A/N: This chapter has been edited. Please read it again and feel free to comment your thoughts on it.

There was a long silence while Anuradha waited for him to continue speaking but he did not.

"What happened?" She finally took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently and reassuringly.

He blinked and when his eyes slit open again, she saw a flash of pain in them.

"I can't talk about it. I never did. To anyone. It was my fault. I hadn't realized what I had done to her. I was the reason for her death."

Anuradha remained silent for a long time. But when another tear left his eye, she spoke on impulse. "I can't force you to say when you don't want to. But you might feel better if you talk it out. How long will you keep shedding a tear for your wife? The tears are accumulating but your pain doesn't seem to have reduced.

My aunt once told me one word of advice. If you feel sad about something, then cry it out until there's no more tears left. Then, the next time even if you remember what it was that made you sad again, the pain will be gone and you won't feel the need to shed tears for it anymore.

I thought I had cried enough and the tears were over a long time back. But only after I cried now today, I feel a new calmness like it's totally over and I have no more tears to shed.

If you don't want to talk it out, it's fine. At least get the sorrow out. Let go of the pain inside so that you won't shed a tear again the next time you remember her."

Anuradha slowly lowered his hand she had been holding, to the bench. She loosened her grip to withdraw her hand when his hand held hers tight, before she could withdraw it. She looked up at the pained expression on his face in shock. He was not looking at her but he was holding her hand tight like he wanted her help to get over the pain.

When she squeezed his hand back gently to assure him that she was not going to leave his hand, he looked away and spoke.

"It started off just like every other day for me. She was around four months into her pregnancy and seemed fine in the morning and even sent me off till the door of our apartment with a smile...."

...

After some problems and an emergency meeting, I had to stay late in office that evening. She called me while I was preparing for the meeting when it was ten minutes past the time I usually left office, wondering why I hadn't given her a call like I usually did before I left my office every evening.

I answered the call and spoke in a hurry that day. "Hello, Swetha. Are you okay? Is everything okay there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. All is okay. Why? Haven't you left office yet?" Hearing her voice sounding fine, I felt relieved.

"No, Swetha. I'll be late. That's why I asked if all is okay. I'm busy right now. So many problems here since morning. I'll tell you about it later. Since you're fine, I'll call you later when I'm leaving office, okay?" Her voice would have shown if there was something wrong.

"Okay."

"I'll call you later as soon as I'm leaving office." I cut the call with a smile. She was my loving and understanding wife. She would wait patiently, I know.

Five minutes later, she called again.

I answered the call with a frown. "What is it, Swetha?"

"Nothing, are you leaving office already?"

"No, I told you I'll be late today. I'll be very very late, okay? You eat a proper dinner and sleep. No need to wait for me. You need the rest."

"But Narain."

"What's the problem, Swetha?"

"Nothing. Come home."

"Is there any problem?"

"No. Just come back; it's late."

"I'll come. But I have to complete some works here first. Please wait and don't call me again unless there's something important. Okay? Bye."

I cut the call and lowered my mobile.

Instantly, I received a message from her.

:(

I checked it and shrugged. What am I supposed to do if she sends me a sad smiley as a message? It's not like I'm intentionally not going home. I would go home as soon as I could. But I can't right now.

She called me again right then.

I answered the call, feeling a little exasperated. "What is this, Swetha? I told you I'm busy, right? I'll come home as soon as I can. You call and talk to your parents or your friends or watch TV or do something or the other and go to sleep."

"I've been doing something or the other like that since morning, no?"

"Look, Swetha, if you want, I'll try to take leave tomorrow. For now, just bear these few hours without disturbing me." I cut the call and switched my phone to silent mode when I got another message from her with a sad smiley alone. Again.

Keeping my mobile phone aside, I returned to my work and did not check it till after the meeting later.

When I remembered to check my mobile as I was leaving office later that night, I found 27 missed calls from her.

I panicked. Why so many missed calls? I expected she would call a few times over the few hours to check and then understand my work was not over when I didn't answer her call but 27 missed calls is no joke. Something was wrong. I quickly called back but there was no answer.

