There was a misty environment, as the bus passed through the streets of Calcutta. Gayatri's eyes, though droopy, still found the time to capture the night vista. The bus by then, had less passengers as it travelled through the about-to-be deserted road.

The moon's glory was at its best and so was Gayatri's tired face. Her mind was recapitulating the day's event, as she sat with a tranquil demeanour. It was Raghav's childhood pal's wedding reception. The one whom he considered very close.

A sense of delight bubbled inside her, after attending the wedding ceremony. Though, she wasn't much into it but visiting after several months, into such rhapsody environment, made her feel so.

Maybe, the complements too acted as catalyst in making her feel light at that moment, which were masked somewhere by her own self.

"Ready?" A husky voice came out of nowhere in the, reposed bus. She looked towards her co-passenger, to find Raghav with a slight smirk dancing on his lips. His face was flashing under the low light intensity of the bus light, with chiack and..passion?

Like a shot, his face reminded her of her trip, when they both met for the first time in their journey to Digha. After many years.

Bus. Them. But this time they were mutually indifferent towards each other.
Unlike that day, where an indiscernible attraction between them was hinting.

"For what?" She asked nonchalantly.

He kept his hand on the front seat, drumming his fingers and looked at her, friskily and whispered,"For Howrah Bridge."

She pursed her lips in a thin line, then twisted them and a small smile made down on Raghav's lips. She recalled herself of the argument she had with him, before going for the gathering. Rolling her eyes, she turned away to look outside the window. "You like to jeer up with me alot. Right?"

"I love it." He spoke with a smirk, dramatically and she turned to look away.

Folding his arms, he stretched himself above, positioned them on the seat above and rested his chin on them while his lips having a derisive simper. Raghav gazed at her face, while she looked outside the window.
Stillness was stretched on her face as she adored the moonlit sky. The calmness which felt outlandish on her mein, to him. A black tress tumbled about her face and her face glowed with the dimly lit bus.
"Anyways, I thought that you can only make faces but I didn't know you could act well in the function, as well."

Gayatri heard him and turned to look at him, then let out a smirk, "I don't need your judgement to prove my abilities."

"As a matter of fact, you don't need me as well." His remark made her look at him with solemnity, while he shared a mutual gaze, for sometime, before looking away. They shared a common silence between themselves, while in the background played some musical notes.
His words were undoubtedly grave for her to answer about it.

The bus passed through the crowd thronged bridge of Calcutta. She looked up towards the moon and then at the hoogly river, in which the celestial planet made its reflection. The soft moist winds hit her face, as she took in the delicate feeling of self-possesion.

Nevertheless, some hushed voices and giggles, grabbed their attention. Both Raghav and Gayatri, looked at the third seat ahead of them, where sat a young couple, blethering and tee-heeding faintly, indulged in some dirty talks. Meanwhile,the passengers sitting behind them, Raghav and Gayatri, were able to hear their voices, slightly taken aback.

A while later, the lady stood up, as the bus came to a halt while the man kept seated and held her wrist. She looked back at him, impassionedly and let out a tender smile while stealing glances of her vicinity, completely flushed.

"Now leave me. I need to go, Good Night!" She again, turned to leave but he pulled her closer and stood up before her. A coquettish smile shining on his face.

"Good Night?
But I thought to wake up the whole night." He said, with a perfervid tease."...with you beside me. Some kisses and some-"

The lady widened her eyes, before her lover could complete further, she gave him a light smack on his hand and walked out of the bus hurriedly. Her rubescent look was completely visible in the dimness of the night. While he was following behind calling her, as they both exited the bus, joyfully.

Raghav could only look at the whole commotion with raised brows and some obscured interest. His heartbeat picked up its pace as he heard the man's words. He blinked and shook his head. Nevertheless, he had seen much of such drama in his whole life but worried if there was some live show in the bus itself.

Unconsciously, he turned to look to his left to see, Gayatri peeping through the window, gazing at the duo and she returned her gaze back to meet his eyes, who had averted suddenly.

Her face showed much surprise and.. adore for them. Raghav examined.

