20. Thoda idhar, nahi thoda udhar. (A little here, no a little there.)

•°•

I was in the middle of taking off my t-shirt when Priya entered the room with a little bowl containing the heated oil. She stopped at the threshold, startled at the sight of me. I looked away, completely removing my t-shirt and tossing it on my side of the bed. She walked in hesitantly, standing in the middle of the room, just waiting for me to take the lead. I stood clueless, thinking of ways to make our situation less awkward and uncomfortable. I had absolutely forgotten the little detail that I'll have to take off my t-shirt in order to receive her help. And by the looks of her face, it seemed like she had forgotten about it as well. So now we both stood in front of each other, trying not to get awkward around each other, while being extremely awkward from within.

"I- I'll sit at the foot of the bed," I said, as usual my permanent role as an ice breaker in each of our conversations. She nodded, agreeing wordlessly. While I went and settled on the floor, with my knees pulled up and elbows resting on them, she climbed the bed before scooting behind me.

I watched her indecisiveness about where to put the oil so I offered her my hand. "Thanks," she murmured, placing the bowl on my palm. Her slender fingers dipped into the oil before she cupped her free hand under it to catch the excess and moved it towards my shoulder.

I sighed when the warm oil made contact with my muscles. She spread it evenly, her fingers prancing across my shoulders, rolling my muscles and pressing her thumbs onto my skin. "Where does it actually hurt?"

"To the right,"

"Here?"

"A little to the left,"

"Here?"

"No, slightly upwards."

"Now?"

"You're more than slightly upwards. A little down."

She sighed exasperatedly, her hand traveling down. "Now?"

I placed the bowl on the floor and grabbed her hand that was on my shoulder, guiding it to the exact spot. "Here," I said, my hand lingering on top of hers longer than necessary.

"Okay," she whispered.

I slid my hand off her, letting it fall back to my knee. She began to massage the spot that had me rolling in pain since this morning. It felt so much better now because she actually knew how to do a massage instead of just pressing for the sake of it. I tilted my head to the side, tapping my neck for some assistance there. She pressed her hand down my neckline, obeying instantly. I smiled. "You know how to massage."

"Hmm," she responded. "My dad used to play basketball on weekends. So on Sunday evenings I regularly used to see mom giving his shoulders a massage. For a non-athletic person, your shoulders are stiffer than usual." She mumbled, gently pressing onto the right spots. "It cannot be just the physical exertion. You stress a lot, don't you?"

I closed my eyes in bliss. "Who doesn't?"

"Not to the point that you physically suffer," she advised.

I chuckled. "I can't help it."

She didn't say anything after that and we fell into a comfortable silence.

"Do you go to the gym?" She asked a while later.

"No," I answered. "I can't for the life of me handle that level of a healthy lifestyle." I snickered. "Bhai tried to bribe me with VIP membership at this high-end gym where celebrities go but even that wasn't enough to persuade me. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing," she mumbled, her voice smaller than before.

Another brief pause of silence followed. She didn't complain once about how much longer she needed to do this. In fact, when I said it was enough because she must be tired, she insisted on continuing for a little longer. Due to the lack of sleep I had for two consecutive days, my head began to loll to the sides.

"You can lay it back," she whispered.

I forced my eyes open. "Huh?"

"Your head. Lay it back," she repeated, placing a hand on top of my head and inclining it backward. I let go of the inhibitions and let it fall on her lap, my eyes falling close instantly.

I couldn't fall asleep. In the wake of my consciousness, I was aware of the fact that I had my head rested on her lap and I'll have to get up anytime. So I slept on the surface, not completely into the deep slumber nor wide awake, just hanging somewhere in the middle.

Sometime later her fingers threaded into my locks, gently swirling and brushing against my scalp. I released a soft sigh. Her fingers then softly traveled down, landing back on my shoulders and she resumed massaging them. There was something different about her movements now. I couldn't really pick out the difference, but her hands were a lot slower, attentive yet languid.

She was also breathing heavily.

My hand curled into a fist.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, catching the look of surprise that flashed into her wide brown pools when she realised I was awake the whole time. Her hands paused, retracting slightly, but still lingering on my naked shoulders.

I shot up to sit straight and heard the sound of shuffling behind. She got off the bed, hurrying into the bathroom to wash her hands. I stood up to put the bowl back in the kitchen.

