Her healer

9. Caring

Meera was sitting on a chair in the kitchen doing nothing and only looking at her husband mesmerized. She looked at her husband's hair now tied tightly in a bun, eyes focused on the rice he was rinsing right now, sleeves folded up to his elbow clearly showing the veins popping, the black kurta was even accentuating his looks more. She remembered how she ended up on the chair.

FLASHBACK

Meera took the utensil to rinse some rice while Aashrit was just looking around the kitchen roaming around when Aashrit called her and she jumped in fear with udden interruption while she concentrated on the dish she was about to make. As she jumped, the utensil slipped from her hand and she covered her ears with her hands before any sound could come. She opened her eyes only to find Aashrit holding the utensil in his hand looking at her with some concern in his eyes. She looked at him scared of the fact that he would shout at her so she apologized to him first.

"I am sorry. I was..."

"Shhhh..... It's nothing to be sorry about." He said before she could apologize.

Meera didn't speak a word again but a whole conversation happened in her mind. She didn't know anything else to say apart from sorry. While also worried about the fact that she offended him with her actions.

"I can't trust you with cooking," Aashrit said in a monotone voice and left the kitchen.

His words pierced Meera's heart. She was scared thinking that she upset him on the 1t day of marriage only. She didn't know him much but she knew his age enough. Her feet walked after him to try to coax her and apologize for her mistake but before she could move, she saw him entering the kitchen with a chair in his hand.

He put the chair in the middle of the kitchen while Meera's eyes furrowed seeing his actions. She didn't know what to say to him.

"Baithiye....." he said

Meera looked at him with a questioned eye not understanding his words. If she would sit, then who is going to cook?

When Meera's feet didn't move, Aashrit stood in front of her and leaned down to her ear "Don't make me repeat myself Meera ji." He said and her heartbeat stopped on hearing her name from his mouth.

"Par......" She tried to utter but was shshed by Aaashrit.

"Shhhh...." He said while putting his finger on her lip making her take a step back.

Aashrit felt hurt by her actions and took his hand back and turned towards the fridge.

Meera kept standing there shocked at her actions. She suddenly got worried thinking she might have hurt him unknowingly. She didn't want to upset him or anybody in this house.

"Kun.........."

"Aashrit....... My name is Aashrit." He said coming back with an apple and knife in his hand.

He put the apple down on a plate "And I'd like my wife to call me by my name." He said cutting the apple.

Meera had no idea what to say anymore. She suddenly felt speechless. His name??? From her mouth?? No...... It sounded like a sin. She grew up in a closed environment where taking husband'sname was strictly denied. For a second she thought if he was testing her but the serious look on his face was saying otherwise.

PRESENT

And that's how she ended up on the chair with a plate of apple slices in her hand still thinking about Aashrit's words.

She came out of thoughts on hearing his voice.

"What am I supposed to do next?" He said out loud.

Meera stood up from the chair and went hurriedly to him. She looked at the pot on the gas and was shocked to see the boiling water in a pot.