One More Time

e i g h t e e n

As the night enveloped them in its soothing embrace, the couple found themselves in a serene silence. The gentle glow of the moon fell upon them, as they quietly stared at the sky. Aaruthran, understanding the weight of unburdening one's soul, remained patient, offering his wife the space to unravel her thoughts. Meanwhile, Shivanya grappled with the daunting task of articulating her inner turmoil.

"T-Thank you for today..." She began hesitantly. Upon hearing her response, Aaruthran redirected his gaze to meet his wife's anxious expression.

"Seriously?" He huffed in disbelief, clearly displeased with her 'thank you'.

Shivanya couldn't help but chuckle softly, feeling her anxiety ease at her husband's animated reaction. A moment of silence filled the air as the couple turned their gaze back to the sky, but this time with a very faint smile gracing their lips.

"I'm sorry..." Aaruthran broke the silence.

Shivanya's eyes widened slightly in surprise as she turned towards him, finding his gaze locked on her while his head rested against the wall. "Idhu yedhuku?" She questioned, surprised.

"Illa naa ketta kelvi naala thaana inniku..." Aaruthran dragged, his voice filled with guilt.

"Mch! Neenga yenna therinja panninga? Aprom yedhuku indha sorry yellam?" It was now her turn to huff in disbelief. "Ozhunga sorry-ah vaapas vaangunga!" She ordered with a glare that was anything but intimidating.

A soft chuckle escaped Aaruthran's lips upon hearing his wife's words. It was at this moment he realized how much he had missed all of this — their video calls, their nightly conversations, their banters, and most importantly their friendship. Regret soon washed over him as he acknowledged how he had let his worries about the future to overshadow the joy of living in the present.

"Yen apdi paakuringa? Naa sonnadhu kekalaya? Sorry. Vaapas. Ippovey." Shivanya spoke, stressing on the last three words.

Coming out of his trance, Aaruthran gently gazed at his wife with a soft smile gracing his lips. With a subtle shake of his head, he said, "Seringa madam, sorry vaapas vaangiyachu...".

"Good! Because neenga ennaku help pannalana—" As Shivanya recounted her near-fainting experience, her words trailed off as she realized 'how' exactly he had helped her.

Realizing what his wife was saying, Aaruthran awkwardly cleared his throat and swiftly shifted his gaze towards the sky, a subtle blush gracing his cheeks. Meanwhile, Shivanya bit her lips in embarrassment, feeling a wave of fluster creeping over her as she tried to gather her thoughts. As she pondered on how to amend her words, a genuine question surfaced in Shivanya's mind, one she really wanted to know the answer to.

"Aama, ungalukku yepdi indha mathiri situations lam handle panna theriyum?" She questioned, not thinking much of it.

Upon hearing Shivanya's question, the smile on Aaruthran's lips gradually faded as he redirected his gaze back to her. "My ex-wife used to get them." He nonchalantly uttered, his face devoid of any emotions.

Immediately regretting her lack of filter, Shivanya cursed herself inwardly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know!" She instantly apologized. Shaking his head with a faint smile, Aaruthran replied, "It's fine, I'm over it...".

Nodding in agreement, Shivanya hesitated, biting her lip. She knew that asking this question would be crossing a line, yet she couldn't suppress the sudden surge of courage that propelled her to speak.

"If you don't mind, ennaku avangala pathi solringala?" She uttered, her voice filled with hesitation.

As Aaruthran keenly studied his wife's face, he sensed something different about her. It was unusual of her to ask such a question, and then suddenly, it dawned on him. The sudden chattiness and random interjections of unrelated questions were nothing but Shivanya's subconscious mind trying to buy her more time to confront her past.