OH OVERWHELMING LOVE!

✨CHAPTER 27✨

"The utter romantic notion that the stars have a hand in our fate......................"

The sky had shifted to an even darker shade of grey. Shubhita stood in the kitchen, her hands on her hips, staring at the remnants of lunch. That day, fortunately or unfortunately, food plating of lunch was from her dear husband’s side.

Vatsal had already retreated to the chair near the window, phone in hand, oblivious to the dishes piled in the sink and the crumbs scattered across the counter. He was lounging with the air of a man who had just conquered a mountain, not someone who had simply gone out to buy milk and plate food.

“How does he do that?” Shubhita muttered to herself, eyeing the mess he had left behind. “He can just switch off like that and forget everything around him.”

She had never been one to let things fester. It was easier to clean up herself than to nag him about it. She used to tell herself that it was no big deal—just a few dishes, just a wet towel tossed carelessly on the bed. But now, after their morning conversation, something had shifted. The small annoyances that she had brushed aside for the sake of peace began to pile up in her mind, creating a mountain of grievances that she could no longer ignore.

As she rinsed the dishes, she stole a glance at Vatsal, who was now grinning at something on his phone. She felt a mix of fondness and irritation bubbling up inside her. He looked so content, so at ease, as if the very idea of cleaning up had never crossed his mind.

For a moment, she considered just letting it go, once again sweeping up after him like she always did. But then, an image flashed in her mind: years down the road, with her still picking up his dirty socks from the living room floor, still taking care of every little mess he made. She shuddered at the thought.

“No,” she decided, turning off the tap with a determined flick. “This stops today.”

With a resolute nod, she dried her hands on the kitchen towel and walked over to Vatsal, who barely noticed her approach. She stood there for a few seconds, waiting for him to look up, but when he didn’t, she cleared her throat. Loudly.

Vatsal finally glanced up, eyebrows raised in mild curiosity. “Hmm? What’s up now?”

“Get up,” Shubhita said, her voice firm. “You’re helping me clean.”

Vatsal blinked, momentarily taken aback by her tone. “What? Now? But I just sat down!”

“Exactly,” Shubhita retorted, folding her arms. “You just sat down after leaving a trail of mess from the kitchen to the living room. So, get up and start helping.”

He let out a long-suffering sigh and made a show of slowly putting down his phone. “Can’t we just do it later? It’s not like the mess is going anywhere.”

“And that’s exactly the problem!” she shot back, exasperated. “If we keep putting it off, it’ll never get done. Come on, Vatsal, we both live here. It’s not fair for me to do everything.”

Vatsal groaned dramatically, but he eventually got to his feet, shuffling towards the kitchen with the reluctance of a child being dragged to school. “Fine, fine. What do you want me to do?”

Shubhita handed him the kitchen towel. “Start by drying these dishes while I wipe down the counter.”

He took the towel, eyeing it like it was some foreign object. “You know, I was perfectly happy on the chair by the window, right? You’re interrupting my peace.”

“Your peace?” Shubhita echoed, incredulous. “Where’s my peace? If I keep doing everything for you, you’ll just expect it. And believe me, I’m not going to be your maid.”