Way Back Home

Popped bubbles

Like the love of every couple tones down after a time, gets frazzled among the busy and worse days, so did the sparkling love of Ranvijay and Niharika. The once bubbling love, overflowing the bottle has now settled and calmed down, with just a few bubbles here and there. But, like every human being fears changes, Niharika too feared the changes. Everyone has a past, so did Niharika. Her past was filled with sudden abandonment, unspoken good byes and nonsensical departure of some really close people.

Niharika POV

Is the spark really going down? Am I really not attractive anymore?

I am going mad. Things between us have really gone down. It's about a month, we barely talk. Ranvijay just comes home late, eats, works, sleeps, and leaves to office earlier.

The workload is way much more, these days. I can't even confront him. He likes to stay uninterrupted. I understand and leave him most of the time, but that's taking a toll on me. I miss him real bad. Those small sweet gestures, beautiful smiles, late night talks, cuddles to sleep.

It isn't like he behaves rude or something, but what if he not find me attractive anymore? What if he gets annoyed with my childish behaviors? What if I have did something wrong?

Author POV

These thoughts kept Niharika disturbed all day. She tried different things to divert her mind. She joined a new art course to keep herself busy and not make things difficult for Ranvijay anymore.

Niharika was busy spacing out sitting on the couch, when Ranvijay burst through the door.
He looked at Niharika tiredly. His whole body was aching. He too knew that he was being distant with her, but this was a part of his nature. He liked to be a lone wolf when he was focusing on something.

He tiredly walked towards her and plopped down on the sofa, startling her. She looked at his tired face, he too looked at her. They shared an eye contact for a moment, before she could say something, he slid down, and placed his head on her lap, wiggling few times to get comfortable.

Niharika was bewildered at first, then she melted looking at him, hiding his face in her stomach. She gently caressed his messy hair, after a few seconds, Ranvijay laid over his stomach, bringing her hand to his back, indicating her to massage it.

She smiled gently, giving in to his wordless demands. When she was massaging his back, he heard soft snores from him. Suddenly, her heart felt at ease, only this much skinship is enough to make her happy, and stop her nonsensical mind from overthinking.

Time skip.

Niharika was cooking dinner, when Ranvijay woke from his sleep. He trudged into the kitchen with his half opened eyes and messy hair, and slumped on Niharika backhugging her.

Niharika gasped, "Aahk, you scared me."
Ranvijay just whined hugging her even tighter, "I have been noticing from few days, you look sadder, did something happen?" He asked with his chin on her shoulder.

She grew stiff. Unknowingly, she drew in a breath, not heaving it. This too, didn't get unnoticed by Ranvijay. He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

He turned her facing himself, studying her eyes. His heart shrank seeing the one thousand different shades of sorrow and hurt, he may not utter many words, but he was fluent in the language of silence. She gently lifted her eyes, meeting his.

He gently cupped her face, asking in a whisper, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Niharika looked at him for some moment, his gestures was making her emotions sizzle like water on hot iron plate. Bits of tears accumulated in her eyes, she tried to speak, realizing, she was still holding her breath, she couldn't speak somehow, only lowering her head, heaving a sigh.