MOIRAI - Threads of Fate

*14*

Innocence. Why he loves Dhwani so much was for the same reason. Her innocence. The purity in her feelings was as pure as the small child's pure smile. Whenever she smiled her eyes grew big and the light flickered at the edges. Her rosy lips stretched and showed those milk colored teeth. He loved her. He loved everything about her. But her innocence always left him speechless as he could not express how he felt about her. But regret was not the thing he wanted to give upon to. He had ways to make her feel his love and he knew he will never fail to express his love in those ways at least.

“Your order sir?” the waiter's voice brought him out of his stance while he was lost watching his beautiful wife in front of him. “Um...” he cleared his throat and then glanced at the menu. But his eyes moved back to her. Dhwani was looking at the menu biting her nails and looked absolutely adorable.

“Dhwani..” he called her and she looked up at him with a sad pout. “I don't know what to choose. I can't understand the names” she said and her eyes blinked. Shlok moved to grab the menu in her hand. “We will have....” Shlok narrated the items he knew Dhwani liked. Dhwani's face lit up with a smile. “Is that fine? Or you want anything else?” he asked looking at her. She nodded her head in a NO.

“Ah... Sok... I am hungry” Dhwani pouted and Shlok held her hand. “Just some more time Mrs. Shlok” he flashed her a smile. His smile really had some magic spell in it for Dhwani. She never could understand why all her worries used to disappear in a blink when she saw him smiling. Or sometimes the way her heartbeat skyrocketed. Or at times she felt just staring in his eyes for the longest possible time. What were those feelings?

After some time the food arrived. Dhwani looked around scanning. Shlok who was looking at the plate raised his head and found his wife's behavior unusual.

“Gosh... Dhwani dee. How are you eating.... All are staring you” Diya whispered. Dhwani looked around. This is why she hated being out in public. People were never considerate of her mental condition. All they knew was judging her. And she just wanted to be treated normal.

The memory looked like it is going to repeat itself. Even though Diya was her family, her sister, she got embarrassed due to Dhwani. And she did not wanted Shlok to have the same humiliation. But what could she do. That was how she was. Even if she tries she can't be considered normal.

Her face fell as her mind thought number of things. She knew Shlok will not exactly express his disappointment in her but he will still feel it. And she did not wanted to feel him that way. Anything if she hated in this dear life was to make him feel ashamed of her.

“Dhwani...” Shlok squeezed her left hand concerned. She looked into his eyes and her eyes started to tear. She tried a lot to hold them but she could not. “Hey...” he bent forward. Now his heart started to sink.

“What's wrong?” he asked and she just nodded her head and tried holding back the tears. In the process her nose turned pink and eyes fluffy. Shlok did not knew what to do. He looked around clueless.

“Dhwani...please speak” he  begged her. She was about to burst into a bitter cry but she held her emotions looking around when she found some people looking straight at her. She rubbed her palm just below her nose trying to hold the cry which was threatening to erupt at any moment.

“Excuse me...” Shlok called the waiter. The waiter arrived soon. “Can you please get my bill?” he asked quickly. The waiter looked at the table. The food remained untouched. “But... Sir...” he shoved his hand towards the food.

“I am sorry for wasting it. Please get my bill” he apologized. The waiter confused walk to get the bill. The manager walked worried. “Sir... Was our service bad?” he asked. “No...” Shlok just answered in a word. He clearly wanted to move out soon because he could not see his wife ready to blow up anytime.