He went and stood beside her holding the railing as she simply stood there enjoying the faint breeze while looking at the moon. A few strands of her long straight hair touched him in the breeze along with the scent of her shampoo and body lotion.

“The restaurant was really nice” She told while still looking in front of her and he smiled.

“That's my favourite restaurant” He told and she turned to him. She had a small stroke of white powder on her forehead between her eyebrows making him confused.

“Vibhuti” She told and he raised his eyebrows.

“For positive energy. This spot between your eyebrows is said to have a major nerve and applying tika there prevents loss of energy. I'm a shiva devotee, so vibhuti” She told and he nodded.

“You used to put this everyday?” He asked and she hummed.

“I didn't notice” He told and she chuckled.

“You're looking at my face properly for the first time today then how will you notice?” She asked and he sighed.

“How do you maintain this long hair?” He asked and she shrugged.

“I don't do anything actually. This grows on it's own. I'm lazy to go to parlor to trim it so it grew long. When I say it grew, trust me my hair grows too fast” She told and he looked at it.

“Why do you have to trim it? It's really very beautiful” He told and she raised her eyebrows.

“You like long hair?” She asked and he shrugged.

“Why don't you grow long hair?” She asked teasingly and he chuckled.

“I'm happy with my hair” He told making her chuckle.

“The flowers are beautiful by the way. I'm just noticing it now” He told and she smiled.

“You know, when you were busy with your laptop, I used to come and stand here. I wished each and everyday if you followed me and stood beside me like this. Then we talk like you did now but nothing ever happened. Every time I gave you coffee, I stood there for a few seconds looking at you, thinking you'll at least—— I was grown as a single child but I never felt the loneliness of not having a sibling. Mom and dad never made me feel alone but in these three months, I went through all the loneliness I haven't gone through in my whole life. You know——” She stopped as she felt tears rolling down her eyes and quickly wiped it.

“Anika I——”

“Let's sleep” She told and turned to walk when he held her wrist halting her steps while her breath hitched in her throat.

“Let me complete. I can do nothing to give those three months back to you but I'll try not to make you alone again” He told before leaving her wrist and she turned to him.

“Pinky promise?” She asked and he looked confused at her.

“What's that?”

“Show your pinky finger like this” She told raising her pinky finger in front of him and he did confused.

She intertwined the fingers together and smiled at him.

“Pinky promise” She told and he chuckled.

“Ok pinky promise” He told locking her finger between his.

She tried to take her finger out but he didn't leave it. Shaking her finger slightly, she looked at him through her eyelashes and as if realising, he left her finger. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before turning to walk to the room smiling.

He rubbed his palm behind his neck with a smile before shaking his head and following her to the room.

*

They were silently having breakfast as usual but the difference was that, she kept peeking at him thinking he'll start a conversation. He raised his head from the plate to look at her as she quickly looked back at the plate.

“I don't have a habit of talking while eating. You're a doctor right?” He asked and she bit her lower lip before nodding.

“I know talking is bad while eating but I can't help talking. It's ok. I'll keep talking. You don't talk anything, just nod at times so that I can make sure you're listening” She told and he nodded.

And so she started talking while he kept nodding and shaking his head. At some point, he stopped concentrating on whatever she was talking, instead he simply looked at the way her lips moved and eyes dilated.

“Are you listening?” She asked.

He widened his eyes before shaking his head “I'm listening” he fumbled

“Ya and this guy added concentrated sulphuric acid to the salt solution. Oh God! In between the tension of practicals, this guy did this. You know the acid splashed out of the test tube directly onto his cheek. Thank God, it didn't go into his eyes” She told widening her eyes.

“And then?” He asked shocked.

“For a few weeks the skin was crumbled and all. After some time it turned a dark spot and eventually after one or two years, it turned normal” She told casually.

“You're too casual about it” He told surprised.

“These are all common. More dangerous accidents happen in chemistry lab. One day, my hand got burned with nitric acid. The pain was so bad. The skin over there was first yellow and then brown. The skin got peeled off and that's how it went off” She told with a sigh and he gulped.

“Hey Shivji!! Haven't you looked at the time? It's 8 already” She told with wide eyes and he turned to look at the clock.

“Shoot!” He told before getting up from the chair and rushing to the room.

She rushed behind him with his coffee as he drank just half cup. Fortunately or unfortunately, he was rushing out of the room at the same time resulting in them to collide with each other. Coffee got spilt on his shirt making his eyes go wide.

“Fhat the wuck” He shouted and Anika looked at him biting her lower lip, scared.

“I'm sorry Shivaay—I——”

“Oh just shut up and get lost” He shouted and rushed to the washroom to change.

Her lips quivered as she stood there rooted to her place. He walked out after changing and almost ran to the door while she stood there itself with her head down. Without another word, he walked out closing the door behind him with a loud sound startling her.

She gulped as she tried to control her tears. It was a mistake. What was the need to shout like that? She said sorry then why? She walked to the table and kept the cup of coffee there before sitting on the chair. Keeping her head on the table under her arm, she wiped the tear that escaped her eyes. Why was she even crying for him who never cared about her?

“Marriage is adjustment Anika. You both don't know about each other but now, you both are being tied to each other for the next seven births. Marriage is a scared relation and in this world where divorces takes place more commonly than marriages, Always remember that there's no problem you can't solve by talking. Talk to each other. Try to understand his point of view also” Her mother's words rang in her ear.

That was what she tried to do all these three months. She tried to understand his point of view but without him talking to her, what was she supposed to understand more? Her phone rang breaking her trance.

She took it and attended without looking who it was.

“Anika?” The caller asked and she quickly sat upright.

“Ha ma. Tell me” She told wiping her tears.

“You're fine na? Is he troubling you or something?” Jhanvi asked and she bit her lower lip.

“No ma. He—he just went to office. We're very happy here” She told softly.

“That's all I want to hear. My only relief is you. He doesn't call here because he's angry at us both. Don't know when can I hear his voice” Jhanvi told with a deep sigh.

“Don't worry ma. Everything will be fine” She told.

They talked for sometime before hanging the call.

“How can I tell her he's been venting out all his anger on me in the form of ignorance, as if I didn't exist in this house” She thought.

••|To Be Continued|••

A/N: Was Shivaay's behaviour right?