Chapter 13 by Ananya Banerjee | #WriteWithChitra #StoriesConnectUs

Chapter 13

‘Purgatory?’ Vivek asked.

Manorama pretended not to hear him. Her mind was churning. They were both stuck here together because they shared the same cardinal sins, envy and wrath.

‘I can’t breathe,’ Vivek said, hyperventilating.

‘You don’t need to. We’re practically dead,’ Manorama said harshly, and then flinched at her reply. She was technically dead too, after all.

‘That message “The acts of mercy. Feed the hungry. Refresh the thirsty. Clothe the naked. Visit the sick. Shelter the homeless. Visit the imprisoned. Bury the dead.”’ Maybe that’s how we repent for our sins!’ Vivek exclaimed.

Manorama was beginning to get annoyed at the boy. ‘We’re the only two people here. How on earth are we supposed to do any of that?’

And anyway, she didn’t want to get into heaven; she just wanted to get back to her life. She slumped into the couch and closed her eyes. There was nothing to do now. This was all Vinod’s fault. He was the one who had been leading a double life.

‘You still think it’s my fault?’ a voice asked, and she started.

Vinod stood in front of her, staring down. This time, he wasn’t old. He was her Vinod, in his thirties. He smelled of peppermint from his aftershave.

‘Vinod?’ She reached out to touch him, but he moved away. ‘You did this. I’m in purgatory because of you. You cheated on us,’ she shouted.

‘Yes, that was my sin. But what did you do? You killed Smitha,’ he said.

‘I wouldn’t have had to if you hadn’t cheated on me. You brought back the old Manorama. I had promised to myself that I’d change after I married you. A simple life with my husband and kids is all that I ever wanted. But you forced me to do this!’

‘Yes, it was my fault that I cheated, but did you have to kill Smitha? She hadn’t known anything. She was innocent.’ His eyes filled with tears.

Manorama felt a like someone had stabbed her in the heart. ‘You loved her, didn’t you? You never loved me like you loved her. You should be the one suffering,’ she said bitterly.

Vinod sighed. ‘You still don’t get it, do you? This is not about me; this is about you. You don’t think I’ve suffered? I lost Smitha, Vivek and you. Divya and Aarav started hating me. They blamed me for your death my whole life. Neither of them came to visit me in the hospital when I was dying. I’ve suffered enough. My whole life, I tried my best to become an honest man. I repented.’

Manorama didn’t know what to say. She turned to look at Vivek, who was sitting on a chair across from her, blissfully unaware of what was happening. She realized that he couldn’t see Vinod.

‘Why can’t he see you?’ Manorama asked Vinod.

‘Because I’m not really here,’ Vinod said. ‘You’ve both committed the same sin and now the only way I can see my son in heaven is if you save his soul. I can’t believe that the same woman who destroyed my family is the only person who can save him.’ He looked at her once again with pleading eyes. ‘Please save him.’

Manorama opened her mouth to argue, to ask him what he mean, but Vinod had disappeared again. She found herself growing angry. The man who had cheated on her and destroyed her life had the audacity to ask her to save his son’s soul. She was the victim here! Her life was over because of Vinod, and she couldn’t see her kids because of Vivek. He was her killer!

‘Are you okay Manorama?’ her thoughts were interrupted by Vivek’s question.

‘Yes, I’m fine,’ she said, and looked at the boy before her. He looked so much like his father. Divya had the same eyes too. There was also something in his manner that reminded her of Aarav and his precocious nature.

Her eyes filled with tears and her mind with doubts. Should she save the boy who had taken her life? She hated Vinod, and she hated Smitha, but she couldn’t bring herself to hate this boy in front of her. And what would happen after she did save him? Vinod never said anything about that. Perhaps he didn’t care.

She was in purgatory with Vivek. There was a chance she could be stuck here forever, and if she saved Vivek and he went to heaven, would she be stuck here all alone?
She couldn’t let that happen, could she?

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Read –
Chapter 1 by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Chapter 2 by Sumira Khan
Chapter 3 by Krusha Sahjwani
Chapter 4 by Sandeepa Mukherjee
Chapter 5 by Neha Gupta
Chapter 6 by Mohana Talapatra
Chapter 7 by Snigdha Mallik
Chapter 8 by Kanchana Banerjee
Chapter 9 by Harini Srinivasan
Chapter 10 by Gitanjali Maria
Chapter 11 by Shreya Gupta
Chapter 12 by Shylin Sam