3-4

Jessica didn’t say anything. She thought Anvi was telling her too much but then she is at a worst place so Jessica didn’t mind listening to her.

“But you know there wasn’t always love. Of course, which relationship is perfect anyway. We fought too. We had arguments, there were days when we hated each other. But all was fine because I was the only one in his life.”

After some moment of silence when it started bothering Jessica she says “Was there a moment when you thought of leaving him?” She doesn’t know why she asked that but she did.

“Never.”

Jessica nods.

“Jessica, you ever thought of killing someone?”

Jessica looked at Anvi but her eyes are so still and cold. And for the first time she realised that Anvi, who says she’s the wife a dead person whom she loved, has no grief in her eyes. She doesn’t look a
bit sad.

“Answer me Jessica.” She says in a soft voice and for the first time she looks Jessica in the eyes. This time Jessica looks away from her. She thinks of the café manager who misbehaved with her for no reasons. She thinks of the man on the subway who used to sit beside her, just to brush his hands against Jessica’s leg and make it seem like an innocent mistake. She thinks of Rebecca, the girl who was more out going than her and eventually stole her sweetheart Kevin from her. But mostly she thinks of her Uncle, who ruined most of her life and made her the way she is. Distant, cold, nervous, socially awkward. Such a pathetic waste of life she is- “If your father was alive today, he wouldn’t
please to see how you turned up to be a worthless human being.” She thinks about that knife she used to carry when she was little. Always thinking that if her uncle hurts her feelings for once she
will dig that knife deep in his chest and end things there. But never got the courage of doing so. She thinks of her uncle’s dead body, and thinks the thing she would’ve sacrifice just to dig that little knife in his chest for once.

“No. I never thought of killing someone. I had moments when I was really angry but never thought of taking someone’s life.”

“Why are you lying Jessica? We all have thoughts of killing someone at least for once. Some people control the urge and some people can’t.” Jessica’s forehead furrowed. She wants to ask her how can she be this much sure but she asks something else-

“Did you ever thought of killing someone?”

Almost not skipping a beat Anvi says- “Yes.”

“Whom?”

“many people.”

Jessica doesn’t say anything.

“But mostly, my husband Jhon.”

“I thought you loved him?”

“Who says I didn’t?"

"Then?”

“I wanted to kill him too.”

Jessica looks around. Some people were looking at there way. One person waved towards Anvi and Anvi smiles a little. There was no one who can listen to there conversation. The old man beside Anvi
is long gone.

“But why?”

“Because he was cheating on me.”

“What made you think that?”

“I’m not stupid Jessica. I knew he was fucking chicks half of his age.”

“Then why didn’t you leave him?”

“Leave him?” Anvi looks straight at Jessica and she saw anger in her eyes. “Why would I leave him. He was the one who broke his vow. I vowed to stay with him forever.”

“But that’s toxic. So, what did you do? Just ignored him? Lived in denial?”

“I killed him.”

Jessica couldn’t believe her ears. She knew something was wrong. She felt like these all are staged. A staged prank and she felt anger in her rising.

“What bullshit! Do you really think I will believe that?”

“I don’t care if you believe me or not.”

“Why are you telling me this. You don’t even know me.”

“Just felt like it.”

“What a joke!” Jessica mutters under her breath.

“You know that night, I didn’t have any arguments with him. Which was rare. I laid on my bed in a dark room and thought how outrageous is this! Not him cheating on me but him thinking I wouldn’t get it. Am I that stupid? Does he think that just because I live a luxurious lifestyle because of him I would ignore his infidelity? I always kept myself busy in works. Pretended like I didn’t saw that lipstick stain on his shirt. Pretended like I never heard those messages on call, pretended that he didn’t lie to me about bunch of things, pretended that I didn’t saw him at that café putting his hands
over a girl and shoving his head in curve of her neck. All I was doing was
pretending. I couldn’t take it anymore. So, I go to kitchen and make myself a cup of coffee and think the way I can kill my husband. There were so many ways but I had to do it a way no one ever doubts on me, then I remember about the sleeping pills which he takes everyday and how the number keeps increasing every day. How strange you know fucking those women couldn’t give him a good sleep. Everyone knew about his obsession with sleeping pills so I didn’t have to explain anything to anyone.”

“Why do you think I will not tell this to police?”

Anvi laughs a little then says “I still remember his face. After taking that glass of milk he said ‘Thank
you I will sleep better’ look how he is sleeping” Anvi motions her hand towards the grave yard. “So peaceful."