|ℍ𝕒𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕂𝕒𝕕𝕙𝕒𝕝|

| Bonus chapter : 04 |

Corny Cravings
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Ashwin gently pushed the door open, praying it wouldn't creak. As he peeked inside, he noticed the lights were off. He let out a huge sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. Victory! But he knew better than to celebrate too soon. After all, stealth missions demanded utmost caution, and this was the grand heist of sneaking in late.

He tiptoed inside, every step a calculated effort to avoid the creaky floorboards. Just as he reached the kitchen, his heart decided to relocate—straight to his sleeves when he saw what he saw. There, illuminated by the soft glow of the refrigerator light, stood the reason behind his shock.

Ashwin could have been a ghost, he might even be the CEO, but at home, he was always just the husband, and Shreya was always his wife—and Shreya. Nothing could scare her.

Ashwin smiled sheepishly as Shreya stood there with a poker face, calmly drinking water from the bottle while leaning against the fridge. Her cool demeanor made him feel like a teenager caught sneaking in past curfew, except this time, the stakes were much higher: his dignity.

Sorry Shreya, bayandhutiya yenna?

Shreya simply cast him a very judging look from his head to toe, to which Ashwin sighed and murmured under his breath, 

Adhane, na pei'ya irundhapove nee enna paarthu bayandhadhu illa, purushuna irukapo mattum bayapadhava porae?

Shreya chuckled as she walked past him out of the kitchen after thrusting the bottle in his hand, 

Traffic la late achu, unaku theriyama apdhiye samalichiralamnu nenachen.. mattikiten. Seri nee yen innum thungama irukae?

Chumma dha

Chumma va?

Ashwin could not believe it, he suspiciously eyed his wife as she casually fell on the couch,

Eyh pathu pathu!

Shreya shot Ashwin a glare that silenced him instantly. Without a word, she turned away and flicked on the television. Ashwin, realizing he'd dodged a bullet, quickly placed the water bottle back in the fridge. He noticed she'd already cooked dinner, and decided to freshen up before eating.

After a quick shower, Ashwin returned to find Shreya engrossed in her TV show. He served himself dinner and sat on the floor next to her feet.

Rasam, pickle, and papadam—Ashwin could never put into words how irresistible they were. His wife had somehow mastered these dishes from his mother and never failed to make his taste buds dance with delight. As Ashwin let out a moan of pleasure after his first bite, he frowned, feeling a gaze on him. However, when he snapped his head around, he found Shreya watching TV. Normal. Very normal.

Ashwin shrugged and took another bite. Again, he felt someone watching him, this time more intensely. But when he turned around yet again, Shreya hadn't even moved. Ashwin stared at her suspiciously, his mind racing.

Nee saaptiya ma?

Shreya immediately nodded her head, but without looking at him,

Na appove saaptene

Ohhh

Shreya knew Ashwin's "Oh" was a dissatisfied one. She innocently looked down and found him narrowing his gaze at her, his eyes twitching like a black-and-white villain.