Bittersweet

Chapter- 9

People smile, laugh, and there are ways to show that we are happy to the world.

But there is this kind of happiness which is unfamiliar to sense yet it is so alluring to feel inside.

This happiness, we don't know the actual reason for it.

It doesn't demand you to share with anyone, it won't push you to smile either. But the happiness is there within you gently brushing against your skin and make you feel as you got everything in this world even though you have nothing.

Perhaps is that because of... him?

Raghu? She asked her inner-self.

Yeah, but you shouldn't be happy, he is not what you think! It replied in angst.

Sathya was not in the state to listen to her heart or anything that will ruin the bliss of her love, her first love that she acquainted recently even though the rest are stressful and scary about Raghu.

After yesterday's reconciliation Sathya's heart has grown bigger to accommodate the increasing love on her husband.

Love, she doesn't know when it entered her but now she is in the preliminary stage which will show symptoms of racing heart, irresistible thoughts, and unaltered mindset to see him and to think only him.

The morning when the moment she opened her eyes, she saw Raghu sleeping so peacefully beside her. She gazed at him mystically like he is the endearment of her life.

Once we start to like someone we search for opportunities to show it. Sathya today prepared a nice breakfast with payasam. Perhaps Raghu liked it so he had two full cups and left only a few spoons for Sathya. As always she is happy to have that small amount.

Though they reconciled Raghu deliberately tried to maintain a distance. Not even his fingertip touched her skin intentionally. That small thing made Sathya feel sad.

When he dropped her at the hotel he gave a small smile and left mesmerizing her. For few moments Sathya stood blankly staring at the road where he left. That moment she wanted him, and the yearning started there.

When Sathya was thinking about ideas to make him fall for her, Bhuvan called her.

"Sathya your husband is here," he told standing at the doorstep of the kitchen.

"Huh?" she knotted her eyebrows since he was early today as they still have customers.

Head chef Velayudham is on leave so today Bhuvan was in charge of the kitchen. Sathya's heart raced to know her husband is here.

"Shall I go and see him?" she asked Bhuvan.

"Sure, go," he smiled.

She didn't feel like she is walking on the floor, when she came out she gazed among the tables. Raghu was solemnly sitting at the corner table looking out.

Sathya moved closer and closer to him. When she is near the table Raghu perceived her presence.

He smiled, there is a strange thing that Sathya like about his smile when he smiles his eyes it will smile too. Raghu has a black eye that is sharp and clear, his gaze speaks so much but it is very hard to understand.

"What you like to order? Sir?" Sathya smiled.

Raghu again smiled. "Anything you recommend?"

She nodded and turned with a grin on her face.

When she came back into the kitchen, she starts to prepare red sauce pasta. Once she is done she carried the plates to Bhuvan.

"Hmm, I know it will be good, take it," he approved and she headed out carrying the plate.

She placed it before him and he looked at the plate and Sathya. "Sit with me," he said.

"No, I have to go," she nodded in disapproval.

"Oh," Raghu's face became dull.

Sathya eventually sat before him turning his face brighten with a smile.

"Taste it,"

Raghu after taking a spoonful of pasta into his mouth, he gazed Sathya.

"It's good like last time," he told.

"What? You already came here?"

"Yes, before our marriage I and my colleagues came here," he said munching the pasta.

"Oh..." she gazed at the way he eats, his rolled-up sleeves, and his messy spiky hair.

"How long you have to work?"

Sathya gazed around, noticing there are no new customers,

"I will ask permission, let's leave, " she said to Raghu.

Bhuvan and Karthik were discussing something when she went to ask permission. He agreed for today but told tomorrow Sathya have to clean all their pans. Sathya came out happily telling yes.

Raghu stood up carrying his helmet and bag when Sathya was out.

When he was about to start his bike, "Shall we go somewhere?" Sathya asked touching his arms.

"Where?"

"I will tell you, "

Raghu stopped the bike before a coffee shop that Sathya showed.

"Coffee will be great here," Sathya reasoned.

"You came before?" Raghu taking his helmet asked.

"No I have worked here before," she walked passing him telling this.

Raghu raised his eyebrows hearing it. She ordered two coffees and sat beside Raghu.

"I guess you worked in few places before joining in that hotel," Raghu turned his attention.

"Yeah, I worked in almost six jobs before I got that one. I was in a situation where I have to support my family, so I worked wherever I could," she told and the coffee came to their table.

"I became a coffee addict after working here," she said sipping.

"I don't like to drink coffee until I met you," Raghu told.

"When I came to see you for the first time you prepared coffee for us right, I really liked it and asked my aunt about you and she told you are a cook."

"What you thought when you saw me?" she questioned him blushing.

"Umm. You looked so calm, small and weird,"

"Weird?" she exclaimed.

"You looked poor since when I came to see you, you were wearing a worn out salwar that doesn't show you as a bride. Then only I came to know about your economic status," he said.

Sathya looked down, what he says is true and it's not good to hear the truth. She expected him to say that she looked beautiful.

"What you thought when you saw me?" He again questioned her.

Sathya smiled, "you are handsome and so tall. I was telling to my mom that I won't marry you at all seeing our height difference," she chuckled.

"I was so scared to talk with you when my mom left us alone, but you just asked only a few general questions. I thought you will cancel this marriage after seeing me, but you didn't. Why?" she asked and Raghu looked at her.

Taking a leisure moment,

"I had a lot of reasons to stop but I couldn't after seeing you," he answered.

Sathya blushed. She didn't ask anything after that and finished drinking her coffee.

Raghu glimpsed her when she was blushing. He could understand there is a difference in the way she talks as she won't talk at all like this way.

Truthfully seeing her working hard for her family, who cares her parents this much he can't help seeing her in a valiant way.

They came out of the coffee shop and Raghu drove the bike to their apartment. When they entered the house Sathya headed straight to the bathroom. She removed her clothes and wore something comfortable and Raghu was already on the bed.

She laid beside him. "Are you still angry at me?" she asked pacing closer to his arms.

"No," he nodded.

Sathya suddenly got up and came on top of him. He was surprised yet is hands traced to touch her, feel her.

She kissed his lips and then his cheeks, forehead and down to his neck. "If you want to scold me you can gladly do it, but don't avoid me," her eyes welled in tears and hugged him. Raghu embraced her tightly looking at the way she is so gentle and vulnerable inside even though she tries to be strong and brave outside.

"Look at me," Raghu told and she couldn't see him in eyes.

"Sorry, it's all because of my guilty conscience,"

"Guilty? There is nothing to feel like that. I really don't consider your disease as a drawback it's no big deal to me," she cried on his shoulders.

"I know you are not that type of person who cares about it but I am feeling like I have spoiled your life," he said the thing has bothered him.

"Please... " Sathya looked at him.

"If you didn't marry me. I don't think I would get a person better than you. I was in a state where no one could consider me to marry. I had nothing," Sathya said and Raghu disagreed.

"You don't know how rich you are by heart," Raghu said and rolled so that Sathya was lying flat under him.

She cried hugging him to hear those words.

No one ever said that and those words broke her down, not because they are true, it is for Raghu who understood it very easily.

She didn't cry more than a few minutes since their s****l tension increasing and Raghu turned on feeling the warmness of her skin....

Panting heavily he laid beside her after their third o****m and Sathya hugged him securely like she never wanted to separate from him.

She didn't realize her actions were telling that unknowingly she is falling hard in love with him.