44

"Can you hear it?" Kayanangai asked as she couldn't believe what he just said.

"Yes, I could hear our child's heartbeat," Nakan said, leaning against her stomach.

He lifted his head and met Kayanangai's face. She couldn't look at those pair of eyes, it belongs to only Aathiyan and now seeing it on this devil is confusing her.

Kayanangai awkwardly turned to the other side; Nakan sat straight and looked at her.

"You don't have to feel this way, you know why I want to look like Aathiyan? It's for you," Nakan said.

"You love him more than anyone and I know there's no other way I could get close to you. If I look like him then you wouldn't think about anything when you are around him. You have blind trust in Aathiyan,"

"Then why did you say such a thing the other day? You know I love him but why did you bring those words from me? I regret everything that happened that day and now we have stopped talking to each other," she said and had tears.

"Because that's also true. You hated him sometimes, and he resented you," Nakan replied.

"So you just purposely brought that on the other day. Why are you playing with us?"

"What else, for this child," he sighed.

"Why do you want this child?"

"I have already told you, this child is going to save me,"

Kayanangai frowned, "My life has been ruined before that could happen. What are you going to do then? I feel sick like I am going to die," she said. As the months' pass, she's getting weaker and weaker.

"You are not going to die, you will see your wonderful future soon," he smiled and held her hand.

She took his hand as she felt so uncomfortable to be near him.

"I am going to the temple, don't come there and disturb me," Kayanangai said.

"Why do you go there? Do you still believe in God?"

"Yes, I do. I wish someday he might save me from you?"

Nakan smiles, "You are such a fool,"

"You are right, I am a fool. But that's the only hope I am having right now,"

"Do you believe that God is a savior? He created human beings to suffer. God is eternal, even I am eternal but you humans can't even live more than a century. God is crueler than me, don't you think?" he asked.

Kayanangai didn't answer and walked thinking about what he just said. Strangely she thought he got a point.

When she's slowly walking to the temple, she had a sudden leg cramp. She doesn't feel like walking at all, so she sat down on the bench nearby.

She wasn't like this before, her legs won't stay in a place but now she feels like a dying person. She doesn't want to do anything, she doesn't want to talk to anyone and even she couldn't carry her son around. This is like a living nightmare for her. Except for Nakan, no one seemed to care for her, and even knowing her situation Aathiyan turned blind eye to her suffering. This made her sad and lonely all the time.

Even now her eyes welled in tears as she couldn't move her legs and it's aching like it's going to fall off but Aathiyan isn't here to help her.

She cried sitting there thinking that she's alone.' She has to make sure if there's no one around before showing her sadness on her face. One small step here might put her in great stress so she's stern in the middle of these people.

To avoid suspicion she has not even visited the physician for all the pain she's enduring every day. Nakan's warning was also a reason.

Sometimes, Nakan tries to ease it by taking her to that dreamland and she was happy there. But after that momentary pleasure, she has to suffer even more and alone.

The love she once received in her life is nowhere. It seemed like everyone went far away from her and she's standing in the dark tunnel with no way out.

Aathiyan is hating her more than she's hating him. He sleeps in another room, he takes care of his son, his family, and the people who are in his care. But he has estranged Kayanangai.

Expecting his comfort has hurt her more because all she got was a disappointment. Though she tried not to do that, she couldn't control herself. But later, when she was in pain, when she was crying, he didn't comfort her at all or at least asked what's bothering her. When her tears don't disturb him, she realizes he doesn't love her anymore.

She has never seen a cold person like him, this side of him giving her a hard time more than this physical pain. What more she could expect from him? He has all the right to behave like this.

She calmed down her tears and got up holding her six-month bump. Her legs were fine but she's not going to the temple, she wants to see her son. When she turned, she saw Aathiyan standing there and watching her. His face got no emotion and he's cold and distant.

Kayanangai was surprised yet she didn't react right away.

He's not going to talk to her, just going to walk away, and as expected he did that. She looked down wondering how long he had been watching her. He must know that I am crying, yet he didn't ask a word.

Many months have passed since they had that fight and to her relief, he turned down that marriage proposal. She doesn't know whether he really meant those words he said on that day or he's just keeping the promise he made to Kayanangai.

She watched him until he's out of her sight and then she left.

Aathiyan came back to his chamber and noticed Kayanangai wasn't there. The maid was looking after his son and he hates to see that.

"Where is she?" he asks.

"Rani has gone to the temple,"

Why does she have to go there when she's on the devil's side? But still, he couldn't understand why she left this place. She barely moves from her bed and she's not well at all.

Aathiyan got worried and walked to the temple to find her. Though he seems like he didn't care about her, she's his only thought from morning till night.

