Doomed

Chapter 30

      "How are you Dhruv?" She asked.

      "I'm fine. Getting shot sucks." He said tiredly.

     "Ha! That's what I said too." Viren hot Dhruv's shoulder. "Want to see my scar?" He pulled his t-shirt up.

      Aghanya saw Kushi standing in the corner. She walked to her and muttered, "Go, talk to him."

     Kushi shook her head indicating no. "Gooo." Aghanya pushed her.

     "No." She said and went inside.

      She groaned and turned back, slamming right into someone's chest. She rubbed her nose and looked up. "We need to talk." Viren said in all seriousness.

      ***

       They hadn't talked the whole ride to the gallery and Aghanya walked inside and saw the workers putting up her work. She went to the workers and instructed them while Viren looked at the display.

       It took almost two hours until the work was finished. She find Viren standing in front of one of the display.

    "Are all these yours?"

    "Yes." She sighed.

    "No way." He said amazed. "They're marvellous."

    Aghanya beamed as she felt a sort of pride. She felt appreciated. "You want to see my special collection."

    He nodded and she let him into one of the niches of the gallery.

    ****

   The room was dark and Viren walked in, the lights turning on one by one.

     The first display had a photograph. He closely looked and saw that it was him. It was him on his bed. The main focus was on his fingers, which were stained with sindoor.

It was the morning after they got married.

He walked to the next display and a photo of her own kitchen, but it was messy. Her drawers open and dirty vessels on her sink. Noodles packets littering the counter.

It was the one day after their wedding when they stayed at her apartment because she wanted to grab her laptop and they stayed because they fell asleep.

The next display was a picture of a kitchen with yellow soapy gloves on the counter. He frowned and remembered him slapping the gloves in her mom's house.

The next picture had two coffee mugs and a tub of ice cream beside then, a receipt also laid out. He smiled, it was when he visited the gallery.

The next picture was of their hands holding each other, their wedding rings clearly visible. He remembered it was at the hospital after he got shot.

The next picture was her hand on his chest and his hand on her waist. It was when she was in the hospital after she was attacked.

The next picture was of a broken TV remote on the floor with a battery beside it. It was when the news came on the TV after they checked into a hospital because of the car accident.

The next picture was of him. He had a champagne glass in his hand and he looked lost. It was at his hotel's inauguration party.

The next picture was of their bedroom at his house. The bed was in disarray and sheets were off, a yellow bra was strewn on the bed. He knew it was before she had gotten arrested.

The next picture was of their fingers entwined with each other, handcuffs on their wrists.

The next picture was of a whiskey glass. He remembered it, he was drinking it, at Dhruv's wedding.