Disclaimer - Characters belong to 4Lions Productions but the story, dialogues and characters you dont recognize as theirs are mine or otherwise separate disclaimers shall be provided as and when needed. Please respect this as someone else's creation and dont plagiarize.
The lyrics are from the song - 'Buy me a rose' by Luther Vandross.

So yes, I am back with some of the stories that have been locked up for a long time. Now the fate of this endeavour depends upon you - the readers. If you want me to post more of my stories here, please do leave your feedback because for all the "OPEN YOUR BLOG" screams, there wasnt enough response when I did do so.

This is the first part of my ThreeShot - 'A Rose's Worth'

Do leave your feedback and I will post the rest of the parts. :)

A Rose's Worth

Part 1

He works hard to give her all he thinks she wants
A three car garage, her own credit card
He pulls in late to wake her up with a kiss goodnight
If he could only read her mind, she'd say…

"Khushi, I will be late. Khaana-vaana kha lena and don't wait up for me. Bye."
("Khushi, I will be late. Please do have your dinner and dont wait up for me. Bye.")

And he left. Without a look back, without waiting even for a moment.

Because if he had, he would have noticed his wife's face fall, her eyes well up with an overbearing sadness and the loosening of tightness in her shoulders as they drooped.

But like all the times since a long time, he didn't turn back and he didn't notice the long drawn sigh that escaped his wife or the defeat in her stance as she walked back to the kitchen, his barely used plate in her hands.

It had been like this since the first couple of months of their marriage when he had bagged an international project and had gotten more busy than ever before, not finding any spare time to spend with his family, at home or with her.

She knew he loved her. She had never doubted that.

But she just…she just wished he would spend some time with her, think about her the way she thought about him – her likes and dislikes, her wishes, her dreams…but then she thought was she being selfish?

Buy me a rose
Call me from work
Open a door for me
What would it hurt?

"Arnav, aa gayye aap?"
("Arnav, you are back?")

"Haan…sorry, tumhe jagaa diya. Khaana kha liya na tumne?"
("Yes...sorry, I woke you up. You had your dinner?")

"Ji. Aapne? Aur Jeejaji* ne?"
("Yes. You? And Jeejaji?")

"Haan…we ordered."

"Arnav…aapko pata hai aaj hum Preeto se mile! Woh apne pati ke saath ghar aayee th-"
("Arnav...do you know that today I met Preeto! She had come over along with her husban-")

"Khushi, I am really tired, Jaan. Can we talk about this later? Goodnight."

He didn't wait for her to reply, just turned around and slept off with his back to her, yet she had formed one on her lips knowing fully well that even is he was listening, she wouldn't voice it.

Why?

Because she was afraid.

Afraid to hurt him.

Afraid to tell him that it was not okay. That it was not done that they weren't talking anymore. That it was not acceptable that he had no time for her anymore. That it was not fine that he didn't seem to know her anymore.

Fingering the diamond ring he had bought for her or rather ordered to be delivered to her just a few weeks back with absolutely no sense of the personal touch that she so craved, she let a silent tear cascade down the cheek he hadn't caressed in ages and brushed it off almost as soon as it made an appearance, telling herself once again that her husband was a busy busy man.

That he was too busy for her but he loved her all the same.

But then a niggling inside her brain kept her awake into the late hours of the night…was this what she had resigned her whole life to? This indifference which wasn't really his fault either? This life which had his love but only on the sidelines? This bond where companionship was missing? This relationship where they both seem to be looking for something different?

And the irony?

Even if the answer to all of those questions was 'Yes', Khushi still wouldnt even dream of leaving him not because of any noble reason of how he would ever live without her because she knew for a fact that he couldn't but because of her own self.

Because she knew without a doubt that she couldn't live without him. And she couldn't even bear to try.

And that hurt. That hurt a lot.

_
*Jeejaji - Sister's husband

Remember, Part 2 and 3 depend upon your feedback. I am trying out writing here and your support and feedback would mean a lot. :)

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