She returned late. She could have gone home earlier but she contemplated if he left yet.

In the quiet space, the click of the door was sharp.

The lights were off and the house seemed empty. But something felt off. It was warm. Was he still around?

She walked a little in and turned on the light. Silver shined on the table. The food was still wrapped hot. She sighed.

She had already had an early dinner and then strolled through the city square for three whole hours before she returned. She was hungry. She sat and ate peacefully.

When he heard the door open and close, he was finally relieved. He tried to sleep but he was wide awake.

When he walked out to greet her, she was eating what he had cooked. She looked a little lost and a little dreamy.

"If you like that food so much, you should consider having me around."

She looked at the sudden interruption startled. He watched for some time leaning on the wall. Then he left her alone and went into the bedroom, finally falling asleep as soon as he fell into the mattress.

After she was done eating and cleaning, she was ready for sleep too.

When she saw their bed, she shouted, "Sleep on one side!" The man was sprawling across the bed leaving her no space.

He did not budge.

She pulled him off the bed holding one hand. She moved him a foot and that was enough for him to wake up.

"Hmm?" he squinted his eyes. He pulled her onto the bed, adjusted himself and her.

She struggled. It was outright embarrassing, and uncomfortable, the way her breasts were squeezed together, and one half out of her slip beneath her nightgown. "Roll over, roll over!" she kept disturbing him.

"Shh..."

He hugged her till morning.

∼•∽

In the morning by the time she woke up, a nice smell wafted to her. She freshened up and waited to be served food. While she could cook, she hated cooking. Moreover, he cooked pretty well, although it could not be called delicious.

"Good morning," he bent and kissed her lips softly.

The two ate calmly.

Once done, she asked him again, "When are you going?"

"Going where?"

"Your home."

"My flat?"

She nodded.

"I sold it."

"Ah, then where do you live now?"

"Here..."

"Your work also shifted here?"

"Here, I mean, here in this apartment. And no, work is still the same, I said I'll work remotely. I'll probably have to show up at the office once in a while."

"Here? Here... is not your home." The pause in her sentence showed how assertive she was.

"Throw me out, I'll just resign from my job, transfer all ownership of Hidden to the seniors and then go to the police, penniless and unemployed. You'd have to take care of me by law." In fact, he could go to the court for his conjugal rights, but the result would be a divorce on rather bad terms.

She took a moment to assess what he said. She had no idea if that was how things worked. She asked him once again, "Why don't we get a divorce?"

"Why?"

"You seem to have a problem with me, that's why!"

"It is you that has a problem with me."

"Fine, it's me that has a problem and it's me that's seeking a divorce!"

"I won't agree." He sounded nonchalant. In fact, he was. Since he decided to hold on to her, he'd see how far they'd go fighting like this. Moreover, there are their parents. They would be very sad if they get to know these things. If worst comes to worst he would tell them everything and seek their help to speak some sense into her. No matter how much he tried, he could see no problem at all.

"What do you need to agree?"

"I'll never agree."

"I really shouldn't have trusted you. You said you're fine living apart." Her voice choked. It was the second time he saw her cry. All in one day. She stood up to walk away.

Was he so bothersome? So burdensome? Flustered, he quickly caught her wrist and said, "I'll leave."

For some reason he remembered the date. Ironically enough, that day was exactly 11 years after they broke up.

Back in highschool, they were great friends. When she was in the last year of school, he had confessed with a thin hope. If it was someone else, she'd outright say "I'm sorry" and leave.

To him she gave a response the next day. "I'm not interested in all of this," she said and pursed her lips. She looked so adorable when she did that. He was 3 years older than her and at that time, he was much taller than her. She looked up and asked him seconds later, "But will you not talk to me anymore if I say no?" They rarely stood that close now.

He was sad at that time and perhaps a little angry with her. "I will feel like a failure, so I won't talk to you." He almost left after saying that little lie. There was no way he'd keep distance from her. Two days later he'd be hanging out with her as usual. To his surprise, she said, "Then, I will be your girlfriend."

