Dusky Moonlight

Chapter- 10(1)

The sky is colored in red, violet, and black, the sun is telling it's goodbye for the day and their room slowly turning dark. In that dozy evening, Rathi was standing before the mirror and examining her scar. It's still black in color but the pain is nowhere. The oil that Aadhiyan gave has really worked and she applies it gently on her rough-hard skin. Rathi felt like it's someone's else skin as it's so odd to touch it.

"Want some help?" Aadhiyan asked who's watching her by resting on the bed quietly. He is shirtless and his hair was tied in a small bun. Rathi looked him in the mirror with a slight annoyance but Aadhiyan smiled seductively before getting down from the bed.

The morning after the prayers, they had a great lunch with Sumaya and Mithran. From their talk, Rathi understood that these men will do everything and they won't let their woman work. As she's too hungry she didn't talk much and paid attention to their conversation. After eating more she becomes tired.

Aadhiyan asked her to go alone to the home as he had some other works to do. Rathi said yes. In the house, she passed her time by looking around the painting on the wall. It's all the flowers and sceneries he has seen in his life. But in their bedroom, there's a huge wooden closet Rathi opened it to find his canvas, paints, brushes and all were dumped in contrast to his neat space.

She saw many disturbing paintings such a slashed head of a cow, rotting dog, and gory human body parts. Rathi got goosebumps to see that. She wondered where did got this kind of ideas. There's one painting caught her eyes while through the canvas sheets and it's none other than her brownish-red orbs, he has precisely painted her face, even small details were accurately tinted in that. Rathi took that in her hands with a smile and saw the one more painting under that.

Perceiving that Rathi is greatly embarrassed because he has painted a woman naked, she decided to keep it back but she couldn't as the portrait is so prodigious to see. In that painting, a lady was lying naked on the bed in a dark room. She is facing her back and looking at the bright red moon in the window. She reached the canvas before her and found it's the same room portrayed in that.

Then her curiosity to find that woman. The girl's face is not seen but she has Rathi's body structure, her hair and when she took a closer look at her hip she saw the scar, and there Rathi identified it's her.

She's taken aback, how he could paint me like this? She thought and placed it on the cupboard. There's a mixed feeling in her heart. A part of her telling that what he did is unacceptable but the other part is telling her that he's going to be husband after all. Confused, she closed it and opened the other cupboard. His clothes and there are wooden boxes containing pearls, gold coins and ornaments, colored stones and etc. He has stored the treasure in his closet without locking it properly? What if someone steals this? Rathi opened her mouth in surprise.

Then the rest of the day passed by the thinking of her life with Aadhiyan. Will he remain as sweet as how he's now? With that question, she slept and opened her eyes when Aadhiyan came back in the evening. He bought some cooked groundnuts and hot tea. Rathi ate that looking at the ocean in the far end and Aadhiyan was kept watching whatever that she's doing. They both stayed silent and Rathi knows whatever that she thought in the day he might have heard all of that. When she sensed a tickling sensation in the scar she decided to apply the oil.

"No I can do it," she replied without meeting his eyes.

"Tell me what you want to ask?" he raised her chin to see her face.

"What you think about me?" she questioned.

"I saw the paintings in your cupboard."

"And you saw that picture," he finished and Rathi nodded her head.