Running dreams.

The First Month.

No one was outside. It was my imaginative mind that heard a voice.

We dressed carefully. Checked ourselves twice. Said nothing to anyone. And carried the secret home between us like a tiny flame cupped inside our hands.

No one knew. It became the first secret of our marriage.

The first morning in Aarav's house, I woke before sunrise. For a few seconds, I didn't know where I was. Then I saw the unfamiliar ceiling. The unfamiliar curtains. The suitcase in the corner. My wedding bangles beside the pillow. I was a wife. The thought frightened me.

Then Aarav turned in his sleep. "Meera?"

"I'm here."

He smiled without opening his eyes. "Good."

I smiled. "Go back to sleep."

"I was checking."

"Checking what?"

"That you didn't disappear."

My heart softened. "I won't."

He reached for my hand. "Promise?"

"Promise."

His mother, Savita, was different from my mother. She spoke quickly. Walked quickly. Expected things to be done quickly. On my first morning, she stood in the doorway.

"Meera."

I jumped. "Yes, Ma?"

"Tea."

"Oh."

I hurried into the kitchen. She watched me. "Two cups for your father-in-law. One for Aarav. Mine without sugar."

"Okay."

"And breakfast by eight."

"Yes."

She turned to leave. Then stopped. "Don't worry."

I looked at her. She smiled. "You'll learn."

I smiled back. "Thank you."

At that moment, I thought she was being kind. Maybe she was. Maybe she wasn't. Sometimes the beginning of a story is not clear until you have reached the end.

Aarav kept his promise. He talked about college constantly. "I found a college." He would say it while eating. Or shaving. Or putting on his shoes. "There's one near the city. They have evening classes too. You could start in January."

He brought me bangles from the market. I repaired the button on his favourite shirt. He left notes beside my cup of tea. I tucked pieces of jasmine into his shirt pocket. At night, we talked about the future, children, a house, college, a small business, travel, a balcony, a dog.

We had plans for everything. Even things we could not afford... especially those. And that was when the first bill arrived.

Aarav looked at it. His smile disappeared.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

I moved closer. "Let me see."

"It's fine."

He folded the paper. I noticed his jaw tighten.

"Are we short?"

"We'll manage."

The second bill came. Then the third. His father's business had begun losing money. The household became quieter. Meals became smaller. Conversations became shorter. Aarav started coming home later. Sometimes after ten. Sometimes after eleven.