A while later, Gayatri looked at Raghav, whose orbs were shut and he rested his head against the above seat. Her eyes caught his virile face.
All calm and serene with some formally set hair, fluttering with the waves of air. The masculine phizog with slight stubble. His eyes were shut and she wondered if he would ever keep his face intact and composed like that unlike his usual rough one.

Driving away her thoughts, she took her lower lip in between her 32 and stared at nowhere.

.

.

.

Till one could see, the road seemed deserted and there was no sound of humans, nevertheless the occasional barking of dogs broke the silence of night. It was 11 in night and the pale crescent moon shone like silvery claw in the sky. Multitudinous stars, looked down at the earth as if thousands of silvery eyes.

"You are also living in this same city. Don't you know where our stop is?" Raghav whispered aggravated at Gayatri, as she walked beside him with an equal irked face. With a sudden pause, she looked at his face, clenching her jaws.

"Don't you dare to accuse me for such silly issue. It was never my mistake." She said. "Ah! You brought me with you. You should've taken responsibility to keep a watch at bus stand but instead, you slept!"

"But.. You were awake kno!? I thought, you could look out. Thank God! We are just one stand ahead. Otherwise, we would have definitely reached somewhere far." He spoke, staring closely at her face while she, too, shot daggers at him.

"You are very strange.

At first, you brought me here and then you should've taken care of the way. See, I'm travelling this place for the first time, then how can you expect me to tell you the bus-stop?" She asked him, holding the hem of her Saree.
"What's this sudden dependency on me?"

He was already staring at her and then suddenly gave halt to his steps. His face held serious irksomeness. Imitating him, she too paused and stared back at him. On the spur of the moment, he took his hand back towards her hair bun and let her hair fall freely. She was deprived of responsiveness with his sudden act while his palm slightly, brushed with her jawline. Taking the broken hair clip which was about to fall down, through her luscious hair, Raghav let her take a look at it and then, handed over to her.

"Dependence is an offbeat topic, Gayatri. You can't even take care of your hairclip, then how can I depend on you?" He let out a sarcastic chuckle.
"I just thought I could put confidence in you." He said, with a significant look, for sometime and eventually, averted his orbs. He started trodding further, keeping his hands inside his pant pockets. She stared at his way and soon made her pace as equal as his.

Gayatri, said nothing after that and saw him walking by her side, unmindful of the desolate vicinity. Under the stars, she matched her footsteps with him in the night silence yet her mind wondered at his words.

Some thoughts at that moment, made sense to her. It's better to stay solemn and still than to invite a war of words. Nevertheless, one thing might lead to another.

There are two things you can't take back, words and bullets. So, make sure you hit what you aim for and that you mean what you say.

Raghav was expecting a blunt answer from her but, all he got was a bleak silence from her side. ...and he smirked thankful of her silence.

Meanwhile, after hiring a tuk-tuk vehicle, in complete stillness they reached their house, within a span of twenty-minutes. While they entered their room, Gayatri gazed at Raghav.

The day was novel and notable. It was Nadish, Raghav's childhood friend who's wedding beanfeast had got her and him varied compliments for the day and more, like the newly weds. But a wonder impetus was their moving out together, for the first time, alone after marriage. Digha case was a different one.
Unlike them, who are always involved in one or the other squabbles she felt a sense of peace that day, atleast a wee bit.

But then a thought occurred in her head, What were they doing with their life?
So forlorn, bleak and devoid of any warmth.

But the major part of her mind objected, of her being right at her place. What wrong did she do?
She didn't deserve to live in high-spirits in her marriage.

Eventually, she was already messing her mind and heart at that moment. Tangling herself more into complications and futile thoughts she was actually throwing herself into delirium.

Marrying is one thing and living into it is another.
Her mother's statement were then, coming true to her life.

"Can you please, go and change in the washroom?" Her thoughts, were broken as Raghav, with naked torso, suddenly caught her eyes. His shirt was hanging somewhere, in the room. Whereas, he took no notice of her words and continued searching for his nightwear. A sigh escaped her mouth as she, tied her hair in a bun.

"Raghav, please! I'm in no mood to get into any arguments now. Kindly-"

"Why?

