“Are you cheating on me?!”
Kabir’s repeated shout made Kharisma fall silent.
The man’s eyes were red. His head was already filled with all kinds of suspicions he had been trying to push away. But the more he thought about it, the more his suspicions pointed toward one thing.
An affair.
Mohan’s name kept echoing in his mind. That man had called his wife “sweetheart.” To Kabir, that was not a normal way for two people who claimed to be nothing more than friends to address each other.
Jealousy burned even hotter in his chest. Kabir loved Kharisma deeply. That was why the changes in his wife’s behavior lately had made him so afraid of losing her.
Hearing the question, Kharisma immediately shook her head hard. “No! I’m not cheating on you, Babe! Mohan and I are just friends!”
“Friends?” Kabir let out a scornful laugh. “You call that friends? I don’t believe you!” Anger and jealousy had taken control of him.
“Come inside!” Kabir grabbed Kharisma’s hand and tried to pull her toward the bedroom.
“No, Babe!” Kharisma resisted, bracing herself. “I’m leaving! They’re waiting for me. Do you even understand what I’m saying?”
“You’re my wife!” Kabir said firmly. “You have to get my permission before doing anything. If I don’t allow it, you can’t leave!”
“What if I insist on leaving anyway?” Kharisma kept resisting so she wouldn’t be dragged along by Kabir’s pull.
“Are you challenging me?” Kabir’s anger flared even higher. But he tried with all his strength to hold it back. He didn’t want his anger to make him treat his wife roughly.
“Babe...” Kharisma began to whine. “I want to leave. Please let me go. I already promised them.”
“You’d rather choose your friends over me?” Kabir’s voice trembled. “I’m your husband!”
In a burst of emotion, Kabir suddenly snatched the phone Kharisma was still holding and slammed it onto the floor.
Crash!
The phone Kharisma had only been using for a week was destroyed. Its screen was badly cracked, and several pieces had come loose and scattered across the floor.
Kharisma stared blankly at her beloved phone. “Babe!” she cried in disbelief. “Why did you break my phone?”
“When did you buy it?” Kabir shot back in a raised voice. “You just took it from the display case at my store, so it belongs to me! I’m free to smash it or even burn it if I want. What are you going to do about it?”
Kharisma looked at her husband through tear-filled eyes. “You’re crazy! You’re blindly jealous!” she shouted. “They’re my friends! If you’re jealous, this isn’t how you handle it!”
“I’m jealous, and that’s normal!” Kabir retorted. “You’re my wife! I don’t want you hanging around just anyone. Ever since you became friends with them, you’ve turned rebellious!”
“You’re awful!” Kharisma replied in a trembling voice. “You always do whatever you want. I’m grown up, I’m an adult, Babe. I’m not a little girl who needs to be escorted everywhere anymore!”
“Then if you think you’re an adult, act like one!” Kabir stared sharply at her. “You’re married. You have a child and a husband. It’s not appropriate for you to keep acting like this.”
“Babe, I’m tired of staying home all the time!” Kharisma’s tears began to fall. “I want to spend time with other friends too. I want to have a life outside the house. Do you even understand what I want?”
“I’ve understood you from the beginning.” Kabir’s voice suddenly grew quieter, but it still sounded firm.
“I know exactly who you are. I know everything about you. I know you inside and out.” Kabir stared intently at his wife. “I know what’s best for you, Kharisma.”
Kharisma didn’t answer. Instead, she crouched down, sobbing as she gathered the pieces of her phone scattered across the floor. Her hands trembled as she picked up the parts that could never be put back together.
“You’ve gone too far...” With tears still streaming down her face, Kharisma stood and hurried into the bedroom.
Crash!
The bedroom door slammed shut. A moment later, the sound of the lock turning came from inside.
Kabir just stood there, frozen in place. “It’s always like this...”
His hands clenched into fists again. But a few seconds later, it was as if all his strength vanished. Kabir sank to the floor, leaning his back against the wall.