Marriage Under Repairs

Chapter - 7

Post dinner, Sanskar went on terrace as per his routine. This was his 'Me Time' to think about his overall day. He took a seat on a swing staring at stars. Not more than 5 minutes had passed, he felt someone sitting besides him. He turned to see Swara.

It was surprising for Sanskar to see her at this hour. They had lately finished dinner and he was expecting his wife to be overlooking after winding up kitchen work for the day.

Earlier, he had asked her countless times to join him for his 'Me time' but she, being the ideal daughter in law, convinced or should we say lectured him that she had responsibilities towards this family.

But for the last two days, his wife was behaving weird. His wife was sticking to him ignoring, or should we say delegating her responsibilities to servants for final kitchen wrap up.

They sat together in silence.

Swara was observing twinkling stars. Whereas Sanskar was looking at her face without a blink. There was a peace on her face which calmed his heart as usual.

"It feels good to see them shining, right Sanskar?" her big doe eyes were roaming over the open sky.

"Ya, they are." His short reply.

"There is a strange bond between clouds and stars, they often play hide and seek with us. This game always brings something new for us, sometimes sun, sometimes shade." Sanskar was totally clueless about her absurd words. This was not the Swara he knew over last two years.

The Swara, he knew, used to do or talk everything in a simple, straight and easy way. She was not in the habit of talking in circles.

"But when we humans play hide and seek, it costs us trust issues." She blinked her eyes.

Sanskar felt she was trying to push back her tears.

She lowered her gaze from the stars to stare at his dark brown orbs which were scrunched in confusion.

"I have gone to meet Kavita in hospital." She announced without any hesitation.

Her words felt like someone threw icy water on him. He heaved at his place and gulped heavily. His mind cursed himself for not briefing her about his involvement in Kavita's bail out. His heart and mind began to fill with guilt.

He never wanted to hide anything from her, but he was so engrossed in his own miseries that it completely disappeared from his mind.

"I am sorry Swara... Ac...Actually." He started shivering with fear of losing her. 'What if she does not believe me? What if she takes it all wrong, and leaves me distrusting?'

Swara could feel his anxiousness. His eyes could not hide the feeling of insecurity from her.

"You did the right thing. If I was at your place maybe I would have done the same." She forwarded her hand to hold his. Swara knew she needed to assure him about their relationship.

Her simple briefe touch, over his palm, gave him surety about words.

"It's not like I wanted to hide it from you but it, just... It just slipped out of my head." He replied honestly.

"I know it." She gave a slight press on her hold over his hand.

"I saw her bail out papers in your cupboard. I checked with the lawyer and he told me about her. Then I went to meet. I accept my mistake not to talk to you first about it. Not to ask you about it instead of some other third person. But her name just triggered my investigative instinct." She bit her lower lip, rolling her eyes.

Sanskar found her cute when she did that.

"It's ok." He shook his head.

She smiled softly and continued, "I knew it, you would never hide such a big thing from me on purpose. Maybe the situation was not in our favour."