Mumbai
If life was filled with uncertainties, inconsistencies and unexpected twists and turns, hers would be the first example to be cited, Chandni deduced. The past few days were proof of it, she sighed heavily, limping into the bathroom for her morning shower. The shower that she could truly enjoy since her sutures were completely healed as of that day.
Her towel and undergarments were already placed inside by shilpa, who stepped out to take care of breakfast, with a promise to be back to wrap the crepe bandage around her ankle.
Discarding her clothes, she gingerly stepped into the cubicle and set the shower to a tolerable temperature. Enjoying the rush of warm water cascading down her body, she grimaced a little when it hit against the tender skin around her wound.
She rolled her neck a little to release the knot developed due to excessive thinking. All she wanted to do was relax under the soothing spray, but her mind decided to not heed her command. It wandered to places and events- those that she avoided pondering over, since it elicited too many chaotic emotions.
Despite desperate attempts to steer her brain cells in another direction, it drifted to the happenings following the stampede a fortnight ago....
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Advay Singh Raizada, the business magnate who had to just snap his fingers to get work done, took care of her discharge formalities personally. She was taken by surprise when he came back to her room with a fresh set of clothes and a nurse in tow to help her change.
Her husband's behaviour since her discharge from the clinic had her puzzled to such an extent that she wondered if she was in an alternate universe.
Nothing seemed even remotely close to the angry, self absorbed, hurtful and nasty Advay that she was unfortunate enough to wed. A total 180° in his personality threw suspicions to his actions initially from her end.
Three weeks of complete rest was what the doctor prescribed and it appeared that her husband was determined to provide her that.
She still remembered him carrying her across the threshold to their room effortlessly despite her vehement protests to walk there herself. He held her carefully and ensured that her wound on her waist and ankle weren't disturbed.
The gentleness he exhibited made her do a double take. Who was this man?? And what did he do with that arrogant jerk of a husband? she wondered.
She continued gazing at him as he lithely moved across the living room and was jerked out of her thoughts when they were bombarded with questions by his family members who were anxiously awaiting their arrival.
He kept the answers brief and answered on her behalf as well when her tongue seemed glued to the roof of her mouth. He kept his pace brisk and seemed thoroughly focussed on only one goal and that was to get her to their room for her to rest.
He settled her in the middle of the bed, fluffing a few cushions behind her back and nudged her to lean against it. He arranged a couple of pillows underneath her foot to keep it elevated.
“Are you comfortable?” his soft query could only be answered with a quiet nod.
It seemed that her mind was still fumbling around searching for appropriate reasons to justify the abrupt change in her husband's behaviour. It was becoming increasingly difficult to absorb the transformation in him.
She heard him rattle off the instructions given by Dr. Malhotra, to Shilpa. He wanted her to be cared for properly and she heard his curt command that Shilpa couldn't fail in that particular duty.
