The Marriage Contract

48 - First Day at Work

Akshara walked onto the steps leading into Birla Hospital, her stomach in knots and her entire personality a nervous wreck. She glanced down at the clothes she was wearing and took a few, deeply calming breaths. The entire car ride as well, had been nothing short of a emotional rollercoaster ride with her flip flopping feelings.

Sometimes she felt like telling Abhimanyu she couldn't  do this. That she was just happy playing the role of his wife and working at the community center. But then, she thought of how excited he had about being able to work together that she didn't want to chicken out.

"You sure I look fine?" Akshara whispered to Abhimanyu, seeking words of affirmation as if he hadn't already answered the exact same question multiple times since the moment she got dressed.

"Yes. You look absolutely fine. Stunning even." Abhimanyu glanced over at Akshara dressed in ivory high waisted pants with matching heels, a multicolored floral shirt and a muted pale pink blazer. Her hair was up in a ponytail and he wasn't lying when he said she really did give off some very boss lady vibes with just the subtle pop of color.

"Why are you nervous? You weren't even this nervous when you decided to fake marry me, I don't think." He teased her, trying to make light of the situation.

"Yeah, well, being a trophy wife was much easier than making decisions that have an long lasting impacts." She muttered under her breath. "What if I chose the wrong theme or colour or the ideas in my head don't pan out the way I want them to? I don't want you to end up with an ugly looking Children's ward!" Yeah, saying she was freaking out was an understatement.

Abhimanyu's steps came to a halt right outside the doors of the conference room. He turned to face Akshara, holding her shoulders and gently caressing them.

"Akshara! Stop freaking out! You will be fine! Trust me. You are an amazing woman and your ideas are pure creative genius. Even if giving you the responsibility of the entire Children's ward is a mistake, I'm sure it'll be a beautiful mistake."

"You are not helping." She frowned at him.

"Then stop being so pessimistic."

"This is my first...actual...job. Where the decisions I make will leave an impact, a difference and I'm not sure if I'm ready for it." She told him honestly.

"My first day on the job and I was put into a surgery rotation. And told that I was taking point. It was a 70 year old male, who needed open heart surgery. I knew what I had to do. Dreamt of that moment. Prepared endlessly for it. However, no matter how much I studied, prepped myself, motivated myself, told myself I got this. I still froze. My brain stopped working. But, i got myself together, and pushed through with the surgery. The point is, Akshara, you are never going to be ready for things, ever, no matter how hard you try. You may think you are, but there is always the 1% chance that life will throw something out of the syllabus at you and you'll have to learn to deal with it."

"Abhi..."

"And you are not alone in this. We are in this together. You falter, I go down with you." He nodded at her, looking down at her face whilst tucking the invisible strand of her hair behind her ear. He didn't know why he did that, but he just needed to touch her.

Akshara gave him a small hesitant smiled, grateful to have a partner —no, scratch that, a friend like Abhimanyu. "Okay."

Abhimanyu smiled at her reassuringly, making sure she understood what he wanted her to understand.

"Ready?" He asked her, placing his hands on the conference room door.

She nodded her head, sparing him a quick glance before turning her eyes back toward the door. She took a deep breath, feeling much better after listening to Abhimanyu's pearls of wisdom. "Yes. Let's do this."