14 - The Kiss

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Typed: 12/12/2023
Chapter 14: The Kiss

Author's POV:

She woke up without a jolt. If Yug was in the room he would have made a mental note of it. As much as he'd hate to admit it out loud, her reaction to a mere nightmare was alarming. He's been around his cousin, a little daughter named Tisha who always had nightmares after watching horror movies with Yug, but even she didn't react this way.

Khushi stretched her arms and yawned twice before rubbing her eyes, removing any trace of sleep she had left in her. She was busy rubbing her neck when Yug walked in. He was wearing warm navy blue trousers and the same colour sweatshirt with a grey beanie. Normally, a beanie with trousers wouldn't be recommended, but since they were in Manali during the winter, it was forgiven.

Yug's eyes didn't bother taking anything in but her. It's like his eyes were trained to land on his wife before anything else. They maintain a painful long eye contact as Yug takes his beanie off and throws it on the couch by the TV. "Morning." Although he'd come from a jog or run-fitness to say the least, his voice didn't show breathlessness.

Khushi responded, keeping her eyes on him, "morning. When did you wake up?" She's clicking her knuckles, as if anxious. Avoiding him. Her brown eyes were no longer on her husband. Yug registers this too.

He shrugs off his sweater effortlessly, as if the jog had done it's job. He was no longer cold. Beneath his sweatshirt, he wore a plain half-sleeved white well-fitted top. He looked like he'd shed enough sweat. He had to have, his face had traces of sweat too. "Nearly two hours ago. You were asleep, so I didn't want to wake you up."

There's something different about Yug's eyes today. They are still empathetic and have the same essence a gracious person would have but they're sort of-distant. Today. They're calculative as if trying to examine his wife. Not read but examine. There's a difference between Yug reading Khushi and examining her.

Khushi slowly gets out of bed, tying her hair in a bun, getting ready to go to the bathroom. "I'll have a shower, then we can have breakfast."

"Do you-" he paused. So did she. Khushi turns and Yug stands tall. Tall enough for someone who just went for a run for an hour straight, he shows no signs of fatigue. That's admirable to Khushi because she could never.

He wanted to ask her about her nightmare but he thought better of it. There's a time and place, he reminded himself. He shook his head, a tender smile lingering on his face, however, it didn't reach his eyes. "Nothing," he finally says because she was waiting for him. "I'll order something while you shower. We can eat breakfast in our room unless?"

"I'd like to have breakfast in our room," she answers gently. Taking her towel and clothes, Khushi disappeared into the bathroom, leaving a conflicting Yug.

~

"Do you remember anything that happened last night?"

She giggles quietly to herself before composing herself. "You say it as if I was drunk," and then she takes a big bite of the paratha on her plate.

Yug couldn't help but roll his eyes at her. At first, he had the impression that Khushi might be a hard person. Not her personality but someone who has trouble understanding humour, so it was nice to know she was capable of being comical herself. Life would go smoothly, he thinks to himself because Yug cannot live without sarcasm. He's smiling at her, watching her eat.

"I mean," he sips his juice, seizing her with his expressive eyes. "You had a nightmare. What was it about?" As he places his glass on the table, he watches her stop chewing, eyes no longer looking at her plate in longing.

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