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After the Wedding Chapter- 3

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For the first time since they were married, a Monday morning didn’t feel rushed. Divya had woken early, dressed in her soft grey cotton kurta, and left with barely a whisper. A single kiss on Anand’s forehead. The way one kisses a sleeping child. He stirred but didn’t open his eyes. The flat felt wider that morning. Slower. Anand walked into the kitchen still in his checked lungi, his hair messily tied with a rubber band he'd picked up from the floor. He hadn’t planned to stay home. But after breakfast, he found himself not logging in. He simply… paused.The office laptop was closed on the corner desk. His phone buzzed with meeting reminders. A voice message from his colleague, Karthik. A polite nudge: “Joining in 15 mins?” He didn’t reply.Instead, Anand looked around the living room, tracing the light that fell diagonally across their bookshelf. Dust had gathered in the corners. A vase held two marigolds that had long dried and curled. Something about the silence between 9 and...

After the Wedding Chapter-2

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Chapter 2: The Mirror Blurs The apartment was quiet that Tuesday evening. Anand stood in the bathroom, shaving cream spread along his jaw. The mirror had fogged lightly from the hot water tap. As he wiped it clean, he paused there was a tiny red bindi stuck to the corner of the mirror. He smiled faintly.“She must’ve stuck it last week,” he thought, then carefully left it untouched. He took longer to shave that day. Not because of carelessness, but because he was looking at his face, not just grooming it. His chin looked softer than before. His lips, naturally pinker. Maybe he was just noticing himself differently now. He didn’t know why Divya returned late that night. Not too late—but just past their dinner time. She had messaged earlier: “One extra call. Sorry, da.” She entered wearing a kurti and leggings, her laptop bag slung on one shoulder. Her kajal was smudged from the day, her hair messy but tied. She looked busy. Real. Confident.“Did you eat?” she asked, slipping off her sand...

Part :5 The Wager That Changed Everything

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 The credits on the period drama rolled silently. Karan absentmindedly traced gentle circles on Sneha’s shoulder. Her breathing had slowed, not quite asleep—but content, grounded. Her hair still smelled of city air and old perfume, and there was a faint smudge of kajal under one eye. His fingers trailed down, brushing the soft silk of his kaftan. She shifted slightly and murmured, “You make this place feel like a home.” That sentence stayed in the air longer than any dialogue from the screen. Karan looked down at her. “Do I?” She turned her head slightly on his lap, lips close to the fabric now. “Mhm. You... soften everything. I come back to warmth. To light.” He swallowed. “But you’re the one doing all the real work. The deals. The late nights. The signatures.” Sneha’s eyes fluttered open. “You think value comes only from what gets signed?” He didn’t answer.Instead, she sat up slowly and turned to face him on the sofa. You cooked. You folded the laundry. You diffused the la...

After the Wedding Chapter-1

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The soft clink of bangles echoed faintly as Divya walked barefoot through the morning light of their small apartment in Mandaveli. Her silk saree from the wedding still hung near the wardrobe, its borders carefully pleated and unused after that one day. Anand, her husband, sat on the edge of the cot, struggling to fix the clasp on his wristwatch.Want help? she asked, tying her wet hair into a bun with a towel.He smiled but shook his head.I’ll manage, he replied, though it took another two minutes.They had been married for less than a month. The early days passed in temple visits, family lunches, and settling small logistics—like who took which shelf, or where to keep her bridal makeup box. Both had jobs, both were tired by night, and yet, they made time for each other with soft gestures. Divya worked at a recruitment firm that had recently promoted her. She didn’t talk much about the role’s details, but Anand knew she handled some senior clients now. Her voice had a certain clarity whe...