I was alarmed and agitated. Why isn't she answering my call? I jumped into my car and drove rashly out of my office and straight to my home, having some near collisions along the way due to my reckless driving.

I wasn't thinking straight. I was so worried about her. She is pregnant and staying home alone. What if something had happened to her? What if she was hurt or what if...? Oh God, I felt so guilty wondering what could have happened to her as I kept ringing her mobile hoping to hear her voice at the other end while I drove home in such fast speeds I had never neared before. My heart was beating wildly in my chest.

She did not answer my calls. I reached the gate of my apartment. Bringing my car to a halt outside the apartment without even bothering to park or switch off the engine, I ran into the building and banged the lift button but the lift was at the top floor and was taking its own sweet time to come down. Frantically, I took the steps and ran all the way up to my apartment.

I reached the door, panting and out of breath. Turning the key in the lock and opening the door, I found the inside of my apartment in darkness.

"Swetha!" I called out before switching on the light.

An immense sense of relief washed over me when I saw her seated on the floor in the living room, hugging her knees. Her eyes were transfixed on the screen of her mobile phone that lay on the table before her.

Taking a deep breath inside to calm myself, I inquired. "What happened? Why so many missed calls? And why didn't you answer when I called you back?"

"You didn't answer when I kept calling you. Then why should I answer when you call?" She did not take her eyes off the screen of her mobile phone.

I frowned, feeling confused and a little furious and hurt now because she had made me panic so much, worrying about her for no reason when she had been fine here all the while.

"What if something had happened to me? What if I had died? You don't care! All you care for is your work and your office."

"It was an emergency problem. I was in charge of the team and I had to see to it. I thought you would understand. You're always so understanding... what happened to you now? Do you know how worried I was about you after seeing your missed calls and when you didn't answer my calls after that? You're pregnant and sitting alone at home; I was dead worried what could have happened to you, Swetha!"

She glanced up straight at me with cold eyes. "You were worried about me or our baby? Tell me the truth, you were more worried about our baby, right?"

"What are you asking? You and our baby are the same to me! But you are more important to me. Our baby is inside you. I know how difficult you're finding your pregnancy and I was worried about you. But why are you comparing with our child? No matter how many children we have, when they grow up, they will have their own lives to live. It is only we who will be together with each other, sharing our lives till the end.

Whether today or ten years later, I will love you, my wife, only more than anyone else, including our child. I promised you I would never stop loving you, right? You love me so much, how can you doubt my love for you, wifey?"

Swetha watched me in disbelief before tears welled up in her eyes and her tone changed. "I don't know what was happening to me, Narain. I felt like I was going mad. I didn't know what to do. Whatever I do, I'm feeling lost. I wanted to talk to someone but everyone's busy. You were busy. I wanted you. I love you, Narain. I can't stay like this at home. I feel like I'm losing my mind, confined within these walls."

I frowned. "Go for work then. I didn't ask you to stay at home, Swetha. If I had known it would be this difficult for you, I wouldn't have let you stay home all these days in the first place. You go for work, darling. You're only 4 months pregnant. You can go out and do any work you want for the next few months."

"Work? What work? My foot! I had only one dream. My career. Modelling. I could never think of a future without it. But because of you, I'm forced to take a break from it."

"Why are you saying like that? I didn't ask you to leave your job."

"Then let's abort this child."

"Why? Don't you want our child? Our child is already 4 months and has started living. Just another 6 months, can't you adjust?"

"See, you won't let me. I expected you would say this. Then fine, even you leave your job and stay with me at home!"

"How can I leave my job, Swetha? We need income."

"My earnings are there. We can manage with that."

"What nonsense. Your income is yours and it is for your own use and expenditure. I would never touch that unless we are facing some financial difficulty where I don't have the choice but to take from your income. And with so much difficulty, I have reached this high post in my office. If I have to leave everything and come, I won't be able to go back there again."

"Even I have no guarantee that my career will welcome me back after my pregnancy. New models are always emerging from everywhere. If they don't take me then, I don't know what I will do. I will seriously go mad! I worked so hard just for this career. And look at me now, fat, flabby and ugly!"

