As promised, if we hit 15k, heres the double update. I couldn't wait till Sunday! Also, get you a bff like Saanvi and Prateek.
The next morning saw the same events as the one before. Minimal words were exchanged between Arnav and Kriti. He had dutifully handed her lunch and stood at threshold while she waited for the lift doors to open. The same drive safe Kritika. Have a great day followed.
Broccoli pasta, trail mix, and baby carrots lay in front of her for lunch. Each bite of the pasta had her closing her eyes. Her husband was a great cook.
"Kriti!" She instantly recognized that voice.
"Saanvi!" The best friends hugged each other grinning.
"I didn't know it was bring-your-spouse-to-work day," Kriti teased.
"No, but it is cling-to-your-father-so-that-he-takes-you-work day." Saanvi explained about how Tara had gotten way too attached to Vihaan.
"Talking about spouses, how's your new husband?" Her question had Kriti's face pale. "How's married life?"
"It is, uh, okay. Normal."
"Okay. Spill." Of course, nothing got past Saanvi. There was a reason they were that close. Kriti explained the events that took place the past few days and her conundrum and anger revolving around it. Her best friend however found it amusing.
"Seriously? I tell you my problem and your first reaction is to laugh?" Huffing, she crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.
"It is just really cute." Saanvi commented.
"Pray tell. What about my misery is so cute?"
"Kriti, this doesn't qualify for a fight, not even for a disagreement. Did you ask him why he wants to have a separate bedroom? Did you press on it?" Kriti shook her head.
"Look, communication is key. I know that you know all this but it is time to start practising."
"Won't that make me-?
"No." Saanvi took Kriti by her arms. "Kriti, if you want this to work, you'll need to talk and marriage is not a competition. It is teamwork. So, ask him and hear him out, okay?"
"Yeah. okay."
"It is really sweet he cooks for you, though." Saanvi said, eyeing the food.
A tinge of pink coloured Kriti's cheeks, "it is."
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"I just don't know what to do." Arnav sighs into the phone. He picks up the egg tray from the shelf. He was in the supermarket right next to his building.
"I don't understand why you'd ask for separate rooms." The person on the other side was Prateek. Arnav called him for advice.
"Well," sucking a deep breath in, he continued, "it is because of my nightmares. I don't want to scare or hurt her away."
"Let me ask you a question," Prateek said. "Are you stupid?"
"Excuse me? Prateek, I don't have time for jokes right now."
"I'm not joking. How is she supposed to know that you've got nightmares? Imagine what her mind went through when you asked for separate rooms." Prateek's questions had ticked something off in Arnav's brain.
"I didn't want her to know." He said softly.
"It won't work like that, Arnav. She's your wife and she has to know about these things one day or another."
"I'm so -"
"Dumb? Absolutely irrational? Not smart for a lieutenant? And thankful for a best friend like me?"
"Shut up," Arnav grumbled. "I'm going to talk to her today."
"Good." A second of silence passed and Prateek spoke up again. "Arnav, it's okay to be vulnerable. She's your person."
Arnav nodded as if Prateek was in front of him. "Yeah. This is going to sound weird but I miss her."
"Ooohh-"
"Again, shut up." Another grunt came from Arnav. He hung up the phone and then he saw a familiar figure getting out of a car. He quickly paid for the groceries and got out of the store. That familiar figure was his wife getting out of a car that didn't belong to her.
"Hey." He held her fingers in his hand. Inside the car was Saanvi in the driver seat and Tara was sitting in the backseat.
"Hi. My car wasn't working so Saanvi dropped me home." He nodded.
"Saanvi, thanks for dropping her home."
They got in the lift, standing side by side. Arnav pulled out his phone from his pocket and saw zero texts and calls from Kritika.
"Kritika, did you call or text me?"
"No. Did you expect me to?"
"You said your car stopped working so yes, I expected you to call me to come and pick you up." They got off at their floor and Kritika opened the door.
