Enaika was feeling better and lighter in the morning after she woke up and her mother gave her a relishing bath -- feeding her healthy breakfast and lunch without scolding her and threatening her for the first time. Her mother was unbelievably very calm, soft, and polite to her even though she tried to annoy her by pushing away the plate or running to her father to save her.
Sameer didn't say anything, trying to coax his little girl to quietly finish her food and not be a tough child for her mother who worked really hard in the kitchen to prepare Dal Rice and a healthy meal.
Enaika was aghast by her father's changed attitude, it took her some time to believe that he was supporting her mother and wasn't on her side.
Nonetheless, she finished her food, took the medicine, and slept well in the noon to bring down her body temperature -- which, thankfully was cold and normal.
"Tum aa rahi hona shaam ko Puja me?" When Naina was busy folding his office clothes which were washed in the morning, Sameer asked her in a perplexed tone.
"Nahin." She was quick to reply to him in a low voice, keeping his old black shirt above the ivory white t-shirt.
"Kyun?" Sameer immediately put aside his laptop and inclined forward to ask her in confusion while furrowing his eyebrows.
Naina puffed out a slow breath, twirling her gaze at her uneasy man to explain - "Enaika isn't feeling well yet toh mujhe nahin lagta I should come with you. Tum jao." Her unbothered expression was saying that she was struggling to ignore the disappointed look on his visage.
"But waha couples ko invite kiya hai, tum nahi aaogi toh bura lagega." Sameer said in a meek tone, trying to convince her, but in vain.
"Kise?" Naina was genuinely eager to know who would feel displeased by her absence in the Pujan -- for sure nobody even knew who she was and to whom she belonged.
His face contorted into embarrassment and redness when he reckoned what he blurted out in front of his wife, his hand naturally rubbing the base of his moist neck -- In reality, he was the one feeling extremely sad and irked by her clear "NO" to not join him for the holy festival celebration. He knows Enaika needs her and her concentration at this time but the little girl doesn't have a fever anymore. She was good and could be handled by his mother -- They could go and return home in approximately two hours, till then Enaika could watch cartoons or color the books to keep herself distracted, but looks like his angry wife wasn't willing to come with him because of their last night's quarrel.
"Naina, kal ki wajah se ab bhi naraz ho mujhse?" Thinking for a while about his growing fear of deeply hurting her with his cruel words and contemptuous looks. Sameer let the battle stay within him and asked her in a frail voice.
Naina suddenly stopped folding the suit she wore yesterday, and her halted frame was adequate to answer his doubt. She drinks in her feminine urge to give him a reality check, resuming doing the folding work.
"Main chahta hoon tum aao aaj shaam ko." Sameer said but it felt like he was ordering her in an authoritative tone, although all he wanted her to know was that he couldn't see her upset with his misbehaviour and cancel the plan of tagging along with him for the evening event because of it. He badly and sincerely wanted her to agree to consider his polite request, especially to help him with ignoring the super-clingy Aditi who would be there as well.
"Mujhe Nahin Aana." Naina turned back to say firmly on his long face, meeting her furious eyes with his downhearted ones. It ached her to say those words, but it was important to avoid surrendering to his requests by keeping stone on her benevolent heart.
Sameer huffed in annoyance, his patience gradually thinning and reactivating his hidden beast because of her cold shoulder. He lightly shook his head to push away the constant pricking feeling of shouting at her, taking calculated steps towards her twisted figure to wrap his fingers over her elbow and spun her around -- his black orbs penetrating her bewildered ones.
