One Hostile Hubby and A Joyful Wifey

4. A Heirloom

"I must be around nine years, I guess," Avni said slowly as she kept fiddling with her fingers in her lap and made sure to not look at Aniruddh, few incidents in her life were deeply scarred, she has never thought such a situation might come like this when she would willingly tell a part of her life to this stranger husband. 

"Our family was never rich, but at that point, we were facing a severe financial crisis. I still remember the worried expression on their face about how to buy rice and flour to just feed me," Avni gulped loudly, swallowing the threatening cry down her throat as she continued to speak, "All these over-enthusiastic relatives of mine who showed up at our wedding were nowhere around to help us. In fact, they shut us out leading my father to borrow money from loan sharks." 

Her overwhelming emotions and the frustration in her words made Aniruddh feel guilty. He knows the pain well when a well-doing family suddenly hits rock bottom, his father's business went bankrupt leading him to drop out boarding school and join a government school. In a way, those were the end of his good days and ever since he kept working and earning like no tomorrow. 

Somehow, Aniruddh was now aware of the tiny car space they were in, and a zombie-like driver for whose focus stuck on the road. But nothing seemed to stop Avni from sharing her pain with him. 

"Every morning was another nightmare for my father, as one or the other moneylender would show up demanding his money back with interest and my parents could do nothing but fall on their feet, begging them to give at least a week's time." 

Aniruddh felt his heart tighten, seeing your parents at the lowest can points can be every bit traumatising. 

How stereotypical can he be that he thought she does not like him so she disrespected his mother? Feelings of vile rose up his throat as he saw her dark doe eyes glisten with tears. Well, well such a man he is? Who made his wife cry on their very first day? Scolding himself Aniruddh pulled his pocket kerchief and passed it to her. 

Avni looked outside the window trying to blink away her tears, she can't let him see this weak side of hers. But when he passed her a pink coloured kerchief she giggled loudly taking it. 

"Pink?" 

Aniruddh's eyes widened open in embarrassment when he finally noticed the pink coloured cloth in his hands. His mother and her love for this colour should be the death of him! 

Coughing discreetly he tried to snatch it but Avni had a death grip on it, and when he couldn't pull away she laughed loudly on his face making the driver turn around for the first time. 

"This is the work of my mom." Saying he yanked it from her shoving hurrily in his pant pocket. 

His cheeks burned red thinking of the pink kerchief in his pocket. Why does his mother have to do this? Just why? From the corner of his eye, he could see Avni suppress her laugh by placing a hand across her mouth. 

The heavy mood dissolved in seconds, thanks to the pink stuff she saw. But seeing her smile like this made everything worth it, maybe he should just pull out a pink kerchief every time she tears up. 

Avni glanced at the moving trees, or rather she was moving but it's alright. This didn't feel hard nor regretful about sharing a part of her life with her husband, maybe talking about her ex and all can help too, but right now, for this moment this information was enough. 

"But I have to tell you." Aniruddh spoke after a long peaceful silence as he looked in Avni’s shining eyes, “Our family has a long tradition of respecting elders by touching their feet.” 

Avni almost rolled her eyes at that sentence but she held herself back, however his next sentence has got her thinking deeply about the subscription for trouble she has made seconds ago, “Yet Avni, my mother has the capacity to hold grudges for a lifetime so try ignoring any such further incidents."