"Time to go to parky?" asked Nila, snapping Narain and Anuradha out of their thoughts.

"Yeah, come, let's go." Narain took his car keys and headed towards the front door.

"Come, Mama!" Nila tugged at Anuradha's hand, giving her no choice but to follow the child out of the apartment.

Narain was not quite happy to see Nila walking towards his car with Anuradha in tow.

"Mama sit in front like Mommy. Papa drive like Daddy. Nila sit in back like Papa's and Mama's baby!" squealed Nila in utter delight.

Despite the arguments in his mind, Narain decided to please Nila and opened the back door of the car for her to jump in and sit down before he opened the front door for Anuradha.

Anuradha hesitated for a moment before seating herself in the passenger seat in front. I've been in his car before. It won't be that bad, I guess. Before Anuradha could reach out to close the car door, she noticed Narain was holding the door open.

"This car is very precious to me. So, please be gentle." Narain closed the door for her carefully.

A man who is gentle towards his things will be gentle to his wife. What? Why am I even thinking this? Whether he is gentle to his wife or not, what difference does it make to me? Anuradha tried to shake the thought away from her mind. Very precious... why? Is this car more precious than your wife? Anuradha realized she had spoken the last question in her mind aloud when Narain answered it as he slipped into the driver's seat of his car.

"You are comparing two unequal things. This car is my car; I got it with my hard-earned money. It is incomparable. I love it a lot. And my wife is who she is. She is also incomparable. I love her a lot, no matter how much she changes." Narain spoke with his eyes pinned on the steering wheel before correcting in a low voice. "Changed."

Anuradha frowned a bit and glanced at him as he started the car. Changed? Does that mean something? I'm feeling curious to find out about his wife. Should I ask? Nah, if I ask, he'll wonder why I'm interested.

"Mama, Mama, look at that puppy! It's so cute!" Nila squealed, staring out the window of the car.

The rest of the drive to the park passed with Nila's voice being the only sound in the car whenever she saw something outside that caught her attention.

Soon, they arrived at the park near Narain's office and Nila ran towards the play area where there were already many children playing. Narain and Anuradha too made their way there and stood almost a few feet apart, watching Nila with a slight smile.

"Hello, Narain, you've come to the park again." A familiar voice spoke.

Narain glanced in the direction he had heard the elderly man's familiar voice and smiled upon noticing the father of his former colleague.

"Hello uncle, you came to this park with your grandson again?" asked Narain cordially.

"Yes son, we're just about to return home."

"Alright, uncle."

"I saw you with your child the last time you came to this park. I've only heard about your wife from my son before. But I'm seeing her for the first time just today. She's really beautiful and you two look perfect together."

Anuradha glanced at the elderly man in shock before throwing daggers at Narain with her eyes.

Narain too was alarmed but suppressed it with a chuckle. "No, she's not my wife, uncle."

Before Narain could explain further, Nila called out, "Mama, Papa, look!"

Narain and Anuradha instantly glanced in Nila's direction to see her standing on top of the seat of a swing and swinging forward and back.

"Your daughter calls you Papa and calls her Mama, then how can you deny she's your wife, son? Husband and wife, you may have many problems between you but it won't be right if you show it to outsiders like me as well. Hope you will resolve your problem and be happy with your wife, Narain." The elderly man walked away, leaning onto his walking stick.

Narain and Anuradha instantly walked another two feet away from each other.

Ranjith, you're gonna be in trouble, man. You told your dad that I got married but didn't tell him what happened to Swetha all these years. You're definitely gonna face it from me when we meet. Narain was fuming beneath his composed face.

Anuradha was annoyed too and glared at Narain. Who asked you to bring Nila to this park near your office today? Now, see, what your friend's father thought about us. Wait and see, I will get back to you for letting this happen.

Narain rolled his eyes, feeling Anuradha's glare at him. Like as if I wanted this to happen. Even I was in a fix. I'm definitely not coming back to this park ever again.

Don't. Don't you ever come back to this park. Even I'm not coming anywhere near this park ever again. Anuradha folded her arms.

Narain turned his face to the opposite direction. Did I ask you to come? Why did you have to come and join us? Nila only asked us to stay together in the same house with her. She wanted to go to park; I thought I'll bring her and you had to come too.

Nila asked me to come. That's why I came. What did you think? I came to spend time with you or make people think we're a couple?

If she asked you to come, then fine. The first day is awful already. I don't know how I'm going to bear the rest of this month with you.

It has only started. And you put me in a fix today. Don't take my silence lightly. I will do something to put you in a fix too. Wait and see.

Do you think you're the only one who was in a fix? Even I was in a fix. Don't try to make this worse.

You don't know me, Mr. Narain. I will make sure I get back to you for this.

I don't want to know you, Ms. Anuradha. Just leave me alone.

You should have left me alone. Why did you let that guy drag me into your conversation calling me as your wife?

I didn't have a choice. Now, at least you go away and leave me alone.

I came for my baby. I'll stay for my baby. I'm not going anywhere. If you want, you go and leave us alone. It will be better for you.

Yeah right. You think I'll leave my baby with you and go anywhere? I'm not going anywhere leaving my baby with you. It's better you go and leave us alone.