Already tired. Now where are your befitting replies?" He turned to look at her, with intimidating expressions. Gayatri knited her brows together, slightly, as she turned the other side, mortified."Oh! Is my lady, feeling uncomfortable...or is there something else behind your face?"

He passed her a flippant remark, turning towards her, giving a complete look of his sculpted and hairy torso. Her face was empurpled with fury and fluster while she had eyeful of his face. The strands of her hair were left dangling, which she hid behind her ear, hurriedly.

Giving no heed to him, she stood up and walked past him, in search of her clothes from Almirah. Raghav's face was staid and humourless as he stared her actions. He was amused at her quietness and was about to walk away when, he heard her voice.

"My quietness changes nothing." She said.

He turned to look back at her and she too gave a sideways, look at him. Blinking his lashes, he said, "But it just did.

You are just getting affected by me. Didn't you see?"

"Assumptions are sometimes harmful, Raghav." She said. "I know your intentions, right now. If you think, I can be played with, then try me. With time, it has become hard to even, fall for any prey."

Her voice seemed croaky and he gazed at her deeply.

"Moreover, getting uncomfortable means only uncomfortable. Don't make assumptions out of it." She took a long breath and exhaled it out. Passing him a last glance, she was about to walk away when he held her wrist, pulled her and stood closer before her.

The room was dimmed with lights, and it was midnight by then. The darkness was already consumed up by atmosphere and two pairs of perfervid eyes, stared at each other.

He stood before her, leaving her wrist while his hand rested against the almirah behind Gayatri, while she stood against it. He made himself closer, standing before her. Her orbs stared back into his. Sullen and joyless.

"Hope you understand, how it feels to be teased or backlashed, pointlessly." He said as he tightened his jaw and a smirk was already dancing on his lips.

"We don't talk to each other, other than finding ourselves mostly in crap arguments. Moreover, I wonder how you perfectly manage to make my every day a natural disaster." Raghav said, rubbing his chin with his other hand.
"Mrs. Gayatri, I'll be grateful if your comebacks can be controlled otherwise, I'm simply warning you." He stared at her stoic, for sometime.

He looked at her indignant face and her squinting eyes for a while, before moving away from her and walking towards the washroom only to stop at her voice.
"Warning me about what? Haan?" She asked offended, with a scowl.

His steps adjourned and he walked back to her. His gaze dropped on her face, resting on her rosy lips, before staring back into her eyes with a cruel smirk.
"What the hell made you so? I just said something and.." He trailed, raising his hands in air, implausible with her words.
"About the warning thing...
there's so much I can do as well. I mean it!"

"Oh! Warning!
Then, what do you expect?
Our pasts are enough to make us what we are today, with ourselves." She said, clenching and unclenching her fist. "If that's what you think me. A natural disaster, then why did you even think to marry me?
I believe, you were not so much bounded within the shackles of your parent's words, to even let out your decision at that time. Rather, you are a lawyer from London. If you can't help yourself, then who are you to help the world?"

Gayatri smirked. Some water had blurred her vision, promptly with the intensity with which she spoke. A besieged sadness and aggravation had already enshrouded her. Raghav looked at her, already in low-spirits and dourness, before letting out a mocking chuckle.

"What did you even know, Gayatri?
How I wish for some shift of time, so that everything can be cleared."
Saying so, he passed her a last thoughtful glance as he sighed and, he left towards the washroom. However, she stood there alone in the whole room. The deep throaty voice reached somewhere deep down her heart, leaving a part inside her, feel somber and strangely subdued.

The powerful waves of egos clashed along their hearts. There were slew of questions within which they were trapped. Unknown, when they would find answers of them.

She sniffed and stared at his way, as she sat on the bed. His words and his actions, demeaned her sanity. It went straight into her heart and felt as if there was creation of more walls for the man she just dismissed. As of then, she would've been consumed up by sleep but all the vivid thoughts, were ready to wake her up all night.
Several bleak thoughts.

Gayatri made a straight face, twisted her lips and wiped away the unmeaningful water through her eyes.

Will marrying him, cost her such things? Was she blinded by her own messed up mind?

Relationships are often complicated but she realized hers was too much to be called a relationship!

•••

*Tuk-Tuk- A three wheeler auto-rickshaw