Chapter 15: Unspoken Feelings

The days that followed the quiet moment in the garden seemed to change something in the air between Shiv and Arundhati. It wasn’t a dramatic shift, but there was a subtle change that neither of them could ignore. The weight of their marriage, which had once felt like a distant duty, was slowly giving way to something softer, more real.

For Shiv, it was hard to put into words what he was beginning to feel. He hadn’t expected it, not after everything that had happened in his life, but with Arundhati, there was something different. He had always respected her quiet strength, the way she carried herself with grace despite the difficulties she had faced. But now, as time passed, he found himself drawn to her in ways he hadn’t anticipated. It wasn’t just about duty anymore; it was about wanting to be close to her, to see her smile, to hear her voice.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky in shades of pink and orange, Shiv found himself sitting beside her on the porch, watching the peaceful scene unfold before them. They hadn’t spoken much that evening, both content in the quiet company of each other.

Shiv couldn’t help but steal glances at her every so often. There was something calming about her presence—something that made the world feel a little less heavy. He wasn’t sure what to call it, but a warmth spread in his chest whenever their eyes met. It wasn’t the intense, overwhelming passion he had once imagined he would feel when falling in love; instead, it was a steady, gentle pull that he couldn’t deny.

Arundhati, on her part, had been feeling the same way. Since the night in the garden, her heart had softened toward him. She was beginning to see the man behind the stern village head, the man who had buried so much of himself under layers of duty and responsibility. She could feel his gentleness beneath the surface, the part of him that wanted to be more than just a leader, more than just a figurehead.

As they sat in silence, Arundhati’s fingers brushed against his, just for a moment, but it was enough to make her heart race. She wasn’t sure if it was intentional, but when she looked up at Shiv, she saw the same uncertainty in his eyes.

“Shiv…” she began, her voice soft, almost hesitant. “Do you ever think about… what this could be? Between us?”

Shiv’s heart skipped a beat at the question. He wasn’t used to talking about emotions, and even though he had spent the past few days thinking about what was happening between them, he wasn’t sure how to express it.

“I think about it sometimes,” he admitted, his voice low, almost reluctant. “But I don’t know what to make of it. I’ve spent so much of my life focusing on other things… on my responsibilities, on my family… that I never really considered what I wanted.”

Arundhati’s heart ached slightly as she listened. She knew the weight of duty that he carried, but hearing him speak about it so openly made her realize just how much of himself he had sacrificed.

“You don’t have to figure everything out right now,” she said softly. “We don’t have to rush anything. We can take things slow, one step at a time.”

Shiv’s eyes met hers, and for the first time, he saw the understanding in her gaze. There was no judgment, no expectations, just a quiet acceptance. It was the kind of acceptance he hadn’t known he needed until this moment.

“Maybe that’s all I need,” Shiv whispered, his voice tinged with vulnerability. “Just someone who’s willing to take things slow with me.”

The weight of his words hung in the air, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The world seemed to stand still around them, the last light of day fading into twilight.

Shiv felt something stir in him, something he had long buried. It wasn’t love, not yet, but it was the beginning of something that felt real. He had spent so much time fighting against the pull of emotion, convinced that he couldn’t afford to care about anyone beyond his duties. But Arundhati had slowly, subtly, changed that. She had shown him that there was more to life than responsibility, that there was space for love, even if it was quiet and slow.

As the evening grew darker, they sat in silence, both lost in their thoughts. Shiv found himself reaching for her hand again, this time without hesitation. He didn’t know what the future held, but for the first time in a long time, he was willing to face it with her by his side.

Arundhati squeezed his hand gently, a soft smile curving her lips. She wasn’t sure where this journey would take them, but in this moment, she knew that they were no longer just strangers tied together by circumstance. They were two people, slowly learning to care for each other, finding solace in each other’s company.

And for Shiv, that was enough—for now.

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