Solace

|46|step

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***

I was ready, dressed in a purple suit. Sliding open the closet door, I stepped into the bedroom, but my husband was nowhere to be seen. The room was empty, the bed neatly made—he had done it.

I glanced around, searching, but he wasn't there. Leaving the bedroom, I made my way toward the dining area, hoping everyone had woken up late so no one would notice me.

There he was, near the dining table, placing a parcel down. I started walking toward him, but before I could reach him, he turned around.

Our eyes met. His deep, beautiful gaze lingered on what I was wearing, and his look made me feel stunning—more beautiful than I ever thought possible. He had a way of making me feel that way.

"Start having breakfast, I'll be right back," he said, walking past me, his arm brushing lightly against mine.

I approached the dining table and carefully opened the parcel. Inside were warm donuts, croissants, some South Indian dishes, Maharashtrian poha—a full spread of breakfast he had ordered. But I didn't start eating. Instead, I waited for him.

Slowly, the rest of the family began to gather, filling the seats around the table. I made sure to leave the spot to my right open for him. While everyone else enjoyed their tea, I kept waiting for my husband.

He appeared wearing a grey t-shirt and dark blue joggers. He really should try different colors—why stick to these dull shades? He would look so dashing in peach, light pink, or even light green.

Of course, not anything too bold, but subtle, soft colors would suit him for sure. He sat beside me, his familiar scent filling the air. His hair was still wet, slightly messy, though he had clearly run his fingers through it.

"You didn't start," he murmured quietly, while the rest of the family was busy eating. I just smiled, turning my gaze toward him, though for some reason, a wave of sadness washed over me.

Even Vaibhav's mother was eating in silence. Our conversations had grown sparse over time. She never shared what was bothering her, and I never asked. I didn't want to hear anything that might hurt me.

"Nidhi, are you planning to visit your parents after the rasam?" my mother-in-law asked suddenly. I quickly swallowed the piece of donut, I was chewing.

"I haven't thought about it," I replied, feeling caught off guard.

"And besides, I can't get that kind of time off," I added quickly.

"You took Friday off,” she pointed out.

"That was just a single day," I explained, keeping my tone calm. She didn't say anything more after that, and neither did I.

After breakfast, I sat at the edge of the bed, lost in thought. Vaibhav wasn't in the room, and I found myself reflecting on the way my mother-in-law had looked at me.

Suddenly, I felt movement beside me. I turned and saw Vaibhav. "I didn't even realize when you came in," I murmured, still distracted.

"I hadn't thought about it before, but if you'd like, we could go to Lucknow for a few days, we can stay at our own place. You can call Papa and Shivani there,” he suggested gently.

"You must be missing them, and it's been two months now."

"Would you judge me if I said I didn't want to go to Lucknow again?" I asked, letting the weight in my chest surface.