"I would have but Saanvi was there in the office today and she was leaving at the same time I was." She sat down at the dining table and drank some water, her eyes glancing towards the laptop and the tabs opened on it.
"I understand but next time, I would like to know if my wife's car doesn't work even if there's someone who's there to help her out. I want to hear from you, okay?"
"What's this?" Kritika asked, angling the laptop towards. On the screen was a recipe video playing on Youtube. The other tabs open read Food diet for women with endometriosis and What to eat when you have endometriosis.
"I just wanted to cook something new." Arnav's voice had become low. He didn't want Kiritka to misunderstand him or feel like he pitied her.
"Kritika I- , I just wanted to help. I read a lot about what you're going through and I wanted to do my part in helping you. I'm sorry if I overstepped." He looked at her wife's face to find her eyes softening.
"Thank you for doing this." She gulped, finding it hard to voice out her feelings. "This is really sweet."
"I switched out regular milk for almond milk. I heard it helps. That's why I asked if you liked the coffee."
"I did. I really liked the coffee." Relief took over Arnav as he understood that Kriti wasn't mad at him.
"You know, sometimes, you're really hard to read." Her statement had him confused but deep down, he knew she wasn't wrong. He pulled a chair out next to her and sat down facing her, their knees touching.
"Is it about the bedroom thing?"
She nodded. "I find it easy to talk to you. You do so much for me and I thought we were cool. When you asked for separate rooms, I didn't know what to think." She looked down to her lap. It wasn't easy for her to spill her thoughts. "Am I a bad roommate?"
"No. Not at all." It was now or never for him. "I'm a coward."
"Kritika, I have nightmares. They are very frequent. From the time I met you, you always looked at me with awe. I didn't want you to look at me any different. You already have to deal with my broken leg. I didn't want you to know about my nightmares so I put both of us far from each other." Kriti's eyes were pooling with tears. "What if I hurt you in my sleep? I would never be able to live with that."
"Arnav-"
"I missed that," He said. Kirti's brows furrowed. "I missed you calling me by my name. It has been two days since you called me Arnav." Kriti's eyes widened over his sweet confession. Her husband could talk if he wanted to.
"Arnav, no part of you is broken. When I married you, I accepted the whole you. The rainbows and the storms, the dreams and the nightmares, I want all of it."
Arnav wiped off the tear that slipped Kriti's eye and leaned his forehead on hers. His own eyes were beginning to fill with tears.
"Kritika, never cry. Please, never cry."
The couple silently sat with their foreheads touching, their hands squeezing back and forth. When bedtime came, Arnav grabbed his pillow and blanket and made his way into the master's bedroom. He laid on his side and looked at his wife to see that she was already looking at him.
"How did you sleep when we were at mom's place?" Her question caught him off-guard.
"I think I was hyper aware even while sleeping. The thought you have to witness me having a nightmare was constantly in the back of my mind. I anyway have problems getting a full night's sleep so anytime I'd feel myself slipping into deep unconsciousness, my eyes would snap open."
"I'm sorry." Regret took over her features. Her habit of sleeping like a dead log didn't seem so soothing to her at the moment.
"It is not your fault, Kritika. I should've told you all this before." His eyes shifted up to the ceiling, both of them were on their backs.
"Is this necessary?" She referred to the line of pillows between them.
"Yes." Arnav stated. He was worried if he'd flung his hand over her if and when he experienced another nightmare.
"Arnav." Kritika whines, pouting. Her reaction had him grinning. He slightly pulled her cheek. This time, they didn't go stiff or any awkward silence that followed.
"I missed all this. Your pouts, your smiles, your jokes. It was horrible having to be like that. I missed you talking to me." All his words tonight were making their way into her heart and truth to be told, she missed him too.
"Goodnight, Arnav."
"Goodnight, Kritika."
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GolGappas, Do vote and comment to let me know how you feel! the next update will be up in a few hours!