“Mom! Anant is so unromantic. He is just like Daddy, ” Navika said in an irritating tone to Nivi. The smell of coffee touched Navika’s nostrils and she came into the kitchen. Nivi passed one cup to Navika, picked her coffee mug and placed herself on the window sill in her study. Navika followed her to the study and saw a beautiful smile on her mother’s face.
“Who said your Daddy is unromantic?” Nivi asked Navika in her calm voice, looking outside the window. “I felt it, mom. He never said ‘I love you’ to you. I have never seen you guys holding each other’s hand in public or even in-house. He always scolds you for one thing or the other. He always and in fact has said ‘I love you’ to me and Ashay bhai but never to you. I remember when I asked him how much he loves you. He gave me his standard answer that he is a very traditional person and never believes in expressing his love,” Navika said it in a single breath.
“Come here, baby! Sit down,” Nivi gestured Navika to sit with her on the sill. “Sweetheart! Ours was an arranged marriage and that too at the age of 34. I fall in love with him when he first time said that I am there for you as a friend. In 30 years of marriage, he said ‘I love you’ only 10 times that too on my insist. The first year of marriage was a little tough for me. Even I felt that he is not at all romantic, my dream of romance was straight from Bollywood romantic fantasy. Till date, I never leave any chance to express my love to him but he never reciprocates in the same way. Initially, I felt disheartened but with time I realised that not in the words but his gestures say a lot. All I need to decode them in 3 magical words. When he calls me with my nickname which he gave me, it always means ‘I love you’.”
Nivi took a sip from her coffee mug and continued in the same serene voice, “You are right. He never held my hand in public, but he never slept without holding my hand. He scolds me because he always knew that is the only way to make me realise my own worth. He never gave me roses, he always saved for my diamonds. He never stood for me in front of his parents but he never lets them or you disrespects me. He always criticized me for my weight as he wanted me to live healthy and long for our kids. Your daddy has always asked me how I generate so much of warmth in every touch, and I always laugh it out by saying its warmth of my love. There is one thing which I never told him, I get that warmth from him.”
Nivi took a deep breath and said, ” Everyone usually says that after kids, equations between husband and wife changes. Either they came closer or they fall apart. Our love is little different, it’s dependent on only two people, Me and Him. You both born after 4 years of our marriage, and in those 4 years, we were falling in love with each other. We were getting ready to not only to love you but each other after you both will start your own life.”
“Navika! Do you still think your Daddy or Anant are unromantic people?” Nivi said calmly sipping her coffee. Navika took out her phone and typed a message, “I Miss You Anant.”
Nivi saw Navika with a smile, Navika took a sip from her coffee mug and winked to her mother. Nivi knew a new love story has started.
-GS NIDHI
© 2019 by NidhiGS. All rights reserved
gratitude2wardslife 
Beautifully written post, displays love all over
Thank you so much for reading it
Such an awesome story! I love the characters’ names.
Guess it’s about what a person wants and values most in life. That’s something important to know, if it’s about what you want or what you are willing to tolerate. To each their own.
Well-written.
It’s hard to believe the blogging challenge is almost over for 2021. Then the after survey, reflections, and the road trip sign-up.
Plus, I’m taking part in the Bout of Books read-a-thon in May. So much excitement!
J Lenni Dorner~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, OperationAwesome6 Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author