Flawless Silence

Chapter 10

On the bright next morning, Shivaay woke groggily and uncomfortable after being pushed to the edge of the bed. As per agreed, Annika and Shivaay shared the bed when his mother stayed back and when she was away Shivaay would spend the night in the living room. Sharing sleeping space with Annika was a pain in the ass, to Shivaay.

She would have occupied most of the bed crossing the pillow walls and shoving her limbs on his face, in a taekwondo pose. Presently, Shivaay rubbed his eyes and let them go aimlessly around the room. His sense halted when he caught a glimpse of Annika, she was fiddling with the white jumkas. And immediately he recollected that he had brought the jumkas to gift his wife on the occasion of their wedding day. However, with all commotion that happened, he had no chance to present her.

"These jumkas? Yours?" Shivaay yawned before shooting to his topic.

Hearing him, Annika pulled out her hair on one side of her shoulders and looked over. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Aunty Ji gave this to me. I always wanted this kind of white and golden jumkas but now I had the chance to wear them. Aunty Ji has good taste, isn't she?"

Shivaay nodded positively as he watched her wiggle her head, shaking the light earing.

His eyes then moved to her face.

Her face was radiant with the smile she possessed. There was a small and thin chain around her neck adorned. And he remembers clasping it as the priest asked him on the auspicious time back then. Her hairline was kept smudged with reassuring vermillion, a symbol of a married woman. And strands of hair fell over her countenance.

In short, precisely, she looked marvellous in that printed total Kurti.

"You don't look bad." Annika glared at him as he expressed his way of appreciation. "Waise, what made you wear all those stuff? You know I'm not a traditional or conservative man. Maa is also understanding though she is a bit strict."

Annika looked at him blankly not understanding what he meant. Wasn't she allowed to dress up? She scowled mentally.

Though when she recognized what meant, her eyes automatically subsided, scared to look at his sight. Toying with her wedding band, she admitted lowly. "I wanted to. Not because of you nor because of aunty Ji. Do you have any problems?"

Shivaay clenched his jaws, and still, didn't speak anything.

"Please help me with this cast. The three-fourth sleeves are irritating." Obliging her request, Shivaay pushed the quilt from his body and walk lazily towards her.

With his attention concentrated on her sleeves, which reached to her elbows, he strived to fold them.

"Shivaay?"

"Hmm."

"I, this wasn't forced, I mean what happened minutes back. It's been almost four months and I have begun to trust you. You are not what I had thought previously, also I enjoy your company. I want to put in my complete effort." Annika softly whispered at his face as he tried and failed to make up the sleeves of the cloth she wore.

"This is too early to determine enjoying each other's company. We may enjoy ourselves as good friends but not as much as a married couple."

"I will put my fundamental potential steps into making this work."

"Look Annika I believe that love is all about affection, desire, devotion and detection. And even though I didn't have a chance to experience I still wish to. I have experienced and miserably failed in this once. And I don't wish to through twice. So I can't just force someone who is still stuck in the past and detests her husband. Think about it from my shoes, how can I trust you back as a wife after what happened on the wedding day?"