Reflecting on last night, their hug, Sharon thought things were very slowly but surely starting to change. Her misconceptions were quickly cleared when the next morning Swayam reversed to his old self. Sharon couldn't understand what went wrong. One moment he was consoling her, wiping her tears and the next day he was hardly even looking at her. When she tried to talk to him, he would not show any interest or reply with one syllable words; two if he was feeling generous.

Sharon didn't want to overstep her boundaries so she didn't pursue the topic any more. She thought he needed space to adapt to the changing dynamics. Soon another uneventful month passed and it was time for her to start her MS. College was hectic. Nevertheless she was glad as it left little time for her to think about something, rather someone.

It was a balmy October evening when Rey asked her to meet him. They sat at a café near her college. Over two cups of cappuccino Rey told his big news, "Kria and I are getting married!"

Sharon spilled some coffee on her shirt, "Rey! Oh my God! That is some big news," she said wiping the coffee stain, "I am so happy for you."

Rey smiled, "We have been together for almost 3 years now. I thought it was the right time to take our relationship to the next level. We are planning for a February wedding. Dad was very excited too. He adores Kria."

Sharon nodded, "We all adore her. She is a wonderful person. I am so glad you found someone like her," and added, "We just have 4 months! I need to shop and did you book the venue? We'll have to hurry else the good ones will be booked. I was thinking we could have the reception at our beach house."

"Whoa Sharon," Rey interjected, "Calm down. She just said yes!"

"I am sorry, but this news is so good. I needed something like this," Sharon replied.

They spent the next two hours going over venues and clothes and all arrangements.

---------

Sharon came home late that night. Rey ended up calling Kria and they had dinner to celebrate the occasion. She hoped she could have the same relation with Kria as she had with Taani as her sister-in-law. Taani was now a very close friend of Sharon. She was a very sweet girl, a stark contrast to her other family members.

Swayam was working on his laptop when a smiling Sharon entered the room later that night. Her smile dropped a little when he didn't ask her anything.

"So," she said, keeping her handbag and mobile on the table, "I just had dinner with Rey."

"Great," he muttered, not looking at her.

Sharon went on, jovially, "yeah, Rey is getting married in February, with Kria!"

He stopped typing and slowly raised his eyes to look at her, "What?"

"I know, I was surprised too," she beamed, "Rey proposed and she said yes. They have been together for 3 years now. I am so happy for them."

She didn't notice Swayam's face. He was blank, deep in thought. She went on, "I told Rey we don't have much time. 4 months might seem a lot but time flies like anything. We need to book the venue first-"

Sharon was interrupted by the falling sound of the laptop. Swayam's laptop had fallen. She immediately rushed towards it and picked it up from the floor.

"It's alright- didn't break," she said, handing over the laptop to Swayam. He was lost in his own thoughts. He wasn't even aware that the laptop fell.

"Swayam," Sharon placed her hand on his arm and gave it a light squeeze, "are you all right?"

He didn't respond. He shot up from the bed and walked towards the door.

"What's wrong?" Sharon inquired, alarmed. He was acting very strange, "You are scaring me."

"I... have to go," he mumbled, picking up the car keys.

"Where?"

"Office," he said, swiftly walking out of the room.

"At 1 in the night?" she asked him, but he was out of earshot.

Sharon stood alone, in the doorway of the bedroom. What just happened?

---------

It was close to 3am but Sharon couldn't sleep. She was pacing the length of the bedroom. She had called Swayam multiple times but he didn't answer. She had left him zillion messages, yet there was no reply. She started to feel sick with worry. She contemplated waking up Anjali and Rishi to tell them about Swayam.

He was in shock and massively upset when he left the room, 2 hours back. Was he all right? What if he was in an accident? Sharon shut her eyes tight trying not to think the worst. Small beads of sweat had started to form on her forehead. She decided she had to tell someone when her phone rang. The screen displayed Swayam's number.

"Swayam!" she yelled at the phone, half angry, half relieved.

"Ummm, no, I am Mathur," It was a male voice she didn't recognize.

"Mathur?" she asked, nervously. Who was this Mathur? Why was he calling from Swayam's phone? Where was Swayam? She took deep breaths to calm herself.

