1.Pancakes
She slowly opened her eyes to the soft music wafting in the air and the tender sunlight of the spring morning and let out a lazy yawn. She stretched and turned to the other side only to find a missing husband.
"Maan..." she moaned and checked the time.
7:30am only.
She sat up and pulled her hair into a bun. It was going to be a long day because she had deadlines!!! Dreading the day ahead, she freshened up and walked towards the kitchen only to find the table set and a soft music playing on his cellphone.
A soft smile crept on her lips as she picked up the lid and found hot and soft pancakes greeting her with their sweet aroma.
Oh dear Lord...
Two warm hands snaked around her waist and pulled her into his warm embrace.
"Good morning Wife."
His husky voice tickled her senses as he pressed a kiss on her neck, making her shiver.
A hue of pink crept on her cheeks as she turned back to face him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"What's the occasion, hubby?" she bit his nose slightly, playfully.
"Ummm... let me think." He pretended to think for a bit and continued, "I was just trying to be more lovable."
She opened her mouth to say something but he pressed his lips on hers, stealing her morning breath.
"ummm.." she moaned into his mouth and lazily allowed him to love her well. His lips coaxed hers open and he pushed in, adamant to knock the breath out of her.
"Maan..." she managed to squeak when his lips had trailed down to her neck and she was left dangling between the floor and his hold, "b...breakfast."
"Hmmm..." he hummed and went back to kiss her one last time, hard and quick.
His eyes looked deep into hers and she couldn't help but blush.
"Come on now love..." he pecked her cheek and went ahead to pour a piping hot mug of coffee for her.
She stood there watching her husband, clad in just a vest and a trouser, work his way around the kitchen and felt her heart melting into a puddle of gooey happiness...
Beep...beep...beep...beep...
The alarm went off and she sprang up from the heady dream she had had. Cupping her own cheeks, she felt them warm.
A dream it was.
Once again!
She breathed in sharply and looked at the time. It was going to be 8. In an hour, she had to be in the court. She walked towards the washroom and stopped right in front of the mirror. Something about her face caught her attention.
Dark sunken and tired eyes greeted her and her pale skin looked even paler today.
What has happened to me?
Her mind went back to the dream that she had some time back. An emptiness swirled inside her stomach.
Her room wasn't bright any more nor was her day. The clouds rumbled outside to let her know of their state of being. The dream had been nothing but the disillusioned past that she had lived. Nothing of that sort remained anymore.
No more brighter mornings.
No more hot pancakes.
Cold seeped into her heart slowly and then she realized, what she felt in her dream, could no longer remain.
The warm puddle of gooey happiness...there was none!
Pancakes didn't appeal to him anymore. He watched the hot cakes in front of him and he knew his appetite was gone. he made a mental note to ask his housekeeper not to make pancakes, ever. They always stirred memories he didn't want to remember.
Standing up, he binned those flat cakes and went into the kitchen to make something else. The coffee was cold and there was nothing he could find at its proper place.
What has the housekeeper been doing? It was never this messy when she was around!!!
He stopped and leaned against the counter and ran his hand across his hair in frustration. What was he even thinking?
His appetite was gone! he put off the idea of making an omelette and turned off the stove.
It was time.
He put on his shirt and pulled the tie around his neck, swiftly pulling it into a knot.
She hated knotting ties.
A soft smile crept on his lips as he adjusted the ends to symmetry. Even if he were to get late, she'd never ever make him his tie. Once she had knotted and he never checked for he was late to work. Oh, how he had been made fun of!!! he had come home, angry, ready to blast for making him a laughing stock with that sorry tie but she always had her ways with him.
He shook his head in amusement and set his tie when his phone buzzed, flashing the name of his lawyer.
"hey Derek..."
"Morning! Just a happy reminder. We gotta be at the court sharp at 9."
He froze for a moment.
The court!
Today was the day then!
"See you at the court buddy. Don't be late."
He could only hum in agreement.
The day has finally arrived.
He picked up the keys and drove towards the destination. He still had a lot of time in hand but a drive around would probably help calm his mind.
The winding roads of Stockholm kept his company. He had all the time with his thoughts. They grew as he took each turn and made him question his own beliefs.
Was love enough?
