***Hriday***

I look at Shravni as her eyes darken as she looks at my back. I can't help but smirk.

I've never been concious about my physical appearance. I've been often complimented for my looks as well. Not to boast or anything but women stare at me all the time. But it's completely different when that stare belongs to Shravni.

It's just the looks. You're a piece of shit on the inside.

My dark thougts come to an hault when my wife's gaze shifts further down. Ab toh mujhe bhi sharam aa rahi hai.

"Shravni!"

She blinks and looks up at me. "Huh?"

"Where's my blue kurta?" I ask as her face becomes red that I caught her red handed.

"It's in the other bag" she says distractedly and goes inside the washroom.

I shake my head and stop when it hurts a little. This fucking hangover. Muft me daaru milne pe bewde log jaise peete hai waise pee gaya kal. What was wrong with me.

Aur peeya toh peeya, khaamakhaan sab Shravni ke saamne bol diya. What a desperate bastard I am.

Hey Shravni I saw you fours years back in the rain and stared at you like a creep. I then went ahead and splashed you with keechad showing you the middle finger. Why you ask? Because I got so attracted to you the moment I laid eyes on you. Am I not amazing? Oh by the way I like you. Do you like me?

Wow Hriday. Sach me chutiya hai tu. Fuck!

I grimace thinking about how desperate and cheap I must've seemed yesterday. And now Shravni wants to know why didn't I ever tell her any of it. What am I supposed to say to that? That I have always been attracted towards her? That I was jealous thinking that there's something between her and Ekansh?

I can't tell her any of my real feelings. Abhi abhi toh kuch hone laga hai humare beech. We have this undeniable spark between us and I know she can feel it too. But first I need to know whether she likes me too. I'm not gonna make a move unless I'm sure that she's ready to take our relationship ahead.

Humare beech ye jo bhi hai vo bahot naazuk hai. Our relationship is built on the grave of Ekansh's. I have to tread very carefully. Shravni has nobody except me and our family. If I, in anyway, hurt her, she'll be broken beyond repair. She's lost a lot in life. Just yesterday I saw buaaji literally kick her to the ground. Just thinking about it gets me so angry.

And to think that I've been like buaaji before. Tortured her, given her so much mental trauma, made her cry. I can't ever hurt her again. She's been so damaged in her past years and then by Ekansh's death. I've seen her fist her hands so tight that her nails dug under her skin making them bleed.

I'm gonna help you in anyway I can Shravni. I'm gonna always be there for you. I'll never hurt you, nor let anybody do it.

The door opens and my thoughts come to a complete hault as I see my wife looking gorgeous as ever. I called her a aafat yesterday na? Aafat toh hai. Mere liye aafat hi hai.

She is wearing a blue dress which is coincidentally matching the colour of my kurta. Dia Mirza se bhi jyada khoobsurat agar koi dikhti hai iss world me toh vo hai Shravni.

Sorry Dia ma'am, ab shaadi ho gayi toh biwi ki bhi thodi taarif karni padti hai.

Sorry toh aise bol raha hu jaise vo khud hai yaha meri taarif sunne ke liye. Mann me hi bola mai.

"You look great" I finally say it out aloud as she applies lipstick.

I can't seem to look away from her soft plump lips and when she replies back, I'm too distracted to actually hear what she says.

Don't look at her lips you creep!

I look at her as she looks at me questioningly.

Shit I wasn't even listening. Kya bolu?

"Yes" I reply. Yes bolna safe hai.

She looks at me like I told her two plus two is equal to the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.

Fuck. Safe nahi tha.

"I asked you what time lunch is going to be served. Yes kya bol rahe ho".

"Pura sunn lo. I was saying yes, 12 baje".

"That doesn't make sense".

"You don't make sense".

She takes a deep breath and I internally kick my butt for acting like a dick. Bahot jhelti hai mujhe and I just keep testing her patience.

"Let's skip breakfast. Waise bhi 12 bajj hi gaye hai. Should we go downstairs and have lunch?" She asks.

"Yea let's do that".