I didn't go back immediately. I couldn't. I had to give myself a little time to go back to my normal state. I felt lightheaded for some reason. Must be because I had my head reclined for so long.

I hadn't expected Bhai to enter the kitchen.

He frowned at me. "Why are you roaming shirtless in the house at twelve-thirty in the morning? And why are you so red?"

I swallowed. "I- I came to drink water."

"You don't sleep shirtless though-" he stopped abruptly. "Sorry," with a clenched jaw, he grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator, slammed the door close louder than necessary, and strode out of the kitchen. I released a frustrated sigh.

Deciding to go back to my room to avoid being spotted by anyone else in the house, I walked out of the kitchen. The lights were off and she was already tucked on her side of the bed facing the wall. I entered, grabbed my t-shirt, and put it on before getting inside the sheets and turning to the opposite side of her.

The next morning, I was woken up by the soft whispers of my wife.

"Hey, there, little one," she cooed.

I frowned in my sleep. Who is she talking to? An imaginary kid? A puppy? A ghost!? Forcing my eyes open, I sat up halfway, realising in surprise she was talking to Tweety who sat on the top of the bottom right leg of the bed.

Tweety noticed me first and flew up to sit on the risen edge of the thick blanket, close to me.

"She is yours!?" Priya asked, her lips spreading in a huge grin.

I shook my head, sitting straight causing Tweety to float in the air for a while before she came and sat on my knuckles. "She's just a nuisance," I answered, meeting the black beady eyes as she paused on grooming her feathers and regarded me with her usual bitter look. "What? What are you looking at? You're a nuisance." I stated.

She chirped at me.

Priya chuckled and shifted closer, her head almost leaning on my shoulder. "She is so cute. How did you two become friends?"

I shrugged. "One night I came home from the office and she was on my desk, barely breathing. So I took her to the vet, they got her broken wing fixed and I fed her until she was all healed. Since then she comes every morning to wake me up and then goes back. On weekends, we sometimes spend time together. But that's rare." I answered, stroking the little menace's head with my thumb. "Don't go on her looks though. She is a vile little thing."

Priya chuckled. "You're like a Disney princess."

I rolled my eyes.

"I was surprised when I got up this morning. She was just there on your laptop. And when she noticed me, she came and sat here," she pointed at the corner of the bed. "I clicked a few pictures of her. I never thought I could ever have a snow-white experience. But then you woke up and I realised who's the real snow white here."

I laughed shaking my head softly. "Go home, now. Don't you have kids to feed?" I spoke, hushing the little one out of my room. She didn't forget to Christianize my laptop before leaving.

"You surprise me every day. Literally, no kidding." Priya caught my attention.

And you surprised me last night.

I smiled in response. "What time it is?"

She checked her phone. "Seven."

I nodded. "Are you using the bathroom first?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind. I was thinking of helping your mom with the breakfast again," she climbed down from the bed and made her way towards her suitcase. After grabbing her clothes for the day, she turned to me with a smile. "Did you try the Paratha I made yesterday? I asked your mom what you like to have for breakfast and she told me it's Aloo Paratha. I even made Gulab Jamun since I remember you ate a lot of them at our wedding."

I frowned. "Paratha? I had poha yesterday for the breakfast."

Her smile faltered. "But I made you Paratha. I made a total of ten!"

"Maybe everyone else already had them? I had my breakfast a little late." I shrugged, slightly uncomfortable witnessing her crestfallen face. Maybe I should have woken up earlier? Clearly, she had made them especially for me.

She sighed. "It's okay. I'll make them again." She mumbled, heading inside the bathroom to take a shower.

I decided to ask mom.

She was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, and Neelam bua was helping her. "Did everyone have Paratha yesterday?" I asked softly.

Mom met my eyes with a knowing look before she resumed flipping the rotis on the pan.

"Yeah, they were so yummy!" Neelam bua beamed. "I had two and you wouldn't believe, Avinash had four!" She chuckled.

The discomfort came back with full force. "Weren't there any left for me?"

"You don't like cold Parathas." Mom answered nonchalantly.

"And the Gulab Jamun?"

"You already had so many during your wedding. I didn't want you to have an upset stomach." She muttered. "Also, Aloo Paratha is heavy stuff. So I made you Poha."

