Equations Of Love

12

"You have always been enough"

AYUSHMAN'S POV

As we walked away from the office, I couldn't shake the image of Prateek's smirk. It reminded me of the incident at Diya's brother's wedding. Prateek had been overly familiar with her, ignoring my attempts to intervene even when I insisted she was my wife. My blood boiled at the memory, but I forced myself to stay calm. There was no point in getting angry now.

"So, how was your first day?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

Diya looked at me, her eyes brightening. "It was good, actually. A bit overwhelming, but everyone was really nice."

"That's great to hear," I said, genuinely pleased. "Did you get to meet your boss?"

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, actually. And you won't believe who it is."

"Who?" I asked, curious.

"Prateek Rathore," she said, watching my reaction.

I felt a surge of anger but suppressed it. "Prateek? The same guy from your brother's wedding?"

"Yes," she replied, her tone careful. "It was a bit awkward, but he was professional. Mostly."

I nodded, taking in the information. "Well, as long as he behaves professionally, that's what matters."

Diya smiled, and I felt a sense of relief seeing her comfortable and happy. It had been a while since we had shared such easy conversations.

We reached home, and I turned to her. "Why don't you go change, refresh, and rest a bit? I'll start on dinner."

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking a bit hesitant.

"Absolutely," I replied with a smile. "I've got it covered."

She nodded and went to her room. I headed to the kitchen, changing into more comfortable clothes before starting dinner. I decided to make chole bhature, one of Diya's favorites. As I cooked, my mind kept drifting back to Prateek and the memories of the wedding. But I pushed those thoughts away, focusing on the task at hand.

Once the food was ready, I called for Diya. She came into the dining room, looking refreshed. We sat down and started eating.

"This is amazing," she said, taking a bite. "You should really consider quitting your job and becoming a chef."

I chuckled. "I'm fine with being your personal chef. I wouldn't want anyone else to taste what I cook."

She flushed, looking a bit embarrassed. To avoid the awkwardness, I changed the topic. "By the way, in two weeks, we'll be traveling to Aligarh for my cousin's wedding. You should do some shopping for the trip."

"Oh, I almost forgot about that," she said. "I'll need to buy a few things."

"Here," I said, handing her my card. "Use this for the shopping."

She looked at the card, then back at me. "I can't take this, Ayushman. I have my own money."

I shook my head. "It's the wife's right to spend her husband's money. Even if you have your own, it would make me feel good if you used mine."

She hesitated but eventually took the card. "Okay, if you insist."

As we continued eating, I couldn't help but notice the absence of her mangalsutra. The thought had been nagging at me since the office. I finally decided to ask her about it.

"Diya, where's your mangalsutra?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.

She looked surprised and a bit flustered. "Oh, I... I don't remember where I put it."

Her words stung, but I kept my expression neutral. "No worries. We'll get you a new one."

She nodded, and we continued our dinner in silence. The absence of the mangalsutra was a painful reminder of the distance between us, but I was determined to make things better.

The chapter ended with this promise to me: no matter how long it took, I would bridge the gap between us and rebuild what we had lost.

After a few moments of silence, I cleared my throat and decided to bring up something that might help Diya feel more integrated into her new job and also give us some more time together.

"By the way, Diya," I began, trying to sound casual, "could you come to my office this Saturday? We're going to have some events coming up, and I think it would be a good experience for you."

She looked at me, slightly surprised. "Saturday? But isn't it a weekend?"

"Yes, it is," I acknowledged, "but these events are a bit special. We usually have a few team-building activities and some planning sessions. It's not all work—it can actually be quite fun. Plus, it would give you a chance to meet different people ."

Diya seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. "Alright, that sounds interesting. I'll come."

I smiled, feeling a small victory. "Great. It'll be nice to have you there."

We finished our dinner, and as Diya helped me clear the table, I felt a sense of normalcy settling between us. It was a slow process, but it felt like we were making progress.

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THANK YOU <3