"Jab bhaiya bhabhi ki shaadi hui thi na toh bhaiya the 26 ke aur bhabhi just 20 ki hui thi. Aakash hamesha kehta tha ki papa ne toh bachi se shaadi kr li. Bolta tha ki mai kabhi itni age gap mai shaadi nhi karunga. Aane do usse. Puchhti hu mai bhi. Bhaiya bhabhi se bhi jyada age gap mai ladki byah (wed) ke laya hai."
Although the woman meant it as a joke but Krisha couldn't get her words out of her mind. Everyone else laughed but she felt something settle in the pit of her stomach.
"Main chai le kar aati hu sab ke liye."
She excused herself and rushed to the kitchen. She took a deep breath.
"Mazak kr rhe hai sab Krishu. Aisa kuch nhi hai. Aakash knew about our age gap shaadi se pehle bhi na. Phir bhi he married you. He doesn't think of you as a child."
She explained herself and plastered a smile on her face.
When Aakash came home and the woman asked the question in a teasing way, he just laughed it off. Krisha frowned. Why did he not clarify that age didn't matter to him. That he liked her.
Although she didn't question him but the incident settled somewhere inside her mind.
It was a few nights after that when Aakash and Krisha were sitting in their room watching a movie on his laptop. Aakash was very focused on the movie but Krisha was bored out of her wits.
She didn't want to see James Bond fighting enemy. She wanted to see a romantic movie with her husband but this man. Not one romantic bone in him.
Krisha gazed at him and bit her lip when she saw him deeply concentrated on the movie. She took her hair strand and tickled his ear making him turn to her with a sharp glare. She giggled and did it again and he narrowed his eyes at her.
"You know I'm not asleep this time and can tickle you back right?"
He asked with a playful glint in his eyes. Krisha shrunk back on the bed and shook her head.
"Nhi! Mujhe bhut gudgudi hoti hai. Please nhi!"
"Ahaan! Phir toh aur bhi mazza aayega."
He said and started tickling the sides of her waist and she laughed loudly while thrashing in his arms trying to push him off. Aakash too laughed.
He finally stopped having mercy on her when tears started falling her eyes due to excess laughter. She wiped them and they chuckled looking at each other.
That's when they realised their positions. Krisha was lowered back on the bed and Aakash hovered over her. Her eyes moved to his lips and he gulped looking at hers.
He leaned in a little and she closed her eyes giving him silent permission. Krisha frowned when instead of her lips she felt his lips at her forehead.
He slumped beside her and pulled her in his arms such that her head was over his heart. But her heart was not at rest. Why didn't he kiss her? Did she not give an appropriate signal that she wanted him to? Did he not want to?
"Suniye!"
She called and he hummed making his chest vibrate under her.
"Aap kaam se ek hafte ki bhi chhuti nhi le skte kya?"
"Kyu?"
"Hum shaadi ke baad kahi ghumne bhi nhi gye aapke office ki wajah se."
She pouted for extra efforts and he smirked in a mischievous manner.
"Ghumne? As in? Honeymoon pr jaana hai tumhe?"
He teased and she lowered her head.
"N-nhi! Honeymoon nhi bas-bas ghumne."
She mumbled hiding her face in his chest.
"Achha? Aur kya karogi 'ghumne' jaa kar? Jo honeymoon pr krte hai wo?"
She gasped and his chest and he laughed at her reaction.
"Aap bhut bure hai."
She pouted and complained and he smiled pinching her cheeks.
"You're such a baby."
He said and her smile vanished.
"I'm not a baby."
She said and he laughed taking it in fun way but his words stuck in her mind.
Aakash had booked two tickets for Bali for the next month and Krisha had been so happy that she'd kissed his cheek in excitement making him freeze again.
But she was too excited to notice and he smiled goofily realising what she'd done. But he didn't say anything not wanting to make her uncomfortable.
But since he was going to take a week off for his honeymoon, his boss had preponed his deadlines and he had to work overtime at times.
By the time he reached home he was dead exhausted and just wanted to sleep. Krisha always waited for him and asked him about his day while he changed.
Aakash didn't admit but her asking about his day and rambling about hers calmed him in a way.
But one such day, just a week before their flight to Bali, Aakash had an argument with his co-worker and competitor at work. He was really pissed when he reached home and was cursing the man all along.
"Hey! How was your day?"
Krisha asked in her every excited voice as soon as he entered their room. His jaw ticked when he was reminded of his day.
"Not today Krisha."
He said in a clipped voice and her smile diminished. She realised that he'd had a bad day and bit her lip. She couldn't let him sleep with this pissed mood. She had to do something to lift his mood.
"Okay. Then let's watch a movie na. You'll feel good. Aur mera aapke saath ek movie dekhna ka mann tha bhut time se."
She said softly. He sighed and held his head, massaging it with his fingers.
"Not in the mood."
His voice was nonchalant and she bit her lip contemplating what to do. He went to the washroom to change his clothes.
"Toh phir let's talk for some time. Aap mat bolna mai aapko apne din ke baare mai batati hu. You know what I-"
"Tumhe ek baar mai samajh nhi aata kya? I am not in the fucking mood. Movie dekhlo, baat krlo, nhi krni yaar. Insaan chain se so bhi nhi skta kya ab? Aur kya batau mai tumhe? Do you even know what I do? You know nothing about how jobs are. Kya bataogi mujhe? So for once, stop behaving like a child and let me sleep."
He burst out and she flinched at his words. Her head hung low and she breathed deeply to control her tears.
"Sorry."
She mumbled before running inside the washroom and Aakash sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose realising that he had overreacted and said things he shouldn't have.
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