Annie

Chapter Thirteen

The dining table was never clean like this. I hog on my sandwich straight from the sandwich maker not bothering to plate it, but now I took the pain to fetch two glass plates and cleared the damn table which my mother already washed while complaining to Annie when she was here.

'Oh my god!' I stumbled back and held the edge of the table for support. I've lived in this house for more than a year but something like this never happened.

Two hands cleared the veil of hair and Annie's face appeared. I sighed in relief as it wasn't a ghost, I'm already living with one and another's company yields more stress.

'It's me, you idiot.' She walked to the table with her bush of a hair bouncing behind her.

How come people still see her face despite that wild hair? It was subtle and short while we were at college but now that length added more volume, if I put my finger in her hair, I don't know if it'll find a way out.

'I made us sandwiches, hope it's okay.'

'Like you know anything else to cook.' She dragged the plate closer to her. 'Your mom said this is the only thing you can make properly.'

'If that's the case, why don't you cook?' I dragged my chair.

'I can't and that's why I don't have a choice.' She took a bite and nodded in approval.

'Didn't expect this to be tasty, at least you are better than me.' Annie spoke with her mouth full, making me smile. I'm glad that pointing her flaws by herself didn't change. That's what puts her apart from the crowd.

'If we finish quickly, we can leave early.'

'Where?'

'To work obviously.' I took a bite from my sandwich, it's not tasty but normal none the less. 'I have to be at the hospital by eight .'

'Leave, I'm not stopping you.'

My eyes snapped to her, she chewed her sandwich, not caring to glance my way.

'Annie, I mean I'll drop you on my way.'

'You don't have to, I can Uber if I want to go out.'

'What do you mean?'

She slammed the sandwich on the plate and narrowed her eyes at me.

'It means, I don't want you to give me a damn ride.' She got up from the chair, making it wobble in its place and left the sandwich half-eaten.

I don't remember being offensive, it was just a friendly offer.

*

'Peter, Peter, Peter!' Priya ran towards me, dodging a few patience and a nurse on her way. I avoided all potential colleagues who'd raise a question on my newly acquired marital life, but Priya has some superpower to squeeze past that list to annoy me.

'Slow down, I won't disappear.'

'Well, you have disappeared these days.'

I rolled my eyes.

'Anyways, where have you been? Too busy with your wife that you don't have a moment to spare for us.' She nudged my side with her elbow, boring a teasing smile but I swatted her hand and walked away. Newly wedded men don't behave like this, they either blush or smile and are always in a happy bubble at least for a month, but my fortune is excellent that my happy bubble lasted for a few hours. To top it all, my beautiful bride is the monster who crushed my hopes.

'Dude, what's wrong with you? Everything okay at home?' She turned me to face her.

'Yeah, fudging perfect if I have to say.'