3

"Yes. It's all fine", Keerthi sniffles on the phone, feeling emotional."I miss you mom".

"Don't worry Kitty. You'll get adjusted soon and everything will be fine",Amritha Verma consoles her daughter.

Keerthi sniffs again,"But I don't feel nice".

She was on the verge of bursting out loud,ugly,wailing tears, having missed her mother a little too much.

"It will be fine. How is Vikram?And what about your parents-in-law?",Amritha queries.

"They are all fine", Keerthi mumbles,rubbing her nose.

"Keerthi,you are worrying me",her mother says.

"Nothing like that. I just really miss you. That's all.... Are you okay?"

"Good", Keerthi hears the relief in her mother's voice,"Don't worry about me. I'm fine".

They talk for some more time,Keerthi feeling way too emotional to be considered normal.

She sniffles, wiping her tears as she cuts the call when the door to the room opens.Keerthi quickly wipes away the remaining tears,making her way towards the washroom.

"Why are you crying?",she hears Vikram query as he shuts the door behind him.

Keerthi shakes her head,unwilling to answer him.

"What is it?",Vikram snaps,his voice much closer than earlier,making Keerthi jump.

"Just let me be",she blinks at him.

"Fine. If you are going to continue to cry,go elsewhere",Vikram says, irritated.

He hated crying women. Period.So if his wife was adamant on crying without giving him a reason, he wanted her to do the same out of his sight. Crying women got on his nerves.

Keerthi stares at him in disbelief.

When she doesn't make a move,Vikram sighs, the side of his head starting to throb."Don't cry in front if me. Either tell me why you are crying,so we can solve whatever it is that's made you upset or get out of my sight".

What kind of a person are you?,Keerthi wanted to ask.

Vikram glares at her when fresh tears form in her eyes.He didn't want to appear rude,but he was done for the day. He found it too much dramatic to his liking, dealing with crying women. He had enough experience from his mom, emotional blackmail, for anything and everything.

Keerthi rushes to the washroom,when she sees Vikram's glare intensify.

When she was done,Keerthi peeps out,finding Vikram sitting on the couch next to the bed,working on his laptop. She quietly exits the washroom and goes to the attached balcony,sliding the door shut,not wanting to be in his presence when he had asked her to get out of his room, twice.

Cool breeze hits her face,making Keerthi sigh,sitting on the swing in the middle of the balcony,her legs folded and chin resting on them.

She lets the wind play with her hair,as her mind wanders back to the unpleasant conversation with her husband.

Maybe it really was bad for her .

The higher power above didn't want her to be happy.If Vikram got mad at Keerhi that she cried, she couldn't even imagine the trivial most things he may get mad at.

Keerthi closes her eyes,wanting to enjoy the peace at the moment,nothing but soothing breeze and her,trying to keep her mind blank in the calm of the night.

It wasn't long after that she hears the balcony door open.

When Vikram doesn't hear Keerthi even after a good thirty minutes,he decides to check on her. He sighs. Was he rude,he retrospected.But it was as new to him as it was for Keerthi.He just did not like certain things. But he decided,just this one time,he would go and apologize. She wasn't wrong from her perspective. Keerthi didn't know that he didn't like crying women. So none of them were at fault.

Vikram opens the sliding door as he joins Keerthi.Keerthi strictly keeps her eyes to the front,not acknowledging him,but involuntarily moves to her side,creating distance.

They sit quietly for a moment,neither saying a word. Well, Keerthi didn't have anything to say.Since the swing was just enough for two,his arm brushed hers everytime he ran his hand through his hair.

"I don't like crying women. Something about it puts me off,making me mad",Vikram glances at his wife,her eyes red and puffy from crying."But,of course you don't know that. You should also know that this is going to be my reaction everytime you cry. So it's better for the both of us if you just tell me what's bothering you or not cry in front of me".

Keerthi stared at him in disbelief,again.

Was this guy a psycho? Who gets angry on seeing people cry?

"I am just like that",he shrugs, reading Keerthi's expression."But I didn't mean to be so rude. So just thought I'll let you know how I function".

"You didn't have to be so harsh. I was already upset", Keerthi mutters.

