Veiled Affection: Secrets Of Heart.

Chapter-5.

Murugan

I sat up and turned on the night lamp, looking at her, confused as to why she was asking for an apology. I looked at her sitting on the recliner near the window; the moonlight brightened her olive skin.

"I'm sorry for that night," she said, and now I knew what she was referring to, but I still didn’t understand the reason behind it. She looked at my face and sighed when she saw my confusion.

"I'm sorry for what I did that night—confessing, saying something I shouldn't have." She was talking about the confession, but her apology twisted my heart.

"I shouldn't have said those things the day before your marriage. It could have gone very wrong, and I'm really sorry for that," she said. I looked away, craving a cigarette, but I didn’t like being addicted to it. It’s injurious to health.

"It’s not necessary. Anyway, that didn’t happen," I said. She looked away from me, gazing out the window.

"Radha, come here." I patted the bed beside me after a moment of silence. She looked at me, and I mustered a smile to reassure her that I was okay with the situation. After contemplating for a while, she came over and sat at the edge of the bed, her back facing me.

"I might not be the ideal person for this marriage, which is why I rejected you. I saw you practically growing up like a sister, like Gayatri and the others. I just couldn't think straight when you said what you said that night. I’m sorry too if I hurt you by being rude—I said things out of anger." I sighed and rubbed my temples, trying to ease the tension.

"I regret it. When I told you not to face me again, it was in the heat of the moment, and I regret saying that. I understand why you took it literally, and I’m sorry for that." She looked at me, trying to blink away the tears in her eyes.

"I still feel like I’m not the right choice for you," I said, looking away.

"It’s my choice to decide whether you're the right person for me or not," she said sternly. I found myself at a loss for words.

"I didn’t finish, Radha. I’ll try, though. Let’s give this marriage a chance. Let’s give myself a chance. I’ll try, but I need time to accept everything, as it all happened so fast, and I didn’t give myself the time to understand it." I gestured toward us.

She nodded, and we sat in silence for a while, letting our words sink in. Then she got up, took a pillow from the other side of the bed, and moved toward the recliner.

"What are you doing?" I asked, watching her.

"I don’t have a mattress today, so I’ll sleep on the recliner. You sleep here," she said. I started to protest, but before I could say anything, she ran to the bathroom.

I frowned, wondering what had happened.

After waiting for ten minutes and hearing nothing but the sound of water, I grew concerned and knocked on the door.

"What’s wrong, Radha?" I asked.

"N-nothing, mama," she replied, and it made me realize something was indeed wrong.

She came out after a while, searching for something in her bag, and I approached her.

"What’s going on?" I asked softly. She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I—I got my period. It came a week early. I don’t know how." She looked frustrated.

"It might be because of the travel and stress. Don’t worry, Radha," I said. She looked at me. "What? I know about these things. I learned a few things about periods, you know." I said, and she widened her eyes and looked away. I remembered when she first got her period—I was so scared when I saw blood stains where she sat that I ran to the hospital. I knew about periods from my sisters, but I didn’t really understand them. The old doctor chuckled and explained some things I should know as a man. I was twenty-five at the time. It was an embarrassing learning curve.

She nodded, and I could see she was still stressed.

"I forgot my pads at home," she said, clearly distressed. It was late, and I could see her worry.

"Okay, sit here. I’ll get something that can help you." I went to the one person I knew could help. Gayatri opened her door, surprised to see me.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"Radha needs you," I said. Gayatri looked at me and then at the relatives sleeping in the hall.

"What happened? What did you do now?" she asked, furious.

"I didn’t do anything! It’s her cycle—she didn’t bring the necessary things, and I obviously don’t have them." I whisper-yelled, exasperated.

"Oh." Gayatri finally understood and went inside to fetch what was needed. She handed it to me.

"Are you not going to come check on her?" I asked. She gave me a look as though I’d said something absurd.

"It’s the middle of the night, I need my sleep, and most importantly, you are her husband. Take care of her yourself," she said, closing the door in my face. I couldn’t yell and wake everyone, as the relatives were already nosy about me and Radha.

I quietly made my way back to the room, careful not to make a sound. When Radha saw what I had in my hands, she quickly snatched it and rushed to the bathroom.

She came back looking relieved.

"Thank you," she said before going back to the recliner.

"Radha, sleep here. There’s enough space for two," I said, turning away and switching off the night lamp. After a moment, I felt the bed dip, and I smiled, closing my eyes.

Her soft snores filled the room, and I turned toward her. Her hair was neatly braided, her face bare of makeup, her eyebrows shaped like bows, and her small button nose slightly scrunched as she slept. Her lips parted slightly as she breathed. She looked ethereal.

Her presence, her scent filling the room, lulled me into a peaceful sleep.

"I missed you, Radha," was the thought that played in my head as I drifted off.