Wardrobe Space

She placed the mug on the table & sat cross-legged on the chair.

She calmly explained, "Due to my constant travel, I became a minimalistic person and look at the utilitarian aspect of everything. Whether it's cooking, cleaning, laundry or anything else for that matter. I have lost touch with religious customs and rituals".

She paused & he waited for her to continue.

She gently added, "I do not intend to mock or hurt you for your beliefs. It is just that those aspects are insignificant to my daily life".

He observed, "You were so deeply rooted in our culture. It's hard to believe."

She grinned, "I did mention that I have traits that you wouldn't dream of, didn't I?"

His confusion was so apparent & she felt sorry for him.

She enunciated, "During college days, I made a fuss about everything my mother cooked. Now, I can make do with fruits or oats as a meal. You won't believe it; I stock Puliogare mix in the fridge. Once my routine gets set, I do Yoga."

His jaw dropped at her eating habits & health regimen.

She smiled, "I hated it & fought with my mother each time she cooked it. Later, I realised, it is the easiest food to store & cook. I was so stressed with work & unhealthy eating habits. I had to take care of myself."

He expressed, "I cannot believe it!"

She giggled, "Trust me, even I don't recognise myself at times."

He was courageous to say, "It seems like you don't care about how the house looks."

She responded, "Of course, I don't care how the house looks."

He was astonished at her response & his mind ran at rocket speed, wondering what exactly she had on mind.

She casually continued, "The setup of the house, furnishing, kitchen & linen are trivial. My focus is exclusively on the three of us & to make this place home."

The next few days went from familiarising to a routine, chasing work deadlines & planning to get Ayra to London. Next Friday evening, he arrived early at the house & began cooking dinner. It has been a long day & cooking seemed to calm his nerves. He hadn't had the chance to think over the conversation of the weekend they shifted. He mulled over every single detail of the new her.

Suddenly, it struck him, 'Why did she say, set up everything the way you want & leave my wardrobe alone?'

He turned down the stove to let the curry simmer & walked to her wardrobe. He hesitated but had to know. He slowly opened the cupboard & ran his eyes over the racks. He collapsed into the bed & his head spun.

He wondered, 'Who is she?'

He closed the wardrobe & walked back to the kitchen. He was deep in thought & finished cooking. He wasn't sure what to say or how to even begin the conversation.

She arrived late, freshened up & gave him a long hug. She was ravenous & set the table up for dinner. She ate at a fast pace & he watched her closely with narrowed eyes. After dinner, she told him about her day & he sat quietly at the table. As she cleared the dinner table & kitchen counter, she noticed that he hadn't spoken in complete sentences. As he settled in front of the television, she grabbed the remote & muted it.

She looked straight into his eyes & questioned, "What's wrong?"

He responded, "Nothing, give me the remote."

She stood across him, with folded hands & declared, "I'm not buying it."

He looked up, met her eyes & uttered, "I checked out your wardrobe."

The colour drained from her face & she collapsed on the sofa beside him.

He spoke slowly but clearly, "I couldn't even understand what to make of it."

She swallowed hard but wasn't sure what to say.

He continued, "I've seen you in college days, this was so unexpected. What were you then? What are you now?"

She interrupted, "I can explain."

He expressed, "There is no need to explain, I understand you now."

She bit her lower lip & tears flowed.

He wiped her tears & hugged her, "You were the most stylish person in college & party animal. Now, you have all shades of blue & white formal clothes. A few casual items of clothing & everything that would fit into a suitcase. In the last decade, all you did was work, exert yourself to fall asleep & get over me. You shut out everything that would associate with me. I'm so sorry for everything."

She pulled back & looked him in the eye, "Now that you get it, may I ask you something?"

He smiled through the sadness, "Anything."

She grinned, "Can you help me redo my wardrobe as before?"

Takeaway: Knowing someone is quite different from knowing their life or world.

P.S.: The story is a sequel to "Moving In"