Suman's day started at 3 a.m. thanks to some very enthusiastic Ganapati Visarjan firecrackers. As if that wasn't enough, she also had a terrible cough. She was so out of it that she didn't even check the time, just thought, "Alright, I guess I'll get ready and make breakfast." By the time she was done brushing her teeth, she glanced at the clock—3:30 a.m. Seriously? She went straight to the couch and managed to sleep until 6.
Once she was finally up for real, she decided to make the day special for Anubhav's birthday. She cooked up a storm: puri and ghuguni for breakfast, and palau and shahi paneer for lunch. And she mentally noted to order chicken biryani too. She savored her breakfast with a warm cup of ginger tea, feeling a sense of peace.
After breakfast, Suman decided to wear a new dress. It had been sitting in her closet for ages, a silent testament to a bad shopping decision. She put it on after her bath and sat down with a coffee. Suddenly, a memory hit her.
She could almost hear Anubhav's voice, his usual sarcastic tone. "What is that you're wearing? It’s not good. You look so fat." She'd roll her eyes and say, "I know, that’s why I’m just wearing it at home!" They'd go back and forth, a silly, familiar game. He'd ask if no one sees her at home, and she'd confess that the dress was a bad choice—comfy but not at all flattering. The conversation would end with her admitting she'd probably wear it a few times and then give it away.
But that's not what happened in real. Today, her husband didn't say a word. He didn't even seem to notice she was wearing something different. Suman misses those small moments of being seen, even if it was through a sarcastic jab. She missed the feeling of smiling for no reason, of being noticed. Her brain goes back to those memories now and then, just to give her a little smile. And sometimes, that's enough.
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