THE IMPERFECT PERFECTIONS

•∆4~𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

Aditya stirred from his slumber, the morning light filtering through the curtains. As he approached the bed, he saw his wife, her form nestled in peaceful repose.

The delicate strands of her hair lay like spun gold against the pillow, and he couldn't help but admire her.

His hand moved of its own accord, fingers tracing the contours of her hair. But then, with a sudden jolt, she woke up. Aditya swiftly withdrew his hand, caught off guard by the way she abruptly woke up.

"I'm sorry," he stammered, the words escaping him without knowing.

Why had he touched her like that? He couldn't give a reason to himself.

Taniya, still half-asleep, tried to ease the tension. "Do you need anything?" she asked, attempting to break the awkward silence.

"No," Aditya replied.

They remained silent, both grappling with the strange awkwardness of the moment.

"I'm going to the washroom," Taniya suddenly announced to escape the awkwardness

" I'll head to the gym."
Aditya said at the same time causing them to chuckle.

They both hurried towards their respective places.

*After a few minutes...*

Taniya stood in the washroom, contemplating her next move.

"Should I go out now? What if he is still there?" Lost in her thoughts, she heard the door open and close.

"Oh, he's here now!" Taniya scolded herself. She should have stepped out earlier. But it was too late. She had finished her bath, only to realize she'd forgotten her towel. There was none in the washroom.

With no other option, she knocked on the door, hoping to catch his attention. "Aditya?" she called out.

Aditya's eyes widened as he spotted the hand peeking out from the partially open washroom door.

"Actually, I forgot to bring my towel," she blurted out, "Can you pass it to me? It should be in the closet. And please, my clothes too."

"Okay," Aditya replied, momentarily taken aback.

He walked over to the closet, his heart still racing from the unexpected encounter. As he opened a drawer, his eyes fell upon something entirely unexpected: her delicate lace underwear.

His face flushed crimson, and he hastily shut the drawer, mentally berating himself for the intrusion.

Grabbing a new towel from his closet and selecting a T-shirt and trousers, he returned to the washroom door. "Here," he said, knocking gently and extending the clothes to her.

She held the clothes in her hand but when she looked at them, she realised that these are not hers.

Taniya hesitated, watching the garments. "I think you're mistaken," she said, holding them up near the door. "These are not mine."

Aditya tried to sound reasonable. "Actually, I couldn't find your clothes. You can wear these for now and then change later."

Taniya withdrew her hand, closing the door without further argument.

She slipped into the oversized T-shirt and trousers.

As she adjusted the fit, she couldn't help but notice the faint scent of his cologne clinging to the fabric. Everything in the room seemed to carry his essence.

Emerging from the washroom, Taniya caught Aditya's gaze. The borrowed clothes hung loosely on her frame; she was already a bit shorter than him and the clothes were also loose for Aditya so it seemed like she was enveloped in them.