"Happy Married Life, Shivya Pathak" I weakly smiled seeing my condition, mangalsutra dangling in my neck, vermilion in hair and both hands filled with gold bangles.
"Come out quickly or do you want me to break the gate," my husband knocked again...
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"You will be okay, right?" Vedant asked, glancing at the towering building that housed his wife's office. Today was her first day.
Ten days had passed since they had moved to the new city. He was happy that she was finally returning to the career she had worked so hard for, but beneath that happiness sat a knot of worry that refused to loosen.
In response, Shivya squeezed his hand and smiled. "You are acting like a parent dropping his toddler off at playschool for the very first time," she teased. "I will be fine."
"Call me when you get time. Or at least text me to keep me updated," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead for what had to be the tenth time that morning.
They had been standing outside the office building for nearly twenty minutes, and every time she tried to leave, his body seemed to tighten with fresh concern, as though letting her go was far more difficult than he had anticipated.
"Can I go now? Otherwise I'll be late on my first day," she asked.
Vedant nodded slowly. Releasing her hand from his grip, he immediately shoved both hands into the pockets of his trousers so he wouldn't reach out and stop her again.
"I'll be here to pick you up in the evening," he informed her.
Shivya adjusted the strap of her handbag and glanced between her husband and the glass doors of the office. It felt oddly similar to standing between two worlds-one she was builting and one she had spent years building for herself.
Vedant took a step back. "Bye, Sona."
Instead of walking away as he expected, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her cheek against his chest. The embrace was silent, but she hoped it would ease some of the worry weighing on him like a stone.
His arms came around her almost immediately. "Maine lunch bana kar rakh diya hai," she whispered. "Aap garam karke kha lena. Aur kam flame par garam karna, warna sabzi jal jayegi."
[I've prepared lunch and set it aside.
You can heat it up and eat. And make sure to heat it on a low flame, otherwise the vegetable dish will burn]
He hummed softly, burying his face in her hair and breathing in her familiar scent as though storing it away for the day ahead.
After a minute, she reluctantly pulled back. Turning toward the office building, she began walking away. Halfway to the entrance, she looked over her shoulder, smiled, and waved at him.
Vedant stood exactly where she had left him, watching her. Only after she disappeared behind the glass doors did he finally turn around.
The moment Shivya stepped through the revolving entrance of Astra Aerospace, a familiar scent wrapped around her. Some things never changed.