I turned around and returned to my room. Just as I grabbed fresh clothes for today, Priya stepped out of the bathroom. That was a lot faster than what I expected of her. Entering the bathroom past her, I hung my clothes on the hook and turned on the shower. When I was done, I realised I had forgotten to bring my towel along. Too shy to ask and too embarrassed to go out, I waited around air drying myself before hopping inside the clothes and leaving the bathroom.

At the dining table, I pulled myself a chair beside Priya's and settled down.

"Where's my Paratha?" I asked her.

She met my eyes, they didn't have the same shine as before. "Uh, I was a little late-"

"We already have so much on the table." Mom cut in, gesturing towards the bread and butter and upma along with fruit salad on the table.

Priya went back to her plate quietly.

I leaned toward her. "Do you still want to make it for me?" I whispered.

She looked up, glancing at everyone else before meeting my eyes. "Yeah, but your mom said-"

"Then go, I'll wait." I nodded towards the kitchen.

She looked at my mother hesitantly, as though waiting for her approval. Mom was busier trying to fill Bhai's plate with more food.

"Priya," she looked back at me. "Go."

She fiddled with her watch.

"Jao beta, (Go, child.)" Dadi encouraged, catching everyone's attention at the table. "Agar apne pati ke liye kuch banana chahti ho toh bejijak jao aur banao. Uska bhi toh mann hai. (If you want to cook something for your husband, then feel free to go and make it. He also wants to try your cooking.)"

"Yeah, don't hesitate." Neelam bua added with a smile.

Priya literally beamed like a burst of sunshine and got up to make Parathas for me. "Would you like some grated cheese on them?" She looked down at me with a smile.

I nodded.

"Can I have some too?" Meghna chimed in uninvited. "I really loved them yesterday." She smiled sheepishly.

Priya nodded, looking at others expectantly.

"I'll have two," Dad smiled.

"I'll also have one." Neelam bua added.

"Dadi bhi ek legi, (Dadi will also take one.)" Dadi smiled fondly at her.

"I'll have two," Bhai said hesitantly.

She nodded eagerly, heading inside the kitchen with elevated steps.

"Ab mera khana bhi tum logon ke gale se nahi utar raha? (Now even my food is hard to swallow for you guys?)" Mom asked bitterly.

"Kya baat kar rahi ho, Arpita? Bacchi ka mann tha, banane do usse. Isme offend hone wali kya baat hai? (What are you saying, Arpita? The kid wanted to cook something, so let her cook. What's there to get offended?)" Dad shook his head in disappointment.

"And what about my upma?" She asked pitifully.

"We'll eat it for snacks this evening, Mom. Let us have Parathas now, please." Megha requested.

"Sab toh aise behave kar rahe hai jaise pehle kabhi Paratha naseeb hi nahi hua kisi ko. (Everyone's acting like it's their first time trying Paratha.)" She jabbed.

"You can't deny she makes some delicious Parathas though," Neelam bua appreciated with a smile. "Adi, you're going to lick your fingers. Trust me." She grinned at me.

I nodded back with a smile.

"Jaa uski madad kar kitchen mein. Aise kya baitha hai 70s ke husbands ki tarah. (Go and help her? What's the point in waiting here like 70s husbands?" She teased, encouraging me to join Priya in the kitchen.

I got up reluctantly, not because I didn't want to go, but because it was embarrassing as fuck as I was more than eager to follow my wife into the kitchen.

My wife.

Damnit, it feels so good to call her mine and wife in the same sentence.

When I entered the kitchen, Priya was closing the lid of the pressure cooker.

"Aap kyun aaye? Bas ho gaya. (Why did you come? I'm almost done.) Thirty minutes more." She requested with a smile.

"I'm here to help you." I began awkwardly.

She chuckled. "I know that you know cooking but I really want to do this on my own. So you can wait outside. It's absolutely fine."

"Maybe I can make the dough?"

"Aditya, I -"

"Something? Please, I'm too embarrassed to go back out now." I admitted.

She just stared at me for a while with a small smile. "Sure," she whispered. "Thank you."

I let her scoop out the needed amount of flour and stood beside her in front of the kitchen island, kneading the dough while she chopped coriander and stuff.

