Sakshi had cried herself to sleep. She hated him. She was sure of it. The next day, her eyes were swollen and she knew that he saw that. She hated fighting with him.
She did almost forgive him when he pulled her into an empty room. "God, Sakshi, what is this state you're in?"
"Let me go." She tried to push him off but he placed both of his hands beside her head trapping her in. "Sakshi, come on now....stop acting like a child."
"I'm not a child!" She snapped.
"I know that." He said and then he kissed her and she couldn't help but kiss him back. She turned him and slammed his back to the wall. She kissed his jaw and his neck and trailed her lips down his torso. She fumbled with his belt buckle and she saw his head lean back on the wall and his eyes close.
After she was done, she was buttoning up her shirt when he came behind her pulling her to his chest. He kissed her neck and shoulder. "I love you, Sakshi. You know that right?"
"I love you too, Ashwin." She said and leaned on his back.
***
NOW:
Sakshi stood in her makeshift office right in the middle of stripping off her PPE suit when there was a knock on the door. She quickly put on her mask and her face shield and opened the door.
It was Vikram her brother's assistant. "Ma'am I have urgent news for you." She was using his assistant as Vikram quit from his office and took on to writing a blog.
She opened the door and let him in, "What is it, Vikram?"
"One of our staff members have tested positive so we have to quarantine and test everyone."
"What?!"
"I have booked a residence nearby and registered all the staff for the RT - PCR test but the test will be conducted tomorrow. All the centers are closed now."
"Oh. Thank you. So we all have to stay? What about food?"
"I have arranged for that. Food packets will arrive in two hours."
"Thank you Vikram. And the rest of the staff, have they been moved to the residential camp?"
"Yes ma'am. You and some of the team heads are left to relocate. They have their private vehicles."
"What about you Vikram? How are you arriving?"
"I'll be arriving in my car."
"Can you drop me then? I sent my car back to the house."
"Sure ma'am."
***
Once in her makeshift room, she sat on the single bed. The room was nice with whitewashed walls and a tv and it was clean. After her hot shower, she grabbed her phone. There were many messages but she scrolled to his name. He was online. She wondered whether he noticed she was late.
She decided to drop a message to Priya informing her she won't be home today. Priya asked her what had happened. She let her know. After that, the moments seemed too quiet. Loneliness was sweeping in. She tapped her phone screen again.
He was radio silencing her. She felt anger and sadness wash over her. Anger at his apathy and sadness because of the same reason. Maybe she was at fault. She should've listened to his explanation before dismissing him. She wanted to admonish herself.
She decided to call her brother. "Hello."
"Hello Sakshi. How are you?"
As always she could hear the chaos in the background. "I am fine.It sounds like holy hell in there. Whatever are you all upto?"
"Well I was making a lockdown cake the girls decided to join in."
Sakshi's heart tugged. It seemed fun. The chaos from the other side of the phone made the loneliness more glaring.
"Sakshi...are you okay?"
"I am fine. I am fine. So I am quarantined."
"You're not at your house?"
"No. Vikram found me a good place. He's here too."
"Are you okay? Are you positive?"
"I am not. Hopefully. I have to take the test tomorrow. It'll come by tomorrow evening. Can you relax? It's fine." Sakshi told him.
"How can I? Take care Sakshi. Did you eat?"
"I did. Vikram is very capable and he managed everything so don't worry."
"Just keep me updated Sakshi."
"I will."
***
She switched off the light and laid on the bed. Even though she was tired, she couldn't get comfortable. There was nothing wrong with the bed. It was warm and comforting. But something was missing. She turned to kay on her side and realised in an instant that she missed him.
She was so used to sleeping alone and then now she was used to sleeping beside him. She turned away from the empty side. Her inner self was prodding and fussing over messaging him first. Apart from being rude she failed to see how she was wrong. The man had duped everyone to marry her. If she felt betrayed then was it wrong of her?
She switched on the phone and looked at time, it was around 1 a.m. She browsed her whutsapp chats and lingered long over his name. The chat was empty but she could see him online. So he was awake, she gathered.
She lingered her finger over the chatbox. Should she just end the misery and text him first? But she let it go and slumped on the bed.
Her phone vibrated and her caller ID flashed his name. Her heart beat skipped and she picked the call in a rush. The other side was quiet, she wondered if he had pocket dialed her.
"Hello?" She said quietly and low. She was almost going to drop the call when she heard his voice.
"Are you asleep?"
"No."
"Have you eaten?"
"Yes. Have you?"
