Mohit turned his face away in mock annoyance.
"Mohit, why are you acting like this?" Shikha asked, concern edging her voice.
"I am behaving! Oh God, Shikha, why did you have to do that? What was all that about? Paying for the meal... in front of everyone? You completely embarrassed me!" His irritation was clear. "If you wanted to pay, you could have given me the money later. But no, you had to do it there, in front of the waiter. What must he think of me now? I've been here before; everyone knows me."
"Mohit... okay, I'm sorry. But that's just who I am. It's a part of me. I didn't mean to embarrass you, but I'm a feminist. If a woman talks about equality, she should also be willing to act on it. That's what I believe," Shikha explained calmly.
"Shikha! So, splitting 1500-1500 rupees makes you feel equal? Wow, what a profound philosophy," Mohit retorted, his sarcasm biting.
"First of all, Mohit, mind your tone. And yes, it may seem small to you, but small actions lead to big changes. You may not agree, and honestly, I don't care," she said, her voice firm but composed.
She took a deep breath. "Mohit..."
But Mohit turned away, his mood still sour.
"Mohit... you didn't get me anything sweet," she said, gently tugging at his shoulder. "Mohit, please... I really want ice cream," she pleaded as he continued to ignore her. "Mohit, let's go for ice cream... okay, you can pay this time, Mr. Big Spender."
"Stop talking about money," Mohit grumbled.
"Please?" she said, pouting.
"You girls are so cunning... always making those puppy-dog eyes to get your way," he said with a resigned smile, pulling the car over in front of an ice cream parlour. "What flavour do you want?"
"Butterscotch, in a cone," she replied, her pout still in place.
"Alright... wait here. I'll get it," Mohit said, stepping out of the car. As he walked away, he thought, This girl is driving me crazy.

Five minutes later, Mohit returned, balancing two ice cream cones. He walked around to Shikha's side, where she was on the phone with her mum. Handing her the cones, he slid back into the driver's seat, waiting for her to finish. She struggled to manage the cones while keeping the phone pressed to her ear, and Mohit took one back, gesturing for her to hurry before they melted. Finally, she hung up.
"Thanks," she said with a smile.
"Hmm," he responded.
She took a bite of her ice cream, but noticed Mohit wasn't eating his. He was simply watching her.
"What? Aren't you going to eat? It's melting," she said, offering him a tissue.
"I'm eating, I'm eating," he muttered, wiping his mouth.
She frowned. "Mohit, wipe your chin properly."
He checked his reflection in the rearview mirror and cleaned himself up, shaking his head with a small smile.

They finished their ice creams, and Mohit drove them home in comfortable silence. Both exhausted from the day, they changed into their nightclothes and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Shikha woke at 7:00 am, feeling an unfamiliar warmth inside her, a quiet joy that made her feel different. She turned to look at Mohit, still fast asleep, looking endearing in his vulnerability. Smiling softly, she brushed a strand of hair from his forehead and placed a gentle kiss there, blushing slightly as she slipped out of bed to freshen up.

After fifteen minutes, Shikha reappeared, and the doorbell rang. She opened the door to find the milkman standing outside.
"Are you the lady of the house?" he asked politely.
"Yes, just a moment," she replied, quickly fetching a pot to collect the milk.
After putting the milk on the stove to boil, she returned to the bedroom. Mohit was still sprawled in bed. She smiled, approaching his side softly.
"Mohit, wake up. It's 7:30. Don't you have to go to work?" she whispered, gently shaking his shoulder.
"Hmmm..." Mohit mumbled, turning in bed.
Shikha moved to the window, pulling back the curtains, letting sunlight flood the room. Mohit groaned in protest, burying his face deeper into the pillow. She returned to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Mohit, it's time to get up," she urged.
Mohit rolled over, his face landing directly in her lap. Shikha froze, her breath catching, unsure how to react. Goosebumps ran up her arms as she hesitantly ran her hand through his hair.
"Mohit... what are you doing? Wake up, it's me," she said softly.
Realizing where he was, Mohit jolted upright, startling both of them. They locked eyes for a moment, tension crackling in the air. Shikha's heart pounded in her chest as she quickly got up and left the room, the moment hanging between them, unresolved.

Alone in the room, Mohit grabbed a pillow, frustrated, and hit himself lightly on the head with it. Muttering to himself, he rushed to the bathroom, then dashed out again to grab his towel before retreating back inside to freshen up.

By 9:00 am, Mohit was dressed and ready, socks in hand. As he walked out into the living room, he could smell the breakfast Shikha was preparing in the kitchen. He sat on the couch, pulling on his shoes, sneaking glances at her from time to time. In her oversized pajamas and loose bun, she looked effortlessly adorable, and he found himself smiling.