"Who said? You are not at all fat! You are too thin for a pregnant lady, you know? And no one can replace your beauty. Don't worry, Swetha, with your manager and Deepa's help, you can go back to your modelling and continue where you left off. I believe in you. Don't you believe in yourself?" I seated myself on the floor beside her and wrapped my arm around her.

"But I can't last all those months till then." Her voice cracked again as tears overwhelmed her. "You'll go off to work and leave me here. I'll go mad if I've to stay here, Narain."

"Don't talk like this, Swetha. Try to see what you can do."

She moved away from me, asking, "Then, what should I say? That I'm absolutely fine? You don't love me, Narain. Only your work and your friends matter to you. And your baby. You go stay with your work and your friends. Why do you need me when I am of no importance to you and you can't be bothered to understand what I'm going through?"

"Swetha, why are you talking like this? You are my life; work is essential but I return to you everyday after work because you are my home. And friends are only friends. Even they have their own lives. Before marriage, I used to go to their home almost every day or on alternate days. Nowadays, I only go once in a week or two weeks because you are more important to me. How can you compare yourself with them all?"

"I don't know, Narain. I want you." She was crying profusely as she clung to me and rested against my chest.

I held her in my arms and after a lot of consoling and reassuring, she calmed down and fell asleep in my lap. I was confused over what had happened to her suddenly today. Was it a sign of depression?

Anyway, I have to do something about it. I will take leave tomorrow and stay with her. Then after that, I will ask her friend, Deepa, to help look after her and spend more time with Swetha when I am off to work. If this problem is troubling her too much and she needs to meet a counsellor or a psychologist, I will take her to one as soon as possible.

A little later, while I was still worrying about her and stroking her head as she lay on my lap fast asleep, I received a call from Shiva. Bad timing, man. But thankfully, she's asleep.

I answered the call and spoke. "Hey, Shiv." Should I tell him what Swetha was saying just now? No need. They might be my family but Swetha is not so comfortable with them so I won't tell them until I feel I can't handle anything on my own.

"Hey, Narain. Would you and Swetha like to join me and Shalini for dinner this Sunday? It's been a long while since we met."

"Sorry, man. I don't think we can make it this weekend." Swetha is already upset with me and if I ask her about going out for dinner with him and Shalini, she will surely get annoyed.

How I wish she and Shalini would have become friends just like us. But no, for some reason, she doesn't seem to get along with Shalini. She can't understand Shalini's care. But Shalini is so understanding; she was trying to explain to me kindly that it's just Swetha feeling possessive over me and so reacted when Shalini was being close to me like a sister but she doesn't really have any other problem with Shalini.

I didn't realize when Swetha had woken up until she sat up and asked, "Why? Have you got some other friends to meet this weekend? Or you plan to stay in your office the whole weekend also?"

Holding my hand to cover my mobile, I shook my head no firmly with a frown.

"Then, go with them for dinner. He's calling you, right?"

"No need." I kept the phone at my ear again to speak to Shiva and quickly disconnect the call.

"You go! Your friends are only more important. You go and no need to come back. I'm not important to you. Always only your friends are. Go stay with them if they are so much your priority more than me." Swetha had started shouting.

Oh man, Shiva would have heard her shouting.

Shiva immediately spoke at the other end of the line. "It's alright, Narain. No need to come." He cut the call abruptly. He had understood the tension here.

"What's wrong with you, Swetha? Why were you shouting like that when I was on the call? And what nonsense you're saying. Have you gone mad?" I asked in exasperation.

"Yes, I've gone mad. I threw away my whole life and I'm staying at home for you and your baby. Always at the shooting spot, I'm the one everyone has to wait for. I don't have to wait for anyone. But here, I have to wait for you all day till night like a fool. And I'm your last priority. You have more important people and things than me in your life. And you ask if I've gone mad. You don't love me anymore, Narain."

"Oh God, Swetha, please relax first. I don't know why you're thinking like this but you've got it all wrong. Relax, wifey." I took her into my arms again and somehow calmed her with words till she fell asleep again that night.

It took me a long time to sleep that night as I was worrying about her.

***

The next day, I had taken leave. She woke up as usual in the morning and frowned when she saw that I was still home.

