46 1 V/S THE WORLD (2/2)

”Doesn't matter. Now, if you need to stay on this plane you need to talk to her. and I am going to get some shut eye. Since you are two people and there is a bedroom right here, I'd be sleeping here. There is a couch outside. Feel free to sort out and talk for as long as you want. This room is soundproof. And don't forget, we'll be landing in Vancouver in approximately sixteen hours.”

I exited the room, leaving Priscilla alone. Yeah, she had changed alright. And the person who deserved all the credit sat in front of me, sipping on champagne. I walked in her direction and sat two barstools away from her. Bartender turned to face me but I asked him to excuse us. He nodded smilingly and disappeared behind the bar.

I turned towards Kyo, who was still not ready to look at me.

”Kyo, baby...”

”Please, don't join any suffixes or prefixes to my name. I shall be referred to as Kyo or Kiyomi,” her response was immediate.

”No, you are my wife. And I can refer to you as such.”

”Why the indifference Mad? The only difference between me and Priscilla, or me and Brad, Or me and Amaan is that we have tied a knot. We are bound in a holy matrimony, is that it? I mean, do you like Japanese more? Like…”

”Shut up. Just, shut up. are you stupid? What are you even saying? Of course not. You are so much important to me babe.”

”Why? Tell me why. Explain why my company is better that Priscilla's? Or Blessing, who you leeched off for more money. Or Amaan, who supported you in the time of your troubles?”

”Amaan was manipulative. If she would have never interjected between me and Blessing, it would have been different.”

”What the hell does that mean, Mad?! You are a grown woman. But you need those excuses to evade your own self? You did those things. You left Priscilla all alone, and you gained a fortune. You left Brad, and you left with millions. And I do remember you said you were cozy enough with Amaan before she showed her true face.”

The volume was increasing rapidly. Kyo's grip was also tightening around the champagne glass by the second.

”Kyo try to understand. There is a difference between them and you.”

”Please enlighten me, my wife.” Kyo said mockingly.

I struggled for a long second before sitting still.

”Exactly. There is no difference between me and them. We are people. Those who inhabit your past and your wife. And the child you are trying to bear. We would all be people with our own feelings. the only difference is that you have hurt them, and you are hurting me. And you will hurt our child when she comes into this world.”

I sat there in shock. HER?

”Kyo, are you, by any chance, pregnant?”

”No,” Kyo's voice was cracking. I knew by her facial expressions that she was on the brink of breaking down.

”I am not. But I had thought about it. How she'd come home in her school uniform. The little girl trotting happily hand in hand with you and me. We'd go fetch her from the school every day. We'd walk our way through the market, looking for toys or drawing books, coloring books or dolls and plushies for her. how'd she ask for ice cream and we'd say no. how she'd glee when she got two ice creams from both of us. How we'd come home, smiling. Just the three of us in our tiny home, in our small world.

I'd go to kitchen, and you'd sit with our daughter in front of television, fishing million channels for her cartoons. How we'd fight amongst ourselves to feed her. how we'd fight to hug her when we went to bed. just me, you and our daughter, under the chilly air from air conditioner. How we'd tightly hold her and make her wear million clothes during winters.

We'd see her outgrowing her clothes. How her tastes would change from skirts to jeans to dresses. How one day she'd bring home her boyfriend. And how we'd support her all the way through her teens to her twenties and her thirties, until she is ready to move on with her life partner.

How one day she'd bring her girlfriend, and we'd be super excited about her embracing her sexuality. How we'd support her through the biased society and all the lessons we'd give her to tackle this rigid and misunderstanding world. How we'd welcome her wife one day, or how we'd give her away and bless the married women with our experience and love.

Ofcourse I'd be happy if we had a son, and one day he'd bring his boyfriend home too. The beautiful part would be to see them struggle and find their own way through this world, with us as their backbones. I thought of all that, Madonna. And now, I don't think of anything.”

The vivid picture Kyo had painted in front of my eyes made me sink in my own shame. It seemed too good to be true. But it never is. Grooming a child is what any human being lives. And I had imagined all of these things with my wife. But it was a flawed logic. I had not seen the mirror of self deed in so long I fooled myself I was back in the garden of Eden. It was not as pleasant anymore. And through all this dirt, I dragged my wife. If not for Priscilla, nothing like this would have ever happened.

”I hope you never give birth to our child, Madonna.”

I looked up, shocked. Pained. The sharp pain entered my body as naturally as a heart beat. It was to the rhythm of my heartbeat. Every moment I was alive felt heavy.

”Please, don't ever say that, Kyo. I have not done anything to deserve this. Please.”

Ah, I broke down. I had started begging. What a waste was my life.

Kyo turned to face me and swung the glass at me. It missed my face and landed on the wall behind me. The remaining champagne rebounded and spilled all over my shoulder.

”No, you have not. But you need to realize that you have a small heart. You have not loved anybody, have you? You need a little bit bigger heart to love. And you have not learned that, Madonna. I don't want such self-fulfilling woman to bear my child,” Kyo said as she stood up from the stool. But her legs had no strength, and she collapsed on the floor.

I rushed to support her. thankfully, she didn't resist.

I lifted her and dragged her to the couch. I carefully laid her down and looked at her wet face. I extended my hand to wipe all the tears away when she caught my hand and opened her tired eyes to speak once more.

”Madonna,” she muttered through her weakened lips,” You never lost your memories, did you?”

I heard thunder cracking all around our jet.

I looked up through the window and caught the glimpse of another thunder making its way through the clouds to the ground below.

Ah, it's going to rain today.