Better Together

26 | outsider

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Aadarsh reached his room to find Ruhaani in bed. She was engrossed in reading a book. Her hair tied up in a bun wearing her navy blue pullover. Perhapsit was her favorite, she wore it so often. The weather had suddenly become cold again after two days of unexpected rainfall. He quietly observed her for a few seconds. Generally when he came back home in the evenings, Ruhaani would be in the kitchen or with the kids in the flex room. She would either be busy making Pari write alphabets or looking into what the twins were studying.

Today, for a change, she was in their bedroom in silence, engrossed in the story she was reading. A hint of a smile on ghosted around her lips. What was she reading? He wondered. Pari and Mukti were with their colouring books in the living hall while Nirvan and Abhi were at a video game. His gaze followed the motion of her hand and his lips parted in realization. She had a hot water bag placed on her lap. Periods, of course.

He walked in and she finally looked up at him. "Hi," she said, immediately pulling up the bed covers over her lap.

"Hi," he repeated, placing his briefcase on the table and walking to the bed. Perching on the bed, he raised his one foot and removed the sock and then did the same for the other. "What are you reading?" He asked. Small talk, he tried his best to have that with her. It was getting better with time, easier.

"eBook!" Ruhaani deadpanned staring at his back.

He rolled his eyes and then turned around to look at her. She never spoke like that to anyone under the roof but him. It was almost rude. He couldn't complain because he also was like that at times. It was easier being direct, sarcastic or mocking than sweet and formal. She seemed to be of the same page about that, because she didn't hesitate to answer back or talk like she was doing a favor talking to him. He assumed she was giving him a taste of his own medicine. Come to think of it, he didn't actually mind it. If anything, he had begun to get accustomed to it.

"Could have been more civil, no?" He commented. "Maybe it's your hormones, I guess." He said turning to the front.

Ruhaani blinked. "How do you know?" She asked ignoring his comment.

"Know what?" He asked, undoing the button at the end of the sleeve of his full sleeve white shirt. When she didn't respond immediately, he added, "that you're on periods?" He turned back to look at her.

She just stared at him.

"I saw the hot water bag." He answered and then after a brief pause he added, "All okay?"

"Yeah, just cramps." She answered, quickly dismissing his query. It was weird when he switched from annoying to suddenly caring.

He nodded and turned to the front. He didn't know what else to say to her. He never spoke to Ashvi about these things. The only girl he was comfortable to talk about these stuff was Siddhi. In fact, it was Siddhi who spoke about it. It had started back in ninth grade when they had to stay back in school for sports practice. Unfortunately, Siddhi's white skirt had got a stain that he had spotted. He had assumed she sat on spilled ketchup but late realized how wrong he was when she panicked and told him what it was. Since then, it had been fairly easy to talk about topic.

However in front of his sister he could never even say the word period. If they ever spoke about it, it would be in indicative terms. For instance, 'do you have cramps?', 'is it that time of the month?'

"Let me know if you need anything," he said, glancing at her very briefly almost as quick as lightning before walking to the wardrobe.

Ruhaani stared at him dumbfounded. Aadarsh Sehgal was the most mercurial person she had ever come across. In one minute he would be cold, distant, arrogant and smug and in the next he would be a perfect gentleman. If she didn't know better she would assume they were twins.