Relationship Status - It's complicated

Chapter 6 - It's alright

Anjali

Sleep would not come to me tonight. I always had trouble sleeping with change of place. Right now, I was in Pooja's room while she slept next to me soundly. Aniket jiju was sleeping in the living room. The kids were sleeping their room. I offered to sleep in the living room as it did not seem right he was giving up the bedroom for me. However, he and Pooja insisted saying that it just wasn't acceptable that I slept in the living room all alone. 

I sat up to drink water from the night stand bottle. Taking a few sips in, I looked around Pooja's bedroom. Street light poured in through the creaks of curtains which lit up the pictures of Pooja and Aniket's special moments on the opposite wall. One of the pictures was from their wedding day which I remember very vividly. The other was from the naming ceremony of Aarya and the one next to it was from naming ceremony of Arjun.

This reminded me of Shiv's picture with his ex wife. The looked a happy couple in love and I now think how the room comes to life with pictures. My room had pictures from my growing up years, some were just solo pics while some were with my parents and the there were definitely some of me and Pooja. 

However, Manish's room was never my room according to Manish and hence he never allowed me to put any pictures in there. In the initial days of my marriage while I had not known the truth of Manish, I had received a few wedding photographs from the wedding photographer. Like an excited naive bride, I had placed a photograph in which both the sets of our parents were beside us. It was only after seeing the photograph, had I realized that all of us were smiling at the photographer but Manish looked grim. I had then ignored it thinking it was probably just the timing of the photographer and nothing else.  On the other night stand, I had put my photograph, the one that was taken just before the ceremonies and after the beautician had decked me up completely. It was one of the typical poses that photographer had asked me to pose in - a shy decked up bride. 

That evening Manish had come home and for the first time yelled at me for putting up pictures without asking him. That was not the first time I had shed tears in the very little time that I had been married. However, that certainly was the first time I had cried infront of him, something that I regret today. I was an independent, educated and mature woman. I need not have stayed silent that day. I could have retaliated and I could have answered back but I didn't. I was in shock as I had never expected such a reaction. 

Thinking and overthinking, tossing and turning, I finally let sleep over take my tired body. If only I knew, it wasn't going to be a sound, dreamless sleep. 

Shivani

It was early in the morning and Riya was still sleeping beside me hugging me. I slowly got up and crawled out of the bed so as not to disturb her. Brushing my teeth and performing my morning routine I glanced at the clock, Jai must be up and making himself chai. I missed our morning chai time before the chaos of the day started. 

I quickly called him , he was on my first speed dial followed by Shiv and then followed by Papa. He was definitely making chai and missing me too. 

"I forgot to tell you about Anjali."

"Anjali, your new friend?"

"Not mine, Shiv's new friend.She came over yesterday." I giggled

"What? Shiv has a new friend ? Anjali, did you say?" 

"Yes, and she is so sweet. Guess where they both met?"

"By the amusement in your voice, certainly not at a traditional place." 

"Yes, after a lot of insistence, Shiv told me everything. They met in the court as they both had their final hearing on the same day."

"That is very interesting. Shiv bought her home?" He asked