"I came to your place today morning but I guess you guys were not home," Sony walked towards Luke and Naila who stood near the frozen food section.
Naila looked at Luke. "I guess there is no escape," Luke shrugged.
"Hi," Sony said to Luke. Luke nodded.
"Naila why did you not tell me he was your husband the last time he dropped us and clicked pictures and stuff," Naila took a deep breath and looked at Luke again..
"Priavte matters," Luke reminded her.
"But still," Sony agitated. "I just took a week's rest because of my foot and a lot of things happened. Why did you not call me?" She asked.
"I will tell you. I was not in the right mind to announce all of these Sony. I was so tired," Naila said. She literally was so tired.
"I cannot believe you guys are gonna divorce honestly," Sony kept talking.
"You told everybody that?" Luke asked in a surprised tone.
"I did not... see this is exactly why I don't wish to tell anyone anything," Naila turned the script.
"You are clever Naila, I will tell you," Luke smiled and moved forward to pick up some more items.
"Fine, fine, don't fight because of me," Sony said. "Tell me when he is not around," she then whispered to Naila.
"Sony, we will," But Sony stopped Naila.
"You did not even ask me why I showed up today morning," That made Naila feel guilty.
"I'm sorry. Tell me, why did you come? We went out to grab breakfast," she said.
"I needed a help with one lesson plan, I kind of felt lost," Sony expressed.
Naila inhaled and exhaled. "I will come to your place now then," she offered to help.
"Done?" Luke returned back. "Do you mind if I borrow my wife for couple of minutes?" He asked Sony, intending to tease Naila, looking. Naila bit her lips trying to hide smile, scratching her head a little, looking away.
"Naila said she will come to my place to finish a work," Luke looked with a question mark on his face, expressing through his expressions.
"She apparently came home to seek help," Naila explained.
"Fine, let's head out," Luke agreed half heartedly and walked to the counter to bill the items.
Luke waited an hour for Naila at Sony's home. She roamed around the house while Naila sat writing a lesson plan for Sony.
"Are you just using Naila to get your work done?" Luke just asked without filter, openly, to Sony's face. Sony was caught off guard and looked shocked.
"What? No.. no.." Sony stuttered.
"Then why are you not sitting with her, writing it. Shouldn't Naila be just instructing you whime you do your work?" Luke just went on, speaking what came to his mind.
"Luke" Naila came rushing to him.
"No wonder she wishes to divorce you," Sony blurted out.
"What did you just say?" Luke got up. He got really pissed. "Naila, let's go. Our food will melt," Luke said.
Naila just stood there staring at the two of them. "How did it end up like this," she couldn't help but wonder.
"Luke," Naila did not want him to apologise for what he said but she was sure Sony would cause trouble.
"Leave," Sony said, almost kicking them both out if the house. "There is no point helping me while insulting alone," Sony said and walked into her room.
"Fine," Naila said and left without another word.
"Seriously. What's wrong with what I said?" Luke asked Naila.
"Luke, keep your voice down," Naila warned him, turning back to look. "She is probably hurt."
"She is making you do her work on your day off," Luke could not control it.
"Relax. Work place dramas are all like that. Everybody does this in school," Naila tried to console the person who literally quarreled with her colleague, offending her. But she did not feel bad.
"Why don't you look into it?" When Naila suggested Sony to do a little more research, she refused by saying ger hurts, making Naila do everything. "Please Naila, just this time," and Naila fell for it.
"You should quit and stop going to this toxic place," Luke added. The two sat in silcene for some time as Luke drove and then he said this..
"And then do what?" Naila asked.
"And start the café you dream of owning," he replied easily.
"It's not easy," Naila smiled staring outside the window.
"I can get you investors," he sounded serious. Naila could not help but give him a look. 'What does he even think,' she really wanted to ask but remained quiet.
"I don't have enough experience," she put an end to the conversation. "And I need to make a lot of money," she added.
Luke did not say anything further. It made sense to him.
The two reached home and arranged everything inside the refrigerator.
"I am going to rest for some time," Naila said once they finished the arrangement.
"Sure," Luke replied keeping the sugar free fruit drinks inside.
Naila changed and sat on the edge of the bed for a while before slowly lying down. She remained there, completely still, her eyes fixed on the ceiling as her thoughts began to drift somewhere she couldn't control.
By then, Luke had finished the chores and decided to prepare dinner.
Naila barely noticed.
'What am I doing?' she asked herself again.
Her chest felt heavy.
'When will all of this end? Is any of this even worth it?'
One thought led to another, and soon they were spiralling faster than she could stop them. The heaviness she had been trying so hard to keep buried began rising again. She couldn't find meaning in anything, not in the waiting, not in the uncertainty, not even in getting through another day.
She felt herself sinking.
Sony's attitude had triggered something she thought she had finally managed to quiet. It reminded her of everything she had been trying not to think about: how easily kindness could be taken for granted, how helping people did not guarantee that they would understand you, and how being good to someone did not mean they would be good to you in return.
A familiar dread settled deep inside her.
Her left hand curled into a tight fist, her nails pressing into her palm until it hurt. She barely noticed the pain. Her sense of time and place slowly disappeared. There was only the ceiling above her, plain, white, and endless.
She didn't know how long she had been lying there.
Luke called her once.
Then again.
And again.
She didn't hear him.
He didn't want to barge into her room, but the continued silence began to worry him. He called her name from outside before finally walking toward the door.
As he expected, it wasn't locked.
He pushed it open slowly and looked inside.
Naila was lying perfectly still on the bed.
Her hand was still tightly clenched. Tears silently streamed down the sides of her face, disappearing into the pillow beneath her. By now, the fabric was damp with them.
Luke stopped at the doorway.
For a moment, he simply stared at her.
He couldn't understand what had happened.
She had been fine or at least, she had seemed fine just moments ago.
And now she looked as though she had disappeared somewhere far beyond his reach.