Chapter 188 - Threatened

|Innaya|

At times like this, how was one supposed to act? Fl.u.s.tered? Angered? Someone, you have never met passes the judgment on your relationship. Someone who has no idea about your relationship, questions the credibility, what do you do?

Gets angry on them? Throw them out of your house? Slap them? Just how the hell are you supposed to act?

I couldn't help the rush of anger that set my heart on fire. How dare she ask any such thing to me? Just because she was Eshan's friend, I was entertaining her all along, but there had to be a limit to everything. At that moment, I felt the vibe she was giving me from the minute I saw her was not misunderstood by me.

"Beware. What seems to eyes can be deceptive." I shot her a glance while I continued stirring the onions in the pan.

"Hahaha. Doesn't seem to be true in this case."

My hand stilled for a moment as I heard her laughter followed by the words that fuelled the already ignited fire inside me. Nobody had irritated and infuriated me as much as this lady was doing. She was getting on my nerves to be precise. Who gave her the right to meddle in someone's business?

"I am not quite sure what you are trying to do," I muttered, this time not sparing her a look. I was trying really hard not to be disrespectful because again, she was… his friend.

I felt my skin crawling when she walked and stood behind me. It was getting creepy by then. She leaned on to me, whispering in my ear, "I am doing what exactly you are thinking."

And before I could respond, she walked out, not before turning once and giving me that cunning smile that set everything clear in front of me.

She was here… for Eshan. For… my Eshan.

I could only look at that retreating back of hers. My perception regarding his friends was right. They were never good news for me. They never liked me.

Why she had to turn out to be this way? Why did women covet someone else's man, right before their eyes? I never thought some people could be so shameless. Was I judging her too quickly?

But, I heard her. How would Eshan react if I told him about this? She was his childhood friend. Would he believe me? I did not want to be the reason for the conflict between two friends. Because of me, Eshan had lost a good amount of friends. I would not want him to lose another one because of me.

***

As we three sat together for breakfast, there was an eerie silence in the air which was utterly uncomfortable. I found Eshan glancing at me once in a while when he thought I was not aware but heck, I was aware of every single move of his.

"Oh, Innaya, this is yum."

What? Really? Just a while ago, she was being all creepy to me, and now in front of Eshan, she was praising my cooking skills? Was she an actress or something? How could one possibly act this bipolar?

"And, I hope you know, I was kidding in the kitchen back then."

What the real f….? I looked at her and found her sweetly smiling at me. Eshan's eyes rose in curiosity about what was happening. Was she being serious, though? I wondered.

"Of course. I didn't mind." Liar. She was making me lie what I hated the most.

And yet again, I convinced myself that I was overthinking. I meant, of course, she could really be kidding like she was admitting now.

But, she could not be kidding and rather lying right now. Ugh. My mind was a mess. A horrible and terrible mess!

'Pretend to be okay, Innaya. Pretend to be okay. For how many more hours would she be here anyway? Two? Maximum, four. That's about it. Then she is out of your home and your and your husband's space.' I mentally chanted, pulling a fake smile on my lips.

"Oh damn."

The silence was once again broken by her.

"What's wrong?" Eshan asked. He looked so sincerely worried that for a second, it filled me with jealousy. I had nothing to justify myself for it but all it did was make me feel jealous. Period.

"My hotel booking got canceled. They are saying they have some issues so they aren't allowing anyone today. Damn it."

And, all of a sudden, I was finding it awfully similar to a daily soap scene. The villain woman finding cliché ways to stay with the man she loved.

The man she loved? What the heck was I even thinking? She did not love Eshan. I tried pacifying myself. But why couldn't she? Eshan was so good that anyone could fall for him.

"What is there to get worked up over? You can stay here with us."

"Really? I mean, no. I can't. I don't want to disturb, you people."

"It's no disturbance." Eshan looked at me for my confirmation and I had to nod. Did I have the option of getting up and telling her that no, I was not okay with her staying with us?

"That's it, then. You are staying with us."

The moment he uttered that… the moment they shared a high-five… the moment she excitedly jumped on to him and he held her in a hug… the moment... he brought his best smile for her... was the moment… I felt threatened. I knew I was being ridiculous, but I felt threatened.

Sitting there was becoming difficult. I quietly got up with my plate and moved to the kitchen. Eshan didn't even bother stopping me. Had we really grown this distant?

I failed to contain my tears in my eyes. Why life had to turn this way? We were so happy. How things changed so drastically?

I did not understand what the arrival of Ayesha was going to do to our relationship. I could already see her claws pointed out towards Eshan. She wanted him.

And, Eshan, he did not seem to be noticing this. He did not seem to be noticing how cunning she was. He was smiling, talking freely to her.

I never wanted him to distance himself from his friends. But, she was not his friend. She wanted something else. She wanted a place in his heart. She wanted a place in his life. She wanted my position in his life.

How could he not notice it? He was not that naive, then was he doing it deliberately to punish me? Was he putting this front?

Then why did it hurt so much? Why did his ignorance was hurting me?

I never wanted stars from the sky, but his attention and love. Now, that his attention was not reserved only for me that I felt threatened. I did not know how to handle myself.

I could not stay there and watch them talking happily about the memories they shared. Ayesha had her unique way of connecting to Eshan. Their childhood memories. She knew his family as well. As for me after marriage, I had the least contact with my in-laws. So occasionally I heard them chatting about my in-laws, I could not help but feel more depressed.

In some ways, she was more close to him.

***