I’m frustrated, Shaan. What is the best path we can take, which will also be the least traumatic to our loved ones?” she asked, looking at him with all seriousness.
“Uh…”
“Also, I know it isn’t proper for me to live here with you anymore, but then where do I go? I’d love to work, and I’m well qualified. Do you think I can get a decent job?”
“I’m not sure. It’ll probably be difficult to get anything quick, and you don’t even possess a work visa. You don’t have to go anywhere…” He sensed a feeling of agitation.
“Oh, yes, you’re right. Anyways, who will hire me for just a month?” She began pacing the floor thinking aloud, “I could approach a woman’s shelter. No,” rejecting the notion with a decisive wave of her hand. “I don’t want to get you into any kind of trouble!”
Then she sighed, shrugging her shoulders in resignation. “The only option left would be to stay here if you don’t mind, that is.”
“Of course. You can stay here for as long as you wish!”
“Another month, that’s all. I promise not to interfere in your life in any way. I’ll soon start dropping hints to my parents that we aren’t happy together. It’d be nice if you could contribute too, will make it a lot easier to persuade them.”
“This is going way too fast. We should give it some more time perhaps.” He couldn’t believe his words.
“No, we are done. I am done! I want to leave at the end of the month, or before if it works out, and I want to be free to do as I please.”
“What do you mean? Aren’t you free now?”
Her dark eyes were filled with singular resolve. “I meant free to go where I want and do what I please, no questions asked. Don’t worry, I’m not into smoking, alcohol, or drugs nor am I interested in having boyfriends.” She smiled. “I don’t intend to cause you any more pain than I already have.”
He was dumbstruck; she had thought out everything very well. It was hard not to admire her gutsiness. A lesser person would have broken down completely.
She stepped up to him. “If it’s not too much to ask, can we spend the remaining time in a civilized manner by calling a truce? I will give it my best. You are after all a nice guy. Could we just be friends? Friends without benefits?”
Adjustments
“F riends?” she repeated, smiling, extending her hand.
“Yes, friends.” He shook it. Though her skin was soft, her grip was firm and confident, which spoke a lot about where she was right now.
Might as well be friendsand start anew. Anyway, he had ruined their prior relationship in its fledgling stage. He could not guess where this one would lead to, but there was an undercurrent of excitement in it. Attempting to establish a friendship with his own wife who didn’t want to be his wife anymore. If it came out into the open, he would become the butt of jokes.
“Friendship with your wife, for what purpose? Consult a head doctor or check yourself into an asylum!”
But he was willing to give it a go. What did he have left to lose when he had lost almost everything?
“Pasta?”
“Hmm?”
“I said, care for some gourmet pasta?”
She stood in front of him holding a large bowl from which emerged a mouthwatering aroma, suddenly reminding him that he was desperately hungry.
Trying to control the urge a little longer, he said, “But I thought you disliked Italian.”
Ruhi grinned mischievously. “I meant American Italian. That pizza you got the other day was unfit for consumption, and I wanted to try something different for this new phase of my life. For a new me and perhaps a new you?”
Thrusting the steaming bowl under his nose, she said, “This is authentic Italian made in the classic Ruhi style with loads of love and less of grease. I stumbled upon the ingredients in the kitchen. Appears as though sometime in the past you had noble intentions of making it yourself, perhaps for someone special?”
Shaan recalled the day he had with great
“Uh…”
“Also, I know it isn’t proper for me to live here with you anymore, but then where do I go? I’d love to work, and I’m well qualified. Do you think I can get a decent job?”
“I’m not sure. It’ll probably be difficult to get anything quick, and you don’t even possess a work visa. You don’t have to go anywhere…” He sensed a feeling of agitation.
“Oh, yes, you’re right. Anyways, who will hire me for just a month?” She began pacing the floor thinking aloud, “I could approach a woman’s shelter. No,” rejecting the notion with a decisive wave of her hand. “I don’t want to get you into any kind of trouble!”
Then she sighed, shrugging her shoulders in resignation. “The only option left would be to stay here if you don’t mind, that is.”
“Of course. You can stay here for as long as you wish!”
“Another month, that’s all. I promise not to interfere in your life in any way. I’ll soon start dropping hints to my parents that we aren’t happy together. It’d be nice if you could contribute too, will make it a lot easier to persuade them.”
“This is going way too fast. We should give it some more time perhaps.” He couldn’t believe his words.
“No, we are done. I am done! I want to leave at the end of the month, or before if it works out, and I want to be free to do as I please.”
“What do you mean? Aren’t you free now?”
Her dark eyes were filled with singular resolve. “I meant free to go where I want and do what I please, no questions asked. Don’t worry, I’m not into smoking, alcohol, or drugs nor am I interested in having boyfriends.” She smiled. “I don’t intend to cause you any more pain than I already have.”
He was dumbstruck; she had thought out everything very well. It was hard not to admire her gutsiness. A lesser person would have broken down completely.
She stepped up to him. “If it’s not too much to ask, can we spend the remaining time in a civilized manner by calling a truce? I will give it my best. You are after all a nice guy. Could we just be friends? Friends without benefits?”
Adjustments
“F riends?” she repeated, smiling, extending her hand.
“Yes, friends.” He shook it. Though her skin was soft, her grip was firm and confident, which spoke a lot about where she was right now.
Might as well be friendsand start anew. Anyway, he had ruined their prior relationship in its fledgling stage. He could not guess where this one would lead to, but there was an undercurrent of excitement in it. Attempting to establish a friendship with his own wife who didn’t want to be his wife anymore. If it came out into the open, he would become the butt of jokes.
“Friendship with your wife, for what purpose? Consult a head doctor or check yourself into an asylum!”
But he was willing to give it a go. What did he have left to lose when he had lost almost everything?
“Pasta?”
“Hmm?”
“I said, care for some gourmet pasta?”
She stood in front of him holding a large bowl from which emerged a mouthwatering aroma, suddenly reminding him that he was desperately hungry.
Trying to control the urge a little longer, he said, “But I thought you disliked Italian.”
Ruhi grinned mischievously. “I meant American Italian. That pizza you got the other day was unfit for consumption, and I wanted to try something different for this new phase of my life. For a new me and perhaps a new you?”
Thrusting the steaming bowl under his nose, she said, “This is authentic Italian made in the classic Ruhi style with loads of love and less of grease. I stumbled upon the ingredients in the kitchen. Appears as though sometime in the past you had noble intentions of making it yourself, perhaps for someone special?”
Shaan recalled the day he had with great
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