He kissed her cheek and smiled brightly. They were boyfriend and girlfriend for a week. Then they broke up. Rather, he relented, seeing the complete lack of interest on her side.

She apologised but he thought he could do better. But he really shouldn't have bothered her even now. It was true when she said she did not want a marriage and wanted to be single for life. Only now did he understand. He did not keep joking with himself any longer.

"I'll leave now..."

∼•∽

A month had gone by. None heard from the other.

Back in Delhi, preparations were on for his younger sister's wedding. He was busy. So busy that he did not even inform his wife.

"When is she coming?" His mother asked him a tenth time.

"Maa.. look at how busy I am..."

"Did you even tell her?" He did not. Every time he wanted to, he skipped, telling himself there was much work at hand. He was busy doing a lot of things for his sister's wedding. He was the eldest son so the key role of arranging everything was on him.

"I... Whoa, whoa!" A helper caught his attention mid-sentence. "He's going to the market already! I have one item to add!" He ran away.

"Going to the market happens twice every day now! Tsk. What's the hurry?" She called out but he didn't bother to listen.

The last one month he invested himself in every activity he could. One of his assistants was left so idle, he decided to drive him to and from work. But still, with 2 extra assistants, his work was over sooner everyday and he went for a run. For a week on his track he saw a mother teaching her little girl to multiply numbers and the girl always got it wrong and the woman got frustrated. He taught the girl multiplication and division in twenty days. She was not even told addition and subtraction properly, and so it took a lot of time. The day before he was called back to his parents home, the woman even asked him in which school he worked and if he could home tutor her daughter. He politely declined. He told her he'd go back to France soon because his wife lived there. He had mixed feelings as he said that.

When his run was over, he rested and thought back to his wife. What a selfish queen she was!

The wedding was fixed on the tenth day from now.

He finally decided that not telling his wife now would be too late, so he called her. He'd call her again two days before the wedding to remind her. Until then he did not know what to tell his family. If it was before her transfer, things were stagnant but predictable. Now, he had no idea. All he knew was that he achieved a stronger resentment from her. But how long could the excuse of being busy go on?

"Long time." She greeted him smoothly.

"Sister's wedding is on the twenty-fifth. You have to be there."

"Ah. There isn't even a week left..." She felt she was left out. While she had many acquaintances, few of them counted as friends, even few as real friends. Even among these true friends, only some would actually invite her, with the intention of having her around. She could make out that difference and it was better to save herself some time than being there, so she rarely attended any functions.

She had known Ramit and Ria since childhood and they were real friends. He could have told her earlier. She would have already been there.

He had already put his phone away from his ear to give some instructions to someone.

"Hello?" she said as she heard all the hubbub from the other side.

He did not respond. It seemed he did not hear her.

"Hello?" she raised her voice and it caught his attention.

"Please be there, okay?" he said and hung up.

She looked at her phone and sighed. Seems, he was mad at her for asking him to leave. Well, it was not out of her expectations so she would turn a blind eye to him should he express his dissatisfaction.

∼•∽

When she finished her work for the day, she quickly got up from her seat and went around the table arranging her files and papers.

She ran to her boss, the knocking of her heels catching quite some attention. She told him she would use her earned leaves that topped 2 weeks. She had been working with this firm from the final semester of her MBA, for almost 2 years now.

Her specialisation was International Business Management. She did not think much into the future when she chose it. She had one goal after her college. To get out of her parent's home. The word 'international' in the name of a course beckoned her.

During her internship however, she knew she did not like the job. She looked into the work of her peers, who were in other departments. One job appealed to her.

She studied finance, alongside her job. She also went around the finance department in her free time learning how they worked, ignoring stares that said she was unwelcome there. When she was ready, she went to her manager to be shifted into the finance department. She was denied, although her manager agreed that she was better suited to be on the finance side. Then she did an intense certification programme and was finally given a job in which she did not have to deal with new people everyday.

