Chapter 25

Mayank woke up earlier than usual, his phone alarm blaring softly on the bedside table. He got ready quickly, tying his tie with a precision that had become second nature. Today, his schedule was packed with back-to-back meetings, and he knew he wouldn't be able to linger around the house. As he was about to leave, he glanced towards Niharika's closed door. A part of him wanted to knock, just to say something, but instead, he left a message:

Mayank: "Leaving early for work. See you in the evening."

He tucked his phone into his pocket and walked out.

Niharika rolled out of bed lazily, her hair messy from sleep. The apartment was quiet, and she checked her phone for any updates. Seeing Mayank's message, she frowned slightly. She'd wanted to talk to him about whether they were still keeping their marriage a secret, but it seemed the opportunity had passed for now.

After making herself a cup of chai, she settled into her usual work-from-home spot on the couch, her laptop open in front of her. She was halfway through her tasks when a notification pinged her phone. Her cousin had sent her a Google Drive link labeled: Indore Munja Pics.

Curious, she clicked on it and was greeted with a gallery of vibrant images from the recent wedding functions. Smiling, she scrolled through the photos: her mom adjusting her pallu, the cousins laughing during the haldi ceremony, and the group shots with Mayank. Her heart skipped a beat seeing those pictures—both of them smiling at the camera, their awkward dynamic hidden under the guise of celebration.

She saved a few of her favorite photos, not noticing that the same link had been sent to Mayank as well.

~•~

At work, Mayank was going through his emails when he noticed the Google Drive link in his inbox. He clicked on it absentmindedly, expecting it to be something work-related. Instead, the gallery of wedding photos loaded on his screen.

He scrolled through quickly at first, not particularly interested. But then, a picture of Niharika caught his attention. She was laughing with Krishna in one of the thread ceremony pictures, her face lit up with genuine happiness. His scrolling slowed as he found himself lingering on every photo where she appeared.

It was a picture of her standing with Arjun and Imran. She was wearing a bright yellow saree, and her hair had been styled into soft waves. She wasn't just smiling—she was glowing. Her laughter was genuine, and in the picture, she looked confident, effortlessly beautiful. It struck him how little he had noticed that about her, And now, here she was, standing beside Mayank's friends, looking radiant.

Then, there was that one picture of her wearing a simple saree, standing between Arjun Mayank Imran, with the three men wearing their safa—her smile soft but striking. Something about it made him pause. She looked beautiful in a way he hadn't noticed before, her simplicity shining through in the chaos of the function.

He shook his head and forced himself to close the tab, burying himself back into work. But the images lingered in his mind, sneaking into his thoughts during the quieter moments of his day.

When Mayank returned home, the apartment was empty. He checked Niharika's room, but the door was wide open, and she was nowhere to be found. Pulling out his phone, he called her.

"Hello?" Niharika's voice came through, cheerful yet distracted.

"Where are you?" he asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"With Siya," she replied. "We're just grabbing coffee."

"Okay," Mayank said simply and hung up. He stared at his phone for a moment before tossing it onto the counter.

Mayank settled onto the couch, scrolling through his phone absentmindedly. He opened Instagram and decided to post a few pictures from the recent wedding. Picking solo shots of himself in a sherwani and another from the Indore munja, he added a simple caption: "Family functions: chaos but worth it."

It was a double meaning caption—he wasn't referring to his family in Kolkata. He was now also referring to his new family in Indore.

Before posting, he hesitated. Should he tag Niharika? His thumb hovered over her account handle, but eventually, he decided against it. It felt too personal, too direct. He hit "Post" and leaned back, letting out a breath.

A few minutes later, his phone buzzed: niharika_d liked your post.

He smiled faintly at the notification, realizing it was the first time he'd seen her interact with anything of his online since the wedding. Clicking on her username, he was greeted with her picture she recently posted—she looked good. Then, as his fingers swiped through her highlights and stories, he was met by the words: nihipedia. Her private account. Her profile picture caught his eye—she was mid-laugh, her face scrunched up in a goofy expression that he hadn't seen in person before.

Should he send a request? The thought made him pause. It felt like crossing an invisible boundary. But then again, she was his wife. Why should this feel awkward?

"Screw it," he muttered to himself and hit the follow button.

Fifteen minutes later, his request was accepted. With a mixture of curiosity and hesitation, he tapped on her profile. Her posts were a mixture of lighthearted moments and candid pictures. There were selfies with Siya, videos of her trying ridiculous Instagram trends, and a few pictures from her days at UC Berkeley.

He noticed the same scenic views in her post as he had on his—in Berkeley. He saw Niharika's energy in her account. It was entirely different. There were a lot of pictures with her cousins and two friends: Siya and a guy he didn't know.

One video, in particular, caught his attention: Niharika and Siya dancing to a Bollywood song in the middle of a mall. They were laughing so hard they could barely keep up with the steps. He smiled despite himself.

"Goofy," he muttered, smiling as he shook his head. He'd always thought of her as quiet and reserved, but her online presence told a completely different story.

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