She could hear the rustling of the covers. "Yes, I have." He said. Then everything was quiet again. But she could hear his breaths so she knew he was still there.
"How was your day?" She asked when she wanted to ask him if he had missed her.
He didn't answer for the longest time and she was scared that he might be asleep. "It was fine. Sakshi, are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She was scared. Even thought there were no symptoms she was facing she was scared about the test.
"Okay then."
She closed her eyes. Did he want to leave so bad? She was desperately dragging her feet and he didn't seem to be interested in talking to her.
"What are you currently reading?" She asked desperate clinging the the last straw.
"Short stories of Rabindranath Tagore. Have you read it?"
"In school maybe. Which is your favorite?" Her eyelids were already drooping.
"Samapit."
"Hmm..." She said. She knew that story. It was a story about a married couple. It was a love story.
"Do you want me to read to you?" He asked.
"Yes. If you don't mind." She said. And he did. He started reading and she felt a yawn come up. She snuggled close in the covers and turned the other way around. She put the phone on speaker.
It was easy to imagine him right there beside her. He had a set of cotton t-shirts he wore at night. She imagined him wearing one of it, sitting leaned back against the headrest and a book in his hand.
His voice was steady and soothing and soon enough she felt her whole body getting heavy and she melted right into sleep after a while.
***
"Good morning Vikram!" She waved over to him and she saw her secretary come over.
"Good morning ma'am."
"You know, you don't have to call me ma'am. Sakshi is fine."
Vikram just nodded and he lead her towards the test area. "I already registered you. You just have to take the test."
She breathed in a sigh of relief. "Thank you Vikram."
Vikram opened the door for her but the man that came through the door shocked her. He had his mask pulled down and for a moment she thought she was hallucinating but then he looked at her and a wide grin appeared on his face.
"Sakshi? Little bird? Is that you?"
Sakshi steeled herself against him. "Ashwin. What are you doing here?" Her baba had exiled him. She was confused as to why he was here.
"I am here for a RT PCR too. Will you give me a hug?" He stepped forwad and she stepped back.
"Let's abide by social distancing rules."
He laughed and his laughter made her stomach ache. "Come on now Sakshi, I never knew you were such a stickler for rules. You never were before."
She bit her tongue to not snap at him.
"Are you still married?"
"Yes." She bit out.
She wanted to run away from there. She hated it. Why was he back? She thought.
"Ma'am your test..." Vikram cut in between them.
"Very well then. I'll see you again, Sakshi."
She nodded at him and walked away from him. Her heart beat faster and she felt her breaths fall short. She walked away from him and she leaned on the wall focusing on her breaths.
"Are you okay?" Vikram asked her.
"I just am having an anxiety attack I think." She closed her eyes.
She took in deep breaths but she felt her heart constrict. Now that baba was gone, she felt everyone snapping like wolves at her heels.
****
Siddharth sat at the dinner table while his family sat eating dinner. What irritated him was that his uncle and aunt hadn't mentioned Sakshi, not even once. Priya had told him asked him about her in the morning. Now it was going to be almost two days since she was home.
He didn't want to call her last night. He was still angry about the fight. But she was there typing something and then she never sent it. That was enough for him. It was enough that she thought about him. And he missed her. It had been two days and he missed her like she was a part of him. He wasn't even sure if she missed him.
After dinner, he went upto his study to do some work but it was just an excuse. He had slept better on the lumpy couch. But last night, sleep was fleeting. He didn't even know how much he was used to her presence until now. The bed felt so extensive and so empty. He was sure he was partly going mad from it all.
He decided to work for a bit until he found the weariness of it all bearing down on him. He swiped both his hands down his face. He looked at the clock on his desk. It was around 1 a.m. He stood up and decided to drag himself to bed.
When he entered the bedroom, the lights were already switched on. He was sure he had switched it off before he left for dinner. He shook his head and dropped the files on his desk.
He should've known. The lights, her scent but he kept denying himself from the fear of getting disappointed. He should've known but he didn't until he felt her arms around his waist and her torso pressed against his back.
He grabbed the edges of the desk, his legs almost gave out. Maybe she was not real, only a figment of his imagination but he just knew she was real because when he exhaled all his weariness had evaporated.
When he turned, she pulled away shy. It was his turn to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer. Her wet hair clung to her skin and she had her eyes trained on his chest. The smell of roses enveloped them. That explained why he didn't see her.
He pulled her closer her palms warm against his chest. Could she feel how fast his heart beat? For her? He wondered. His thoughts were answered in an instant when she snapped his head up and then everything exploded when their lips met.
***
A/N vote and comment.