BOOK ONE OF THE SUGAR AND SWEET SERIES
Vanya Sharma hated marriages. Growing up seeing troubled and failed marriages carved a bitter spot in her heart, especially when one of them belonged to her parents. While escaping the shadows of her past, she...
True to my mother's words, Vanya left for her mother's home with Moksh after completing some never-ending rituals. Apparently, this is an important tradition,where the bride returns to her maternal home for a few days.
My mother had patted my arm, smiling far too knowingly, and said, "Don't be upset. She'll be back soon."
Upset? Ha.
Why would I be upset? Good riddance, if anything. Three days of peace. No sarcastic comments thrown my way, no books lying around in places where books should not be, no annoying scent of her oceany perfume lingering in the house.
It's peaceful. Too peaceful.
It has been a day since she left.
Not that I'm counting.
📎
Flashback: Yesterday, Oberoi Mansion
Dinner was a mistake. A huge mistake.
I should have left right after Vanya did. Instead, I stayed back for dinner, which turned into a full-blown interrogation about my well-being now that my wife was gone.
"She'll be back in a few days," my mother had reassured me over dinner as if I needed comforting. "Don't be so restless."
Restless? Me? I am perfectly fine.
"Yeah, Bhai," Moksh had piped in, barely containing his amusement. "Don't be sad. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that."
I shot him a glare. "I am not sad."
"Oh, of course not." Moksh nodded solemnly, shoving a spoonful of rice into his mouth. "You just look... miserable."
I gritted my teeth. "Miserable?"
"Yes," he continued, all too happily. "Like a man who just realized his life has lost all meaning."
"Ridiculous." I took a measured bite of my food, pretending his words didn't annoy me.
"She'll be back soon, Mahir," my mother said, giving me a knowing smile.
I rolled my eyes and looked to my best friend for support. Big mistake.
