In the morning by the time she woke up, a nice smell wafted to her. She freshened up and waited to be served food. While she could cook, she hated cooking. Moreover, he cooked pretty well, although it couldn't be called delicious.

"Good morning," he bent and kissed her lips softly.

The two ate calmly.

Once done, she asked him again, "When are you going?"

"Going where?"

"Your home."

"My flat?"

She nodded.

"I sold it."

"Oh, then where do you live now?"

"Here..."

"Oh, your work also shifted here?"

"Here, I mean, here in this apartment. And no, work is still the same, I said I'll work remotely. I'll probably have to show up at the office once in a while."

"Here? Here is not your home."

"Throw me out, I'll just resign from my job, transfer all ownership of Hidden to the seniors and then go to the police, penniless and unemployed. You'd have to take care of me by law." In fact, he could go to the court for his conjugal rights, but the result would be a divorce on rather bad terms.

She took a moment to assess what he said. She had no idea if that was how things worked. She asked him once again, "Why don't we get a divorce?"

"Why?"

"You seem to have a problem with me, that's why!"

"It is you that has a problem with me."

"Fine, it's me that has a problem and it's me that's seeking a divorce!"

"I won't agree." He sounded nonchalant. In fact, he was. Since he decided to hold on to her, he'd see how far they'd go fighting like this. Moreover, there are their parents. They would be very sad if they get to know these things. If worst comes to worst he would tell them everything and seek their help to speak some sense into her. No matter how much he tried, he could see no problem at all.

"What do you need to agree?"

"I'll never agree."

"I really shouldn't have trusted you. You said you're fine living apart." Her voice choked. It was the second time he saw her cry. All in one day. She stood up to walk away. Was he so bothersome? So burdensome?

Flustered, he quickly caught her wrist and said, "I'll leave."

For some reason he remembered the date. Ironically enough, that day was exactly 5 years after they broke up. Back in highschool, they were great friends. When she was in the last year of school, he had confessed with a thin hope. If it was someone else, she'd outright say "I'm sorry" and leave.

To him she gave a response the next day. "I'm not interested in all of this. But will you not talk to me anymore if I say no?" At that time, when she looked up and asked him, he was a year older than her, and a head taller. They rarely stood that close now.

He was sad at that time and perhaps a little angry with her. "I will feel like a failure, so I won't talk." He almost left after saying that little lie. There was no way he'd keep distance from her. Two days later he'd be bugging her as usual. To his surprise, she said, "Then, I will be your girlfriend."

He kissed her cheek and smiled brightly. They were boyfriend and girlfriend for a week. Then they broke up. Rather, he relented, seeing the complete lack of interest on her side.

She apologised but he thought he could do better. But he really shouldn't have bothered her even now. It was true when she said she did not want a marriage and wanted to be single for life. Only now did he understand, he did not keep joking with himself for any longer.

"I'll leave now..."

...

A month had gone by. None heard from the other.

Back in Delhi, preparations were on for his younger sister's wedding. He was busy. So busy that he did not even inform his wife.

"When is she coming?" His mother asked him a tenth time.

"Maa.. look at how busy I am..."

"Did you even tell her?" He did not. Every time he wanted to, he skipped, telling himself there was much work at hand.

"I, whoa whoa, he's going to the market, I have one item to add!" He ran away.

"Going to the market happens twice every day now. What's the hurry?" She called out but he didn't bother to listen.

The last one month he invested himself in every activity he could. One of his assistants was left so idle, he'd decided to drive the boss to and from work. But still, with 2 extra assistants, his work was over sooner everyday and he went for a run. For a week on his track he saw a mother teaching her little girl to multiply numbers and the girl always got it wrong and the woman got frustrated. He taught the girl multiplication and division in twenty days. She was not even told addition and subtraction properly, and so it took a lot of time.

Just the day before he was called back to his parents home, the woman asked him in which school he worked and if he could home tutor her daughter.

Now he was busy doing a lot of things for his sister's wedding. He was the eldest son so the key role of arranging everything was on him. He told her he'd go back to France soon. When his run was over, he rested and thought back to his wife. What a selfish queen she was!

The wedding was fixed on the tenth day from now.

He finally decided that not telling her now would be too late so he called his wife two days ago. He'd call her again two days before the wedding to remind her. Until then he did not know what to tell his family. If it was before her transfer things were stagnant, but predictable. Now, he had no idea. All he achieved was a stronger resentment from her. But how long could the excuse of being busy go on?

"Hm?" She greeted him smoothly.

"Sister's wedding is on 25. You have to be there."

"Oh. There isn't even a fortnight left..." She felt she was left out. He could have told her earlier.

He had already put his phone away from his ear to give some instructions to someone.

"Hello?"

He did not hear.

"Hello?" she raised her voice and it caught his attention.

"Ah, please be there okay?" and he hung up. She heard all the hubbub on the other side.

She looked at her phone and sighed. Seems, he was mad at her for asking him to leave. Well, it was not out of her expectations so she would just turn a blind eye to him should he express his dissatisfaction.