"What happened? Aren't you going for work today?"

I glanced at her and then at the clock but did not respond. Obviously not. Look at the time.

"What is this? Have you also decided not to respond to me like the walls?"

I held my hand to my forehead and turned to face her. "I've taken leave today."

"For what?"

"To stay with you, Swetha. Do I even have to say that?"

"No need. You go." She turned her face away and refused to meet my gaze again.

"I'm not going."

"Don't stay for my sake. I know how much you love your office. You go. And stay there if you want. I won't disturb you again. You can stay all day and night in your office if you want, I won't stop you."

"What do you want me to do now?"

"Go."

"To office? Come on, Swetha, I've already taken leave today. I'll stay with you. We'll go out if you want. Shopping or whatever you want to do, you tell me. I'm all yours today."

"I don't want to go anywhere today. You can go to office. I'm not holding anyone back against their wishes."

"Are you sure? I might not get the chance to take leave again another day. And I decided to stay with you on my own wish."

"Yes, and it's fine. You can go."

"But Swetha-"

"Please go."

"Okay, fine." It was late and no one would be expecting me at office since I had already informed that I wouldn't be going. But I decided to go since she seemed determined to make me go.

I got ready for work and was combing my hair in front of the mirror when she came and stood behind me, folding her arms. I looked up at her reflection in the mirror.

"See? You proved it. As soon as I told you to go, you want to go. You didn't think how I would be if you left me here and went. Again, you have proved that you love your office and everything more than me. You know what? You go to office; you do your work. I'll do my work. But oh, I'm pregnant, right? So, I can't go for my work. It's okay. You're going for your work so I'll go for mine too. Even if it means I have to abort the child."

For the first time, I shouted at her then. "Are you mad?! What are you talking about abortion like it's some simple matter? Abortion is putting your life and our baby's life at stake!"

"I'm bearing this till now, right? I can bear that."

"What is wrong with you, Swetha? Why are you talking like this?"

She broke down once again; her voice turned weak and tears erupted from her eyes. "I need you, Narain. Stay with me."

I pulled her into my arms. She's not a person who cries easily. I can't understand why she's acting like this now. It was hurting me to see her in this state.

I stayed with her the whole day and noticed that she seemed completely fine. She didn't have any temperament or moodswings. She was happy. We went out together for shopping and watched a movie. She seemed completely fine. But I was still worried about her. I needed to be sure there was nothing wrong and she would not break down again like she did the last night and that morning.

***

The next morning, I had to go to office. I woke up worried and hadn't been able to sleep much the night before. I tried to be cheerful and pampered her a bit with breakfast in bed and some loving time early in the morning before the time came for me to leave for office. When it was finally time for me to leave, she still seemed fine. She was chatting with her friend Deepa, who had come over since I had called her to spend time with Swetha as Swetha is finding it lonely at home.

But then, the moment I walked out the door, Swetha came running towards the door, calling me back.

I stopped and turned to face her.

She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a hug before whispering in my ears, "Be home before seven. Otherwise, I'll abort this child."

She stepped back with a smile while I stood still in shock but remained silent as Deepa was standing nearby, clueless as she hadn't heard what Swetha had told me.

"Bye, Rainu."

I left without a word though her words were repeating in my mind throughout the day. Be home before seven. Otherwise, I'll abort this child. I couldn't concentrate on my work the whole day. I was finally relieved only when I returned home and saw her. I had so much pending work to do and continued at home.

My mind was lost. Office, work, meetings, conference, deadlines, my wife's seeming depression, her sudden change, her blackmails about abortion; there were so many chains of thoughts cramped in my mind and I was in a fix.

But when I am at home, at least I have the relief that my wife and child are fine. I would spend some time with her so she wouldn't feel like I was neglecting her. Only after she fell asleep at night, I would continue on my work at home until early in the morning before taking a short nap and going to office after that. I wish my office had the 'work-at-home' convenience but sadly, it did not.

She never got upset again or seemed to have any moodswings for days but I was worried about her. I decided to do something about it as fast as possible. The first thing I did was contact her parents because they surely know her better than Deepa.