"You know I was all prepared to take on the typical wife's role?" She murmured, catching me off guard since I was too busy with my dough. "To do the cooking and cleaning before heading to my office, then coming back to make dinner, do the little things like every wife does, iron your clothes, keep your things in place, help you in the morning -"

"Priya, if I needed a maid, I would have hired one." I interrupted her with a chuckle. "I needed a partner."

She paused and looked at me. I turned to meet her eyes, raising my brows at her in question when she didn't speak for a brief time. "Any other woman will kill to be in my place right now. And I'm here without making any efforts on my end." She admitted in a soft tone.

"Because you out of all people will never have to make efforts to capture my attention," I answered, focusing back on the dough. "You just have to exist."

She didn't say anything for a long time. And when she did, it was to say, "I need your movie collection."

I laughed. "It's books, meri jaan. Books." I pushed the readied dough towards her and turned to wash my hands in the sink. When I spun back around, Priya was frozen in her place. "Priya?"

She blinked up at me.

"What?"

"Aa- Aap ne abhi, (Yo-You just now,)"

"What?" I frowned.

"You-" the pressure cooker whistle went off, startling both of us. She quickly whirled around and continued peeling the garlic cloves.

"You were saying something?" I probed curiously.

"Not important." She shook her head, casually ignoring her previous unfinished statement. I decided to let it go.

"Do you need any more help?"

She shook her head, not looking at me anymore. I shrugged and strolled out of the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, Priya came and served me the piping hot Paratha that was garnished with melting grated cheese, and green chutney along with curd as the side dish.

"Chalo, pata toh chala kaun priority hai. (Alright, at least now we know who's the priority.)" Meghna taunted playfully.

I looked up at Priya in time to catch her blush.

"Dusra bas ban raha hai, (the second is almost done.)" She justified coyly.

"Koi na bacche, pehle apne pati ko gubbare ki tarah phula de. Phir humara number ekdum last mein aayega na, toh bhi chalega. (It's okay, darling, feed your husband first until he is inflated like a balloon. We'll wait even if we come last.)" Neelam bua hopped on the same train as Meghna.

"Accha bas, mat satao bechari ko. (Alright, stop teasing her now.)" Dadi came as a rescuer. "Jao bacche, tum banao. (Go darling, you continue making them.)"

Priya looked at me expectantly causing me to frown. What? She sighed, as though in irritation before returning to the kitchen. My frown deepened.

"Abey, akal ke dushman, woh wait kar rahi thi kab tu try karega aur usse batayega kaisa bana hai. Hum sab ne kal hi kha kar dekha hai. (Dimwit, she was waiting for you to try and tell her how it tastes. We had already tried it once yesterday.)" Neelam bua scolded with an amused smile.

My lips parted in realisation. So much to be naturally smart, Adi. Where are your last brain cells now!?

I quickly tore a piece of Paratha, astonished at how flaky, soft, and easily it separated from the rest. Dipping it in the curd, I put it in my mouth, and holy shit, instant heaven. If this is the kind of Paratha-making skills she has, I can have them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, hot, cold, and even frozen.

I'm sorry, Mummy, I love your cooking but this is some next-level shit.

The melted cheese just made the experience a hundred times better.

She came out and contemplated who to serve next.

"Avinash ko do. Usse office ke liye nikal na hai. (Give it to Avinash. He has to leave for office.)" Mom helped her out.

She nodded and walked up to him, picking up the hot Paratha and putting it on his plate. Maybe it was a lot hotter because she was hissing constantly. Just as she went to pull her hand back, Bhai grabbed her wrist. I stiffened. "Your fingers are red." He looked up at her worriedly.

She chuckled in discomfort, pulling her hand off his grip. "It happens. I'll just put some ice and it'll be better. Excuse me." She went back inside the kitchen.

Bhai turned his head, unintentionally meeting my eyes and realising what he did just now. Guilt flashed in his eyes and he looked down at his plate. I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my calm.

An hour later when everyone was sated and fed to the brim, the dining table slowly emptied. I picked up my plate and went to the kitchen, spotting Priya who was busy cleaning the counter. She glanced up at me before resuming her work. I placed the plate on top of the refrigerator and opened the door, plucking out a few ice cubes from the tray. She was about to clean the dishes when I grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. She gasped softly.

"What?"

I raised her hand, spread her fingers that were red at the tip, and applied ice to them.

"It's okay, it doesn't even hur-"

"Shhh," I hushed her.

She fell silent.

