Chapter 3: The Perfect Life

Chapter 3 – The Perfect Life

Khushi hummed to herself as she set a pan of water over the stove. While corporate life had made her dependent on coffee for normal functioning, she always sought out tea when she wanted to preserve a moment. The beverage always reminded her of her life in Lucknow, which now seemed eons away. Life was so… uncomplicated and slow then. Although she missed her home and her family dearly, she hated to admit that every time she went there, after a couple of days, she felt like returning to her place in Mumbai. Living alone in a huge city had been scary in the beginning but in the last five years, it had come to represent her own achievements. She wondered if this is what being homeless truly feels like – no matter where you go, you can’t find comfort. She sprinkled her favorite chai masala and added a bit of milk to the now-boiling tea. She poured the tea into two cups and walked over to the bed, where her fiancé slept.

She had met Shyam on a random Tinder date when she gave into Payal and decided to give it a shot. Her crazy schedule allowed no time for much social interaction outside of work and thus, it was decided that Tinder was the most efficient solution. She still remembered Shyam’s bio that had made her laugh: Relationship Status - It will fluctuate! Their first date had lasted almost two hours: she discovered Shyam was a trader in Hong Kong and visited the city every month to meet his clients. They had taken it slow initially – she felt Shyam needed more time to open up and invest in the relationship. She understood the sentiment well – their professions took up a lot of their emotional bandwidth and to get into a brand-new relationship over phone calls was taxing. They were hardly college grads and hence, she knew she was lucky to have him. He seldom questioned her hectic schedule as he was a bit of a workaholic as well. Most importantly, he unlike other men she had met, he was not intimidated by her and more than matched her own wits.

She stood over him now as he slept peacefully and called out.

“Good morning sleepyhead.” She ruffled his hair. He opened his eyes with a lazy smile and pulled her into bed with him.

“You should really stop stealing my t-shirts.” He spoke as he pulled at the hem of his t-shirt that she was wearing.

“You should be here more often then. Otherwise, this is all I have to keep me going.”

He laughed and kissed her neck, making her croon.

She cuddled into him and closed her eyes. Life was perfect.