The sunlight seeped inside the room through the windows and made Shlok open his eyes trying to adjust them to the brightness.

His eyes moved to the very first person he always wanted to see when he woke up.

Dhwani was fast asleep covering his stomach with her hand and her head over his chest.

He looked at her for a longer than ever this time. How can he not love his life when she was in it.

A smile crept over his lips while he watched her more and never got tired. It was his daily routine to watch her while she slept. He  wanted her face to fill his memory so that he can survive the day when he was away working in office.

But today he needed more of it. Because he was flying out country for a deal which he avoided with all his will but couldn't actually be successful.

He had to stay away from her for a week. Although he convinced Dhwani past twenty days that he will be back soon and the time will pass even she will realize he did not convince himself the case will be same for sure.

It was going to be the worst week of his life he knew already. But there was this constant fear growing inside him as each day neared. Something will hurt his dear wife. Something will hurt her emotionally or physically. She won't be okay without him. And although she showed immense courage of coping up he knew it was a white lie.

His heart started to swell at the thought and he started drawing circles on her back. He always did it when he was anxious.

Dhwani who felt the moving finger of her husband on her back slowly opened her eyes straining them.

She looked up at Shlok who was watching her so lost that he did not even realize she was awake.

"Good morning Sok" she moved to his cheek kissing it lovingly. He smiled out of his trance and nuzzled her nose.

She reached her phone to check the time which lay at the side of the bed and her eyes went wide with the realization that they had overslept.

"Sok...  Why didn't you wake me up. You will be late." she jerked him sitting on the bed.

"Dhwani... " he called her. "Oh god you will miss your plane and then your meeting... I am such a stupid girl. I should have kept the alarm. You always forget to do it on right days...." she tied her hair in a bun her mother in law taught her to do so that all the hair strands stayed away from her face and helped her to see the things clearly when needed the most.

Shlok nodded his head.

"Get up Sok. What are you doing still?" she moved away from him.

He felt the gap and grabbed her by her shoulder. She turned to him with a confused look.

His heart was feeling weird and how is he supposed to tell her this.

He did not wanted to be deprived of her presence even for the shortest time.

He looked into her eyes hoping she will understand his turmoils.

His hope did not go in vain. She felt his sadness but she did not understood how to give him a freedom from it.

"Sok" she relaxed beside him.

He side hugged her and she looked confused. He took a deep breath like he was breathing every moment with her.

Like there will be no another moment.

"Are you okay Sok?" she asked concerned.

"Hmmm" he hummed. "You don't look like. Shall I call mom?" she looked up at him and he chuckled through his glassy eyes.

"Can't you stay away from your mother in law for some moments?" he joked and she frowned.

He hugged her tight this time diluting all her annoyance towards him.

"You will be late Sok" she said softly.

"I don't want to go" he whined.

Dhwani remembered how she used to complain like this when she was small kid and she had go to school.

Shlok was sounding same.

She remembered how she used to find ways to run out of the school soon or to be with her Zorro.

She realized the same feeling is haunting her husband. He wanted to be with her.

"You're gonna miss me?" she asked innocently.

He nodded his head pouting. "Aww Sok.... " she pouted too.

"How can I make you feel better?" she asked confused.

"I don't know. I don't think you can ever make me feel better about going away from you" he sadly looked at her.

"Oh... " she said as she looked at him sadly.

"But... " she thought for a while and something flashed in her memory.

"First you go freshen up" she pulled him out of the bed and pushed him inside the washroom.

Then she took her phone and said " Hey Siri call Mamu" and the phone AI complied.

"Hey munchkin" Vikram her uncle greeted from the other end.

"Mamu hai" she said excited.

"What happened baby? How did you call me this early? Everything alright?" he asked looking at his watch. It was really an odd time his niece will remember him.

"Mamu I have a problem" she pouted. "What problem cutie pie?" he asked patiently but inside his heart he was worried.

"Sok is going out. Like very far for some meeting" she sadly spoke and Vikram could feel it.

"Hmm okay so you are gonna miss him don't you?" he spoke.

"That I will mamu. How will I not miss him" she whined.

"Okay so you are worried about it?" he asked to be sure.

"I am not worried for that because I know I will manage. I will still miss him a lot but I know he will come back soon but..." she bit the nail in her index finger.

"But?" he asked.

"But Sok is very sad. More sad than me. He says he can't stay without me. How to make him happy?" she asked thoughtful.

Her uncle chuckled.

"How can you make a husband happy about going away from his wife?" he asked laughing.

"Though your bade papa, Chachu and Harish paa will be happy about such thought. I confess even I do" he chuckled and looked around if he spoke loudly enough that his wife heard but relaxed when he realized she was in kitchen.