She regained her voice, "Mathur, do you know where the phone's owner is?"

"Yes," he spoke, "he is with me. I am a valet at the Striker Pub. Sir was leaving from here, trying to drive but I couldn't let him. He is very drunk. He can't even stand straight. I didn't know what to do, so I dialed the last number from his call log. It was yours."

A wave of relief washed over her. It wasn't the best case scenario but it was neither the worst. At least no physical harm had come to him.

"Thank you so much Mathur for calling me," she replied picking her handbag and heading for the door, "I will be there in 20 minutes."

---------

When Mathur, the valet, said Swayam was drunk, he was using a euphemism. Swayam was sloshed, completely wasted. He was muttering something to himself. She couldn't make out what he was saying. She put him in the car with Mathur's help, paid Mathur generously for the assistance and started driving. She couldn't take him back into the Shekhwat house in this condition. His family would freak out.

She contemplated a little before dialing Rey's number.

---------

The sunlight hit Swayam's face. It was harsher than usual. There was no chirping of the birds outside the window, which he was accustomed to every morning. He slowly opened his eyes. The blurry images came into focus. It was not his room. He looked around and saw Sharon dozing off in a chair. She was in a sitting position; most probably she didn't know when she fell asleep.

His head was throbbing and there was a buzzing sound in his ears. He covered his face with his hands. Last night- he remembered being angry and upset, driving to the bar, ordering one drink after another but nothing after that. His mind was completely blank. How did Sharon find him and get him here? Did he drunk dial her number? Did he let something slip out?

He looked down and saw he was wearing a loose t-shirt and a pyjama – not his clothes. He felt like he was in one of those Bollywood movies Taani loved so much, except that the roles were reversed. This usually happened to the girl, in the movies.

"Finally you are awake," came Sharon's voice.

His head started throbbing harder. He massaged his forehead.

She handed him a glass of water and a pill, "It will help with the hangover."

"This is my room," she said as he took another sip of water, "and Rey helped me last night, just in case you were wondering about your clothes. I will get you something to eat. It will help."

"No," Swayam said and started to get up, "I need to go to the office."

Sharon spoke angrily, "This is not a request."

Generally Swayam would have ignored her, but this morning, she was dead serious. He sat on the bed, not wanting to invoke her wrath further.

A few minutes after he had freshened up, she got him a plate full of buttered toast, eggs and a bowl of fresh fruits. His headache had receded and he realized how famished he was.

"So," Sharon began, "What happened last night?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Sharon repeated, "Nothing?"

"Okay," Swayam admitted, "I got a little drunk, what's the big deal. It's not like I come home every day that drunk."

Sharon inhaled, "You don't remember, do you? Swayam you blacked out. Do you realize how drunk you have to be to black out like that? It's dangerous. And you were about to drive in that condition. Thank God the valet called me. I shudder even thinking what could have happened last night."

"Let's not talk about last night," he said, exasperated.

Sharon scoffed, "You don't get to decide that any more. Why were you drinking?"

Swayam shrugged his shoulders, "Work stuff."

"Do you take me for a fool? I know there is something going on between you and Rey. What is it?" She asked, still angry.

He finished his breakfast and got up from the bed, "I need to go. I am late."

Sharon blocked the doorway. She spread her hands, shaking her head, "You are not going anywhere till you tell me everything."

He snorted, "Are you serious? Get out of my way."

She shook her head vigorously, "Not until you tell me."

Swayam was starting to get angry, "I don't have to tell you anything. Don't take this wife role too seriously."

Sharon's lips quivered in anger, "Role? You think I am playing a role? I couldn't sleep the entire night. First you storm off for 2 hours without telling anything. Then you don't receive my calls. Do you know what I was going through during those 2 awful hours? I was sick to my stomach – worried for you. And when I finally found you, you were wasted. Wasted would be a small word to describe your state. You were acting crazy – muttering to yourself. I have never seen you like that. You are always so composed and controlled but last night, I couldn't recognize you."

Swayam pinched the bridge of his nose, "I... am sorry about that. And thanks for your help."

"I don't want your sorry or thanks," Sharon went on, "I want to know what's eating you from inside. Look, Swayam, I know we are not really friends and you don't like me."

Not entirely true, Swayam thought but didn't interrupt her.

