Chapter 4

AADHI

As usual, I woke up and helped Mom with cooking breakfast. Bharathi was getting ready for college. My husband should have been getting ready for the office, but he was still asleep.

I wanted to wake him up, but he was always punctual with work so I thought that there must be a reason that he was still asleep. What if he is sick? Should I go and check on him?

I walked toward our room with concern. I didn't think about anything else. I just wanted to make sure that he was okay.

When I entered the room, there was no one in the bed. He came out of the bathroom after finishing his shower. At first, he didn't acknowledge me. He just started dressing.

I didn't know what to do, but I wanted to be sure that he was okay, so I decided to wait until he was done getting ready.

I couldn't just stand there and watch him dress so I looked everywhere but at him, nervously biting my nails. He dressed in his casuals, so I assumed he wasn't going to work. Then where?

While I was wondering to myself whether he was sick or going somewhere else, I didn't notice him look at me questioningly.

He cleared his throat, and that's when I returned to this world. When he turned his attention to me, I was speechless.

"What are you doing standing there? Do you need anything?" he asked me in an amused tone.

I didn't know what to say. "Umm... You are late for work."

"So?"

"Ummm... I thought you were sick... Umm... Never mind," I ran back to my haven which was the kitchen.

Thank God Mom was not there. I stood there hiding trying to breathe properly, my heart was beating fast.

I knew why I didn't answer him. I was scared. Scared of letting him know that I cared. I knew I was attracted to him but I needed to distract myself.

This is not good... Not good at all.

So I decided to distract myself by preparing lunch even though it was too early for that. I heard Mom asking my husband about skipping work.

"Kutty, why are you not getting ready for your work? Are you sick or something?"

"No, Mom, I am just taking leave for a couple of days. My friends are coming to meet me. It's a small get-together. I have to meet them for lunch."

"Okay, but why two days?"

"Tomorrow we are planning to go on a trip somewhere."

"That's great. You have been busy with your work, now go and enjoy," Dad said.

I envied the thought of him spending time with his friends. I missed my friends. I pushed them away after college. I had my reasons. Sighing, I continued my work.

I turned to get something and I ended up hitting someone's chest with my head. It was my husband's, and it looked like it hurt. He clutched his chest with his palm and started coughing.

"I am sorry—really sorry, I didn't see you." I patted him on the shoulder, trying to make him feel better.

After a minute or so when he looked like he was okay, he lifted his head and said, "You don't have to apologize, it's my mistake. I should have made you aware of my presence."

I didn't know what to say to that. There was an awkward silence between us.

"Ummm... you know I am going to meet my friends today, so if you are okay... I mean if you are interested, would you join me? I can introduce you to them." He looked at me, clearly hoping I would say yes.

I was surprised that he asked me to come. I wanted to say yes but then what would I do there? I didn't know any of them and I don't socialize well.

I would be a stranger and that will be awkward for all of us. So I thought it was better not to go.

"Go ahead. Go and enjoy yourself with them. It will be a change for you too, right?" Mom told me while I was thinking about what to say.

After that, I didn't have a choice but to say yes, so I said I would go.

When I said yes he looked really happy. "Okay then. Go and get ready. We are going to meet them for lunch."

I wore a blue churidar (Indian attire) and started doing my hair. Even then I wasn't sure if I wanted to go.

I was nervous and I didn't want to be left out because I knew that I wouldn't feel comfortable with strangers which might give them an impression that I didn't like them.

My husband wouldn't be with me all the time because he needed to spend time with his friends. I didn't want to make him feel burdened or something by clinging to him.

When I was ready, he was waiting for me outside wearing a blue casual shirt and black jeans. He looked handsome in that outfit. He saw me coming out of the house and said, "Come, let's go."

I was a little annoyed that he didn't say anything about the dress. I think he didn't even notice that we were wearing the same colour. Whatever.

After we climbed inside the car, before moving he turned to me smiling and said, "We match today! And you look beautiful." So he did notice.

His final comment made me smile but I tried to hide it by biting my inner cheeks and turning my head away.

The drive to the restaurant was silent. When we entered, he asked the receptionist something and then walked in front of me toward a corner table. I was nervous.

A group of people from the corner table turned to look at us. They looked happy to see him and two came up to hug him. "Hey man, how are you? It's been a long time."

They greeted each other. I was standing beside him, feeling left out except for the courtesy hello.

I looked at them smiling like I was pleased to see them. They started moving toward the table and for a second I thought he had forgotten about me after seeing his friends.

But suddenly he turned back. He must have known what I was feeling. He came back, grabbed my hand, and dragged me, saying, "Come on."

As soon as we reached the table, everyone started teasing him. They didn't give him a chance to say anything. All he did say was, "Shut up, will you?" with an embarrassed look.

I tried not to laugh. He was visibly uncomfortable with all those teasing comments. But when he looked at me, I couldn't hold it anymore. He glared which made me laugh even more.

We sat beside each other. He introduced me to his friends and after some time I started getting to know them.

The boys started talking amongst themselves, and the same for us girls. They told me about everyone.

