Moran: Every day, I love you more

Beyond words: My comfort person

It was a starry night, with a nip in the air. Monami gazed at the sky for a bit and turned to her right, where the moonlight was beautifully falling on her husband's face.

Husband? Oh yes, the term was new and so was the feeling for Monami. 
It's only been a week, for this change in title from fiánce to husband. But everytime she used this word, it filled her heart with warmth and made butterflies flutter in her tummy. 

Karan was asleep on the bed. He was tucked in with two layers of blankets, and his head was covered with a warm woolen cap, courtesy Mrs Shergill.

Monami slightly moved towards him and re-adjusted the blanket, to ensure his feet did not get cold. She had learnt only today that his feet have a special talent, of peeking out from the blanket, every now and then. Well, everything about her Special Agent was special, she concluded.

She smiled a bit to herself, and straightened her back to relax. She tried closing her eyes but sleep was far away from her as her thoughts kept her awake. It was a tiring day, and a very tiring week too.

It was exactly a week ago when they got married. How? Well, that's a story for another day but it was the most beautiful way it could have been.

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Flashback 

They had returned to Deolali just the next day of the marriage. As they were enjoying the post-marriage rituals at Shergill house, Karan received a call from Col Batra for an urgent mission. His leave was immediately canceled and he was called right away. They had hardly spent an afternoon together yet.

Monami was not required on this mission and she could continue her leave. This was his first mission after their marriage, the first time they were not going to be in a 20 meter radius of each other since they took their vows. 

Duty is above all, and beyond everything for both of them, so there was absolutely no hesitation. Monami helped him pack his bag quickly while he was working on the mission details with Faizi.

They hugged each other before he left. It was the tightest hug they ever had. Perhaps, it would only get tighter from now on. He kissed on her forehead and she made him promise that he would come back to her, fit and fine, uninjured and victorious.

As it was a classified mission, Monami was not aware of its details. But they were expecting it to last 3-4 days and was supposed to be relatively less risky. During this time, she stayed at the Shergill house with Barkha bhabhi and Baby. 

She used this time for her duties as the Shergill daughter-in-law. Barkha left no stone unturned to ensure that Monami was comfortable and felt at-home. She introduced her to their relatives over video calls and Monami quickly became a favorite.

To distract themselves from worrying about Karan, the ladies spent a lot of time chatting (read gossiping). Monami and Baby watched so much TV together that Barkha had to almost scold and send both of them to study. 

Monami also cooked her first dish in the kitchen, Suji Halwa. Bhabhi had insisted that the ritual could be done after Karan returned. But Monami could not see Barkha alone doing the kitchen chores all this while and wanted to help. So it was finalized that she would cook Bhabhi’s favorite dish now and redo the ritual with Karan's favorite dish, i.e. Kheer, once he returns. 

It was already 5 days since the mission had started. She did not have direct communication with Karan, but kept getting updates through Col Batra that the agents were safe and everything was going on fine. 

She was informed by the academy staff that the staff quarter they had requested for, is now allotted and ready to be accommodated. Upon Barkha’s insistence, it was decided that she and Baby would continue to stay at Shergill house, as it was near to Baby’s school and Barkha’s NGO. For convenience and faster access to the academy, Karan and Monami would stay in academy quarters and keep visiting Shergill house during weekends and off hours.