Betrayal and tears(Season 1) | ✔

Chapter Five

The darkness in front of his closed lids turned a mix of bright red and orange and he squeezed his eyes, groaning at the disturbance. Stirring, he got hold of the pillow and used it as a protection against the piercing rays, when a distant, yet familiar voice reached him.

"Arnavji, wake up. It's past nine. C'mon, wake up please." 

The sing song voice of his wife finally made him try and flutter his eyes open and he dragged himself on his elbows, staring at her who was arranging the curtains.

"Good morning." She said as she saw him awake and sauntered to pick up the fallen pillow, dusted it, then placed it back on the bed.

"Everyone is waiting for you near the breakfast table." She added and turned to leave when she felt his hand clasping her wrist.

The blanket made a sound as he chucked it aside and stood up, worry morphing onto his fresh morning face.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

He knew that he already had this conversation with her last night, but ever since he came back from meeting his di--which was not more than fifteen minutes later--she seems to be even more perturbed. This time so lost that even he didn't know what to say to comfort her. That's why when she said she wants to sleep, he allowed his queries to rest aside, for that time being.

He inched closer, still holding her wrist with one hand whilst he used the other one to turn her around.

He was sure he saw her eyes glistening before she blinked, and smiled at him.

"Yes, I am. Why? What made you think I'm not okay, again?" She raised her brows, chuckling at his futile worries.

But her fake laugh couldn't fool him. Instead, it made him even more troubled.

What was it that she was trying to hide from him, that too this desperately?

"Arnavji, c'mon. I'm fine, really. Now get ready and come downstairs, we all have been waiting for you." Khushi however cuts him short before he could even speak and wriggling her hand off his hold, she scurried out of the room, not before throwing another fake smile in his way.

He had then speed up his dressing process and had reached downstairs ten minutes earlier than his usual time, just to have an opportunity to talk to her. But to his bad luck and dismay, she was already seated with everyone. With his idea of cornering her in the kitchen and get her confess what's been bothering her going down the drain, he inwardly sulked and proceeded to sit himself besides her.

"Good morning, Chotte. How are you feeling now?" 

Anjali spoke, beating everyone else around the table and they closed their mouths, waiting for Arnav's reply so they could greet him. 

Arnav smiled a smile that hardly reached his eyes but Anjali was too euphoric after their conversation last night to actually see his troubled eyes behind that very flimsy mask. A conversation, though was small, made her feel like she hasn't lost him to Khushi yet.

"Good morning di. I'm feeling much better. How are you?" He asked mechanically, but deep inside, he didn't pay much attention to what she replied. Not because he wasn't interested in knowing how she was doing, but because his eyes were fixed on his wife, who nowhere looked better than yesterday. Instead, she look more miserable.