Celestial Bond

8

Arjun🦕

I was waiting for my cousin brother Gautham near the bus stop, as Sita had instructed. Saying no to her wasn't an option.

"Ajjuuuuu!" A loud yell and an unexpected tight hug jolted me back to reality, pulling me away from my thoughts of Sita.

I pushed him off immediately, scowling.

"You haven't changed at all! Can't you at least show some brotherly affection when you miss me?" Gautham pouted dramatically.

"Cut it out. Can't you stay at a hotel? Why trouble me?" I huffed, annoyed at his visit for academic work.

"Oh, come on! I'm here because Sita bhabhi insisted, okay?" he shot back, tossing his bag at me, which I caught mid-air.

I stayed silent. After all, my wife is too kind to everyone.

I got on my bike, Gautham chattering non-stop behind me all the way home.

"Bhabhiiiiii! I'm here!" he yelled the moment we arrived, dumping his luggage for me to handle.

Unbelievable. This guy is older than my wife, yet acts like this.

"Gautham," came a soft, angelic voice from the kitchen. Then she appeared—Sita, her hands covered in flour, her smile lighting up the room.

Without hesitation, Gautham marched up to her and hugged her. She froze, startled.

Something flared inside me, and I shoved him aside, harder than I intended.

"Go pick up your luggage and at least wash up," I snapped, pushing his bag towards him.

Turning to Sita, my tone softened. "Do you need help with cooking?" I asked her gently. Gautham's shocked face was a bonus.

Sita smiled and nodded, then turned to him.

"Gautham, go freshen up. I'm making your favorite for dinner," she said, her face beaming.

Sita asked me to roast the rotis while she focused on rolling and shaping them into perfect rounds. I waited for the roti to darken slightly before flipping it to the other side. 

I was about to do it when she suddenly paused her rolling, reached over, and flipped the roti with her bare hands. 

"Are you out of your mind?" I snapped, my voice sharp as I glared at her. "Why would you touch it with your hands? Do you even think before doing such reckless things?" 

"It's nothing, Arjun," she said softly, her voice calm as always. "I've done it this way many times. It's faster." 

I opened my mouth to argue further, but before I could, Gautham sauntered into the kitchen, leaning casually against the doorway with his usual smug grin. 

"Well, well, look at this! I never thought I'd live to see my brother cooking. Sita bhabhi, did you know he's the laziest guy alive?" Gautham teased, and while I would've normally argued, I couldn't deny it. I had been lazy once.

Just her being her made me want to be better.

Sita glanced at me, then back at Gautham with a calm, steady look. "Don't say such things about my husband, Gautham," she said, her tone firm yet kind. "He's not lazy. He helps me with everything, and we share all the work." 

Her words hit me like a gentle breeze on a scorching day. The way she called me her husband made my chest tighten, heat creeping up my cheeks.

Gautham grinned. "Bhabhi, do you have a sister by any chance? Just asking." His tone was playful, but his eyes gleamed with genuine curiosity.