"I know. I shouldn't have",Vikram says softly, regretting his rude behaviour.He should have been gentler,he thinks as he subconsciously reaches out to brush the hair out of her face,"It must already be difficult for you".

At the mention of the topic in hand, Keerthi's eyes watered,turning her head to the other side.

"I..I was just missing my mom",she says, looking down,not willing to make eye contact with him,when she knew his reply will upset her.

Keerthi looks down, trying to blink away her tears,readying herself for harsh reality,but was pleasantly surprised when Vikram opened his mouth.

"Oh",Vikram frowns, glancing at his watch,"It's already late. Do you want to go now?Or can you wait until morning?We can go then. ".

"Really?You would do that?", Keerthi's voice breaks.

"Yeah",he shrugs,"You must be missing your parents.I am not that heartless too".

"Thank you so much", Keerthi give him a genuine smile giving his hand next to her a gentle squeeze.

At that moment,she felt extremely grateful that he had asked her what was wrong,though his style of asking still made her frown.

He glances at their hands,amused, that she was so uncomfortable when their hands barely grazed against each other in the morning,but now was willingly holding his hand.He did not comment about it though,for which Keerthi was very grateful as she quickly withdraws her hand, giving him a small smile.

They sit in silence for some more time, this time a little awkward.

"Come on . Let's go to sleep, it's already late",Vikram says, getting up,"But if you want to sit for some more time, it's up to you,"he shrugs in the end and later frowns,"Actually, don't. Just go to bed.Sleep well. And don't wake me up. Okay?",he ends with a teasing smile.

Keerthi flushed, embarrassed,"I..I didn't do it wantedly".

"Of course you didn't",he humored her,"Don't wake me up early,Okay?",he presses,serious this time though his tone was anything but.

"Fine", Keerthi grumbles, making him laugh.

"We'll go after breakfast. Sounds good?"

"Okay",she grin widely.

He laughs at Keerthi's enthusiasm. "So that's all it takes for my wife to smile huh?Take her to visit her parents?"

Keerthi's grin freezes in place, something uneasy fluttering in her stomach at the mention of him addressing her as 'My wife'.

"Something like that",she manages a smile.

"Goodnight",Vikram wishes,switching off the light.

Keerthi wishes him the same, getting comfortable on her side of the bed.

*************

Bright light hits Keerthi's face, waking her up, making her groan in displease, but later smiles widely at the thought of meeting her mom today.

She quickly gets ready, this time softly, making her chuckle remembering the previous day's incident.

There was a bounce in her step as she went downstairs, extremely happy.

Keerthi exchanges greetings with her mother-in-law, getting to work,though a thought freezes her mind midway .

Would Sakshi object her going home today?

The thought depresses Keerthi, making the smile on her lips falter. She continues her work silently, various scenarios running through her head.

Keerthi looks around for her mobile , frowning when she didn't find it.She makes her way upstairs to the room in search of her phone.

Vikram was messing with his hair, trying to make it look presentable for the day,when he sees Keerthi enter their room.He hums to himself,busy with his work,glancing at her every now and then through the mirror. He gives a puzzled frown though,when he sees Keerthi snatch away her mobile angrily,with unnecessary aggravation,while she gives him a hard glare one last time and shuts the door behind her,walking out.

Keerthi's thoughts disturbed her to no end.Is that why Vikram said he would take Keerthi to meet her mom? Because he knew Sakshi wouldn't give permission. Just to portray himself as the good guy because he had offered? And later blame it on someone else.

The thought made her sadder than expected,and annoyed. Very annoyed.

Vikram didn't understand his wife,she was too complex,never speaking her mind. She was too passive aggressive for him to deal with,making it even more harder. Granted,they have been married for only a day or two and didn't really have a single decent conversation,but he could draw the judgement that his wife would be a really hard woman to please and live with. Various thoughts ran in his mind,but he let them be for the moment as he made his way downstairs.

"Why are you dressed up?Are you going somewhere?",Vikram hears his mother ask.

Vinod and Vihan glance at him,going back to their breakfasts as Keerthi holds her breath,like it was a life or death situation.

"Yeah",Vikram says, munching on his breakfast,"Me and Keerthi are going to meet her parents".

"Okay",Keerthi saw her mother in law smile "Make sure you take something. Don't go empty handed,Okay?".

That was easy.

