บท 4: Divorce*

A familiar pain in her lower abdomen told her she was carrying a child. The doctor's words further confirmed her assumption.

"It's a Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy of twelve weeks. We have to operate immediately; else, the mother will be at risk." Looking at her hesitant face, he added, "The fetus will not survive anyways." The words like a hammer continuously rammed her chest.

As she was carried into the Operation Theatre, she heard them speak to each other. Her consciousness flitted in and out. She struggled to keep awake and tried listening to the conversation more closely. Powerless and desperate as her world turned dark, and she lost consciousness.

When she opened her eyes, she was lying on a bed in the hospital ward. A nurse stood next to her and said, "You finally woke up. How are you feeling?"

The pain in her body was indescribable. She resisted it and muttered weakly, "How's the child?"

The nurse gave her a sympathetic look, "You have to rest. The surgery took a toll on your body. It would be best if you lay down. I will inform your husband; he's currently talking to the surgeon."

She grew agitated upon hearing this. As she tried to sit up, the nurse kept trying to calm her down.

Ira tried to assess her thoughts. It wasn't that she knew nothing about ectopic pregnancies. Yet her mind was deceiving her. 'How could this happen to me?' In such pregnancies instead of growing in the uterus, the baby grows in a small fallopian tube. They are never successful. Even if not for the rupture, she would have to abort the child. Thinking about this, she closed her eyes to ease the pain.

'What's the use of crying? The child is not in my fate.'

Ira opened her eyes when she heard a movement inside the ward. A pair of red eyes caught her attention. It was Vivan, staring at her as if he wanted to swallow her whole.

"Ira, how could you?" he accused, his fists clenched at his side.

"Weren't we trying to have a child since our marriage without success? Four years, Ira! Four years is a long time. We took medications, did fertility check-up every six months to find the reason why weren't we blessed with a child. But the real reason was 'you' never wanted one!" Vivan shook his head in loathing.

His accusations did not even affect her as she stayed silent.

"Why didn't you tell me about your pregnancy? Wished to abort it secretly as well? Anyways it was an ectopic pregnancy! The baby was fated to not see the world. The illegal abortion, the IUD all scarred your womb."

He glanced at Ira, waiting to see her reaction. But Ira's eyes were calm as she turned to look straight into his eye.

Why was she so indifferent?

"How much did you hide from me? contraceptive pills, IUD, and even abortion!" He roared. His tone loud, tinged with obvious disbelief and unrepressed anger yet it didn't seem to affect her.

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Vivan came to know of her deception. The surgeon operating on her told him about the intrauterine device which had to be removed. Ira had planted it in her uterus years ago. He also told him about the scar, adhesion, and the damage due to the previous abortion.

'Abortion.'

"What abortion?" He was still digesting the shock of discovering her deceptive ways, the IUD that she had injected in herself, and the doctor dropped yet another bomb on his head.

"I guess you didn't know. The abortion doesn't seem to be performed in an authorized clinic. So I have to inform you of the outcome."

"When was it?" he asked.

"I guess, a couple of years back."

The surgeon was a well-known Obstetrician in the country. No doctor would refute his statement.

She had blindsided him for so long.

"What's the outcome?"

"Both of her tubes are damaged. She can't conceive anymore." The surgeon declared. During the surgery, they removed one tube while the other remained scarred and blocked.

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Neither did she deny any of his accusations, nor did she bother explaining.

"Do you took me for a fool, Ira?" A layer of frost appeared on Vivan's face. His angered voice could not mask the emotions resulting from his dashed hopes.

"Since you know it all, I will tell you everything." She paused. "I never desired a child!" Ignoring his anger, she spoke in an aloof voice.

There was no sadness, discomfort, or grief of losing a child in her tone.

"The fake fertility treatment I took in the hospital was a show for my Dad. He blackmailed me like he did when we married. He threatened to remove me from the company." Ira sighed as if a huge burden had lifted from her shoulders.

"I apologize. As for why I didn't tell you… I didn't think you needed to know. It's my body, my child, my decision."

"I want a divorce!" her voice was cold and to the point. It pierced his heart like a cold blade. Now that the control of the company was in her hands and her father couldn't manage her, she no longer needed to be married to him.

'Divorce!'

Instead of a plea or an apology, he heard an appeal for their separation. He shuddered.

"What divorce? Ira, even though our marriage was arranged, it wasn't entirely loveless. Didn't I treat you well all this time?" As much as he blamed her, the thought of divorce had never crossed his mind. He was a stubborn man who had vowed to follow her like a shadow for a lifetime.

His face was marked with helplessness as he tried to persuade her.

On the other hand, her face was as calm as the surface of the water without any ripples of emotions. "I don't have any romantic feelings towards you," she mercilessly retorted.

Despair spread over the room. He couldn't bear to look at the woman, or ask her anything, or say anything. He simply bowed his head in defeat.

His voice seemed soft as he muttered the words, "This is your first time asking for something from me. Since it's your wish, I will fulfill it."

What was the point in fighting for her if she didn't even like him? It was a lost battle from the start, and he wouldn't tangle himself with her any longer.

It wasn't long after that, a sense of loss intruded Ira's mind. This was an emotion she had never felt before. Domineering as she was, she never went back on a decision she had once made.

She pulled away from those unfamiliar emotions and stared out of the window.

To her, it was not as big of a deal as he made it out to be.

'My baby is my flesh, and it is up to me whether to keep it or not.'

Moreover, she was the one who damaged her body, resulting in infertility.

An inexplicable resentment made its way to her heart. After all, she could never fulfill his wish for the child.

So they divorced.

She—the biggest hypocrite—the apparent feminist, wanted women to be equal to men. But, she, herself never considered him as her equal… her better half… her soul mate.