Twisted Hearts – Chapter 16

Aditya woke up and groaned softly when he found the space beside him empty. He immediately got out of bed and walked out of the bedroom searching for Pallavi. The moment he saw her, he stopped in his tracks.

Pallavi was standing near the dining table dressed beautifully in a green salwar. Yellow jhumkas swayed gently against her ears, her long hair was neatly braided and the bangles on her wrists clinked softly as she placed casseroles on the table.

For a moment, Aditya simply stood there, completely lost in her beauty. An unconscious smile curved on his lips. But the smile slowly disappeared the moment she turned toward him.

She looked calm, too calm. It was a version of Pallavi he had never seen in all these years. There was no excitement in her eyes, no playful grin, no rushing toward him with endless affection.

Instead, she stood there quietly with a soft, composed smile that made her look strangely delicate.

And something about it unsettled him deeply. Usually, the moment she saw him, she would run into his arms and cling to him like he was her entire world.

But today, she remained rooted in her place.

Aditya slowly walked toward her and instinctively touched her forehead to check her temperature. As he moved to touch her neck, Pallavi gently stepped aside and sat down on the chair.

“Rani aunty, can I get coffee please?” she asked softly and Aditya frowned slightly.

“Aadhi, get ready for office. Breakfast is ready and lunch will be packed in a while.” Pallavi said calmly while adjusting the shawl over her shoulder.

Aditya stared at her in confusion. “Are you okay, Pavi?” he asked carefully.

Pallavi tilted her head slightly and smiled gently. “I’m fine, Aadhi. Go get ready and give me my medicines afterward. I’ll finish breakfast quickly.” she replied softly and then she calmly served breakfast onto her own plate.

Aditya looked at her in shock. Usually, she would wait stubbornly for him to feed her but today, she quietly began eating on her own.

Lost in thought, he returned to the bedroom and quickly got ready.

When he walked back out, Pallavi already had the medicine box ready beside her. His breakfast was served neatly and his lunch bag was packed and waiting on the dining table.

She swallowed her tablets quietly and absentmindedly scrolled through the photos on her phone. In every picture, she could see her best friend, her Aadhi. But somewhere deep inside, disappointment slowly settled in her heart because she couldn’t recognize even a single glimpse of her husband in those memories.

A few minutes later, Aditya picked up his office bag and prepared to leave. Pallavi walked him to the door and smiled softly.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’ll sleep for some time, eat on time and I won’t send Rani aunty home before you return ” she said gently.

Aditya stared at her, even more disturbed by her words. Usually, she would argue endlessly whenever he asked her to rest or take care of herself and this sudden obedience felt painfully unnatural.

“Are you angry with me, Pavi?” he asked quietly and she immediately shook her head.

“Why would I be angry? You are getting late. I’ll see you in the evening” she replied with a small smile.

Aditya left reluctantly but his mind still occupied with her unusual behavior as he rode his bike toward the office.

After he left, Pallavi stood before the mirror silently staring at herself. Her fingers slowly touched the yellow jhumkas hanging from her ears.

“Maybe now he will finally notice me as a woman. Maybe if I become graceful and calm like Deepi, he will look at me differently.” she whispered softly to herself and her eyes turned emotional.

She remembered all the times her mother had teased her, ” No husband will tolerate a girl who behaves like a tomboy all the time.’ Men always like soft and graceful girls like Deepika ”

Back then, Pallavi had ignored those words completely. But now, a painful doubt slowly crept into her heart.

“Maybe Amma was right. Maybe he will finally love me if I change myself.” she whispered faintly.

Three days passed in the same routine and finally Sunday arrived.

Aditya woke up and walked out of the bedroom, only to find Pallavi sitting in the hall watching television.

Instead of her usual track pants and oversized T-shirts, she was dressed in a beautiful yellow salwar with purple jhumkas swaying gently against her ears.

She looked graceful, too graceful.

“Good morning, Aadhi,” she greeted softly with a smile and Aditya sat beside her, resting his arm casually on the headrest behind her.

“You look different, Pavi,” he murmured while leaning slightly against her shoulder.

