Page 83 of Mrs. Pandey
I checked the time as it was half past eight and Prashant still hadn’t arrived. Without a second thought, I called him, but there was no answer. I tried again but still nothing.
Frowning, I looked at the table. The food had gone cold, almost as if it were staring back at me with mockery. I was no longer hungry. With a sigh, I pushed myself to my feet and flopped down onto the bed.
For a few moments, I stared at my phone, scrolling aimlessly until a photo of Prashant popped up on the screen. It was him in one of those candid shots where he wasn’t posing, just smiling. It should have made me smile too, but instead my lips fell into a flat line. He hadn’t come home. ______
When I woke up, it was four in the morning. The emptiness beside me in bed only made the silence louder. I threw on my jogging pants and shoes, stepped outside into the crisp desert air, and started running. The steady rhythm of my feet hitting the ground was the only thing that cleared my mind.
As usual, I followed my run with yoga, then cardio, then a long, warm shower. By the time I made myself breakfast, I felt physically awake, but inside I was still restless.
I checked my phone, half-hoping to see a missed call or even a simple text from him, but the screen was empty. Disappointment rolled over me like cold water.
Didn’t he wonder why I called him twice last night? Or maybe he knew and didn’t care.
I decided to ignore the thought. I put on my uniform and headed to the office. When I glanced at the ground floor on my way in, I didn’t see Prashant. I checked his office, but it was also empty.
Fine. He must have been busy. That’s what I told myself. That’s why he hadn’t called me back.
The day dragged on. It had been more than two months since I last sat behind my desk for a proper stretch of time, so my body wasn’t used to it anymore. I found myself taking small walks now and then just to break the monotony.
Around noon, I wandered over to the window and froze. Prashant was outside, talking to a woman officer. She was smiling, standing closer to him than I would have liked.
Is she recently transferred here? I wondered. I haven’t met her yet but she seemed a little too close to Prashant for my liking.
Who the hell was she?
My jaw tightened as I turned away and went back to my seat. But then I heard low murmurs from outside.
“When sir escaped from captivity, doctor Riddhima Kashyap was the one who treated him. I heard they have been pretty close since then,” a man’s voice said from outside my office.
I stilled, leaning slightly toward the door. Were they talking about her?
“I heard Captain is married now,” another voice chimed in.
“Who cares about his wife when no one even knows the Captain is married?” the first man laughed.
That was enough. I stepped out, and both of them straightened immediately, saluting me. Without another word, they walked away.
They didn’t know I was married to Prashant. He hadn’t told them. He hadn't told any of them.
But why? I thought he would be happy to apply for a spouse quarter the moment we returned. Instead, he was ignoring me and keeping our marriage a secret.
Was he embarrassed to admit I was his wife?
It was seven in the evening, but I was still in my office. I told myself I was catching up on work, but the truth was I was waiting for him. I needed answers. I needed answers from my husband.
An hour later, Prashant finally stepped inside. His expression was unreadable, almost as if I were just another officer.
“What do you want to talk about?” he asked flatly without any hint of emotion.
I kept my tone calm. “I was waiting for you yesterday so we could have dinner together, but you didn’t even answer my calls.”
“I was busy,” he replied, his voice carrying a hint of coldness.
“Okay.” I stood, holding his gaze. “Are you not going to apply for a spouse quarter?”
“I tried,” he said. “But there’s no availability at the moment. Maybe in a couple of months. Anything else?” he asked like he couldn't wait to get away from me.
His detached tone made my chest tighten. “People still don’t know we’re married.”
