The Charade

36| 𝕯𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖇𝖎𝖓𝖌

AUTHOR'S POV

Kashi.

Hot water cascaded down her body, warm and soothing, but her mind was miles away, lost in thought. She leaned against the cold tiles, eyes closed, letting the steam surround her. The day had drained her.

Every day, she tried to keep it together—managing the house, the people in it, surviving with a man she barely knew. But the exhaustion was settling into her bones now. No one had asked her to take on all the responsibilities; it was her choice, her way of escaping the pain. And now, they had become her burden.

She kept herself busy, as much as she could, to drown out the thoughts that haunted her. But her mind came to a halt as an image of him—the man with forest-green eyes—emerged through the fog.

The silence.

The distance.

How long had it been since they’d shared a meaningful word? It felt like a ghost was walking these halls, and she was the only one haunted by it.

Suddenly, sharp wails pierced through her thoughts. Panic surged through her, making her blood run cold. She scrambled, slipping slightly on the wet floor, as she grabbed her night robe and rushed out of the bathroom, barely managing to tie it around herself.

He was there—her husband. She sensed his presence before she saw him. Ignoring him, she kept walking.

“Reyaan.”

Her ten-month-old baby cried out loud, lying in his crib, his tiny hands reaching for her, desperate for her touch. Baby boy could feel her presence now, too.

“Shh... I'm here. Mama’s here,” she whispered softly as she carefully picked up her little boy.

His cries grew louder. “Maa... maa...” he sobbed, his fists clenched as tears streamed down his face.

“Reyaan, baba, bhook lagi hai?” Kashi asked, her voice so sweet that she barely recognized it herself.

(Reyaan, baby, are you hungry?)

The little boy calmed as she patted his back, cooing to him while walking around the room. She showered him with kisses, her own eyes filling with tears as she wiped away the last of his.

His eyes—those beautiful eyes—reminded her of the past. She brushed the thought away and planted another kiss on his chubby cheeks, to which he sniffled in response.

“Maahhh…" he called her, a sound that evoked a flood of emotions in her heart. She nodded, gazing into his eyes as he studied her face—his innocent expression revealing how much even this little boy admired his mother’s beauty.

He looked up at her with questioning eyes. “Papa?” he whispered softly, as if sensing the pain in his mother’s heart.

Kashi closed her eyes for a moment, then licked her lips and looked at him again. “Do you want food or papa?” she asked, settling onto the bed and pulling him into her lap to nurse.

“Papa,” he answered with the sweetest smile as he latched on. His eyes drifted towards his father, a grin spreading across his face, knowing his father had returned.

Yet, there was no reaction from Adhikrit.

Kashi's eyes lifted to her husband, who stood there unmoving, watching the interaction between mother and son as if he hadn’t hurt her deeply, day after day. He remained still, silent.

“You should be ashamed,” she spat, cradling her baby, who was busy nursing. “You always ignore him, as if his cries don’t reach your ears.”

Her voice trembled with pain, a deep ache she could no longer hide, despite mastering the art of masking her emotions.