We go down to the big hall where lunch is being served. The aroma of spices fills the air and my stomach growls in hunger. Please mujhe uncle aunties se baksh do. Hopefully koi mujhe dekha na-

"Hriday beta!" I hear a shrill voice.

"Fuck no" I mutter under my breath as Shravni gives me a disapproving look.

"Pehchaana? Arre mai Shubham ke chachi ki mauseri behen. Abhi kuch saal pehle toh mile the hum. Bhool gaye? Maine apne haatho se jalebiyaan khilayi thi tumhe" stranger aunty tells me excitedly.

"Ha ha yaad hai na" I say.

"Kaise yaad rahega? Kuch bhi bolte ho. Shubham ke pehle janmdin pe dekha tha tumhe. Mujhpe susu kar di thi tumne" she starts laughing loudly. Shravni puts her hand on her mouth to control her laugh and I glare at her.

Stranger aunty goes on laughing without taking a breath and I get worried that she dies of laughter. Saans toh lo!

What the fuck?!

"Maine laal saari pehni thi yaad hai" she asks again and I purse my lips to not give her a piece of my mind.

Before I answer her she herself starts talking. "Kaise yaad rahega. Tab toh tum chhote the. Ye tumhari biwi hai na Shravni. Beta 6 mahine ho jaayenge na ab shadi ko? Good news kab doge haaaaaaaaa?"

Me and Shravni look at each other with a horrified expression on our face.

"Kya dekh rahe ho ek dusre ko aise. Humare zamane me toh aurate dus dus bachhe paida karte the. Abhi ke bachhe toh waise bahot naazuk hai. Waise kasoor mardo ka hi hai. Vo zamaane me mardo me kaafi sfurti rehti thi. Aaj kal ke ladke toh bass vo office me ek jagah baith ke dheele pad gaye hai. Nahi Shravni? Hriday me sfurti hai ke nahi".

My mouth falls open and I look at Shravni who is the same shock.

Suddenly someone calls stranger aunty. "Haiinnn? Gulab jamun bhi hai? Maine toh nahi khaaye. Mujhe toh dikhe hi nahi.." she leaves both of us standing there like idiots.

What the fuck just happened. I feel shook to the core.

I look at Shravni and clear my throat. "Khana khaye". She nods still looking at the place where stranger aunty disappeared.

We sit on a corner table as the waiter brings us our starters.

"Kya khatarnak aunty thi na?" I say taking a bite of the chicken.

"Hmm" she answers.

"By the way me and Shubham are of the same age. So that thing.. that thing that I did was acceptable for my age. I was little" I say awkwardly.

"Okay" she says not looking up at me. I frown. I expected a bad ass retort from her. Maybe she's just very hungry. Thoda khana pet me jaayega toh she'll be fine.

***

I was wrong. It was not that she's hungry. She is angry on me. She didn't talk to me yesterday at all, successfully avoiding me. I didn't think much of it as she was busy in the mehendi ceremony. She went to sleep before me and when I woke up she was gone. I was mostly busy with Shubham too, but whenever I saw Shravni, it was like she was purposely keeping herself busy.

I saw her helping with the flower decorations, she was also teaching a group of old uncles how to download old Hindi songs. She was then taking care of a baby girl who was around two years old and I don't know whose kid but the whole sight was really really cute to look at.

Everyone is already in love with her.

I was not sure whether she's angry on me until today evening during haldi ceremony when she literally slapped the haldi on my face and rubbed it angrily. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Pagli.

Kal shadi hai. Ghar wale sab aayenge early morning. And bass fir trip khatam. Bahot saalo baad mujhe itna maza aaya. Tomorrow is the last day of enjoyment and parso subah early morning, back to Mumbai. Vohi daily routine shuru.

Yaha pura din Shravni ke saath reh kar achha lag raha tha.

I look at her sleeping form on the bed. Aaj bhi jaldi so gayi. I want to shake her awake and ask her why she's been avoiding me. Although I know the answer.

Should I tell her how I feel?

***

You guys are so not ready for the big shock in the next chapter!! Anyway thanks for bearing with me and patiently waiting for chapters.. i love you guys.. and I hope everyone is safe.. WEAR A MASK!