"That's 17 days. Are you going to visit your family?"

"Yes," she said. Her boss was a middle aged man who brought his younger sister's idiot kids along on random days.

The man sighed. This woman was the most unfriendly one in the office. While others told him the reason before asking for a leave, he had to guess this lady's reason. When his counterpart for the APAC region said she was a diligent worker, he had some misgivings because she was young and had a degree that did not match the job profile. But with the last few months of experience with her, he had to admit, she worked rather fast. And she was bold enough to cut his calls on the weekend. Well, what could be said, she was more efficient than himself!

"The two reports from last week are done. I'll let you hand this week's over to my junior."

"Sure." He nodded. Who was the boss! But it's okay, only her junior knew the details. That was the only reason he considered her 'request'.

She almost left but turned around, "Give that case only to her." He gave her a tight smile.

∼•∽

Soon, she booked a flight ticket, drove home, packed all of her clothes, footwear and toiletries, took out all the vegetables and put them in the community refrigerator, and put her garbage out. She was looking forward to the wedding. It was not a lot of times she got to be with so many people, who actually meant something in her life. It would be so merry.

She looked around the house and did not find anything to pack further.

It was late afternoon. She locked her home, went down, covered her car to keep it off dust and called a cab. At the airport she had some food. It was almost time for the flight as she dragged her luggage. This was her first big break from her job. It was going to be so refreshing. She had a list of things planned.

When she arrived, it was early in the morning. She hurried to the cab stand but turned around to check if there was anyone to fetch her. She did not find anyone. It was within expectation, she had not told him when she was coming.

Once she landed at her in-law's home, she got festive vibes just by looking at the building from outside.

As early as it was, people were around, doing some miscellaneous things. She walked and saw that no one was up yet. She quietly went into Ramit's room. He seemed to be fully in slumber.

She freshened up and went into the big hall. She had slept through her long flight and was feeling active now. She never had jet lag and she was happy about that.

She walked around for a while. It seemed there'd be some pooja this day. Flower decorations were everywhere. Had she not started as soon as he told her, she'd have definitely missed a lot.

Her stomach grumbled and she walked into the kitchen to rummage the fridge for some food.

She took some stuff out and cooked a good amount. There were a lot of people in the house now and it definitely would not go to waste.

When she sat down to eat, "Di!" the central character of the wedding, Ria, called her. The young woman sprinted and hugged her, "Are you really here? I am not dreaming, am I!"

She laughed and took out another bowl for the bride who followed her a step behind.

"Ria, why didn't you tell me sooner? I only found out that you are getting married yesterday!"

"Brother didn't tell you? I wanted to but mom said my brother would tell you. Brother is really busy though." She mumbled some insults at her brother with a pout.

"Alright, eat up, I'm hungry."

The two sat across each other.

Once done, Ria dragged her to discuss clothes to bangles to make-up.

∼•∽

When Ramit woke up, a light coloured travel bag caught his eyes. Last time he saw something like that was with his wife. Perhaps someone got the same kind and moved it here for whatever purpose. He didn't mind much and went downstairs, got his breakfast and started sorting out things.

His mother slapped him from behind. "Maa, what?" He was used to it.

"When is she coming?"

"She must be busy. I'll call her again."

His mother was displeased and slapped him again and went away. Her daughter in-law still had to select sarees for the occasion.

"Maa," Ria called out from her room.

She went in and she was surprised. "Geetha! When did you come?" It was a pleasant surprise.

"Maa. How are you?" She bent down but the older woman did not give her a chance to touch her feet.

"Good, dear." Perhaps her son planned a surprise so he did not tell her, she let it be.

Ria, who was swinging Geetha's hand for attention, looked at her mom and said, "Which suits di better?" She had two glittering saree accessories in her hands. Next the ladies were completely into their saree selection.

Finally they left the room when it was time for lunch.

∼•∽