The Best Decision

Sidharth, commonly called as Sid, was driving back home after the last of the series of business meetings he had at a distant city. His hands were shivering while driving and his thoughts were actually off the traffic he was facing ahead. “Congrats Sid! Your wife is pregnant”, a call he had from his mother a day ago made his life stimulating. He was not excited. He was weak because all he had been eating since the news were the lump of dirt his emotions gathered. A huge block of iron was tied to his chest. His eyes were sunken and he was expressionless. He actually didn’t want to reach home. However, like the old saying goes, it’s the only place where people end up whether they are happy or sad.

Sid entered his apartment which he rented since his marriage with Ria. He has an enormous house back in his hometown but decided to live here till he settles some of his business engagements in the nearby cities. Ria, sitting on the bed, was texting someone when Sid came into the room. She put the mobile away and said,
“I can explain.”
Sid sat on a couch on the side of the room, locked his hands together and started to quiver his lips but all he could produce was inaudible voice.
“Please understand my situation”, Ria said serenely.
Finally Sid gathered all his strength and spoke, “It’s just two weeks since I married you and I haven’t touched you yet. Who is he?”

Ria slid a few meters away from Sid slowly. “Dear…you love me no matter what? Right?”.
“Yeah and that’s why I faced all those painstaking efforts to marry you. We’ve been in a relationship for eight years. I trusted you and how could you…cheat me?”. Sid’s shivering behaviour turned to politically solid.
Ria didn’t reply.
“Do you know how it feels like? To be deceived. I perfectly figured out what you’re unto. I didn’t know why you were so eager to have sex on first night. Mysteriously my instinct said ‘no’ then and the following nights. You were trying to fool me and everyone else; that the life you’re bearing is mine. Bad news sweet heart, your trick is exposed.”
“How can you talk to me like that? I love you and I wanna live with you till the end of my life. This…this is just an accident and I repent it. Please understand me, dear”, she responded.

Sid stood up from the couch, joined his hands and yelled, “Explain then”.
Ria, after a little moment of silence, slowly said, “It was him…. Raghav.”
“That bastard who was proposing you? I thought you rejected him on his first attempt? Were you building up a relationship with him without my knowledge?” Sid started to become violent.
“NO! I didn’t build up a relationship with him.” Ria wailed.
Sid walked towards her, “then what? He raped you? When? Why didn’t you tell me then? I’m gonna kill him.”
Ria, wiping her tears, replied the chain of questions “No. He didn’t rape me.”
“WHAT?” Sid shouted with a volume of sound that he never had before.
Ria continued, “We went to a movie together a week before our marriage. After that he invited me to his house to have dinner. I agreed because I was terribly hungry then. But he behaved so sweet and hunky. I fell into his trap of seduction. It was an accident”.
It became difficult to differentiate tears from sweat of Sid’s face. He sat back down on the couch and said, “Accident? I thought you were the most decent girl in this world. You never even allowed me to kiss you while we were in this relationship for last eight years. You even found nudity in classic paintings offensive. How can you argue that having sex with another guy is just an accident?”.

“Please sweet heart. Please understand me. I’m really really sorry. I want to live with you. Please don’t make a big issue out of this. I’ll live like your servant. I was emotionally sensitive at that time when Raghav undressed me.”
Sid went to the bathroom, washed his face and came back all wet. He sat beside Ria, grabbed her shoulder and said, “I forgive you my dear. It’s because my love for you is boundless. But you have to do me one favour.”
“Oh thank God sweetie. I’ll do anything for you.”
“Abort it.”
“What? Are you out of your mind? How could you speak like that? Ofcourse I can’t.”
Sid set back with a shock which had more magnitude than Ria felt a few seconds ago.
“Really? Are you joking?”, he asked, shivering again.
Ria expressed an arrogant look, “It’s my baby. My blood. How can I kill it? We have to raise it like our child.”
“Do you expect me to raise some other guy’s sperm? I can’t. I can never tolerate that.”
“You are no human” Ria reflected.
Sid stood up again. Spent a few seconds thinking and asked, “Do you want to divorce me and live with Raghav?”
“No! I don’t want to. He left the country few days ago. I want to live with you.” She answered.

Sid slowly walked to the kitchen. He opened a drawer, took a knife and put it inside his pocket. He walked back to Ria. They were both staring at each other. Sid felt as if he was losing his ear balance. A thousand thoughts were whirl pooling in his mind. He was staring at Ria’s throat.

“I realise….you don’t love me. You just love the money I earn.” He muttered. 
Ria didn’t reply.
Sid started to stare at the veins that were bumping on his wrists.
“How much do you want in compensation of our divorce?” He asked.
Subsequent to a few seconds of silence, Ria said, “5 crores”
“I don’t have 5 crores with me. How about 3?”.
“That’ll do.” She replied.
“Alright”.

Sid went back to the kitchen. Ria followed him and was terrified when she saw Sid putting the knife in the drawer from his pocket. He walked towards the main door and opened it and said,
“I love you and I hope this will make you happy forever.”
He left the apartment. While he was walking down the solid street of the noisy city he was sure he had made the best decision.