They tried to hold it...he tried! But they couldn't fight it, the impending doom that they faced. The last resort they had with them was a divorce. Nothing helped. It was mutual. If he was honest with himself then he couldn't breathe around her. They choked each other up, with their expectations and their frustration.
He turned into the parking of the courthouse and breathed out.
This was the end.
No more expectations.
No more hurt.
No more love.
Love...did it really fade?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Congratulations Geet..." her lawyer gently patted her shoulder as she signed those papers.
But she was far from reality. Gently keeping her pen down, she looked at his side and found him talking to Derek. he was dressed in his suit and had his hair gelled in a way only he liked.
Was he to go to work after this?
She could only wonder up until the moment he stopped talking to his lawyer and their gazes met.
So, this is the end, then?
She could hear his voice inside her head as none moved, seeming to have frozen in time.
Yes, Maan. This is it.
She was dressed in casuals. He wanted to ask her if she'd still be staying at her
friend's but then he stopped. It didn't matter to him anymore. His gaze remained locked with hers and as reality sunk, he averted his gaze and walked away.
I wish you a happy life.
He wouldn't turn back, he had decided and he adhered to it. There was nothing between them to look forward to or look back at. And hence, there was no point in taking a turn.
She watched him walk away and left a breath she had long held. She was no more
Geet Khurana. she had her own identity now.
Geet Handa.
Yes, that was what it was. This was her.
Life wasn't roses or pancakes or teddy bears, she had learned this in a hard way, thanks to her husband.
Ex-husband.
She corrected herself mentally and walked out to find her friend Meera, waiting for her by her car.
"Done?" she asked.
"Finally." Geet answered, shrugging her shoulders.
"You okay?" she asked before entering the car.
"never been better!"
Meera steered towards her apartment, "So?"
Geet pulled down the window, "So what Meer?"
"What are you going to do now?"
Geet shrugged, "Umm... right now, I have nothing in mind. Probably take a breather. Go home and visit my parents. I haven't seen them in ages!"
"So, you are planning to go back to India?"
"I have nothing left in here Meer. All I had was Maan. I don't have that reason anymore."
Meera wanted to say something but then she kept her mouth shut and concentrated on the road. She had been a colleague of Maan's and had come to know Geet when they had decided to get married. And somehow, she found a strange camaraderie with Geet, a strange connection. They clicked instantly and went on to became closest of friends. She had seen them in and out of love and she had stood by her friend when she had decided on a divorce. She wasn't sure if she was happy or sad or anything for that matter.
"Will you be okay Geet?" she asked after a long pause.
Geet stopped fidgeting with her purse and looked at her friend, "Do I not look okay to you?"
"No, I mean it's Maan. You had been in love with him madly. It definitely isn't easy Geet."
"I agree, it isn't easy," she replied after a thoughtful second, "but we didn't want to choke each other to death. I think this was for the best."
Meera shrugged and didn't question her any longer. They drove quietly to her apartment and somewhere in the midst of all, she swore she saw tears in the eyes of her friend who was trying to hard to hide it.
What is it about old habits cropping up at the most awkward and unwanted moments?
He questioned to no one in particular and kicked away the cushion that was lying on the floor, by his feet. he was gone straight to work and had come back home only after it was past midnight.
She'd be sleeping by now and on the couch, her favourite place...
...or so he had thought when he had unlocked the house and walked in stealthily to not disturb her, like always.
It was only when the eerie emptiness of the house greeted him that he realized what he had done. She wasn't a part of his life anymore. Hadn't he gotten accustomed to that when they had been living separately before they had signed those papers?
Frustrated, he had kicked away the cushion and walked straight to their...no no, his bedroom and crashed, without even bothering to change. The thoughts need to be put to halt and there was no better way to do so better than sleeping off.
But Alas.. only if sleep helped!
Sleep brought dreams and dreams brought memories and memories brought hangovers of the past.
He binned the pancakes again and asked his housekeeper to not come anymore.
"But you loved pancakes." She had countered.
"things change over time..." he had replied curtly and left for work.
...and so do people!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Finally, the first chapter. Nervous I am...😕
>>I will take time to get into the flow.
Please bear with me. I am writing after ages. 😃
>>And THANK YOU everyone for such an amazing welcome. It feels amazing to be back.🤗
>>See you soon.
comment:
p_commentcount