Page 105 of Okay Boss
Chapter 24
Evening found them in their usual awkward choreography. Vikram emerged from the bathroom in pajama pants and a t-shirt. Divya sat at the desk, pretending to study, hyperaware of every sound he made behind her.
They'd managed to avoid each other for most of the day. She'd stayed home, exams approaching. He'd spent hours at the studio for a magazine interview.
Neither had mentioned the morning. The waking-up-wrapped-around-him morning. The mortifying, never-speaking-of-it-again morning.
Now, trapped together as night fell, the memory sat between them like a third presence.
"Divya."
His voice carried across the room, casual but purposeful. She tensed, fingers tightening around her pen.
"Yes?"
"Mom asked me something today."
Her stomach dropped. Slowly, she turned in the desk chair to face him. He sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, expression serious.
"What did she ask?"
"If we're sharing the bed properly." He paused, letting that sink in. "She mentioned she came by yesterday morning. Early. To ask if you wanted to join her walk. Said she noticed the couch still had blankets and a pillow on it."
Divya's mind raced back. Yesterday morning. Her mother-in-law had knocked around six, invited her for a walk. Divya had still been half-asleep, had agreed quickly and left to change. The couch...
Her eyes widened slightly. She clicked her tongue in frustration.
Vikram felt relief flood through him so suddenly he had to suppress the urge to grin. It had been a complete gamble. He'd had no idea if his mother had actually noticed anything. Had simply hoped that at some point, someone might have seen something that would make his story believable.
And Divya's reaction, that small, frustrated click of her tongue, confirmed she was remembering. The couch must have still been rumpled when his mother stopped by.
Pure luck. But he'd take it.
"She asked me point-blank if there was a problem," he continued, pressing his advantage while she was still processing. "If you were uncomfortable. If I was being disrespectful as a husband."
"What did you tell her?"
"That everything was fine. That we just have different sleep schedules sometimes." He met her eyes. "She didn't believe me."
"But we're just... this is just..."
"She doesn't know that." His voice was gentle but firm. "To her, we're newlyweds. Married couples share beds. Especially in this family. Tradition matters to her."
"So what do we..."
"For the next few days, we should share the bed." He said it quickly, matter-of-factly, as if suggesting they change dinner plans. "Just until she's satisfied."
"But?"
"It's a big bed. Plenty of room." He stood, moving closer. "And honestly, my mother gets ideas. If she thinks I'm making you uncomfortable, that I'm not treating you properly as my wife..."
"She wouldn't..."
"She has a rolling pin. A wooden one." He said it with such sincere worry that Divya found herself caught between disbelief and concern. "And she's very protective of daughters-in-law. If she thinks I've wronged you somehow, not respected you..." He left that statement hanging. "Last year at a cousin's wedding, one of the my cousins made a comment about his wife's cooking. She pulled out the belan right there."
The detail felt specific enough to be believable. Divya wavered.
"I'd rather not test it," he said quickly. "It's just sleeping. We're adults. Married adults. And it's temporary, just until Mom's concerns are satisfied. A week, maybe two."