I blew air on her fingers with my mouth, gently tapping the ice to the burns. She watched me quietly. There was something about her constant stare that made me nervous. My hand holding her palm slid downward, stopping at her wrist. I rubbed my thumb against the throbbing pulse and heard her swallow audibly.

Her tiniest reactions fucks up with my head.

I looked up at her, our eyes clashing. I tugged at her wrist and she stumbled closer, her other hand landing on my chest.

I was so damn crazily attracted to this woman that her one sharp intake of breath was enough to turn me into a mess.

"Priya - oh shit! Sorry!" Meghna shrieked and whipped around.

Priya and I sprung apart. My heartbeat went crazy as though I was caught doing something scandalous. She didn't look any different.

"I'm so sorry! I just came to tell you that Ma told me she'll wash the dishes so you don't have to bother. You must be already so tired. Okay, bye!" And she took off like Usain Bolt.

Priya stammered, looking around to come up with a way to start a conversation or end it. I decided to help us both out. Turning, I picked up the plate from the refrigerator and held it out towards her. She frowned noticing the two untouched Parathas on it.

"You didn't like them?" She asked softly, her eyes dulling a little.

"That's not it," I assured her. "But do you really think I can eat four parathas at once? I saved them for you when I realised you had no intention of making some for yourself."

She slowly smiled and took the plate. "I could have had the upma."

"Trust me, these parathas are not something you can miss out on."

"Really?" She feigned surprise. "Were they that good?"

"You wouldn't believe it unless you try them yourself. They taste like heaven."

She chuckled. "I need to meet the chef!"

"She is busy right now. But you can meet her husband." I spread my hand on the island, leaning to the side slightly with a lopsided grin.

Priya rolled her eyes, unable to resist a laugh. "And what does her husband have to say about her cooking?"

"That she is so desperately fishing for compliments right now," my grin transformed to a smirk at her gobsmacked expression.

"Aditya," her voice slipped to sound almost like a whine as she stepped back closer. My body grew aware of the proximity instantly.

"What?" I whispered, unable to stop myself from leaning in.

"You enjoy teasing me, don't you?" She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Who will I tease if not my wife who's so easy to rile up?" I said in amusement.

"I'm not easy to rile up!" She defended.

"You argued with me because I found it hard to believe that you don't use swear words." I rolled my eyes.

"Because I don't!" She grumbled. "And you still don't believe me!"

"Because I love riling you up!" I mocked her.

She gasped and hit me on the shoulder.

"Ah huh, it isn't even a week and you are already abusing me?"

She slapped me once again.

"Now you're just asking for equality," I warned her.

"What are you going to do? Hit me back?" She challenged.

"No," I grabbed her wrist and yanked her impossibly closer. "Pull you so close that hitting me will be the last thing on your mind."

Her eyes widened in disbelief, red climbing her cheeks.

"I- uh, can you-" she twisted her wrist in my hold, trying to free herself. "Can you let me go?" She requested meekly.

I let her go and she rushed out of the kitchen with the plate. I left the kitchen as well, making my way back to my room. She was on the couch, eating the Parathas quietly when I entered. Our eyes met for a fleeting second before she ignored me royally.

I spent time scrolling through my phone while she ate. When she was done, she left the room to put the plate in the sink and returned shortly after.

"Are you going to use the desk?" She asked me pointing at it. "I was thinking of finishing some work before the Mu Dikhayi that's in the evening."

"No," I answered and got off the bed. "I'm going to read," I said, putting my phone on the nightstand to choose the book from the shelf. I picked up the one I couldn't finish last time and made my way towards the couch beside the window before plopping down horizontally, my legs hanging off the left handrest.

She sat down at the desk, pushing aside my laptop before opening her own and getting down to work.

I opened my book and drifted off into the fictional world.

Every once in a while I glanced up, automatically smiling like a fool at the sight of her. Yesterday, in her absence, everything went horribly wrong. And now, I'm sitting so satisfied, happy and in the company of my wife, the world has started to make sense again.

God, I'm falling so fucking deep and I can only hope she feels the same. Because if not, I'm going to lose myself along the way, and not for a good reason.

ThE sExUaL TeNsIoN like oh my god 😩✨

Why are we here!? Just to suffer!?

Anyway, my rambling apart, hope you enjoyed the chapter? Don't forget to vote and comment. Makes my day.