12/50 - Saffron

“Khushi!” she heard the voice calling her from upstairs but decided to ignore it and continue talking with the others.

“KHUSHI!!”, she heard it again but didn’t reply. A few seconds later a pair footsteps descended down the stairs and stopped near the couch area, “Khushi I’ve been calling you since so long can’t you hear me?!” Arnav gritted through his teeth trying not to lose his temper in front of the family. The others looked between the two knowing there must’ve been something wrong and it’s best if they don’t interfere.

“Khushi beta why don’t you go up with Chotte and see what he needs,” Nani told her, to which Arnav turned back around and headed up while Khushi nodded to Nani and followed him up.

“How can you talk to me like that in front of the family?” she asked once entering the room.

“Well you were the one that wasn’t listening the first time,” he retorted with his back towards her and walked to the cupboard to get something.

“What do you want from me?” she asked annoyed. He walked back to her and thrust a package in her hands.

“What’s this for?” she asked with a confused look and examined the wrapped box.

“It’s your birthday present,” he replied.

“I don’t want anything from you,” she bit back throwing the package on the bed and turned to leave, but he caught her hand and pulled her back, “I didn’t ask for your permission to accept it or not,” she struggled trying to get out of his hold but he just held her tighter. Picking up the box he gave it to her again, “At least open it,” he said letting her go.

Khushi looked back glaring at him, the nerve of this man, she ripped open the wrapping not caring about it getting ruined and he watched as she did so, her face filled with anger. Inside she found a beautiful sari, it was a burnt orange and red color, like saffron, but she wasn’t going to let him know that she liked it, “I don’t want it,” she told him.

“But I chose it for you!” he bit back running a hand through his hair. Why was she so adamant on always making him angry. He had chosen it himself hoping that maybe it would be able to make up for the bag scenario earlier, “And it’s red,” he added.

“So what should I do if it’s red?” she asked crossing her arms across her chest.

“It’s my favorite color,” he told her, not knowing why he even shared that with her.

“Then maybe you should be the one to wear it if you like it so much,” she answered back throwing it on the bed and stomping out.

11/50 - Fire

“Hariprakashji you can leave, I’ll clean up the place,” Khushi said walking into the kitchen.

“But Bhabiji--” he started off but she interrupted him, “I’ll handle it, and I’m waiting for Arnav Ji to come home, and have nothing to do till then, so I’ll be fine,” After refusing a few times they finally agreed and left. Khushi went and grabbed all the plates from the table to the sink and started washing them. Everyone had retired to their rooms for the night after dinner, and she would’ve done the same but he wasn’t back from work yet and she had decided to wait, just like she’d been doing for the past few weeks. He would leave before she would wake up, they exchanged a few calls during the day, and sometimes even that didn’t happen depending on his schedule. He would return home late at night, and she would wait to serve him dinner. If she was lucky he would come at the night he had told her and she would be able to catch a glimpse of him. Otherwise she would end up falling asleep waiting and find herself in their bed the next morning. They barely had time for each other anymore, he was always busy with work. And for the small times that she saw him, she could see how his health was deteriorating. His eyes would be droopy, his body always tired and he would speak in monosyllables. They were drifting apart, and that made her heart pain. They had made it through so much all these months together, and she couldn’t just let him go or let this happen to them.

Coming back to reality she warmed up the food, hoping he would be here any minute like he had promised. Khushi turned off the lights of the kitchen and placed the food on the table. She went and grabbed a candle from the storage closet, the entire lights on downstairs would probably bother the ones that were sleeping so she decided to light a candle. She sat down placing it in the middle of the table, the fire illuminating the table.

She looked up to check the time and it was a quarter past eleven.

He was late.

Once again.