.

Dharini came out of the house exhausted.

She checked the date and time on her iPhone, 11:30 a.m., Monday, 13th February 2017. Late again.

Her steps quickened as she moved toward her car. Her heart was beating too fast, her chest felt tight. Dhaval’s words were still crashing inside her head, creating chaos she couldn’t silence.

You made my life hell. I wish I had never married.

Her own reply had come out sharper than she intended. I don’t want to be a girl ever.

Dhaval kept speaking, but she shut the door before she could hear more. She walked out of the house without looking back, carrying the weight of another broken morning, forcing herself to begin the day at her café, “Soul Touch.”

Dharini; five feet four inches of quiet strength. A dusky beauty with expressive eyes and an effortless sense of style. At the café, people admired her, about her confidence, her warmth, the way she made everyone feel at home. No one could guess how fragile she felt beneath that calm exterior.

Her husband, Dhaval, was in the army. Tough, disciplined, commanding. He behaved more like a strict father than a partner. He was home on a thirty-day leave from his platoon, and since his arrival, peace had disappeared. Every day ended in arguments. Six years of marriage had taught Dharini how lonely companionship could be.

That night, Dhaval apologized.

His voice softened, his anger dissolved. “Dharini, you are my world,” he said. “I love you more than anything.”

They lay together on the bed and. Dharini did not resist, but she did not want it either, surrendering not out of desire but exhaustion. Giving in only because she was too tired to argue or feel anything.

When it was over, Dhaval got up and went to the bathroom. Dharini remained on the bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling strangely detached; like she had drifted into some parallel universe. When he returned, he smiled, satisfied, told her casually to freshen up.

She nodded.

In the bathroom, as water ran over her hands, tears slipped from her eyes. She looked at her reflection in the mirror; her face pale, her eyes hollow. She wiped her tears quickly, tied her hair back, and forced herself to breathe. Somewhere deep inside, a painful thought surfaced.

I feel like an object.

She applied balm to her temples. The headache she had been carrying since evening refused to leave. Back in bed, Dhaval was already asleep. Dharini lay awake, tears silently soaking the pillow, staring at the slowly rotating ceiling fan.

And then, as always, her thoughts drifted to him. ….Sanjay