Things had started changing slowly after their conversation. Raghav started sharing the household chores with Nithya. He was busy with his office work, but he tried his best to help her daily. Nithya was happy with this positive change in him.

One Sunday morning, it was a holiday for both of them. They decided to video call Sharadha who was living with Yazhini.

"Good morning Raghav!" Sharadha greeted him from the other side.

"Good morning maa.. you've lost weight or what?" Raghav asked with a frown as he was seeing his mother after a few days.

"Hello hello! I'm not making your mother starve. She is my athai too." Yazhini barged into the view.

"It might be because you're seeing me after some time or even due to the camera, Raghav." Sharadha told him.

"Where is your wife?" Yazhini asked him as she couldn't find Nithya around.

"I'm coming, Yazhu.." Nithya said from the kitchen and walked towards them. She wiped her hands on Raghav's shirt purposely.

"I asked you to wait till I join you right?" She said with a frown and turned towards the camera.

"How are you both doing?"

"We are fine da. Is he keeping you happy or is he troubling you?" Sharadha asked Nithya.

"Maa.. you should ask whether she's troubling me or not." Raghav said outrageously.

"See athai, even now he is dominating me." Nithya said, wiping her fake tears.

"Don't stay with him then. You go to your parents' house and come back when Athai reaches there." Yazhini suggested.

"Yeah Yazhu that's the best. I'll go and pack my bags immediately." Nithya said and tried to get up from the couch. Raghav pulled her back and locked their hands, so that she couldn't move away easily from him.

"Physical violence too?" Yazhini asked in shock.

"Can you please stop it! Or else I'll end the call." Raghav said, rolling his eyes.

Yazhini, Nithya and Sharadha started laughing on seeing him getting pissed off. Raghav's lips twitched involuntarily into a smile, seeing the three most important women of his life, laughing happily.

"I'm missing you both here." Raghav said after a pause.

"I told you both to come home today. But you only refused anna." Yazhini complained like a kid.

"We were planning to come Yazhini... But I'm having an onsite call sometime. So I can't take a break. And in the evening we had planned to go out for grocery shopping."

"Then you could have come here yesterday itself."  She pouted.

"Awww.. we'll come there next weekend Yazhu. Don't worry." Nithya told her, making her smile. "Athai I forgot to tell you something."

"What Nithya?" Sharadha asked curiously, and Raghav too turned towards her.

"Yesterday your son praised my cooking skills! He said that I'm a better cook than you." Nithya said and Raghav's eyes widened in shock.

"Really Raghav? Did you praise her cooking?"

"I.. I said she is also cooking well like you ma.." he replied gulping his saliva.

Yazhini and Nithya were trying to hide their smiles.

"That's not what you exactly told Raghav. You said that my parathas are softer than how athai makes them, then my gravy was so yummy that you would like to keep it in the fridge and have it daily." Nithya mimicked him.

"Aahan. Do I have the privilege to taste your delicious cooking, Nithya?" Sharadha asked her happily.

"Of course athai. Nowadays your son is washing the vessels too. So we can try new dishes without even worrying about cleaning them." She winked at him.

"My image is totally damaged!" He sighed and went inside the room to connect his office call.

The trio continued the call for some more time and ended it.

Raghav and Nithya went out in the evening and did a quick shopping to stock up on the essentials for the week. They had lot of heavy  snacks, so both of them weren't hungry. They skipped dinner and slept early.

Next morning, Raghav woke up lazily and found Nithya sleeping on his chest. He took his mobile and checked the time, it was 8:30  AM. Usually Nithya would wake up early and would have made breakfast by then. Today she was still sleeping.

"Nithya... Are you okay?" He asked her slowly.

"I'm feeling tired, Raghav. I should not have ate so much yesterday." She replied and snuggled close to him.

"Don't you want to go to the hospital today?"

"Nooo" she whined and opened her eyes slowly to look at him.

"Why?"

"I'm soooo tired..  I guess I got my periods." She whined.

"Then take a rest today." He said and she smiled wide.

"Okay, now you sleep. I'll get ready for the office." He said as he tried to get up from the bed.

"Whatt.. you also don't go to office today."

"What happened to you medico?" He asked and kissed her cheeks.

"I'm feeling tired, even you came out with me yesterday. So take a rest and go to the office tomorrow."

"Haha.. then who will submit my project if I don't go?"

"Ask Vicky to do it."

"Madam, he is working on another project. Did you forget?" He asked and she bit her lips.

"So shall I leave the office now?" Raghav asked her cutely.

"Wait, I'll also get ready for the hospital." Nithya said and moved away from the bed.

"You take leave and rest at home, Nithya." He suggested.

"No Raghav. I can manage today. If the pain worsens, I'll come home. There may be other patients with more pain at the hospital, if I don't go, they would be suffering na.." she explained her reason and he was so touched. He placed a kiss on her temple, and they both started getting ready for their work.

"Raghav, I made dosa for breakfast. You will have lunch from the canteen right?" Nithya asked him, as she didn't have much time to cook lunch for them.

"I'll have Nithya. You too have on time, okay?" Raghav asked her in concern.

"Sure Raghav, I'll have."

Nithya went to the hospital and started attending the patients. She tried her best to distract herself from the cramps, but it killed her with pain. She somehow managed to finish her shift and returned home in the evening.

She was so drained by that time. She took a quick shower and went to bed and slept soon after.

Nithya felt someone tugging her shoulders and she opened her eyes lazily.

"Hi Raghav. When did you come home?" She asked him and laid her head on his lap.

"I came home an hour ago." He said as he caressed her hair lovingly.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" She asked in shock.

"You were sleeping peacefully. I didn't want to disturb you, that's why."

"Ohh.. I had asked Amma to give us dinner today. I'm not in a mood to cook now."

"There's no need for that." Raghav replied and she got up from his lap.

"What? I'm hungry Raghav.. I want to eat something now." She said sadly and Raghav took out a chocolate from his pocket and gave it to her.

Nithya took it excitedly from him and ate it in a second.

"This is enough for now... But I can't skip dinner tonight."

"Who asked you to skip dinner? I have cooked your favorite pasta." Raghav replied and Nithya was surprised.

"I asked Athai what is your favorite food during your periods. She said you like having pasta... So I made it. I'm cooking after so long, I am not sure how it turned out."  Raghav told her honestly.

"Whether it tastes good or bad, I will love it." She replied and kissed his cheeks in happiness.

To be continued.

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