When she finally came to the table, Shikha served him poha, tea, and some bread. Mohit immediately began eating, but he noticed she wasn't sitting down.
"Aren't you going to eat?" he asked, puzzled.
"You go ahead. I'll eat later," she replied, avoiding his gaze.
"No way. I'm not eating alone. Come on, sit with me," he insisted, serving her a portion before she could refuse. Reluctantly, she sat beside him.
"So, what's your plan for today?" Mohit asked between bites.
"Not much. I need to organize my things and tidy up the place," Shikha said, sipping her tea.
"Hmmm. Tell Vimla to help you," Mohit suggested.
"Yeah, I will," Shikha agreed.
"I'll try to come home early to help, if you need it," Mohit offered.
"No, no. You already took a half-day yesterday. I'll manage; it's not that much work," Shikha reassured him.
"Yeah, yeah, Miss Feminist," Mohit teased with a grin.
"Ha ha, very funny," Shikha replied, rolling her eyes playfully.

After breakfast, Mohit left for work, and shortly after, Vimla arrived to clean the house. While she worked, Shikha busied herself organizing her things, arranging her closet meticulously. By 2:00 pm, the house was in order, and she wiped the sweat from her brow before heading to the bathroom.

Once refreshed, she called Mohit.
"Hey," Mohit answered, his voice a bit muffled as he shuffled through papers in his office.
"Hi... what's up?" Shikha asked, leaning back on the couch.
"Just busy with some files. What about you? Did you finish organizing everything?" Mohit asked.
"Yeah, I just wrapped it up. I'm so tired," she sighed.
"Hmmm... You're just now getting around to bathing?" Mohit asked, surprised.
"Yes, and now I feel much better. Did you eat anything? Should I bring you something?" Shikha offered.
"No, no, don't bother. The office has a big canteen; I'll grab something," Mohit replied.
"Hmm... You keep saying I embarrass you, Mohit. Is that really how you feel?" she teased.
"Shikha, not again," he said, exasperated. "I was just saying it in passing. Don't take it seriously."
"Okay, okay. I won't," Shikha laughed, easing the tension.
"Alright. Did you eat something?" Mohit asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
"Not yet. I'm thinking of making something easy. I don't feel like cooking for just myself," Shikha admitted.
"Shall I order something for you?" Mohit offered.
"No, no, too much outside food will make me fat. And you already called me fat yesterday," Shikha teased with a playful tone.
Mohit chuckled. "Alright, but make sure you eat something. Talk to you later."
"Yeah, bye," Shikha replied with a smile.

Shikha went to the kitchen, made herself a quick bowl of instant noodles, and after eating, took a brief nap. By the time she woke up, the afternoon had passed, and it was already 7:00 pm. She hurriedly prepared dinner and set the table, just as Mohit arrived home.

As he walked through the door, he could smell the familiar scent of their home.
"Why is the gate open?" Mohit wondered aloud.
"Shikhaaa... where are you?" he called out, looking around.
Shikha, busy folding clothes on the balcony, heard him and smiled. She stepped back inside.
"You're home," she said warmly.
"Yeah, but why is the door open?" Mohit asked.
"Oh, the laundry guy came to drop off your clothes. I must've forgotten to close it," Shikha explained.
"Be careful next time," Mohit said, frowning slightly.
"Sorry... Go freshen up. Dinner's ready," Shikha smiled, brushing off the momentary tension.
"Did you eat?" she asked.
"Hmmm..." Mohit mumbled.
"What?" Shikha pressed, raising an eyebrow.
"I had a sandwich," Mohit admitted.
Shikha rolled her eyes. "From tomorrow, you're taking a tiffin to the office."
"What? No way," Mohit protested.
"No arguments. From tomorrow, you'll eat home-cooked food, whether you like it or not. And don't even think about throwing it away or giving it to someone else!" Shikha warned, sounding like a strict mother.
Mohit knew better than to argue further.

The next morning, just as promised, Shikha handed him a neatly packed tiffin as he was about to leave for work.
"Shikha, seriously..." Mohit groaned.
"No complaints. Just take it and go," she insisted, practically pushing him out the door.
Reluctantly, he stuffed the tiffin in his bag and headed to the office.

At precisely 2:00 pm, Piyush strolled into Mohit's office with a cheeky grin.
"Lunch?" Piyush asked, eyeing Mohit's bag curiously.
Mohit sighed, pulling out the tiffin. Piyush burst into laughter, clutching his stomach as he doubled over.
"Shut up, man," Mohit grumbled, glaring at him.
Still chuckling, Piyush followed Mohit to the canteen. As they walked in, the other employees turned to stare.
"Newly married, huh?" one of them teased, noticing the tiffin.
Mohit shot him a withering look and sat down. Piyush, still laughing, ordered something for himself, while Mohit opened his tiffin and began eating. Piyush, unable to resist, snatched a bite and raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Wow, your wife's cooking is good," he admitted.

Just then, Mohit's phone buzzed. It was Shikha.
Reluctantly, he picked up.
"Hello," he said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.
"Have you eaten?" Shikha's voice was soft, almost apologetic.
"I'm eating right now, Shikha," he replied, unable to mask his annoyance.
"How is it?" she asked hesitantly.
"It's good," Mohit said curtly.
"Okay... Talk to you later then," Shikha said quietly, sensing his mood.
Without another word, Mohit hung up, threw his phone down, and stormed out of the canteen, leaving Piyush and everyone else watching in stunned silence.

___