ANTI-LOVE

Pragma

"Hey! do you think that you and I might live together?"
"I can spend the rest of my entire life with you"
"I am serious shubh..."
"so I am"
"I like you"
"I like you too"
"I mean... I love you"
"me too!"
"(angry emoji) I am proposing you stupid<3"
"like earlier?"
"Yeah"
"is it a dream?"
"why?"
"Because you made me blush"
"oh come on!"
"you mean, cum on..."
"Did anyone tell you that, you are so cheap"
"it is my fortune that I am cheap because now you can afford me"
"I can afford anyone, okay"
"buy me then... I am cheap"
"Okay fine! I am adding you to my kart, so now you have to come to my city, Mumbai Mr. shubh"
"thank you mam for choosing me, I will never disappoint you"
"better"
"Anything for you your highness"
"meet me soon stupid"
"okay love"
"bye sweetheart"
"bye butterfly"

I place my phone on my right cupboard and dim the lights. suddenly, aarav enters the room.
aarav, my husband. he almost scares me, in to confront him.

"you scared me."

"Really? I don't think so"

he replies and smiles.

I like his smile. his smile is realistic and charming. it reveals his character.
he removes his tee in front of me. he says, he doesn't like t-shirts. maybe because I bought those for him or
maybe he wants to seduce me. it's quite working.

I like his physic more than his heart, lol.

while I am watching his ribs and abs.
he questions-

"is shubh coming?"
"yes" I reply.

"you must be kidding," he says.

"no, I am not" I reply coldly to him.

"he is coming all way from Delhi to attend our anniversary"

"so what? he loves me"

I always tease him like this. shubh is my first love. we are in a relationship since we were fifteen.
I told my dad about him. he told his dad about me. they both denied our marriage.

"I feel jealous of him," he says.

"but why?" I reply.

my dad found aarav, he comes from
a wealthy family, super wealthy. shubh's dad found a girl, who is the only daughter of Mr. Viraj, his rival company. it is a business merger more than a marriage. same with me.

"because he knows you more than me," he says.

"that is why he is my best friend," I reply.

I told him that, he is my best friend. so he cannot doubt us and I know he believes me.

"I don't know. but sometimes I feel pity for myself. sometimes it feels like you are not happy with me. you hide. you will leave me."

I leave the bed, go closer to him and hug him. I say-

"but I am with you."

sometimes I think, whatever we are doing isn't good, because us two more lives are suffering. aarav is a genuine person but I have justification.

he looks into my eyes. kisses my forehead and question-

"I know but what if he steals you from me?"

...

Pragma is a kind of practical love founded on reason or duty and one’s longer-term interests. Sexual attraction takes a back seat in favour of personal qualities and compatibilities, shared goals, and "making it work."