Anushri sat on the swing in garden near by her parents house, her arms crossed as the breeze tousled her hair. It had been three days since she had walked out of the house she shared with Amey. She replayed their argument in her mind, each word cutting deeper than before. Her pride had kept her from telling him where she was going; she wanted to see if he would care enough to find out.
But he hadn’t called. He hadn’t messaged. The silence was deafening.
"Beta, come inside. It’s getting chilly," her mother’s voice broke through her thoughts. She nodded absently, rising to her feet. Her mother’s concern was evident, but so were the murmurs around the house. Neighbors, relatives—everyone was talking about her sudden return. They whispered about the fight she must have had with her husband, speculating if the marriage was already failing.
Anushri’s chest tightened with a mix of anger and humiliation. She avoided their prying eyes and stayed in house most of the time, pretending to study. But the truth was, she couldn’t focus. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger at Amey for his harsh words and indifference, and anger at herself for caring so much.
“He’s never going to come,” she thought bitterly, staring at the blank page of her notebook. “Why would he? He’s probably relieved that I’m gone.”
---
On the other side of the city, Amey sat in their now-empty house, staring at the spot where Anushri’s books usually cluttered the living room table. The silence in the house was oppressive, a stark contrast to the quiet yet lively presence Anushri had brought. He had been angry when he first realized she’d left without informing him.
"Who did she think she was, storming off like that? She could have at least told me,” he muttered to himself, pacing the living room. But as the hours turned into days, his anger started to give way to something else—an unsettling emptiness.
Amey tried to distract himself with work, but even that became a struggle. Without Anushri’s quiet humming in the background or the sound of her, the house felt unbearably lifeless. Managing the household chores on his own was another challenge. He found himself struggling with tasks she had seamlessly handled—grocery shopping, organizing meals, and even small things like watering the plants. Her absence was a glaring reminder of how much she had become a part of his life, even if he hadn’t acknowledged it before.
By the third day, Amey’s frustration had reached its peak. Not with her, but with himself. He hated the nagging feeling that he missed her.
---
Anushri’s parents were worried. They hadn’t pressed her for details about the fight, but they could sense her turmoil. Her mother hesitated before entering into hall, holding a cup of tea. Anushri was alone thinking about something
“Anu,” she began gently, setting the cup on the desk. “Beta, I know it’s none of my business, but these things happen in every marriage. Arguments, misunderstandings… they’re normal.”
Anushri looked up, her eyes clouded with unshed tears. “He doesn’t care about me, Aai. He’s so… detached. Like I don’t even matter.”
Her mother placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Men have their own way of processing emotions. Sometimes, they take time to realize what they have. Give him that time, Anu.”
She nodded half-heartedly, but deep down, she felt a pang of hopelessness. “What if he never realizes? What if I’m just wasting my time waiting for something that will never happen?”
---
That evening, Amey made a decision. He couldn’t go on like this. He didn’t fully understand why, but he knew he couldn’t let Anushri stay away any longer. She belonged here, with him, even if he wasn’t ready to admit the extent of her importance in his life.
He drove to her parents’ house, rehearsing what he would say. His palms were clammy as he parked outside, the weight of his unspoken emotions pressing down on him.
Inside, Anushri was sitting with her father when the doorbell rang. Her mother opened the door, startled to see Amey standing there. He greeted her parents politely before stepping inside, his eyes searching for Anushri.
She froze when she saw him, her heart pounding in her chest. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the tension between them palpable. He was here to take her back to his house, to their house.
"How are you Aai and Baba?" He asked as he took blessing of them.
"We all good beta" Her dad replied,
Vishakha brought tea for him as they started talking about the work, asking about his parents when they will back etc.
"Anushri let's go" As he said, she brought her bag and they left for their house,
___
Amey took a deep breath while driving the car . “Anushri, can we talk?”
She folded her arms, her expression guarded. “What is there to talk about, Amey? You made it pretty clear how you feel.”
“I know,” he said, his voice softer now. “I was wrong. About a lot of things.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And it took me leaving for you to realize that?”
“Maybe it did,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “But I… I wanted you to come back. The house feels empty without you. I feel empty without you.” the last line he whispered that she couldn't hear.
Anushri’s breath hitched at his words, her resolve wavering. She searched his face for any sign of insincerity but found none.
“What’s going to change, Amey? Are you going to keep shutting me out?”
"We can be good friends atleast? So that we couldn't feel irritating and frustrated about our relationship." He explains
She smiled thinking maybe this will be the first step being friends, love can happen to them.
"Just friend" he added,
She rolled irritatedly said "Just friend" Love and him are two difficult words she thought .
A tentative understanding began to form between them. It wasn’t a perfect resolution, but it was a start—and for now, that was enough.
____
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