The sun was high, the day bright, and the air cool as we walked hand-in-hand to the temple. For the first time in a long while, I had felt a strange sense of calm. Kruti was by my side, and despite all our bickering and silly arguments, there was a certain peacefulness in the air.
We had been planning this trip for days now. A simple outing, just the two of us, away from the noise of the world. It wasn't much, but for some reason, I thought today might be different. Today, we were going to be calm.
We weren't.
We walked through the gates of the temple, the scent of incense and flowers filling the air. The peaceful atmosphere should have put us both at ease. But of course, Kruti's sharp wit couldn't let the day stay quiet for long.
As we reached the entrance of the temple, she turned to me with that look in her eyesâthe one that meant she was about to poke at me, just for the fun of it.
"Dev, do you think I'm just supposed to trust you with all your professor work, and the whole 'grumpy' routine? Come on, you can't possibly think that's going to be okay forever," she said, her voice light, but the challenge behind it unmistakable.
I raised an eyebrow, giving her a look that made it clear I wasn't about to engage in her usual teasing. "What are you trying to say, Kruti?"
She crossed her arms, smirking. "I'm saying you should stop being so stiff. You have to let loose sometimes."
I felt my patience beginning to fray. It was always the same thing.
"I do let loose, Kruti," I replied, my voice tight. "But I can't just be some... I don't know, carefree students like you."
She scoffed. "Well, you're not just a professor. You're also my husband."
Her words caught me off guard. Not that it mattered to anyone else.
"Don't be so dramatic," I said, rubbing my temple. "You know I have to balance both."
"You've been working your entire life!" she shot back, her voice now louder. "And then you come here, and act like the whole world is going to collapse if you just relax for a minute. It's annoying."
I narrowed my eyes. This was where it all went wrong.
"Fine, if it's so annoying," I said, my tone sharper now, "why don't you just kick me out of the house? I'm sure you'll be happier without me around."
I expected her to laugh it off, to roll her eyes and brush it away. Instead, she looked at me with a strange seriousness in her eyes.
"You know what, Dev? Maybe I will."
The words hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Maybe you will?" I repeated, my voice cracking a little, more surprised than I would have liked to admit.
"Yeah, I think I will," she said defiantly, her arms crossed over her chest. "If you're going to keep being so impossible, you can figure it out on your own."
I stared at her for a moment, unable to comprehend what had just happened. She was serious.
Before I could say anything else, she turned and started walking ahead, leaving me standing there, feeling the sting of her words settle into my chest.
I was angry.
And yet, despite the anger, there was this small, tight knot in my stomach. I wasn't angry with her. I was angry at myself. Angry that I had let her think I was only capable of being grumpy.
I looked up, and in a rush of stubbornness, I started walking after her. But before I could catch up, I saw something that made me stop in my tracks.
A beggar sat near the entrance of the temple, an old man with a few rags wrapped around him, holding a small bowl in front of him. He looked up at me with weary eyes as I approached.
A thought popped into my head.
If I was going to get kicked out of the house, I might as well figure out what life outside would be like.
I walked over to the beggar, standing in front of him for a moment. The man looked up at me, almost surprised to see someone with a semi-normal appearance approaching him.
"How much do you make a day?" I asked suddenly.
He blinked, taken aback by my question. Then he glanced down at his bowl, then back up at me. "Around 500 to 700 rupees, depending on the day," he replied.
I nodded. What was I even doing? But at that moment, the idea of getting away from the situation, even for a little while, seemed oddly appealing.
"Can I join you?" I asked, my voice a little too serious, though I wasn't entirely sure why I had asked.
The beggar looked at me for a moment, then shrugged. "Suit yourself, son."
I sat down beside him, feeling the weight of my decision sink in. For a brief moment, I didn't care about anythingânot the argument, not the tension, not even Kruti.
I just wanted to feel free.
I guess this is my life now, I'll have to get used to live outside the temple as my wife had kicked me out of my own house. (Which she rules now)
But of course, Kruti had been watching me.
Before I knew it, I felt a sharp tug at my collar, and there she was, pulling me away from the beggar.
I barely had time to process what was happening before she yanked me to my feet, pulling me back into the world I had momentarily escaped.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded, her grip tight on my shirt.
I was too surprised to say anything, but I managed to stammer out, "IâI was justâ"
She wasn't listening. She was too busy glaring at me, dragging me back to the temple entrance.
And somehow... I found myself thinking that this was oddly cute.
Her strength, her determination, her utter refusal to let me sulk like a petulant child...
I swallowed, trying to keep my face straight, but she was pulling me with such ease.
"Dev," she said, her voice a little softer now but still annoyed, "you can't just run away every time you're mad. I don't care how angry you are. I'll never let you escape that easily."
I blinked, still trying to process the situation. My heart raced for a different reason now. She was mad, but it felt different.
She really did love me, didn't she?
Her grip loosened, and I found myself still standing there, too embarrassed to move.
She sighed, looking me over. "You're such a drama queen, Dev."
I felt my cheeks flush, and I turned away, muttering, "I'm not a drama queen."
She laughed softly, shaking her head, and to my surprise, she pulled me back into her arms, hugging me tight.
"You're so cute when you're like this," she murmured into my chest. "I swear, I'll never get tired of messing with you."
I froze. I didn't know what to say. Was she serious?
I looked down at her, a mix of emotions swirling in my chest. "You're not kicking me out, are you?"
She pulled away slightly, eyes glinting. "Of course not. You need to stop taking everything so seriously, Dev."
I blinked, my heart still racing from the wild confusion of it all. "So... I'm not being kicked out?"
"God, no," she said, laughing. "You're stuck with me."
I exhaled in relief, my body finally starting to relax as the tension drained out of me.
"Good," I said, my voice softening. "Because I really don't want to leave."
Kruti just smiled, resting her head against my chest. "I know, Dev. I know."
And for the first time in a long while, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be.
"But do you know what you're sometimes?" She said.
"What?"
"Gawaar."
A simple word right? NO! Imagine your wife calling you a Gawaar. Insulting you like no care in the world.
I sniffled. Wrapping my arms around her and burying my face in her neck. "You're so mean!" I whined.
She bursts into laughter, "W-what!?"
I pouted. "A meanie for calling me that!"
"Oh come on! My grumpy professor wouldn't be this cute!" She exclaimed, squeezing my cheeks.
My face was red as a tomato, "s-shut up."