"Sameer? Sameer?" When Naina woke up and didn't find her husband beside her. She started to look for him around their room, taking his name with an uneasy look.
She opened the bathroom and found his last night's clothes being dumped inside the washing machine.
So he already left for the office?
Naina thought with a dismay expression, walking back to the bed.
She grabbed her phone, anticipating a sweet message delivered on the chatting app but there was nothing except memes and funny reels sent to their friend's group.
"Sameer ne ek good morning message bhi nahi bheja. Kal raat woh itni problem me tha aur aaj subah mere uth the hi suddenly gayab?" Naina said in despondency, exhaling a deep breath.
"Koi baat nahi, shayad use office me urgent kaam hoga. Raat ko baat karugi." She coaxed her disappointed heart, smiling at the wallpaper set on her phone, the photograph captured from their wedding.
"My World." Naina kissed his picture, her eyes closed and cheeks tinted with hues of delicate pink.
• The whole day went in a jiffy for Naina as she got occupied with the pending work. She missed Sameer more than anything but didn't try to disturb him as she knew he would be busy with lined-up projects hence he didn't call her. But no matter how hard she tried to cajole her restless heart, somewhere she felt the reason was different. Even in the hectic schedule Sameer always managed to leave at least one beautiful message or call her for a minute to know if she had lunch, if she was missing him, or if she could pardon him for not talking to her for a long time. It was odd for her to digest that her husband didn't try to talk to her even for a few seconds in the entire day.
Naina dialed his number while leaving the office, waiting for him to pick up.
"Hi." There she heard the most soothing voice in the world with relief in her heart.
"Hi, Baby, kaha ho tum subah se? Sab theek hai?" Naina asked him in a soft voice, putting her laptop bag in the backseat of the luxurious car.
"Haa sab thik hai," Sameer replied, though he sounded bored or guilty.
"Chalo good, aur kab aaoge tum? Main nikal gayi hoon office se, thodi der me pahuch jaugi." She said buoyantly, ignoring his lack of response with a disheartened smile.
"Pata nahi, bahut kaam hai, der ho jayegi aane me." He lied, blowing out a deep breath with a rueful look on his face.
"Oh, isliye aaj subah se ek bhi message ya call nahi?" Naina asked casually while sitting in the driving seat.
"Haa," Sameer uttered, in a meek tone.
"Acha, karo phir tum apna kaam, main ghar pahuch ke call karti hoon," Naina said with a small smile, her eyes turning gloomy as she didn't expect such a cold reaction from her sweetheart husband.
"Okay." He replied dully, disconnecting the call even before she could mumble a soft "I Miss You."
Naina stared at the electronic device in her hand with nothing but pure worry and disappointment, contemplating if Sameer was upset about their fight and wasn't talking to her gladly as usual because of that reason.
"Sameer ko ho kya gaya hai? Kal se itna weird behave kar raha hai? Sach me kya woh kal ki baat se naraz hai?" She thought with a perplexed expression while biting her thumbnail, her left hand resting on the steering wheel. She blinked calmly and broodingly for a good time, deciding to end the pricking distance between them by arranging a special candlelight romance.
