His Wife | Grooms #1 | Slow Updates

I. His Relationships

A/n: just a quick reminder though I mentioned this earlier, the timeline is back to where it ended at in 'His 3 words' from Her Proposal. Don't get confused since the prologue was set in future!

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[Five Years Ago]

Sanam was absentmindedly cooking with Arjun's help as he asked various questions, "What time do you leave tomorrow?" Her new semester was starting now that winter breaks were over with.

"Let's see. My shift at the hospital starts at 6 this semester."

"So by 5:30 the latest?" Arjun mentally counted knowing her habit of leaving half hour early as it was a 20-minute ride and she liked to give herself a few minutes for inconsistencies. He very well knew how the next four months would be. He'd already had a taste of her hectic schedule the past two semesters.

She added the spices to the curry, "Most likely. Good thing is this time I don't have shifts and classes on the same days. Bad thing is I have longer shifts and the days I do have classes, Tuesdays and Thursdays, first one starts at 8 in the morning and last one ends at 5:30."

He nodded understanding that even though it would help her with not having to rush from the hospital to campus and back, she'd still have a full day schedule throughout the week. "You'll get through it." He sent her words of encouragement as he took over the stirring. He tasted it and added in side comment, "Salt."

She chuckled and passed it over to him, "You're better at adding spices."

He informed just for general knowledge and to further the conversation, "Growing up, I was mom's official taster. Dad and Rahul claimed they couldn't tell such things."

"They do focus more on just gobbling down whatever food is placed in front of them." She commented as it did sound more like the two of them. She uncovered the dough for roti she'd set aside for later. She walked around him after checking if the dough was firm enough and he moved to the side knowing she wanted to open the drawer.

He set the curry to simmer and turned on another stove to get the pan heated to cook the flatbreads. Taking the rolling pin, she went back to the other side. She was too lost rolling them to focus on Arjun. He snapped his fingers in front of her face, "Hello, anyone in there?"

She blinked away from the thoughts of how hectic the semester would be and how she could manage studies and a social life. "Yeah, sorry. What'd you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to talk about yesterday." He asked mentioning to the events of the party last night.

Since she was done rolling the small dough, she looked up and asked, "You really want to?" She was checking if he was ready to really share.

He answered leaning against the counter, "I'd rather you hear it from me than others when we go out."

She nodded and lent him her listening ear, "Okay. Now or over dinner?"

He didn't have a preference, "Now is fine." He just wanted her to know. She nodded again and while they resumed cooking, he shared. "So, you remember I said I had a reputation back then? When it came to girls, I didn't stick with one. All through high school, I went on a dating spree. Sometimes with the same girl twice, but never more than that, you know? I didn't want them to think I was going to commit. I didn't care for a stable relationship."

She understood it wasn't what he wanted after the kidnapping and the nightmares he must have been going through at that time. Anyone could have a hard time forming an emotional connection with others after the trauma he had experienced that early in life. Who else could understand it better than her? Her family dynamics growing up weren't the best. At worst, they were dysfunctional.