Ezhil's pov:

I left college earlier than usual today.

Maybe it was the way her face lingered in my mind since morning, or maybe I just missed the silence we now shared. Funny how silence could weigh more than words ever could.

I unlocked the door quietly and stepped in.

She was in the kitchen, her back to me, her braid swinging gently as she kneaded dough. The faint smell of sautéed onions and spices wrapped the room like a warm hug.

She was making mushroom gravy.

I smiled to myself.

She remembered.

I didn't want to startle her, so I just said, "I'll go freshen up and join you."

By the time I returned, she had rolled out the chapatis and lined them neatly on the side. She looked up for a brief second and smiled. That small, polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. But it was still something.

I smiled back. Without a word, I moved beside her and began chopping the coriander and prepping the tempering for the gravy.

I rolled the dough for chapati perfectly round shaped while she put it on tawa.

Side by side in silence.

Not the silence of strangers. But not quite the comfort of old friends either.
We were somewhere in between. A bridge. A pause.

Dinner was simple - chapati and her mushroom gravy.

We sat across each other at the small table. The clink of steel plates, the hum of the fan, and the occasional honk outside made up for our unspoken words.

She looked like she wanted to say something. Her eyes flickered toward me a few times, her mouth half-open, but she didn't speak.

I didn't push.

Let her finish.

As she stood, about to walk back to her room with her plate, I gently reached out and held her wrist.

"Kayal..."

She paused. Her eyes wide, uncertain.

"The gravy... was it okay? Did you like it?"

She gave a small nod.

Then I asked, "Do you want to tell me something?"

That was it.

The dam in her eyes broke without a warning.

She slowly sat back down beside me. Her lips trembled as she opened them.

"Ezhil... do you think I talk too much?" she asked in a low voice, almost embarrassed.

I blinked.

"Do you think... Arjun was right? That I'm loud... that I have a... a dumb village mindset? That I'm not good enough?"

Her voice cracked.

"I know you were forced into this marriage. Maybe... maybe you wanted someone else. Someone better."

I didn't even realize I'd moved until I reached out to cup her face.

"No," I said softly. "Don't ever say that again."

I wiped her tears with my thumb.

"Arjun... can rot in hell."

Her breath hitched.

"I've known you since we were kids, Kayal. Your voice? It lights up a room. That laugh of yours , it's the reason half of us even smiled during family functions. Don't ever be ashamed of that. Talking too much is not a flaw. It's a gift."

She looked up at me with such raw vulnerability, it nearly broke me.

"As for this marriage..." I smiled lightly. "Who else do you think can handle my mood swings, hmm? Who else would understand my filter coffee needs before sunrise or tolerate my constant blabbering about politics and college drama?"

She gave a small, watery laugh.

"And about that 'village mindset' nonsense..." I continued. "We are what we're surrounded by, Kayal. Your father always wanted you to study more, yes. But from the moment you were a little girl, you were also told to be a good wife — to cook, clean, keep your head down. From relatives, from neighbours, even TV serials. It gets into your bones without you realizing it."

She was silent for a while. Then she asked quietly, almost like she was scared of her own voice.

"What if... what if I want to do postgraduation now?"

My heart swelled with something indescribable.

I grinned.

"Of course, you can do it. Who's going to stop my Kayal?"

"Really?" Her eyes lit up like the sky after rain.

"Yes, ma'am," I said with mock seriousness. "But... you'll have to wait for a couple of months. PG admissions will open then. And guess what - if you want, you can even join the college I teach at."

Her jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

I nodded. "Yes. You'll need to write an entrance exam, and bring your UG results... but I know your marks, Kayal. You'll ace it."

She looked like she didn't know whether to cry or jump.

Then she softly said, "Ezhil... I'm sorry."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sorry?"

"For not... for not talking to you properly all these days. For acting like you weren't even here."

"Oh my god," I said dramatically, "my Kayal is apologizing? Wait , I should have recorded this!"

She slapped my arm playfully. "Shut up!"

I laughed, holding the spot she hit. "Ouch."

She hesitated for a moment, then said with surprising softness, "Ezhil... you can sleep in the room. Inside. I trust you."

My throat tightened.

She added, "I always have. You've always known me better than anyone else. Even when I didn't understand myself... you did."

I didn't speak.

Not because I didn't have words.

But because that one sentence... meant more than all the poems in the world.

And just as I thought the moment would end, she looked down, then slowly raised her eyes to mine again.

"Ezhil... I think we should talk about... us."

I stayed still.

She continued, "Your silence,the way you spoke  all these days... I now realise. It wasn't because you didn't care. It was because you were giving me space."

I nodded. "Your silence is valid, Kayal. You loved him. He broke your heart. You're not a machine to bounce back, cook dosas, and chatter like nothing happened. Healing doesn't work that way."

Her eyes welled up again, but she held her ground. "But how can I behave like that with you? You... you've been nothing but kind."

"It's fine," I said gently. "Kayal, I know this marriage wasn't what you wished for. You didn't choose it. If at any point you feel like this is not what you want... if you ever want to walk away, I'll understand. I don't want you to feel stuck."

She looked at me, eyes wide. "No, Ezhil. I won't walk away."

I blinked.

"Not because I'm scared of what people will say or because everyone will gossip. But because... you've stood by me through the worst day of my life. You could've had dreams about your life partner too. And all you got was... me. So if ever you feel this isn't what you want, you should walk away."

My voice dropped. "No, Kayal. That's different. I won't walk away."

She smiled, tears still clinging to her lashes.

"There. You got your answer," she whispered. "Same here, Ezhil. I won't leave either. We'll work on this. I won't go back to how I was these past few days. We'll talk, we'll laugh, we'll fight - like we always used to. We'll build something good."

She paused and reached across the table, lightly placing her fingers over mine.

"And about that day... when you said your brother had a big house and everything... I don't need all that. I just need us. You and me. We'll build our own home, together."

I smiled.

She smiled back.

And for the first time since our wedding, something shifted.
A spark.
A beginning.

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