Pallavi remained silent for a few moments until he looked up at her curiously.

“Get ready, Aadhi, it’s time for my medicines.” she said gently while pushing him lightly.

Aditya immediately glanced at the clock and rushed to freshen up. No matter what happened between them, he never wanted to miss her medicines.

Later, Pallavi stood rearranging her cupboard while Aditya quietly watched her from the doorway.

“Why are you suddenly wearing salwars at home? What happened to your track pants and T-shirts?” he asked, frowning slightly.

“Shall we go out today? Maybe shopping, a movie and dinner afterward? How does that sound?” he asked and Pallavi nodded softly.

Aditya smiled faintly and stepped out to give her space to get ready. Meanwhile, he changed in the guest room and waited for her patiently.

A few minutes later, Pallavi walked out and Aditya froze looking at her. She was dressed in a black georgette saree, her hair left open over her shoulders. She looked breathtakingly beautiful. But instead of happiness, confusion filled him.

Usually, Pallavi would wear jeans and shirt to match him, excitedly insisting they take “twinning” photos together but this version of her felt distant and almost unfamiliar.

“Pallavi… what happened to you?” he asked quietly and she looked at him in confusion.

“I thought you would dress to match me like always. This doesn’t feel like you. You look beautiful but you feel distant. Like you’re not my Pallavi anymore.” he said with a frown.

He walked toward the cupboard, picked out a pair of jeans and a shirt for her and held them out.

“Please wear what you used to wear. This version of you feels like a stranger.” he said firmly and Pallavi stared at him silently.

As she turned, her saree got caught under her foot and she stumbled. Before she could fall, Aditya quickly caught her by the waist. His palm landed against her bare skin both of them froze instantly.

Pallavi looked directly into his eyes and for a moment, the entire world seemed to stop around them.

Aditya felt the warmth of her skin beneath his fingers and it sent a dangerous shiver through him. His gaze lingered on her face far longer than it should have.

The softness in her eyes. The closeness between them. Everything about her pulled him in. Realizing he was losing himself, Aditya abruptly stepped back.

They eventually left for the mall. Despite Pallavi insisting she didn’t need them, Aditya bought several shirts and track pants for her.

Throughout the day, he tried his best to bring back the cheerful Pallavi he knew. He held her hand constantly, fed her food himself, wrapped his arm around her during the movie and kept cracking silly jokes just to see her smile.

Slowly, Pallavi began relaxing around him again. For the first time in days, she questioned her own fears.

While Aditya waited, Pallavi stepped into the restroom and splashed water on her face before staring at herself in the mirror.

” Did I overthink everything? Was I imagining the distance between us? Or did I just imagine everything?” she thought and then she shook her head softly.

Taking a deep breath, she walked out only to find Aditya standing outside waiting for her with a smile.

By the time they returned home, Pallavi had changed back into her usual track pants and loose shirt. A few minutes later, Aditya walked into the room carrying water and her medicines.

And for the first time in days, seeing her dressed like his Pallavi again brought an unexpected sense of peace to his heart.

They lay facing each other on the bed, the dim light cast soft shadows across the room. Pallavi slowly lifted her hand and touched Aditya’s cheek, her fingers lingered there as she looked deeply into his eyes.

“Should I ask him? Does he really love me?”,  she wondered silently.

Aditya noticed the distant look in her eyes and gently pinched her nose, trying to lighten her thoughts.

“Aadhi, can I kiss you?” Pallavi whispered hesitantly and those words escaped her lips before her mind could stop them.

Aditya froze. A part of him desperately wanted to kiss her. Every moment spent close to her weakened the walls he had built around himself. But another part of him resisted. He didn’t want to rush into anything without understanding what he truly felt for her. He knew this was far beyond mere attraction, yet he feared hurting her if he gave in without clarity.

Before he could respond, Pallavi leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek.

Aditya swallowed hard, his breath turned uneven at the feel of her lips on his skin.

She slowly propped herself up on her elbow and kissed his forehead next. That simple gesture sent an unfamiliar warmth through him. His heart strangely relaxed, as though her affection carried a peace only she could give him.