Sivani, Nijanthan, my husband, and Harsha. They were in the same class and still best friends. Ruby was in the same college but in a different class.

Sivani (Siva) is married to Nijanthan (Nija). He was sweet and calm and only talked when he needed to. She was just the opposite of him. She talked a lot, cracked jokes, and teased everyone.

They have been a couple since their college days. They both were best friends to my husband, and he had helped them work as a go-between for their early romance.

Sivani used to be closer to my husband than to Nija. So he thought that she liked my husband and maintained some distance from her.

Seeing him maintaining distance she thought that he didn't like her. Somehow my husband learned about it and he helped them.

Karthik was the naughty one. You couldn't stop laughing when you were with him. He was married to Ruby. She is a quiet and sweet person, but not boring. She was in the same college in a different class, but somehow they fell in love.

They had problems in their marriage since they were of a different religion, so they married without their parents' consent.

After seeing their daughter happy Ruby's parents accepted them, but Karthik's parents didn't acknowledge the marriage. He was still trying to convince them.

Harsha was single. Until now he has been silent. At the restaurant, he just answered questions asked to him but otherwise just looked at his cell phone.

I even caught him looking at me but when I looked back, he avoided my eyes. He seemed mysterious.

"Why are you so silent? Don't you want to be with us? Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Nija asked me in a concerned tone.

"When you are showing your face this close to her how could words come out of her mouth? I am even surprised that she didn't puke yet," Karthi teased him.

Everyone started laughing except Nija. He was busy glaring at Karthi

"Oh no, it's not like that. It's just I don't know what to say and you are all new to me. That's why," I said with a shy smile.

"First of all, don't be a stranger. You are one of us now and can start calling us names. We won't mind, right guys?" He looked at all of them questioningly while talking to me.

Everyone nodded their head in agreement.

"Um... Sure. I will call you all by name," I said, smiling and still uncomfortable around them.

"Hi, I am Karthik. You can call me Karthi and you can introduce me to your beautiful friends, I don't mind," he introduced himself and winked when he said the last part.

Even before he finished, Nija smacked his head. Looking at Ruby, I knew Karthi was in trouble.

I knew he was just joking around but looking at his state after he talked without a filter in front of his wife, I couldn't hold my tears laughing.

While laughing I inadvertently turned toward my husband. He was already staring at me and when I looked at him, he averted his eyes. Maybe it was a coincidence.

"Don't feel uncomfortable, Aadhi. You must have had male friends during your college days.

So think of us as your friends then you won't feel uncomfortable," he said to me with a genuine smile and an assuring tone.

I liked him. I could feel that his words were genuine, and they brought me comfort. I knew then and there that we were going to be best friends.

After some time, it felt nice to be with them. I liked them already. They were like a gang. They didn't usually accept new people easily but I didn't have a problem at all.

I didn't know why they were all so sweet to me.

Everyone finished lunch and started planning for the trip. I didn't expect them to ask me to join them, but when they did, I couldn't say no.

Part of me was excited to go because the place they chose was a waterfall.

I love waterfalls and the scenery around them. The place they chose was known for privacy which meant that we would be the only people enjoying the view so I wanted to go.

We went shopping for the next day and returned home. My husband informed me that we had to leave early morning at seven and went to bed. He didn't mind me the whole day when he was with his friends.

But I wasn't bothered. If it had been me with my close friends, I would have done the same.

I lay down beside him and he switched off the table light. I wanted to sleep because we had to get up early, but I couldn't sleep.

I didn't know why but even from college time I couldn't sleep the night before a tour. Maybe because of the excitement, I don't know.

I started dreaming about what would happen on the trip and what I had to do. I knew it was silly, but I usually dreamed whenever I was very happy or very sad.

Suddenly, the light went on. I closed my eyes because of the brightness. I adjusted my vision for the light and turned to look at him. He was looking at me trying to ask something.

"Ummm... I couldn't sleep. Did I disturb you?" he asked me with concern.

"No, it's okay, I couldn't sleep either. I think I am just excited about tomorrow," I told him, smiling excitedly.

He smiled at me and said, "Yeah, me too. So, do you want to talk for a while? To pass the time before we sleep?"

I knew at this point it must be weird for him, to ask me to talk with him, but I didn't think twice and said okay. So we sat beside each other on the bed.

He started showing photos of the place that we were going to tomorrow. And then we talked about his college days.

I was in tears laughing when he told me about his role as a messenger between Nijanthan and Shivani. I told him about my friends and college life except for one part. I didn't want him to know yet.

We didn't think we would talk that much and it was already two in the morning when we checked, so we decided to sleep a little before we went.

Even after I lay down and closed my eyes the light switch didn't go off. So I opened my eyes to look at him.

He was about to call me but I turned at the same time, so he was surprised and scratched his neck awkwardly.

"What?" I asked him.

"I just wanted to say that... Umm... You look beautiful when you are happy... I mean when you are laughing," he blabbered, not knowing the right words to say.

"Thanks," I smiled at him genuinely and turned back to my side.

"I hope we can talk and laugh like today in the future," I heard him say confidently.

I just said, "Hmhmm...," and smiled to myself.