He sees her every day, what she’s going through yet he couldn’t do anything for her. He can’t help but stand away from her because he’s afraid to turn their gap even big. She hates him and whatever he tries, that hate might ruin everything. His frustration, his words will never help him too so he decided to stay like this.

But now, it scares him. He’s acting so cold; this might push her to rely on Nakan’s side. Aathiyan doesn’t want that either.

When he was walking, he stopped hearing the mild snuffles and he turned to see Kayanangai crying alone. She has chosen a great spot to let her emotions, he thought, and didn’t disturb her at all. His heart aches to see her like this. He has promised that he will protect her but he has failed terribly.

Aathiyan watched her until she turned to him. He could go and talk to her but in this mental state, it will only lead to another argument instead of a consolation they both yearning for. He heard that she even thought about aborting this child but Nakan has stopped her. She’s more helpless than him. He looked at her eyes that were staring at him and then walked to find Nakan. He’s the only one who could give him the proper explanation for what’s going on. It’s been months since he summoned Nakan as he hated those lies he kept repeating and bringing that rift between him and Kayanangai. It just gave him false hope and didn’t let Aathiyan think of a proper solution to escape. Aathiyan is silent and patient just for the right moment to turn everything back to normal.

He doesn’t have to shout his name, just the thought is enough for Nakan to come here.

Even after all those warnings, threats, and requests, Nakan appeared in Aathiyan form to provoke him, but Aathiyan didn’t mind at all now.

“What is it now?” Nakan sounded annoyed.

“Don’t you know?”

“Seeing her tears worries you, huh?” Nakan chuckled.

“She’s in pain. You should do something,” Aathiyan ordered.

“What do you think, I can do? She has to endure that and it will get worse as months passes,” Nakan lethargically replied.

Aathiyan clenched his teeth to hear that.

“I don’t like this answer. You always talk high about how powerful you are. Do something with that,” Aathiyan said, “I can’t see her like this,”

Nakan smiled, “I am so impressed how much you care for her. But Aathiya, this is how it happens. Carrying my child isn’t simple,” he said.

“Who knows, she can even die in childbirth,” Nakan added.

Hearing that Aathiyan got angry, he grabbed Nakan’s throat.

“How dare you say that at last. You promised me that you will save her,” Aathiyan roared in anger, “Do you think of me as a fool?”

“I understand your anger; I am just honest with you,”

“Honest?” Aathiyan glared. “You are trying to make me angry; that’s why you are saying all of this,”

“No, I am telling you all the possible things that could happen,”

“Oh, is it? If she dies then I will ruin you and your damn plans,” Aathiyan said.

Nakan pushed him away, “You are getting angry for everything and that’s never going to help you,” Nakan said, “See, there are a lot of women out there. You should stop being so loyal to her,”

That made him even angry but he also noticed that Nakan is getting scared for the first time.

“You don’t have to say that. I want her alive and you have to do something,” Aathiyan said.

“I know, I want her alive too,” Nakan placed his hand on his shoulder and Aathiyan flinched, avoiding those friendly gestures.

“That’s all in her hands. If she wishes to live then she will,” “And if you are so concerned then you should go and console her. She wanted that so badly,” Nakan said.

“I am not going to listen to you; stop giving me these ideas,” Aathiyan scowled. “And I know when to console her and I know her better than you,”

“Whatever you say,”

“Now I want you to end her pain,” Aathiyan ordered.

“Alright, then we should go to my place,”

“Your place?”

“You don’t have to come, I will take her with me,”

“I can’t allow that. If she’s going to hell with you, I will follow her there,” Aathiyan answered.

“Great, I appreciate your courage,” Nakan said. “But this is your decision. I didn’t compel you and whatever happens, it’s not my fault. You should take care of it,”

Aathiyan knotted his eyebrows hearing that. He understood that Nakan is trying to scare him off but Aathiyan isn’t going to back down.

“Fine, when should we leave?” Aathiyan asked.

“There’s no rush but since you are insisting to leave, we can leave after a month,”

“It may take a long time for us to return so you take your time to do everything,” Nakan added.

“What are we going to do there?” “I want the exact answer, not your lies or anything else,”

Nakan smiles and comes closer to Aathiyan’s ears. “Remember, this should remain a secret between us,” he whispered.

“I am going to sacrifice the child to revive my strength,”

Aathiyan was stunned to hear that, more than seeing the cruelty in that, he wondered what’s going to happen after that.

“Then I will let you go with Kayanangai. I’ll grant anything you want,”

Aathiyan’s mind couldn’t think of anything other than accepting that deal. He nodded and turned to the other side.

“Promise me that you should never enter our life after that,” Aathiyan asked. Their life would never be the same yet Aathiyan had a hope that he could bring happiness again.

“You have my word,” Nakan smiled. Aathiyan didn’t believe him totally, a small doubt always lingered in his head. He felt Nakan was hiding something.