Keerthi woke up to the sound of bath running, as she sat up , yawning.
“Why are you getting ready so early?”
“I have to leave early”, Vikram tilted his chin up, wearing a tie around his neck.
“Okay”, Keerthi replied, getting up to freshen up.
Vikram was arranging some papers in his laptop bag when his eyes fell on the gift wrapped item. He took it out, quickly placing it his closet, knowing Keerthi didn’t mess with his things usually.
He went back to checking the papers, arranging them in a folder, as he zipped his laptop bag, when he heard his wife walk out, getting ready.
Vikram had long left their room when Keerthi made way downstairs, to find him near the entrance. She was bewildered. Why was he in such a hurry?
“Did you have breakfast?”, Keerthi blurted out, before she could stop herself.
“Will have something later”, Vikram didn’t look back as he left. He was in a hurry.
“Fine”, Keerthi mumbled to herself as she served breakfast onto her plate.
She left for work just a little after Vikram did.
Keerthi forced herself to work, straining her fingers on the keyboard to make sense, her thoughts going to her husband. She didn’t understand why she was so upset Vikram had cancelled their….. date? Was it even a date, she didn’t know.
She only looked forward to spend some time with him, she liked his company. Though she was upset, she knew these kind of things happen every now and then.
Keerthi knew she had to be understanding. She would wish for the same if they had plans, and she was forced to cancel them due to work. She would wish Vikram understood and moved on. Her husband made an effort, he apologized and gave her a kiss. The gesture was enough.
But.
But she felt upset. She didn’t know if it was right to be. The rational side of her told her to suck it up. They were adults. Married adults. Cancellation of one date didn’t mean anything. They could always go later.
She sighed, getting on with her work, as she tried to push the thoughts of her husband away for the time being.
Keerthi could hear laughter when she slipped her sandals away, as she entered the living room.
“Vikram looks so funny in this one”, Vihan snickered, pointing a photo to his mother.
Sakshi smiled, shaking her head, finding her daughter in law enter the house.
“Hi Bhabhi, we were looking at your wedding album”, Vihan said.
“Oh”, Keerthi nodded. She was eager to have a look herself, but she didn’t want to, at the same time.
The timing of her wedding was bitter, unpleasant, though it turned out to be fruitful in the long run.
She excused herself, as she went to freshen up.
Keerthi came downstairs to see her mother in law setting the table for dinner. She glanced at the time, Eight Ten.
She wondered when her husband will come. He was constantly late the last two to three days. She walked towards the dining, to help her mother in law.
When are you coming?
Keerthi texted her husband, before she could chicken out.
She smiled when her mobile vibrated, her husband’s message on the screen.
Might be another hour.
Keerthi sighed as she typed an Okay.
She glanced at her wedding album when she passed by the living room, after dinner.
She picked it up, taking it to her room, as she passed a polite smile to Sakshi when she saw her.
Keerthi sat on her bed, flipping through the pages. She felt different as she saw the photos, page after page. Her discomfort was evident in multiple photographs, where Vikram held her hand, her waist and many more typical couple poses. She only hoped nobody made out the awkwardness the photos. She felt like laughing now, as she browsed through them.
So much had changed, yet nothing had changed. She was glad her equation with her husband wasn’t like what she had expected. She didn’t want to be scared constantly.
Her eyes were fixed on a particular photo when the bedroom door opened, revealing her husband.
Vikram entered his room, keeping his laptop bag on the couch, as he saw his wife looking at something.
“Hey”, Keerthi wished her husband, shutting the album.
Vikram eyed the album, smile grazing his features,”Our wedding album?”
“Yeah”, Keerthi answered.
Vikram nodded, nearing his wife, placing a quick kiss on her mouth, leaving to change afterwards.
Vikram came downstairs to see his wife setting his dinner. He gave his wife a warm smile, as he sat down to eat, his brother and parents joined shortly, giving him company as he ate, making short conversation.
Vikram shut the door behind his wife as they entered their room. He picked their wedding album, looking through it, when his wife went to change.
Keerthi found her husband smiling when she came out. She was curious, why was he smiling so broadly? She neared him,”What is it?”
She tried to peek into the album. She had seen the photos already, she didn’t know what made him smile so much.
Vikram smiled, shaking his head, as he pulled his wife into his lap.
Keerthi gasped,”Vikram!”
“This one”, Vikram pointed out, as he adjusted his wife on his lap as she sat sideways, her legs dangling next to his knees.
Keerthi looked at it, it wasn’t a great photo, they were just standing next to each other with Vikram’s hand around her.
She stared at the photo for longer, not getting why her husband was on the verge of laughter.
“What about it?”
“You don’t know?”, Vikram teased.
“Don’t know what?”, Keerthi frowned, angling her body towards her husband, momentarily forgetting she was on his lap.
Vikram held his wife’s waist, pressing his lips thin to prevent himself from smiling. There was really nothing. He just wanted to tease his wife.
Vikram tsked,”Very bad Keerthi.”
Keerthi blinked,”Are you alright?”
Vikram laughed, squeezing his wife in his arms, placing a kiss on her hair, as he flipped the page.
“No. Tell me. What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Why did you laugh then?”
“Can’t I laugh now?”
Keerthi narrowed her eyes, huffing as she looked back at the album.
“It feels so unreal”, Vikram said after some time, glancing at a pic of his wife and him, holding hands, looking at each other.
Keerthi smiled at the photo. She had cringed when the photographer asked him to pose, but now, she was glad she had so many memories.
She glanced at her husband,”It does.”
“Can’t believe it’s you”, Vikram teased.
“Why is that?”, Keerthi challenged.
Vikram smirked,”You would be so uncomfortable everytime we touched. And now you are sitting on my lap, willingly.”
Keerthi blushed, looking down coyly, as she tried to get up,”Oh Please”, she mumbled.
“Yes, I am pleased”, Vikram laughed, pulling his wife into himself, not allowing her to get off him.
“Vikram”, Keerthi whined.
“I am just stating facts”, Vikram smiled smugly.
Keerthi flushed, hiding her face in her husband’s chest. It wasn’t like she had planned anything. It just happened. She neither planned to flinch everytime her husband touched her in the initial days of her marriage nor did she plan to like her husband so much and have a conversation with him while sitting on his lap now.
It was just time. It just happened.
“Hey”, Vikram tilted his wife’s chin up after sometime, when she got quiet,”I was just teasing you.”
“I know”, Keerthi smiled softly, though her husband’s observation made her ponder. Had she truly changed that much?
Vikram sighed, grabbing his wife’s chin,”I am glad though”, he said, referring to their marital progress, as he leaned in.
“Me too”, Keerthi smiled, meaning it, as she leaned in, allowing her husband to kiss her.
“Go to bed”, Vikram said after sometime.
“Aren’t you coming to sleep?”, Keerthi asked as she got off him.
Vikram glanced at the clock,”No. I need to get some work done.”
“Oh”, Keerthi frowned,”Why did you to sit with me till now then? You could have just done you work”, she finished quietly.
“It’s alright. Go to bed. I may take some time.”
Keerthi pressed her lips thin. She felt stupid. She wanted to spend time with him for a little longer.
“How long will you take?”, She could wait for him.
Vikram raised a brow at his wife,”Depends.”
Keerthi frowned.
“What is it?”
“I could wait, if it’s only gonna be a little while”, she fiddled with her fingers as she spoke, she didn’t know why she felt so shy to say that.
Vikram’s heart warmed, he wanted nothing more than kiss the hell out of his wife and jump her.
But he had work.
He placed a small kiss on his wife’s lips,”Don’t wait. It’ll be late.”
“Okay”, Keerthi said.