"...That's okay," she continued, "Even after 4 months of marriage, we are strangers but sometimes it helps talking to a stranger. You can let your guard down. I won't judge you. If you don't let these pent up feelings out, you will go crazy."

Swayam started shaking his head; about to speak something when she interrupted, "Don't deny all this. I know you are harboring something in your heart. You have built a wall around and would not let anyone in. But sometimes, when you let your guard down, I can see a glimpse of you – the real you." Sharon thought about the night of the dinner when he had touched her face, the dance when he had smiled and the hug, which they had shared recently.

She folded her hands across her chest and waited.

"It's this business deal-," Swayam started when she cut him off.

"For the nth time, please stop lying," she pleaded.

"Okay," Sharon exhaled, "I'll go first."

Swayam raised an eyebrow, "You have a secret?"

Sharon nodded.

"You hate your in-laws is not a secret. I know that," he commented.

"I don't 'hate' my in-laws," she protested, "I like Taani very much. Your mom scares me sometime and you are okay-ish. Also that's not my secret. What I am going to tell you is not really a secret. It's just something that I haven't, you know, told anyone."

Swayam's interest was piqued, "I am all ears."

Sharon bit her lip, thinking where to start.

"Not so easy now, is it?" Swayam countered, "Some things are best left buried."

She agreed, "Yes, some things are best left buried but not if they affect you so much. Everyone has secrets, a past; mistakes that they made- that is what life is all about. I agree I don't have anything major that is not letting me move on, but you do. What I want to tell you is just something I think of... sometimes when my mind is idle..."

"It's about...my mom," Sharon whispered, "You know she died in a car crash when I was 11. I was in a boarding school in Mussoorie. It was the annual function of our school. I was taking part in one of the plays and I wanted my folks to be there."

Sharon walked over to a chair and sat on it. Swayam's eyes followed her, "Dad and Mom were busy and they said they couldn't come. But I insisted so much. I cried saying that they never had time for me. You know all theatrics which children use. After my unrelenting persistence, mom decided to come. She was on her way from Dehradoon to Mussoorie when... another car slammed into hers."

Sharon's voice became heavy and Swayam realized where this was going. He placed a hand on her shoulder. She pursed her lips, "My mom bled for an hour before she got any help. My mom, lying in the cold, in a strange place, in so much pain... all this because I wanted her to come to my stupid play."

Sharon wiped a tear rolling down her cheek, "Sometimes I feel she would not have been here if ... if I had not called her... It was my..."

Swayam spoke softly, "It was an accident Sharon, not your fault. You were 11."

She nodded, "I know it's not my fault but sometimes there is this voice in my head telling me..." She composed herself, "Any way, after that day I think I drifted apart from my father and eventually my brother. No one spoke of my mom's death in the house but the silence was deafening. I apologized once to dad. When he asked me why I was apologizing and I told him the reason, he didn't respond. I think he blamed me too, in his heart. May be that's why he could never look at me the same way."

Swayam coaxed her, "You were young and you are over analyzing the situation. Death changes people. I don't know why your father reacted like that but you can't think that he blames you."

She sniffled and ran her hand across her face, "Like I said it's nothing major, just a thought that creeps in my mind sometimes. I shrug it off and go on with my life."

"Are you sure you are fine?" Swayam inquired, concern apparent in his voice.

"I am," she affirmed, "I just got a little carried away. I have never told anyone this."

Swayam gave her a weak smile, "I am glad that you considered me a friend and shared your feeling with me."

She interrupted him, "You don't have to. I am sorry I was being so persistent. You can tell me whenever you like, or not if you don't want to. I shouldn't have forced you like this. It takes courage to spill your inner thoughts and one shouldn't until he is ready."

Swayam thought for a moment, "No, you are right. All this bottled up feelings inside me doesn't let me sleep. I get so angry at everyone for no reason. It completely takes over me and changes me. I just don't realize how much I change."

"So," Sharon began, "What has Rey done to you? He is my brother and I love him but I know he can get on your nerves."

Swayam shook his head, "It's not Rey."

Sharon looked at him, with a muddled expression.

"It's Kria."

"Kria?"

Swayam nodded, "I was once in love with her; in fact, she was the first love of my life."

---------