After the wedding chapter 4

The street outside was warm with mid-morning traffic. Coconut vendors shouted from their carts. A temple bell rang somewhere distant.Divya stood by the bike, key already in hand, helmet strapped tight.Anand, in a soft beige kurta and a cloth bag slung over his shoulder, adjusted the strap of his sandal. He reached out, instinctively, for the bike handle.She glanced at him, not harshly but as if she hadn’t even considered offering. “I’ll ride. You always get distracted in market traffic,” she said, half-smiling.He let go.He sat behind her, arms gently resting, not around her waist but lightly near. She rode fast, precisely. She didn’t ask him which route to take. She didn’t need directions. He stopped trying to give them.They entered the small store tucked between a tailoring shop and a juice center. The usual man was at the counter.“Enna venum, sir?” he asked—looking directly at Divya.Anand blinked, unsure if the man meant it politely or mistakenly.Divya didn’t correct him. She handed ...