Silence, work and family drama.
That's how the day went for Kruthi. At this point she didn't even want to see anyone's face. All she wanted was to escape from here.
"Bhabhiiiii."
She looked up slightly amused but still calm and somehow with a hint of sadness.
"Naina..."
"I got these bangles for you."
She looked at the bangles and then at Naina in confusion.
"But why?"
Naina sat beside her on the bed and placed the bangles in Kruthi's palm.
"Because I wanted to."
"Vivaan naraz ho sakte hain..."
"W-what? (Naina looked at her in pure shock and burst into a laughter) Bhabhi, there is nothing like being 'Naraz' over this. And the last thing I can imagine my bhaiya is getting angry over bangles gifted to you."
Kruthi didn't say more. Just nodded silently and kept the bangles on her lap.
"Thanks, I suppose..."
A pause.
"Bhaiya kahan hain?" Naina asked her after looking around the room. (where is bhaiya?)
"Mars par." She sighed before her lips curved in a soft smile. (On mars)
"Itnaa dur?" Naina asked her, enjoying the playful banter between them. (This much far?)
"COVID ke zamane ke hain na toh thoda doori maintain kar rahe hain." (He's from COVID time na, so he's maintaining social distancing)
"One arm thha woh, one planet nahi." (It was one arm distance, not one planet)
"He's more conscious." Kruthi smiled and right after that Naina burst into a laughter.
"Waise..." Kruthi asked slowly when Naina's laughter died down. "He never tells anyone his whereabouts?"
Naina shook her head. "Never."
"No one asks?"
"Why would anyone bhabhi?"
"Why wouldn't anyone? I mean meri family mein toh normal thha, to inform before going even if no one has asked."
"Because your family would be normal bhabhi."
Kruthi paused.
Normal? Maybe
Fine? Hardly.
"Aapko nahi btate kahan jaa rahe hain?" (He doesn't tell you where is he going?"
"Jab aapme se kisi ko nahi batate toh muhe kyon batayenge?" (When he doesn't tell you or anyone, why would he tell me?"
Suddenly, Kruthi's phone's notification tinged.
My darling husband 35 Kilometres away, northeast direction.
Kruthi's eyes widened.
When did this happen?
She took up the phone suddenly and opened the notification.
Why and how was her device tracking him.
Then a realisation,
This was the first time Vivaan has went out of mansion after their marriage. Kruthi handed her phone to him to save contact. And at that moment perhaps...
"Haww bhabhi, you are such a liar." Naina teased her.
"I didn't know...really"
"Accha so how this notification came?"
"Ask your bhaiya when he comes not me, I really don't know."
"So when will he come?"
"I don't know."
"Oh you do bhabhi (Naina laughed) message him if you don't."
Kruthi sighed and opened her messaging application. If Vivaan asks she will excuse herself saying that Naina was insisting and for maintaining this charade she had to.
"Bhabhi..."
"Ji?"
"You even text him about having lunch? sooo romantic."
Romantic? she thought to herself. Demanding instead.
"Y-yes. Woh unhone kaha thha." (Y-yes, he asked me to)
Another notification paused her from speaking more.
Device unreachable.
Kruthi squinted her eyes.
Right now, not even a minute back, the device was tracking him.
And suddenly unreachable?
It was nighttime.
A strange worry crawled inside her chest.
She ignored it.
Because worrying for him was becoming a dangerous habit.
She politely asked Naina to give her space, that she wanted to freshen up.
The door closed behind Naina.
She was standing in front of the mirror drying her hair. She changed herself in a white palazzo kurti to sleep, when the door clicked open.
The door clicked open.
Kruthi frowned.
She never heard knocking.
A man stood there. Unknown.
Not Rushaan. Not
...Vivaan.
Not anyone she recognised.
And suddenly— she remembered.
She had locked the door.