Petrichor to his Heart

1.4

They changed, he packed the papers and samples and locked them in the safe before hitting the bed. Always arranged and sophisticated or perhaps because he was alone in some important years of life, he learnt everything.

No one to pick his pillow from the floor, no mother to cover him with the sheets, no one to ask if he ate or not..." her eyes welled thinking about his hardship as she observed him picking and putting the things he needed the next morning.

With a soft flick the lights went out in the room and the darkness surrounded her, sometimes peaceful darkness and sometimes this darkness made her crawl back to memories not so bright.

He didn't want anyone to touch his stuff and the times she used to arrange his shelves, one thing or another was lost for him unless she presented it to him. She smiled at that.

It was strange that she felt sad and happy at the same time and the reason was this man adjusting his pillow beside her. Just a few months ago if someone has said she was going to marry this strange species she was going to laugh at that.

And here she could not think a day without him but it does not mean she ignored the fact how ruthless he could be and was it rude of her to question his tactics... she questioned herself as she turned her back to him.

The wall clock was ticking, tick-tock, tick-tock and the dark night dawned on them, the night without moon... huge glass windows showed nothing just occasional fluttering of drapes whenever AC blades directed up.

She could hear his soft breaths, he was not asleep but he was not restless like her. She was trying hard to hide the restlessness but she was sure her over sensitive husband has already sensed the bugs puzzling her brain.

"We just had a small no-verbal but strong argument and how come he is not restless..." she asked herself pulling the sheet to her chin.

"Perhaps he was not lying when he said he doesn't care what others think about him," she answered her own question. "he has had a lot and now it has crossed the threshold point of him caring about kinds of stuff about him," she added another point to her observation and unknowingly she turned and rested on her back.

"tumhe neend nahi aa rha?" he asked her softly. "aaj to itna sara kam kiya tum, aur thaka nahi tum...?"

"pata nahi... shayd insan thak ke nahi sota, sukoon milne ke bad sota hai." she answered him trying to make out him in the darkness.

"ya shayd aaj apne beech distance jyada hai.." he was smiling and she knew it in his voice.

"ek baat puchhu?" she focussed on the ceiling over her to start the topic.

"hmmm." he was tired but he was not able to sleep as well.

"ab jab sab theek hai, Amma khush hai, Keerti khush hai, kya tumhe sukoon mila?" her voice was dim yet strong.

he took a long breath, shifted again and then started.

"dekho, jab hm log Sukoon ko ambitions se jod lete hain to ambitions poore hone ke bad satisfaction aata hai, sukoon nahi... aur kabhi kabhi sukoon hamara list me hota hi nahi," he took a pause as if in pain.

" mere ko bas itna pata tha ki amma aur keerti ko safe rakhna hai aur amma mujhe hamesha galat na samjhe... Amma aaj bhi yaha nahi rahta kyunki amma apne baato ka pkka hai aur mujhe use force nahi karna." he turned to her.

"to agar amma mere sath hoke bhi pas nahi hai to mai kaise sukoon kar lu, par haan mujhe ye bat ka sukoon hai ki mai jab chahe Amma se bat kar sakta hai uske pas ja sakta hai." his honest reply warmed her.

"Amma believes you and she knows you care for them the most." she tried to cheer him up.

"i know." he rested on his back again.