“How was your day?” I ask Mira as she settles into the car.

“Fine,” comes her curt response. With a click, she fastens her seatbelt and leans back against the seat, her eyes fluttering closed. It's her way of ending the conversation. She doesn't bother to elaborate, and I don't prod her. I long to break the barrier she has erected around herself, but all in due time. As long as she goes for the treatment, she will get better, whether she believes it or not.

And that's when I want things to change between us. Not now. She needs to focus on herself.

“I got something for you.” I grab the red box from the backseat and hand it to her.

Her eyebrows furrow as she looks down at it. “Sweets?”

“Try it.”

I know she will love it. It's not often I crave sugary treats, but this one's an exception—it's my absolute favorite from my go-to sweet store.

She flips the box open and takes a hesitant bite. Her eyes light up, reflecting the smile that spreads across her face. She takes a bigger bite, nodding. “It’s so good. What is it?”

I can't help but smile back. When I bought the sweets for her, I wanted to reward her for accepting the treatment. But now I realize her smile is a reward in itself, sweeter than the sweets she holds. “It’s called Mysore Pak.”

She extends the box towards me, and I accept a small slice, savoring the rich flavor of ghee and sugar as it melts in my mouth.

"Thank you," she says in a soft voice. I glance at her and find her smiling, but it's the shimmer of tears in her eyes that makes my heart ache. It's as if the box of sweets means too much to her, or maybe it's the gesture. I don't know, but damn, I'll do anything to keep that look on her face.

“Anytime.” There's nothing I can say to reciprocate what she feels.

I wipe my hands with a tissue and start the car. Instead of taking the route home, I veer in the direction of the mall. Mira remains silent, but I can sense the change in her demeanor; she's no longer relaxed as she gazes out the window, taking in the unfamiliar scenery.

“We are going to buy groceries,” I inform her.

“Do I have to?”

“You want to stay in the car?”

She nods.

“That won't do. We have a lot of things to buy.”

“You can do it,” she insists.

“What about the things you want? I don't know your likes or dislikes.”

She falls silent once again, battling with herself.

I pull in front of Reliance Fresh and step out of the car, deciding to give Mira some space. I want her to join me, but I won't force her. After a few minutes, she emerges and walks towards me. My smile fades when I notice her adjusting her sleeves even though they already cover her arms. I understand she is uncomfortable about the scars and puncture marks on her skin. But how annoying it must feel to cover up all the time, especially now that summer is approaching.

“What are we buying?” she asks as we enter the store.

“Whatever you want,” I reply and curse myself when Mira pauses in her tracks. I fear my careless choice of words may have pushed her thoughts in the wrong direction. When you have been an addict for a long time, nothing can beat it.

“Come on.” I grab an empty cart and nudge her with my shoulder to keep moving forward.

She turns around, her eyes dancing with mischief. “Are you paying?”

“Why not?”

“Okay, then, I'd like to buy the entire store.”

“Sure thing,” I humor her. “Might as well leave me here because my bank balance is not enough.”

“You can work for me.”

“Hmm, not a bad idea. But there's a better one.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“I'm going to be your husband, so you can pay off the debt.”

Her mouth opens and closes as she stares at me, but no words come out. I know she believes nothing can happen between us.

Watch me change her mind.

“Careful there.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders and move out of the way just as a woman passes by us with two kids.

Mira takes the cart and walks ahead of me. “You shouldn't joke about it.”

“About the store?” I follow behind her at a slower pace, checking the shelves for the things we need to buy.

“You know what I mean.”

I do. But I want to hear from her. “I’m confused.”

“Forget it.”

“No, say it.”

“Our marriage,” she finally admits in a low murmur like she can't let anyone know. “It's canceled.”

“Postponed,” I correct her. “I'm serious about you.”

She shakes her head. “What if I can't heal—”

“You will. You can't see it now, but you will.”

She picks up a pearly white mug. As she turns it in her hand, I notice it's shaped into a unicorn with a golden horn spiraling from the front and a rainbow tail that forms the mug's handle.

An elderly woman stops beside her, and I take a step closer out of instinct.

“Oh, unicorn. How cute. Can I see it?”

“Yeah, um, sure.” Mira's gaze flicks to the mug before she hands it to her.

“My granddaughter will love it.” Her smile is wide as she adds it to her cart and strolls away.

Mira scans the shelf for an identical mug but doesn't find it and lets out a disappointed sigh.

“Did you want to buy it?”

“No, just looking. Let's go if you're done.”

I frown, troubled by her indifference towards herself. We stand in the endless line at the payment counter, waiting for our turn. My stomach grumbles from hunger, and I glance at my watch every five minutes. We will have to opt for food delivery as it's going to be late by the time we reach home.

“Rihan, you forgot to buy salt.”

“Oh, shoot. I'll get it.” I'm about to leave when I turn back to her. "You'll be okay, right?"

She nods, a faint smile gracing her lips.

I return the smile and make my way towards the spice aisle. It's only been a few days, but Mira is finally making an effort. I see her struggle when her fingers tremble or she feels nauseous, but she doesn't let it consume her. She attends rehab sessions dutifully. Other times, she sleeps, and when she has her strength, she sits with me to distract her mind.

I grab three salt packets and rush back, my steps slowing down when I see a woman brazenly cutting the line in front of Mira.

She blinks at her back, confusion and hesitation crossing her features, before finally finding her voice, “Uh, excuse me."

The shopper doesn't listen, and her ignorance leaves Mira silent, which kind of angers me.

"Sorry, but we were here before you," I interject, my tone polite yet firm.

She meets my gaze and quietly moves to stand behind us in line.

I hold out the car keys to Mira. “Here, you can wait inside the car. Order dinner as well. I won't have time to cook later.”

She takes the keys and exits the store.

After I've paid and loaded the groceries into the trunk, we head home. I freshen up and begin to unpack when Mira enters the kitchen and helps me arrange the items.

It's a small change, but she no longer feels the need to hide away from me.

"Rihan, this—" Her fingers tremble as she cradles the mug against her chest. She gives me the same look from earlier, as if she is revealing a piece of her soul to me. Warmth seeps into every corner of my being, and I feel an overwhelming urge to embrace her.

I swallow. “When I went to get salt, I asked the salesperson if they had unicorn mugs, and they did.”

"You didn't have to."

“You should want more for yourself,” I say, holding her gaze as I take a step forward. She looks ready to counter, so I hush her. “No, it's not selfish to feel that way when you deserve it.”

Her eyes well up, a lone tear sliding down her cheek. She wipes it away and smiles. “Sorry. I mean, thank you. No one has been kind to me in many years.”

Fuck it. There's no stopping me.

I wrap my arms around her torso and pull her into a hug. It's the first time we have been so close, and damn, it feels good. Mira freezes, her body tensing under my touch. Worried I might have overstepped, I start to back off but then she flings her arms around my neck, silently urging me to stay. My breathing seizes when she nuzzles her face into my chest and inhales deeply. A sigh escapes her lips, mirroring my own. It is a sound of content, and I like it a lot.

At this moment, I realise I never want to let her go.