Married in Love

5. The First Day

*Purely Fictional Story*

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After the eventful night, Ananth was the first to rise from his slumber. It took him a moment to recognize the new environment and his mind quickly caught him up with the events of the night. Seeing his wife curled up in sleep, Ananth felt a new purpose in life. He had always been responsible, no doubt. But this pint sized woman invoked in him some feelings he had not had to deal with before. Like now - he was simply staring at her serene face, with her kutty pottu being displaced from between her eyebrows and lodged in the middle of her upper forehead.

Did people stare at their spouses this way in real life?

Apparently I do he told himself. Quickly refreshing himself, he went down and requested the watchman to get him that day's newspaper and a paal packet. Only after sending off the watchman did it strike him to check in the kitchen if there were ingredients for coffee and breakfast. Thankfully, he found the pantry stocked with basic items.

Caught in a bit of a dilemma, Ananth walked around in the garden surrounding the driveway. Should he be near Sadhana when she wakes up? Is that something she would expect? Or was that creepy? Or should he give her some space and wait for her to wake up and find him? Would that show that he was disinterested in them? Muppadhu vayasula ennenna doubts lam varudhu da saami His overworked brain told him to relax and find a space where he would be near her and still give her some space.

The balcony!

Keeping the paal packet inside the fridge after washing it, he took the stairs, shuffling the newspaper from one hand to the other. He peeked inside their room to see Sadhana still asleep. Noiselessly, he entered the room, pulled out his spectacles case from his bag and left the room on his tiptoes. Keeping the door slightly ajar, he made himself comfortable on a plastic chair on the balcony. He sat in an angle that would make him visible to Sadhana as soon as she got out of the room. Basking in the warmth of the sun rays falling on him, he closed his eyes for a few moments to calm down his over sizzling brain and overwhelming emotions.

What was marriage doing to him?

Another thirty minutes later, Sadhana opened her eyes lazily. She was lying with her head on her hand, so the first thing her eyes saw was the sleeve of her new purple nighty.

The purple nighty her husband had gotten for her.

On their first night.

Blushing and sinking her eyes into the softness of her arms, she lay there for a moment or two before she realized that the said husband - the buyer of the purple nighty - would be awake and waiting for her. She could not find him in the room, and she was sort of thankful for it when she caught her reflection in the dressing table mirror and saw that her kutty pottu had gone askew. Correcting it, she walked out of the room to a sight that put her imagination to shame.

For she saw Ananth sitting in his white pyjama kurta on a white chair in the balcony, the borders of the balcony outlined with lush green potted plants with fully-bloomed flowers sprouting from random pots. He had the newspaper opened and was immersed in it - she could see his profile from where she stood, and was immediately drawn to the spectacles perched on his nose.

Oh the flutters.

Ivara love panniye aaganum. Ayyo romba smart a irukare. Iru close-up la poi paapom she treaded softly towards the balcony with a conscious nalinam. Suddenly her brain paused her legs from moving 'cos her husband had now turned his head and was looking at her - the way his eyes were on her, she felt he was giving her an appreciative look at her nighty-clad form. Neeye over a think pannikaadha, avaruku velicham kanna koosudha irukum she lowered her expectations.