I looked at her pale face and bandage filled body. Yug sat beside her wearing PPE kit. He held her hand and started speaking about all the activities he get to do today. How mom requested his school to give him transfer certificate, how his new school teachers contacted mom to confirm his admission. When I look at him, I see myself.  He loves her as much as I do. Yug hates detachment and that's exactly what I feared when I married Anagha.

'So you are joining same college.?' She asked me.

'Yes.'I replied.

'So you want me to keep our marriage a secret there.?'She asked with anger.

'That would be better for us both. ' I replied.

'So you thought it was fine to announce this to our parents without informing me? Dropping me off at my parents place without me knowing exact reason.?' She questioned and I kept my head down.

' I agree you wanted to keep our marriage a secret for YOUR safety. I also agree I am not that qualified for you to introduce me as your wife. I can understand how you want YOUR privacy at the college. What I don't get is, who are you to take decision for me? Who are you to decide that I should be living here at my parents house? What right have you got on me.?' She questioned angrily. I stood dumb looking at her.

Is she angry that I took this decision or does she not like to be my wife ?

'I am your..' I tried to reason with her.

'No! Please! You acted as if you are the only one who is married to me. I don't know what's running in your mind. When you said you are going to be with me my whole life and come wherever i go I did not expect this.' She shouted pushing me back.

It's been only 5 months since we both got married. We did not go anywhere for honeymoon or spent much time as she was busy preparing for entrance exams I  was busy wrapping up my superspeciality course. When I found out my application got approved, I was overjoyed to join here but Anagha got into same college as mine. After lot of convincing by her uncle I decided to accept the offer but with a condition of my own.

' Anagha, I want us to be happy and.." she cut me off in the middle.

'Dr Amogh Upadhyay, sorry my bad respected Sir. It's not appropriate to be at your students house  late night especially at MY home. If you are done kindly leave MY house and go back to YOUR home.' She stressed each and every word making me angry.

'What do you mean by YOUR home???? It's our house! Why do you need to make big fuss out of this!.' I shouted.

'Fuss? Marrying me was a fuss to you? When you are clearly not capable to handle me or this relation , you shouldn't have committed to it.  You should have married me when I had appropriate degree for you to boast about me, when YOU are settled enough to introduce me as your wife. Sir with all due respect, I don't find any relation between us. It's always a professional one. This decision of yours clearly shows you married me as you HAD to and now left me here as CHOSE to. ' She spoke with a calm voice moving two steps away from me. This small act of hers pained my heart.

Why did she move away from me like that?

'Anagha, you are taking me wrong. I did not chose to leave you here. You are not understanding how painful it will be for you to work when people know that I am your husband. You will be stressed due to course and now I will be your biggest problem there.'I spoke moving close to her.

'I am sorry SIR, I don't mingle with faculty nor move close to them at college or out side of it. Am not type of person who acts indifferent during college time and be lovey-dovey outside of it. For me commitment is being with the person no matter what I go through in my life. I would like someone to accept me, stay with me in all situations not like you out of overthinking and fear chose willingly to stay away when I will be needing you the most. Thank you for your companionship for these 5 months of our marriage, from now you will be my professor and I will address you as SIR out of respect. Kindly stand away from me, I might be married to you but when the person I marry does not like to acknowledge it...I feel this proximity even with him feels like I am cheating on someone.' She spoke with shaky voice and tears falling from her eyes. I did not move, I couldn't.  For a moment, my world looked as if an army of people stood before me with guns ready shoot at me. She took two steps away from me not looking into my eyes. I had no words to say what I feel now.

'If only you told me about your job offer and decision like this. I would have happily left my post graduation seat for you. I would have fought with my family not to force me to join there as you got job opportunity in same college.' She spoke turning around looking at me for the last time before leaving me alone.

They forced her?

Was I offered Job because of her uncle? Or my dad's reputation?

Mom entered the room wearing protection gear. She took Yug with her smiling at me. It's been 3 days since she was shifted to ICU. A long journey for her to recover. After 48hrs Akira declared she is out of danger but needs to be monitored until she regains her consciousness. I sat beside my wife holding her hands in mine.

" Open your eyes now. Who will I be with? I promised to be with you no matter what happens, I did as much as possible. Why are you being this way? Why did you join here? Stay away from me?" I asked with tearing falling from my eyes.

"You know it's not fair to torture me like this. Our 4th anniversary is in a week yet you haven't spoken about it like always. Are you still angry that I did not acknowledge you as my wife infront of everyone during you MD?" I questioned wiping my tears.

"Can you believe me? I might have revealed you as my wife to the world but I did stay with you.  For me you were never out of sight. Imagine these 5 months without you! Now please open you eyes Anagha." I cried not able to bear her silence and tubes attached to her. Someone placed their hand on my shoulder.

"She will wake up.  Her body is tired. Let her rest." Samridh spoke. I nodded my head and let him do whatever tests he had to. Dhruv stood at the door looking at me with unknown emotion. He's been wrapping up surgeries back in Mumbai to stay with Varna here. I am so happy to see him operate on my wife with the help of Akira and Samridh. He walked away from me with the same emotion. Since the moment I met him,  he has not spoken with me. I don't know what is wrong with him nor he tells me anything.

'Dhruv!" I called him out and he turned around with anger.

"What-" I was cut off by him punching me hard. My whole body swung and I fell down. Thankfully people in the corridor did not notice him punch me. They thought I fell down on my own. He bent to my level with anger radiating from him.

"You are supposed to protect her, cherish her presence in your life. Be with her at every stage of life. If she is in this condition, it is because of your insecurity and overthinking. She left you for 5 months? What about you? Did you talk with for 5 months properly? Do you know how much she missed you? Do you even know that she regrets not agreeing to your decision of hiding your relationship? Do you even fucking know how much your wife wanted you and loves you?!." He shouted holding me by my collar.

"Don't ever fucking demand her to wake up for YOU. Let her rest, let her body, mind rest as many years as she wants. You are talking about 4th anniversary? What about all 3 anniversary she wanted to spend with you? You are a big red flag Amogh. Set yourself straight when she wakes up. In this generation people don't think or act like you. You are extremely lucky she still wants to stick with you. " he said pushing me away. Samridh entered the corridor probably thinking what happened here.

"You are not the only one who lost people. She lost someone whom she thought will be with there. You are mourning for someone who is not in this world, she is doing for the person who constantly lives infront of her eyes yet ignores her presence. I pity her not you. " with that said he left me alone and walked away.

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