One night while she was asleep, I stepped out into the balcony of our apartment and dialled her dad's number. He answered the call almost instantly and I related to him what had happened that night I had returned home late from office.

"Is that all?" He asked in response. "When you called suddenly at this time, I was worried something might have happened."

"Uncle, this is all that has happened and she seems fine now. But it has got me so worried. How come you're so calm about it?"

"Our Swetha is like that, Narain. I warned you before marriage, remember? She's very stubborn. She will go to any length to get what she wants."

"Yes, but this doesn't seem to be stubbornness. And she's not so stubborn or difficult. She's very understanding to me all the time. I don't understand what has happened to her now. I'm not sure if this is just her pregnancy moodswings or some kind of depression or I don't know what exactly it is."

Her mom, who had been listening as well at the other end of the line, spoke. "Relax, Narain. We have seen this nature of hers since she was young. That's why we find nothing surprising or worrying about it.

When she was still a kid, she used to be stubborn at times and she would blackmail us and do anything to get what she wanted. Seeing her very stubborn nature, we got worried at that time. We scolded her and tried different methods to make her listen to us but she refused to relent till we gave her what she wanted each time.

Finally, we took her to a counsellor. The counsellor spoke to her and did some tests and finally said she is perfectly normal. She just needs to be looked after more strictly. She needs to understand that no means no. And as her parents, we have to enforce that on her.

We tried to be strict on her. But in her last year of school, when she said she wants to go for a tour with her friends, her dad refused because she would miss classes. So she spent more than one day without eating any food at all. The next day, she fainted with hunger and we forced her to eat after waking her up but she still refused. Finally, he had to agree and let her go for the tour so that she would eat something.

Like that each time, she has blackmailed us or taken drastic measures to make us agree to what she wants without even thinking of her own health or good. To make things happen the way we want, we have to compromise each time. Even now, during her pregnancy, we thought of coming to stay with her since she's staying at home but she doesn't want us to come. We didn't expect she would start showing like this to you also but now she has."

"But Aunty, what is the reason she's acting like this? There has to be some reason, right?"

"I don't know, dear. We've already taken her to a counsellor but she said she's perfectly alright. We just have to be strict. But when we tried to be strict, it didn't work with her each time. Then what's left to do?"

"Perhaps we should take her to a psychologist?"

"Hmm, you can try but she doesn't like to go meet any doctor, counsellor or anyone. Taking her to meet a psychologist; I'm sure she won't agree. And I don't know how she might react if you force her to it."

"Then, what do I do, Aunty? I want to help her. I want to make sure there's nothing wrong with her and nothing happens to her. I won't be able to bear it if anything...."

"I understand, son." She paused. "Is Swetha being very stubborn now that she wants to have an abortion?"

"No, Aunty, not very stubborn. I don't think she will do it. She's my Swetha. A long time back, she had told me that she wants to have many children and adopt some too. She won't have the heart to do it."

"All she's asking you now is to come home on time. If there's a way you can return early, then try to keep her happy like that for now. After her delivery, we'll anyway be there with you. By any means, we'll take her to meet a psychologist together without giving her any time to do anything or blackmail us beforehand."

"Okay, Aunty. I will make arrangements to make sure I reach home on time always for the next few months."

"If there's any problem anytime, just inform us. We'll try to help in any way we can," added her dad.

"Okay, Uncle." I felt a little better after talking to her parents. I trust my Swetha. No matter how much she blackmails me, I know she won't take such a drastic step like abortion because she loves me a lot and I'm sure she won't have the heart to kill the child.

Nevertheless, her blackmails continued everyday. 'Be home before seven. Otherwise, I'll abort this child.'

...

"I got used to that sleeping pattern since then. That's why even now I can't sleep early at night. I told you I have a problem last time, right? That was the start."

"Oh." Anuradha was speechless in shock, after hearing his confessions about his wife. "Did she finally do the abortion because you didn't reach home on time one day?"

"No."

"Then?"

To be continued...

A/N: Hey peeps! Hope you liked the chapter.

A super long chappy for you all! So what do you think might have led to Swetha's abortion? Waiting for your comments on this chapter. :)

Please vote, comment and share. :)