"The feeling of sadness on going away from his wife even for a moment only your paa can really feel. He is hopeless romantic for your mumma. And I think he had suffered it also many a times and trust me it's very painful to watch him do so" he remembered the time when Sanskar had to stay away from Ragini and his struggle.

"But he found different ways to cope" Vikram smiled.

"On part of your mumma. She never actually knew about his sadness. So I don't know what should I suggest you" he pouted.

"You are my ultimate guide mamu. If you say this what am I supposed to do?" she spoke disappointed.

"Hey baby boo" he could feel her tears.

"Just promise him that you will take care of yourself and it will relieve him to an extent okay. Call him every now and then and promise him you will share whatever you feel or go through while he is away. And might be that will help him a bit" he suggested.

"Will it work?" she asked unsure. "Partly. But he will only feel better when he will reach you again" Vikram smiled.

"Even me" she spoke lowly. It broadened the smile on Vikram's face. His baby boo was growing up and there was nothing which will make him any happier.

More than anyone he could feel her sadness when she felt incompetent to others. When she could not behave like others of her age. But he loved her the way she was and had no problem at all.

But there was this fear always that she will be left alone in this journey of life. But Shlok mended that fear and gave a hope that his baby boo the other half of his heart can have a normal happy life.

"I will try mamu" she said a bit of hope in her voice.

"That's how you're gonna know the things" he  smiled and she stretched her lips into a thin line.

"Bye mamu" she said cheerfully and he bid her bye and disconnected the call.

Dhwani was a bit relieved. At least she could try to cheer up Shlok the way her mamu told.

She looked around and found Shlok without any interest buttoning the sleeves of his shirt.

She walked and hugged him from behind placing her head on his back.

Shlok looked at her a bit turning. He sighed.

"I will miss you wifey" he  spoke sadly.

"I know Sok. But you have to stay away from me" she sadly looked up at him.

He turned holding her hands still and touched her forehead with his.

"I love you biwi. And I don't know how I am gonna survive without you" he said pouting.

"I love you too Sok. And I will miss you too. I know you are worried for me. But I promise I will take care of myself. I will not do something stupid and make you worry more. And I promise I will tell you everything that happens with me okay" she looked hopeful in his eyes.

"Can I trust you with yourself?" he  asked smiling.

"I promise" she pinched her neck cutely and he kissed her forehead before dragging her into a warm longing hug.

"I trust you this time. Even if you sneeze more than once in a minute you have to tell me remember" he warned her. She nodded her head still in his embrace.

"I have told Siri to make a note for every day and I will record everything in that and will send you at the end of the day. Fine?" she looked up at him.

"I will try to survive with it. Though I can't promise I might run back sooner than planned if I feel I need to see you" he  chuckled.

Dhwani placed her head over his chest again.

"You can't do that Sok.  I don't want you to go back again or face some problem for your company due to it. So remember I will always be here" she pointed his chest on the left.

"That you will always be." he  closed his eyes intaking a deep required breath.

'Though it might stop beating some day. You will still be here' he  spoke in his mind.

A smile stretched on his lips while his eyes remained close. Dhwani watched her husband and realized she had tried something which actually helped to cheer her husband. And what more she wanted than seeing that satisfactory smile on his face.

Nothing.

Not even the most colourful pallet of paint. Finally she had realized there is nothing more of important for her than her husband. Like her father she was hopelessly in love with her husband.

Shlok never left Dhwani's hand while they walked out of the room, while they had their breakfast, while he walked back to his room to grab his luggage.

Dhwani adjusted his tie One more thing she learned from her mother in law. Though while teaching Dhwani Mrs. Trivedi almost choked her husband finally Dhwani learned it in a week's time.  And from then she loved making Shlok's tie and adjusting his blazer.

Like always she pulled him to a passionate kiss holding his tie while he was still caught up wearing his blazer.

The kiss lasted longer than ever as they both knew the next time they have to wait to even feel each other was not any less than eternity.

Shlok's hand roamed her back while Dhwani shivered with several sensations running through her veins. Their heads were spinning due to lack of oxygen but they did not wanted to depart. Shlok parted his lips a bit letting both of them to breath but then again claimed her lips for one more needy kiss. 

Dhwani's hands snaked across his neck while he closed the gap between them and she hit his chest   and they continued to kiss each other with not an ounce of passion fading.

Shlok's hand moved to her waist and Dhwani perked up in her position startled when he squeezed her she felt the barrier.

"Shlok" his mother's voice from the living room startled them and finally departed them.

"I love you Sok" Dhwani said panting.

"I love you too Mrs. Shlok" he said in the similar state.

He again tucked her along while they exited the room and reached the door of the mansion.

Weaving a bye to everyone and looking at Dhwani longingly Shlok sat inside his car and signed the driver to move.

He once more looked at his wife while she stared at his car till it disappeared.

And there was this feeling of emptiness inside her.

It was just the beginning of the long eternity she had to live without her husband.