First Love

Chapter 4

Next morning Anjali woke up before her alarm went off, and got up to get ready for the day. She didn't glance at Aditya as she walked towards the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later she walked out, towel drying her hair and went to her dresser. She went through her routine mechanically, she dropped the towel on the chair, letting her hair air-dry. She turned to her dresser drawer and pulled out the matching bangles set, she put those on then she turned to the other drawer to pull out the matching necklace and earring sets. After she finished putting the jewelry on she brushed out her long straight hair, and parted it on the side.

She glanced in the mirror at Aditya's sleeping form and frowned. She glanced up at the clock and saw that it was almost seven, and he was not up yet. Should she go wake him? Then she became more worried thinking he might be sick or something. She had been aware that he had been awake most of the night, and wondered what had he been thinking about. She hoped everything was okay with his current project. She sighed, and thought, why do you care so much Anjali? She closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself. She glanced at her lord Krishna idol and thought why can't I stop worrying for him? Why can't I stop loving him? But as usual her god only smiled at her with that serene smile of his, and did not answer her.

Unknown to her, Aditya has been awake for some time now, watching her do her daily routine. He lay there and wondered how will he ever get it right with her. She has been very tense lately, there is something else going on beside their troubled marriage. He watched as she went to her closet and pulled something out of her drawer, and stare at whatever it was for a long time, bit sadly, she then put the object back in the closet slowly and closed it. By the time she turned back he was sitting up in the bed watching her.

She tensed more, when she saw him watching her. She quickly looked away from him and turned towards the dresser again. She took her sindoor box and took a pinch of it and applied it to her part, still watching him in the mirror. Her expressions were blank.

Few minutes later she left the room without saying anything to him, and so begins another day in their lives. The silence was killing him. She only speaks to him in front of the family now, when they are alone the silent treatment begins, and he was getting really tired of it. He knew it was his own fault for not apologizing to her when he found out the truth about the night of the party, but how do you apologize for breaking someone's heart not once, but twice, especially someone like Anjali, who is very sensitive and reserved to the point of being standoffish.

He sat on the side of the bed holding his head in hands. Nine months ago his mom had come to him, all excited, claiming she had found a perfect wife for him and a perfect daughter-in-law for Mehta House. Until then he hadn't thought about marriage, he had left all decisions in his mom's hands, knowing she had his best interest at heart. At the time he hadn't even dreamed that Anjali would comeback in his life, or that the girl his mom had chosen for him was the one who still haunted his dreams.

When he had come face to face with his future wife, she had been just as shocked to see him, as he had been to see her. Thank god his aunt had suggested he and Anjali talk alone before making any decisions.

She had been ready to back out of the marriage, but he couldn't let her do that, and break his mom's heart, so he had proposed a marriage of convenience. At the time he hadn't known what had made him do what he did, all he knew was that when he saw her, all the old feelings had resurfaced. He hadn't realized at the time his feeling for her were strong and ran deep.

He had been surprised by the Anjali standing in front of him. She had been so quiet and the pain and sadness in her eyes had taken him back. She was more beautiful than ever. She only wore saris now instead of the salwars she used to wear in college. She had been wearing a green sari in Bengali style, her long hair, parted to side, had been open and flowing on her back. She had on minimum makeup, with a small round green bindi.