With a sad sigh, she gazed around the room. It’s formidable dimness immediately brought an image of the day she married Jay, to the forefront of her already chaotic brain cells. The day when she’d been forced to sit under the red and cream mandap, a temporary wedding canopy, and accept Jay as her husband. The windows and doors bolted. Curtains had been drawn, apart from the patio sliding door to let out the smoke during the hawan, a ceremonial fire.
Like her wedding day when the smoke had burned her eyes, Aria now shut her eyes tight and rid her mind of the miserable memory. It’s over.
Several seconds passed before she opened her eyes. She took a deep breath while her gaze surveyed the scene. Her stepmother, dressed to the nines as usual in a beige halter neck dress, sat near the sliding doors leading out to the pool, also in pressing want of an algae shock treatment. The other couches were taken up by three other women. Yep. They resembled a gaggle of witches in the making, if not already there yet. Although their sequined attire this early in the day left something to be desired.
“Aria?” Her stepmother’s startled cry drew the attention of the other ladies. Their chatter forgotten, all gazes drifted over Aria in a critical appraisal. “Oh, my God is that really you.” Red lips full in what Aria believed to be the woman’s best fake smile ever, her stepmother stood. Her sashay, similar to a wannabe cougar, Meena approached Aria with arms wide open. Repulsed, Aria remained rigid when the older woman clasped arms around her in an attempted hug.
She evaded the kiss with a quick turn of her cheek. “Hello, Meena.”
“What? Not Mom?” her stepmother asked, clearly offended.
Aria shrugged. “The title belongs to a woman who befits the role.”
“Don’t be rude, Aria,” Rosie, her stepmother’s sister, waddled her obese figure over to where Aria stood. Her smile as false as the rose on the hideous red number she wore.
“Why? What makes you think this woman was any mother to me?”
“How dare you come into my house and speak to me in this manner,” Meena screeched.
For the first time in the seventeen odd years she’d known the woman, Aria sensed her agitation. Her usually unruffled composure flew the coop. Perhaps Aria shooting Jay triggered the reaction. Probably scared her stepmother into treading cautiously around Aria. “This is my house, too, remember?”
Her stepmother’s brow wrinkled in confusion, but she said nothing.
“Leaving home doesn’t give you the right to behave in this manner,” Rosie scolded.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Rosie. Leaving home has given me the power to return and face this whore,” Aria gritted through clenched teeth. Her steely gaze darted to her stepmother.
“Why you ungrateful bitch, after everything I’ve done for you,” Meena stepped forward, hand raised to slap Aria.
Aria intercepted her arm with the ease of a striking viper. “Oh, no, you don’t, Meena.” She shoved the woman’s hand aside. “What exactly did you do for me that begs honor.”
By now, the other two women had approached. Her father’s sister, Tiny, aptly named, as she was a petite woman and Neeta. Her stepmother’s cousin. All three surrounded Aria as though ready to defend her stepmother in any way possible. Their stance held no threat. Aria was through being afraid of these women. Gone was the skittish bride forced to marry. In her place stood a strong independent woman ready to take on the world.
“Why? I clothed you, fed you, found you a good husband. How do you repay me? By shooting the man and running away.” Her hands on her hips, her stepmother glared at Aria.
“That wasn’t very nice of you, Aria,” Rosie’s shrill voice grated on Aria’s ears, similar to steel on steel.
“Not nice?” Aria laughed. “How pathetic. The man abused me for eight long years, and you call what I did, not nice. Really?”
“What?” Tiny asked her eyes large marbles of stunned concern.
“Yeah, thought you’d ask that. So, mother dearest, why don’t you enlighten the family on how I married Jay?” Aria faced her stepmother. “Not that it would do any good since none of you saw fit to question how I was married off without so much as a ceremony.” She turned on Tiny. “You never visited my father when he had his stroke or when he died. But here you are, drinking wine in his home with the woman who tore his daughter’s life to shreds.” Aria threw an accusatory glare at her father’s sister.
Her stepmother appeared ready to skedaddle at a moment’s notice. The other women turned questioning gazes on Meena, except for Neeta. She’d aided her cousin in the forced marriage and knew everything that had happened since Meena married Aria’s father.
“You’re still married to Jay, Aria.” Her stepmother evaded the other ladies probing gazes.
Aria uttered another chuckle. “Goes to show how clued up you are seeing as you’re an attorney. Tell me, Meena, when and where exactly you qualified as an attorney.”
“What?”
“Oh, cut the bull. You’re through fooling me. You weren’t an attorney. It’s questionable if you even passed grade twelve.” Aria’s harsh words held the desired effect. Her tummy danced a little jig of happiness as the once strong woman crumbled like a cake baked too soft. “And for your information, the divorce went through a month ago. I’m no longer married to that piece of slime. You’re more than welcome to him...if he ever makes parole.”
“What do you mean?” her stepmother’s flabbergasted expression spoke to her ignorance.
“It seems like the news hasn’t reached the coven as yet, and here I thought witches had immense capabilities. Maybe you do know about it and playing dumb as usual.” She squinted at the woman in disgust. “The bastard dared to kidnap me after his release. I shot him...again. So, this time he isn’t coming out...well, any time soon, or maybe he’ll die in there. Not a bad thing, though. Might save my attorney the hassle of fighting a worthless case.” Aria enjoyed her stepmother’s panic.
“God, Aria, you’re evil,” Neeta spoke up.
