Chapter 14: 🦋 Fourteen • Sour And Sweet 🦋

Their ten days in Turkey were memorable. Shashank successfully tore Miraya's all lingerie sets as he had promised. They explored Istanbul in the day and explored each other's body at night. And ten days later, they were back in Awadh, back to their normal lives. Both of them joined their offices again.

That afternoon Miraya was having lunch with Kiran. They decided to stay in touch after how things ended up. The awkwardness was still there. But they were gradually opening up to each other.

“So... how's life going?” Miraya tried to initiate conversation with Kiran.

“Umm... quite confusing,” Kiran replied with an awkward smile.

“Aas told me that you have started consuming alcohol,” Miraya spoke while taking a bite of the pasta in her plate.

“Yeah, but it's nothing serious. It's an occasional thing. I'm not addicted.”

Miraya knew Kiran was lying. But she let it go for the time being. If she nagged her, Kiran will start distancing herself from her.

“I hope so. Take care of your health,” She smiled and both of them silently ate their dinner.

🦋🦋🦋

Shashank was staring at the diet chart for last ten minutes. Miraya got him a diet plan from a dietician to control his abnormal eating habits.

“Where are your laxatives?” Miraya asked him as they were sitting on their bed.

“In the first drawer of my bedside table,” He replied.

Miraya went to his side, opened the drawer and took the pills. Without any hesitation she threw the laxatives in the dustbin.

“What the hell, Miraya!?” Shashank shouted at her.

“Don't use laxatives again,” She stated and sat down beside him again.

“You are acting like I have an eating disorder,” Shashank grumbled.

“You are showing the symptoms of eating disorder.”

Shashank glared at her. He threw the chart away and left the bedroom. Miraya sighed and picked the diet chart, keeping it on the nightstand. She wore her slippers and went to meet her parents, who had shifted to the neighborhood few days back.

🦋🦋🦋

Shashank ignored her for the next two days. He didn't bother following the diet plan either. Miraya was annoyed by his behaviour. After dinner, when both of them entered their bedroom, Miraya lashed on him, “Shashank, what is this behaviour? You are ignoring me because I got a diet plan for you.”

Shashank rolled his entered the closet. Miraya too followed him inside.

“We aren't even married for a month and you have already started dictating me,” He taunted her while taking his t-shirt off.

Miraya scoffed, “I'm not dictating you. I just brought you a diet plan from a dietician. Why are you making a big deal out of this?”

“There's nothing wrong with my eating habits. I have a mascular physique. Of course, I have to eat more to maintain it,” He removed his trousers.

“Shashank, don't twist the facts. Your diet is far from being healthy,” She took two steps close to him.

“You are annoying me,” He complained.

“Try it for a month at least.”

“I won't. Leave me alone!” He told her angrily and went to the bathroom.

Miraya felt like crying. He was acting irrational when she was only trying to help him. She ambled to the bed and laid down on the mattress. Covering herself with the duvet, Miraya closed her eyes.

After some time, Shashank exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his torso. He saw her lying on the bed and immediately she was pretending to be asleep. He entered the closet and came out wearing a pair of sweatpants. He laid down beside her silently. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep but his attention was solely on his wife who was sniffing quietly. At last, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his chest. He kissed her temple and apologized to her, “Sorry, I overreacted.”

Miraya turned around to face him, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. She wanted to stay mad at him for his irrational behavior.

Shashank tightened his embrace, his voice filled with guilt. "I'll try the diet plan, I promise."

Miraya remained silent, her anger still simmering beneath the surface despite Shashank's apology. She appreciated his gesture but couldn't shake off the hurt and frustration she felt. Shashank noticed her continued silence and knew he had to do something to lift her mood. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, trying to soothe her without words. Miraya didn't pull away but her body language was still tense."I know I messed up,"  Shashank whispered, his voice tinged with regret. "I shouldn't have reacted that way. I'll do better, Miraya, I promise." Miraya turned her head slightly, meeting his eyes briefly before looking away again. She didn't respond, her emotions still raw from the argument. Shashank sighed softly, realizing that words alone wouldn't be enough to mend the rift between them. He shifted his position slightly, pulling Miraya even closer until her head rested against his chest.

“Okay, I forgive you. But don't you dare treat me like that again.”

Shashank caressed her hair, “I'm sorry, sweetheart.”

He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, so did Miraya. Soon both of them feel asleep.

🦋🦋🦋

The next morning, Shashank woke up early and prepared a surprise for Miraya to make up for his bad behavior. He had made reservations at a charming Italian restaurant for lunch, knowing that Italian cuisine was one of Miraya's favorites. He gently woke her up with a kiss on her lips and a warm smile.

"Good morning, Mira. I have a little surprise planned for us today," Shashank said, his voice filled with sincerity.

Miraya blinked sleepily, "What surprise?" she asked, curiosity piqued.

Shashank grinned and helped her get ready for the day. They arrived at the restaurant, a cozy place with dim lighting and soft Italian music playing in the background. Shashank had chosen a table by the window with a beautiful view of the garden outside.

As they sat down and read the menu, Shashank reached for Miraya's hand across the table. "I just wanted to make today special for us. I know I messed up, but I want to make things right," he said sincerely.

Miraya smiled softly, feeling the tension from the previous night starting to dissipate. "Thank you, Shashank. This is really sweet of you."

They ordered Lasagna and enjoyed a leisurely lunch together, sharing stories and laughing at each other's jokes. The atmosphere was relaxed and filled with warmth, a stark contrast to the tension of the past few days.

At one point during their meal, a young couple at the next table started arguing about something trivial. Shashank and Miraya couldn't help but overhear, and soon they found themselves chuckling at the absurdity of the argument. The young couple was basically arguing because the girl declared on the social media that Michele Morrone is her first love and the guy felt offended by her declaration.

"That's quite a heated discussion over there," Shashank remarked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Miraya grinned, enjoying the lighthearted moment. "I think they forgot why they were even arguing in the first place."

They continued to enjoy their lunch, savoring not just the delicious food but also the opportunity to reconnect and appreciate each other's company. By the end of the meal, the air between them felt lighter, and Miraya felt grateful for Shashank's efforts to make things right.

As they left the restaurant hand in hand, Miraya couldn't help but feel hopeful about their relationship once again.

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Only one chapter left!

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Kiran's story will be called I Knew You Were A Trouble. I'll share the cover soon. Most probably, it will be a short story with 10 to 15 chapters. And if you have any suggestions in your mind for her story then you can just comment here or dm me.