"Of course mom",Vikram rolls his eyes, sipping in his coffee.

Vikram was studying his wife, who seemed to be in a different mood altogether now.How could she switch so easily,he wondered. He frowned,thinking about what might have happened.

Vikram wasn't one to dig other's feelings and emotions. But since he was going to spend the next hour or three with Keerthi,he preferred it if she was in a better mood,for both of their sake.As he saw his wife answering his father's questions,he wondered silently if she thought he had forgotten that they had to go to her parent's place.

The thought irritated Vikram. He was a man of his word. His wife was clearly judgemental if she had thought that.

Vikram wasn't a hypocrite,he too judged people. But he made sure not to act upon it too quickly. He would take his time analysing people. But his recent interactions with Keerthi forced him to come to a quick judgement.He shook his head,clearing his thoughts.

Keerthi resisted the urge to squeal,bouncing in happiness as she wears her seat belt,humming a happy tune, a little extra,she knew,but she was too happy.

Vikram glances at her amused,as he reverses the car.

"You expected me to ditch, didn't you?", Vikram queries.

Keerthi stared at him, how did he know?

"You are very observant",she say after a few moments.

"You are very expressive", he shrugs.So he was right,afterall.

"Yes, I did",Keerthi answers his question.

Vikram grins,"I don't know whether to be amused or offended due to your lack of faith".

Definitely not both,Vikram was neither amused nor offended. He was slightly irritated,if he may say so.But maybe,she was surrounded by people who didn't stand on their words,Vikram thought.

"Well, you don't particularly look offended",Keerthi grins, trying to appear cool, but freaks out internally.

He throws her a glance,his internal monologue forgotten"Don't I?"

"You don't",Keerthi confirms, grinning at him,her grin widening when they enter the familiar gates of her house.

They wait outside the door, Keerthi ringing the bell one too many times,making Vikram give her an amused glance.

"Mom!!!!I missed you so much",Keerthi screeches into a startled Amritha's ear, not giving her a chance to respond as she pull her mother into a bear hug.

"Kitty, what a pleasant surprise", Amritha hugs her daughter a little tighter,as she gives her son in law a smile, greeting him when the mother-daughter duo pull away.

"Come on", Keerthi drags Vikram inside.

"You look high", he whispers.

"I feel high", Keerthi says, making him shake his head at her antiques.His wife was cute,Vikram thought.

Vikram politely offers the sweets to Amritha that they got on the way and settles comfortably on the couch.

Keerthi and her mother chat animatedly,like they hadn't met in months.Amritha was secretly happy her daughter decided to come right when her husband was not home. She didn't want Vikram to witness the ugly happenings in the house,at least not on the second day of her daughter's married life.

Amritha disappears into the kitchen, getting them something to eat.

"Thanks",Keerthi smiles,as she turns towards Vikram

"You are welcome", he gives her a smile.

The whole time they had lunch, Keerhi just couldn't say in words how much she missed her mother, feeling extremely grateful to Vikram that he brought her.

Vikram was bored,having his food silently,as he watched Keerthi and Amritha speak, giving his inputs when needed. He was ready to get of there,having sat through enough awkwardness,but he couldn't bring himself to ask Keerthi to leave, how much ever he wanted to. His wife just looked so happy.

"You are just awesome",Keerthi gushes as they make way towards Vikram's car, having said goodbyes to Amritha,after a long,long time.Keerthi was reluctant.

But she knew ,she had to leave.

"I know", Vikram teases her as they start.

Keerthi mindlessly stares out of the window,her mood a bit dim, but happy altogether

She jerks forward,placing her hand on the dashboard to balance myself when the car abruptly comes to a halt.

Had they reached already?She thought

Keerthi glanced at her surroundings.Nothing specific.

"Are you coming out or not?",Vikram asks, impatient.

"Why are we here?",Keerthi asks,her eyes lighting up in recognition when she follows his line of vision.

Corner Stone.

"Let's go",Vikram says,in a mood to have some dessert.

Keerthi nods,skipping beside him.

They chat for some time as they eat their respective ice creams, conversation coming to a halt after some time when they felt awkward and ran out of topics.

That night,Keerthi had slept with a smile on her face,Maybe,just maybe,life won't be all that bad.