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Chapter 19

Shreya did not have a proper sleep schedule. But when the clock struck 10, she said her goodnight and slipped into her room, shutting herself in what little safety she felt.

Now she did not feel that need. So without that compulsion, she sat on the couch experimenting with the different settings on their new TV. Her mind however was full of thoughts. Some far fetched and elaborate, some just the face of the man she was with. But one thought crept up from time to time. Where was she going to sleep?

When she heard Lakshya go into the bathroom, she quickly turned off the TV, went into the bedroom, picked a random side of the bed and slept there. She faced away from the bathroom door. She hoped these would be her final days of pretending to be asleep, be it for others, or for herself.

Lakshya freshened up and there was no denying that his stomach was in a huge protest. He had to eat and make sure he was in a good condition to appear at the office the next day. It had already been a week of leave and his reason was local vacation. If it dragged on any longer, he would have to answer his inquisitive colleagues about what amazing tour he was on that took so much time. He did not want any kind of suspicion around this time. This was the least he could do for Moksha. For them.

He had to eat.

When he stepped out, he found his 'wife' in his bed. His fist clenched and he threw the towel in his hand with quite a bit of force and it landed with a soft thud. Shreya straightened her back and closed her eyes more firmly.

However, Lakshya did not call her out for this. She heard his footsteps receding into the hall. The house did not have another bed, so was he going to sleep on the couch, she wondered.

Soon she heard quite some disturbance from the kitchen as utensils clinked together. She listened to those movements until they stopped.

Lakshya did not hold back in the kitchen although the tastes were new and off by a little bit to what he was used to. The amount of food was also just right for him. But something was odd. They looked untouched. But then again, she could not have cooked just for one person and not eaten herself. What a perplexing situation!

He was quite a curious guy and wanted to ask her. But how could he? He hated her.

Once done, he dealt with the dishes and came back to the bedroom. Looking at the woman, he had one singular thought. How much did she cook and how much did she eat?

As he settled in the bed, another thought came to the forefront. He was sleeping right next to her. He felt awful all of a sudden. He quietly carried his blanket over to the couch in the living room. Once he felt comfortable, his mind was back on the topic of food.

Shreya heard it all. Him coming, laying next to her, springing up as if it was sin and leaving with his blanket. She cried again. Her cries have always been silent.

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The next morning, Shreya sat up in bed. She barely had any sleep. Even if she slumbered, it did not last long.

She freshened up with low energy. The only thought pushing her was that she had to cook for her husband.

She did learn to cook, but from now on, it would be a daily chore just like her mother. She checked the time. She had gotten up only one hour earlier than usual.

That meant she had just an hour to complete making breakfast and lunch, and pack her lunch. Maybe Lakshya's too. She knew she would be late for work.

An hour later, he was still asleep.

When she was done packing their lunches, she saw him milling around near the kitchen.

"Good morning." Only then she realised how raspy her voice was.