Pallavi smiled faintly and moved closer, intending to kiss the tip of his nose but Aditya gently stopped her. Instead, he pulled her against his chest and slowly ran his fingers through her hair.

“Good night, Pavi,” he whispered softly, struggling to suppress the emotions raging inside him.

Pallavi closed her eyes and for the first time, she was certain that he was distancing himself from her.

“You were right all along, Pallavi. He isn’t interested in you that way. He only sees you as a friend someone he needs to take care of “, she thought bitterly and tears silently gathered in her eyes.

“I won’t force him anymore”,  With that decision, she slowly drifted to sleep.

Everything changed after that night. Pallavi stopped trying to gain his attention. She stopped yearning for his affection as a wife.

She went back to wearing her usual track pants and loose T-shirts, but now she moved around the house like a lifeless shadow of herself. She stopped asking him for little things. The chocolates he bought for her remained untouched in the refrigerator. She spoke only when it was necessary, mostly to ask for her medicines.

She no longer smiled brightly, no longer dragged him to watch movies and refused every attempt he made to take her outside.

Whenever Aditya tried speaking to her, she replied with single words, soft hums, or silent nods. She still cooked dinner for him but she would finish eating before he returned from work.

Aditya missed everything, he missed eating with her, missed feeding her, missed her constant chatter, missed the way she would cling to him for no reason.

At night, she would quietly lie facing the wall instead of curling up against him like before. Even when Aditya tried to hug her, she would gently move away from his embrace without saying a word.

The distance slowly suffocated him.

He tried countless times to talk to her, but Pallavi would only smile faintly and insist she was fine.

Her calls with their family became shorter too. She would hand the phone to Aditya after a few minutes and return to the bedroom, keeping herself busy by reading novels or endlessly rearranging her cupboard.

Sometimes Aditya purposely messed up the neatly folded clothes just to irritate her and get a reaction but Pallavi would only smile softly, fold them again and said nothing.

It drove him crazy.

On the days he worked from home, she would quietly take her medicines and sleep through most of the day or spend time talking with Rani. The only moments they sat together were during meals and even then, silence surrounded them.

At night, she fell asleep immediately after taking her medicines.

One afternoon, while working from home, Aditya sat in the hall watching Pallavi learn cooking from Rani. The older woman had noticed the changes in Pallavi long ago and stayed close to keep her company.

“Pavi, I’m going out to buy ice cream,” Aditya announced, hoping for some reaction but Pallavi merely hummed in acknowledgment without even looking up from the onions she was chopping.

Aditya stared at her for a moment before silently leaving the house.

The moment the door closed, Rani looked at Pallavi thoughtfully.

“Is everything alright between you two?” she asked gently while touching Pallavi’s head affectionately.

Pallavi looked up in surprise. “Aunty, why would you ask that?” she chuckled weakly.

Rani sighed softly. “You both confuse me. I can clearly see that you are best friends. That much is obvious. But beyond that, I have also seen the way you both secretly look at each other. Like two people deeply in love but afraid to show it ” she said and Pallavi’s hands slowly stilled.

“You are married yet there is a visible distance between you both. To be honest, I have never seen the glow newly married girls usually have. At least for the first few months, it shows on their face naturally “, Rani said carefully and Pallavi froze completely.

“I may be wrong but sometimes I feel like you both haven’t truly started your life as husband and wife yet.” Rani said slowly and Pallavi’s throat tightened painfully.

She had no answer because she herself didn’t understand what was stopping Aditya from accepting her completely. Tears burned behind her eyes, but she forced herself to smile.

“Aunty, we just decided to wait a few months before planning our honeymoon. Aadhi already took too much leave because of my accident, so we postponed everything.” she lied softly and  quickly looked away.

“We are really happy. Please don’t worry about us. I’ll go fold the clothes ” she said and without waiting for another question, she walked out of the kitchen.

The moment she entered the bedroom and shut the door behind her, the tears she had been holding back finally broke free.

And for the first time, Pallavi cried helplessly not because she doubted Aditya’s care for her, but because she no longer understood what their relationship truly meant.

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