Undeniable Commitments

Henry had a hard time placing Shimonthini in her saree and kumkum and all the Indian jewellery. Everything about her had changed even how she held up herself. This slouching was uncharacteristic to the poise that he associated with his muse. Somehow she looked defeated. "What have you made of yourself?" Henry remarked.

"I have undone all the change that you had brought. I do not need to be Monique anymore because Rup accepts me as Shimonthini."

Henry laughed a hysterical laughter. "I did not make Monique. I brought her out of you because I felt she was the better person of the two of you. I befriended Shimonthini all those years ago. At that point in time, I was undergoing therapy and I spoke of all that I needed to talk of. Shimonthini made an imaginary crutch out of those stories and started to live on them. Monique was the first sign that you could leave those crutches and stand on your own. Now you are back to depending on a man who is not half the man you deserve."

"Look, Henry, I have had enough of the man I deserve. If you remember you never introduced me to him and he is too busy with his family to have a long-standing affair, your words, not mine. I am not the kind of a woman who could be one of your brother's many affairs. Again it's your words, not mine. Matches are made in heaven and heaven chose an efficient crutch for me to lean on." Shimonthini concluded.

"Well, it is time for you to meet him too if you don't pay up. Apparently, my brother's company had been financing Madame M collections for more than eight years and it had a contract for the London fashion show next week. The amount, near a couple of million pounds was paid in advance to your and Rishi's joint bank account. Now it is all gone and the money trail led to an account in India in the name of one Mrs Juneja. Still, the payment was made out to Rishi and you and as you are the one living person among the two you either pay up or face legal action. The penalty amount, according to the contract is ten million pounds." Henry stated.

"I don't have that much amount of money." Shimonthini said.

"I assumed as much and I have spoken to Bert. I gave him your "Wedding Collections" and he hired some men to work on them but you need to be there to decipher those fashion plates. Do you understand?" Henry told Shimonthini.

"What do I tell my husband?" Shimonthini asked.

"Your husband is here on work right? Tell him you are going sightseeing." Henry suggested.

"You expect me to lie to the person I am to spend my life with?" Shimonthini asked enraged.

"It is you who doesn't want him to know about your past." Henry pointed out.

"He knows about Rishi. I don't want him to be offended at the kind of woman I was before I met him. He agreed to marry my younger sister, not me. I want to not make him regret what happened." she explained.

Henry reached out a hand to touch her shoulder. Shimonthini flinched at the touch. "Gay, remember? You didn't turn homophobic did you?" Henry said smiling.

Shimonthini shook her head realizing how foolish it was for her to shun all her friends and family. In her mind, she was resuscitating Monique for only a short while. Henry handed her a phone. "Just in case your husband is in the room when I need you, you may go inside the washroom and answer." Shimonthini accepted the gift which also she saw as temporary like Monique's new lease of life.