Do Anjaane

Chapter 15

Two more chapters going up today!! Also, since I'll be going into a little bit more depth about Vaidehi's workplace, here's a disclaimer. I've mentioned her work before as well, and I know it's definitely not realistic for a high-level government employee to have work-life balance or proper working hours. However, that's how I wish it would be, and not just with government jobs, but universally. I am also neither a cryptologist nor a government employee, so I have no idea how their offices look like or function- kind of just sticking to the general corporate setting. And this is definitely where the 'fiction' part of realistic fiction kicks in. Anyways, enjoy reading!

The next several weeks passed by pleasantly. Raghuveer made it a point to do the simple things he'd seen his parents doing. Wishing her good morning, thanking her for packing him lunch, he even made a few requests, and making small talk with her about how her day went. The best part though, was how he increasingly flirted with her, or at least what passed as flirting in Vaidehi's book, and Vaidehi responded with equal sass, or sometimes shyness. 

Vaidehi liked the changes her husband was making. She thought about the days that she had revealed her working status. That was the day she took revenge for his antics at their sixth monthiversary. He had a file with the background check done on her, but had never bothered to look at it since the PI didn't see anything incriminating. Had he bothered to check, he would have known. "Aaj kaisa chala aapka din? Woh accounts wali problem theek ho gayi?" Raghuveer had come home late that day, just as they were about to have dinner. It was only now after they had come upstairs that he had had a chance to freshen up and relax. 

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "No, we're missing two accountants, so the work is going slow. One of them is on maternity leave and the other on grievance leave, so I can't call them back." "Technically, you can, but it seems like you're a boss with morals," she pointed out. He huffed out a laugh at that. "And the cyber team is still trying to work out the security issues." "You know...," Vaidehi ventured, "shayad main kuch madat kar sakti hoon. My background is in mathematics." Veer smiled at her suggestion but shook his head. 

Vaidehi wished she could stop time for a moment every time he smiled. He usually never granted her more than a small grin, but the way he was becoming more comfortable with smiling was heartening to her. "No, don't worry. You don't need to stress about it, too." She shrugged and went back to setting the room to rights. "How was your day? No unruly students today?" "Thankfully, no. Usually an unruly student indicates that there's something going on in their personal life that's affecting their mood, and I was proven right again today. I spoke to the student and his family life isn't too great. The emotional tension is getting to him, and he's not able to focus on anything." 

"Hmmm, have you thought of anything to help the student long term?" She smiled at the way he immediately tried to solve the issue. "Yes, I offered him a position as my teaching assistant and introduced him to a group of other students who are also TAs for other classes. Now he has a valid excuse to give to his family when he spends long hours at school. He can both avoid the tense environment and learn something from the experience." "Your students are lucky to have you." She blushed, hiding her face as she settled on the bed. 

"Thank you, even though he wasn't...I mean, my father was a great professor." Veer ignored her slip-up, although it made him curious. That seemed like a conversation for another day. "That may be true, but you're a person who truly cares about everyone else around her, and that shows in your teaching. That's not something you could have learned from your father." Vaidehi never knew what to say to compliments, and it was a whole new level of feeling when the compliment came from her husband. "Thank you," she mumbled again. 

"You're horrible at accepting compliments, but don't worry. I'll help you get used to it." He chuckled at her embarrassed silence. "I thought we could go out to lunch tomorrow. Send me the address of your college and I'll pick you up." "I would love that, but there's no need to pick me up. I'll meet you at the restaurant." "Here I'm trying to squeeze in extra time with my wife, and you're denying me. And know one thing, when I'm there, I'll always be your chauffeur." Why did that sound so seductive and possessive to her? Probably because he meant it that way. Did he, really? 'Back to earth, Vaidehi,' she told herself. 

Well, the real problem was that she wouldn't be at college tomorrow, and it would take a while for her to go to college first and then come back to work from college after lunch. She mentally threw up her hands. You know what, it was time her husband knew that she was a full time working woman, and not as a college lecturer. She would send him the address of her office and have him wait outside. And it wasn't like he could come up to her floor without clearance anyways. "Theek hain, bhejthi hoon. Ab aap so jaiye. Der ho gayi hain aur aap bohot thake hue lag rahe hain." 

He hummed in response but set aside his laptop and glasses, which he only used when looking at electronics, and she thought made him look really hot. Settling under the covers, he came close, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her cheek and murmured good night, falling asleep. The first time he had gathered her close and kissed her cheek, she blushed hard and went into shock for a moment. 

She had asked if friends slept cuddled together like them, or kissed each other's cheek. She was feeling brave at that moment. His response was that if said friend was your wife, then yes. She closed her eyes, pretending to sleep, to escape the sight of his wicked smile. Since then, that had become their habit. Vaidehi would sleep on his bicep as if it was her pillow, and Veer would have his other arm draped over her waist, hugging her close. The first and last thing he did everyday was give her a peck on the cheek. She still couldn't control the blush that graced her cheeks everytime he did that.