No way. You get lost.

I'm not going anywhere. You may go.

You go.

No, you go.

Go before I make you regret.

Only you can make me regret staying? I will also make you regret if you stay.

Won't you go?

I won't. You go.

No way. You go.

Just get lost. Leave me alone.

You get lost. You can be alone. I'll be with my baby.

I meant leave me and my baby alone.

You're expecting too much from me.

Just go, will you?

You go, will you?

"No!" Anuradha and Narain snapped at each other in unison.

Many eyes in the park turned towards them hearing their sudden outburst.

Narain and Anuradha felt awkward and moved another few feet away from each other, wondering what just happened. How did it seem like we had been arguing when we weren't speaking?

Anuradha frowned in silence. Does that mean he could hear my thoughts?

...

"Like we see in all these romantic novels and films, do soulmates actually exist? Soulmates can know what the other is thinking even before they say it. Can a guy actually hear a girl's thoughts if he is her soulmate? Does it work vice versa too?" asked our mutual close friend, Vaibhavi as we three girls walked together towards the canteen of our college.

"I don't think so. I think that just happens in movies and novels. I haven't been in love so I can't really say. What do you say, Shalu?" I nudged Shalini.

"I don't know." Shalini was lost in her thoughts.

"Has your Shiva ever heard your thoughts without you having to say it?" I inquired in a low voice, raising my eyebrow at my friend.

"Looks like someone wished for her lover to come now." Vaibhavi winked at Shalini.

"No, I did not." Shalini spoke softly with her eyes pinned to the ground as she could feel his presence.

I glanced up to see Shiva and his friends, including that irritating Narain, walking towards us. It was just two weeks since Shalini had accepted Shiva's proposal. But they had an understanding between them. They would only meet in the morning before classes and later in the evening before returning home.

"Why don't you test and see if it works since he's coming towards you now?" I glanced at Shalini impishly.

Shalini glanced at me worriedly before sharing a small smile with Shiva as she turned her gaze back to the floor.

As soon as Shiva and his friends passed by them, Shalini closed her eyes for a moment. She opened her eyes again and turned back, just as Shiva turned back to glance at her once.

Shalini smiled and blushed on seeing his smile before he walked out of our view, along with his friends. Shalini instantly turned to me and almost squealed in delight.

"What happened to you?" I asked in confusion.

"He looked at me, Anu!"

"So?"

"I thought in my mind it would be nice if he turned and looked at me. And he actually turned and looked at me, sweety!"

I looked at Shalini, quite amused. Does that mean something? Of course I know Shiva and smiley love each other a lot so it would be perfect if they were soulmates. But do these soulmates actually exist in real life? Or was it just a coincidence?

...

How many times I had tried to check if Raghav was my soulmate, but never had he seemed to know what was in my thoughts. With that, I had lost my belief in this so-called soulmates as Raghav was the love of my life. Anuradha glanced at Narain. But Narain had seemed to hear my thoughts. Does that mean he is my soulmate by any chance? Let me test and see. If it turns out to be true, I don't know what I'll do. He's the last person I would ever wish he's my soulmate.

Hmm, what should I think now? Anuradha pondered for a long moment. Narain was looking away in the opposite direction. Anuradha closed her eyes for a moment. Okay, let me see if this works. Will he turn and look in my direction once?

Anuradha opened her eyes again just as Narain casually turned and glanced at her once in confusion upon seeing her staring at him before he turned back to Nila.

No way! That just couldn't have happened. I won't believe it. It must have been a coincidence. Anuradha was staring at him agape. Why was there never a coincidence with Raghav? It can't be just a coincidence now. No way. Please make it just a coincidence. I need to check if this is true.

Anuradha shifted her glance away and pondered for another minute. He rarely smiles. Anuradha closed her eyes again for another second. Make him smile once, then only I'll believe this is true.

Narain frowned as he saw her close her eyes for a moment. What in the world has happened to her? Has this girl gone crazy? Narain watched her feeling amused as she opened her eyes. She stared at him in shock, upon seeing the lopsided smile on his face that showed how amused he was with her behaviour.

Anuradha turned her face away in anger. Oh. My. God. He's actually smiling a bit. I can't believe he actually smiled because I wanted him to smile. What do I do with this guy? I wanna kill him. He irritates me like hell and here he is, trying to prove that he's my soulmate. He better run away before I murder him alive.

Narain, who was feeling really puzzled by the changing expressions of the girl standing more than a few feet away from him, wondered what is happening as her face turned angry. She is seriously crazy. I better stay away from her. Narain turned and walked to a further corner of the park so that the playground in the park was directly in between the two of them.

To be continued...

A/N: Hey peeps, hope you liked this chapter.

Anu's and Narain's first day together has started. Do you think they are soulmates? What do you think might happen next?

PS: So Anu and Narain will be sharing moments together in the same house or places like this from now in this story. So please feel free to suggest in the comments or in PM if you can think of any moments that you would like to see between them (fights or unwanted romantic moments - unwanted bcos they obviously wouldn't want it). I will add in your suggestions to this story if and when I can. :)

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