the corners of her eyes.
Shahrukh glared at Kajol while holding his cheek. "What do you know about ego? It was your ego that makes you choose to listen to him over me! You brought us to this point!"
"Yes, I brought us to this point and you made it worse! You created a lot of drama, fooled everyone that we were fine. What kind of man are you?"
"Hey, shut your mouth!" Shahrukh grabbed Kajol's neck and pinned her on the wall. Kajol tried to release his grip but he was stronger than her. "You think you're better than me? No, Kajol. Fuck with your excessive kindness. That rotten man doesn't deserve your trust!"
Tanuja was shocked to see it all. She just found out the truth behind her daughter's marriage. She didn't even know about that night. Her chest felt tight, her heart seemed to stop beating, it hurt so bad. She put her hand on her chest as she started to feel out of breath.
Tanisha tried to catch her mother's limp body but she was too late. The old woman fell on the floor and was unconscious.
"Maa!" Tanisha screamed while kneeling beside her. She put her head on her lap, trying to wake her up.
Shahrukh and Kajol turned when they heard Tanisha screams. They rounded their eyes and then hurried over to them.
"Great show, guys. You know Maa is here but instead choose to fight and show it to everyone? Wow." Tanisha glared at the couple in turn.
Kajol covered her mouth, shocked to see her mother. She felt her knees were weak. "I... I didn't know you were here. I'm sorry."
"We have to get her to the hospital immediately." Shahrukh grabbed his phone and told Gani to get the car ready. After that he brought Tanuja into his arms and took her outside.
**
Kajol sat beside Tanuja's hospital bed holding her hand. Her gaze never left her mother's face as her heart never stopped praying. She couldn't forgive herself if something bad happened to her. Feelings of guilt continued to well up into her heart, along with the sound of electrocardiogram located not far from her.
God answered her prayer. Tanuja started to slowly open her eyes. She sighed in relief and waited a while until she fully regained her consciousness.
"Maa?"
Tanuja turned to Kajol. With her weak hand she hold her daughter's hand back. They stared at each other for few moments.
"What happened, Kajol? Why did he hurt you?"
"Don't talk about it now, Maa. Just get some rest."
Tanuja shook her head. "I couldn't stand to see him hurting you. It's enough. Mannat is no longer your Mannat. Come back to me, beti. Go home to your mother."
"Maa, we'll talk about this later, okay? You don't have to worry. I'm fine." Kajol made herself sounds as calm as possible. She went to press the button on the head of the bed, calling the doctor to check on her mother.
"No, I mean it. He's no longer worthy of you. He hurt you. He did things I never even did it to you. Please, I beg you, leave him..."
As Kajol tried to calm Tanuja down, Shahrukh bursts into the room followed by Tanisha who walks in hastily. Tanuja turned her face away when Shahrukh stood right beside her. Kajol tried to stop him but failed.
"How are you, Maa? Feeling better?" Shahrukh asked as if nothing happens.
"Get out." Tanuja said straightforwardly.
Shahrukh rounded his eyes. His face dropped. "What did you say, Maa? I'm your son, na?"
Tanuja shook her head. "No, you're not. Enough of your drama and get out of here. I don't wanna see your face again."
"You're probably tired, Maa. Get some rest—"
"I SAID GET OUT!"
Everyone in the room were taken aback. Tanisha immediately pulled Shahrukh away while Kajol calmed her mother down.
"Okay, okay, Maa. I'll take him away. You just rest and please don't think about this. We will solve it. I'll be right back, okay?" Kajol kissed Tanuja's forehead and then pulled Shahrukh out of there. They have to solve it immediately.
**
"Have you gone crazy? Tanisha has forbidden you to see Maa and that means you can't see her! She could be worse than that! Why are you always being selfish?" Kajol asked loudly. Her eyes stared at Shahrukh sharply. Shahrukh's office became hot even though the air conditioner was set to a fairly low temperature.
"Why I can't? She's my mother too! You have no right to stop me!" Shahrukh replied equally stern. Their voices could be heard outside the room and it caught the attention of people in Mannat.
"Don't act stupid! You think she didn't see it all? And you," Kajol pointed at Shahrukh's chest. "You put her back in the hospital."
Shahrukh brushed Kajol's hand away from his chest. "Eh, why do you blame me? You were the one who mess it all! You're the one who caused this to happen! You took my words lightly when I asked you to stay away from that man. I just asked you to do that, Kajol. But what did you do? You invite him inside like a friend. Wow."
"Me? You said I caused this? All this mess happened because of you, Shahrukh! You never want to listen to me. You never want to know how I feel. Five years I endured it all alone. Five years passed but you never once asked about my feelings! You choose to turn a blind eye and only see your pain without wanting to see mine!" Kajol caught her breath which was starting to feel tight. Her lower stomach hurts so bad. She clutched it while groaned in pain.
Shahrukh stared at her with a frown. Kajol didn't say anything else. She left the room, leaving Shahrukh in confuse.
Kajol went to her room. She immediately took some of her pain killer and swallowed them. Her heart hurt, hurt so bad till she couldn't take it anymore. She lets her tears running down her cheeks. She didn't think her marriage would actually end. Their relationship couldn't be saved. Yesterday they were still on the same path but today they are at a crossroads. One of them had to give in so that they wouldn't be further destroyed. Kajol thinks maybe she is the one. She is the one who has to take a step back, to another path different from him.
She went to get her big suitcase. Her eyes continued to well up with tears but her hands didn't stop to pack her clothes into the suitcase. She could no longer live in that house. Her mother was right. Mannat is no longer her Mannat. It wasn't belong to her anymore. She had to leave though with a heavy heart.
The day when her last step left Mannat was the day she removed Khan as her last name.
~ TO BE CONTINUED ~