Renuka continued to walk with polythene bags in her hands. It was still raining and water had accumulated in front of the chawl. Renuka lifted her clothes carefully so that they do not touch the water. She took slow steps towards the chawl.

Her sister Naina, who was standing on the balcony, noticed her. Naina held the door wide open for Renuka to enter. Renuka got goosebumps as soon as she entered through the door. There was an unusual silence in the house. She felt that something was not right at that moment. She looked at her sister with suspicious eyes.

Naina said,"Tai, many things happened today. Aai and Baba had a fight...."

Renuka kept the vegetables in the kitchen. After freshening up, she threw herself on her bed. Naina entered the room and sat on a chair. Her eyes were fixed at Renuka, who was unbothered by her presence. It seemed to her that Renuka was not at all interested in the fight that had occurred in the house. She could not hold herself any longer.

"Tai!"

"What?"

"I told you that Aai and Baba had a fight today."

"So? What's new in that? They fight everyday. But if you still want to tell me the story, then do it. Otherwise you won't be able to digest your food, right?"

"What are you saying, Tai?"

"Stop beating around the bush! Just tell me what happened!"

"Aai found a love letter and a gift box among Priya's things today. She showed them to Priya and demanded answers. At that time, Baba was at home. He was drunk. Aai checked her bag and found a movie ticket in it. Turns out, Priya bunked school and went for a movie with her boyfriend.

After hearing that, Baba started beating her. Aai stopped him. But then, Baba slapped Aai and said,'You are responsible for all of this. Is this how you raise your daughters? You are a bad omen! You came to my life as a rope around my neck.' Aai got angry. She stood up and started hitting Baba. She hurled abuses at him."

"Is that all that you had to say?"

"Were you even listening, Tai?"

"I was."

"But you seem so unbothered."

"Does it even bother the ones who engaged in that fight? If they don't care, why should I? Baba was drunk. He is in the bar now. He is drinking wine. After that, he will go to gamble and end up losing his money just like the other days. He will return at midnight and fall asleep. Tomorrow morning, when he wakes up sober, he won't even remember what happened today. And then comes Aai. She was clearly asking for it. Why did she put up with him for all these years? He just wasted all the resources on crazy business adventures. When everything failed, he started drinking. Instead of leaving a man who was clearly destroying himself, she decided to stay. It is her fault."

"What could she do? How could she leave him? What would she do alone? And he is our father. How can you speak about him like that?"

"Staying with him did no good to her either. She would have been much happier if she had stayed alone. And don't try to act as a 'good daughter of a father' in front of me. Do you understand? What kind of father neglects his daughters? What kind of father wastes his money on wine and gambling instead of bringing home groceries?"

Naina left the room after hearing those bitter words from Renuka.

Renuka sighed. She turned to the other side of the bed. She pulled the curtains with her foot. It had stopped raining. The moon was playing hide-and-seek among the clouds. She closed her eyes and remembered Ajay. It was their first date. No one had ever asked her out on a date before. The date was nothing like what she had fantasized since her childhood.

She did not walk down the stairs of a mansion wearing a long dupatta or a nice saree like the heroines in Karan Johar and Yash Raj Chopra's movies. They also did not meet accidentally in a temple or get married accidentally during a festival like the male and female leads of Ekta Kapoor's TV serials. It was a simple arranged marriage and they had a simple date.

The 'samosa-date' was too simple. Yet, she liked it a lot. She could not stop thinking of his enchanting eyes and dark eyebrows. She felt attracted towards him.

She took her mobile phone and thought of texting him. But then, she abandoned the idea. She was afraid that she would mess up with something. So, she kept the phone back and decided to sleep.

Renuka was sleeping peacefully but on the other hand, Ajay's night had turned sleepless. He could not stop thinking about Renuka. He said to himself,"My dear Renuka, I can't wait to have you beside me. Once you come to me, consider that you are stuck here with me. I will never let you go away. Never! I will always keep you in my heart."

His mother had heard his voice. She said to him,"What are you murmuring?" He looked at her but did not say anything. He was trying hard not to smile in front of her. After getting no response from him, she said,"Stop murmuring and sleep. It is already late."

Ajay stopped murmuring and tried to sleep. He could not sleep when his mind was occupied with Renuka's thoughts. But still, he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

As I had mentioned earlier, Ajay stopped murmuring. But that did not ensure silence in the house. There were other things that were making sounds.

The cricket was chirping and the street dogs were howling. Somewhere, a faint murmur could be heard. The sounds of murmuring were coming from the other room in the house. Ajay's brother Bhavesh was talking to his wife Swati.

Swati had kept her head on her husband's chest. She opened the buttons of his shirt and started playing with the hair on his chest. Bhavesh was caressing her head. He saw what Swati was doing.

"What are you doing? Stop pulling the hair on my chest?"

"Why?"

"Don't do this."

"Please......... let me do that....."

"But why do you want to do that?"

"I like it. There is no specific reason. I just like to do that."

"Well, I don't really have any problem."

"Bhavesh...."

"Yeah???"

"The wedding is near."

"Yes, it is. The wedding shopping is almost done. There are a few things left. It will be over soon."

"I want to ask you something."

"I know what you will ask for, my dear wife."

"Oh! So you know everything?"

"Yes, I know everything. I will go to the market tomorrow. I will bring a saree for you."

"Do you know what else I want?"

"Lipstick? Kajal?"

"I mean......what I want right now......Do you know that?"

Bhavesh smirked. He pinched her waist making her gasp. The very next moment, she found him on top of her. He gently pecked her lips and winked at her.