His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 14

GABRIEL

For the first time in as long as I could remember, I wanted to go home. I hadn’t expected to go to London on Saturday, but I had to after I totally f*cked the meeting with Jason Williams by going to beat the shit out of Arthur Geller instead, and Peter couldn’t convince him to give us another chance for sh*t, So, I had to fly to him.

I was supposed to take my jet back on Friday night, but I was done with work the day before and decided to come home carlier then. I still flew first class, but I’d never done that before today. I was appalled at how much time it takes to clear just the s*upid security if you fly with an airline.

Never again, I thought to myself as I stepped out of the airport and the breeze hit me. It was cold, way colder than it had been last week at the charity gala.

I hated how my first thought was how stubborn Sofia was, and how she would have probably not taken her coat with her if she was out somewhere.

Huffing. I placed a hundred dollar bill in my driver’s hand. “Take the cab home,” I told him, grabbing the keys to my car from him, throwing the files I had carried with me to read on the journey back, on the passenger seat.

I felt like speed driving today, it was just one of those days where I craved the feeling of risking it and still never losing it, being on the verge of death- just one wrong turn or step on the gas pedestal away, and still never dying.

I took the longer and emptier route home.

I hated how even while trying to clear my mind- every though was about her. Every time I cared about her well-being. I forced myself to believe it was because I made a promise to her grandfather, because she was my responsibility and that’s all.

Ashes of dead promises and memories continued clouding my head on that cold night till I abruptly pressed the brakes of my car realising the signal was red, my car coming to halt with a jerk after the speed it had been running on despite the roads being cold and slippery. I skid ahead on my seat, almost banging my head to the steering wheel, and my phone and the work papers that were lying freely on the passenger seat also made their way tumbling down, the papers jumbling up.

I felt like a mess, the papers falling down getting on my nerves. I was overwhelmed with emotions- but mostly anger.

Even though I had enough time to pick the papers up before the signal turned green, I let them be down on the car’s floor along with my fallen phone. Loud gusts of breeze blew around making an evident sound heard despite my rolled up windows.

Sofia made me angry. Looking at her was a daily reminder that I was passive in my own life, that I had no say in it except to just let things go the way they were,

And yet, all I could think of was her in my bed. Her under me. The overwhelming urge to touch her and watch her freeze. To kiss her again. And again. And again for the rest of the night.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter until my knuckles got white, feeling a burst of unexplained anger in me.

My engine roared as I waited for the signal to turn green, uneasiness filling my chest while I looked away on the empty streets, impatient to speed back up when my eyes fell on a familiar figure sitting by the window in the bar to my right

The glass windows perfectly showed her long black hair and wide smile on her lips as she actioned her hands while talking like she usually did when she was happy. The uneasiness I was feeling in my chest turned into quick suffocation when my eyes fell on the man sitting across my wife, a man I didn’t recognise.

I felt a tightness, a weird feeling in my chest that felt lot like physical pain and mental anguish at the same time.

The signal turned green and I stepped on the gas, speeding up like I had planned to, my vision blurring as I tried

1/2

Tue,

Chapter 14

maintaining steady breaths.

I knew nothing about was hitting me. And

a friend. He

a friend or whoever she was, or was she in her room down the

sleeping

punching bag for fifteen minutes and then showered again to wash off the sweat, nothing helped. A little past

Knocked once.

Knocked twice.

No reply.

She really wasn’t inside..

convince myself to ignore the way something sunk deep in my chest, the feeling of suffocation just beginning to return and leave, but couldn’t bring

the room door so loud and heavy that it either would wake her from sleep (if she was asleep)

The door didn’t break.

It opened.

she stood on the other side, her obviously sleepy eyes and confused

12:29 Tue, Jun 40

Chapter 14

GABRIEL

I had to after I totally f*cked the meeting with Jason Williams by going to beat the shit out of Arthur Geller instead, and Peter couldn’t convince him

take my jet back on Friday night, but I was done with work the day before and decided to come home earlier then. I still flew first class, but I’d never done that before today. I was appalled at

breeze hit me. It was cold, way colder than it had been last week

first thought was how stubborn Sofia was, and how she would have probably

home,” I told him, grabbing the keys to my car from him, throwing the files I had carried with me to read

of those days where I craved the feeling of risking it and still never losing it, being on the verge of

the longer and emptier route

cared about her well-being, I forced myself to

pressed the brakes of my car realising the signal was red, my car coming to a halt with a jerk after the speed it had been running on despite the roads being cold and slippery. I skid ahead on my seat, almost banging my head to the steering

felt like a mess, the papers falling down getting on my nerves. I was overwhelmed with emotions- but

down on the car’s floor along with my fallen phone. Loud gusts

own life, that I had no say in it except to just

in my bed. Her under me. The overwhelming urge to touch her and watch her freeze. To kiss her again.

until my knuckles got white, feeling a

the empty streets, impatient to speed back up

and wide smile on her lips as she actioned her hands while talking like she usually did when she was happy. The uneasiness I was feeling in my chest turned into quick suffocation when my eyes fell

feeling in my chest that felt lot