Two Strangers,One Beginning

Chapter 3

The house was silent, just as it had been since the day they arrived. But this time, Aarohi felt the weight of loneliness more than ever. She had adjusted to the routine of sharing a space with Ishaan—him coming home late, them barely exchanging words, and eating in silence. But now, she wanted more.

Summoning her courage, she walked up to him as he was about to leave for work.

“I… I’m thinking of getting a job,” she said softly, her fingers twisting together. “Can I?”

Ishaan looked up from his phone, meeting her eyes.

He nodded. “Let me know if you need any help.”

Relief washed over her. She smiled, a small but genuine one, and nodded back.

After a week

Aarohi had worked as a research executive before marriage, and with her experience, she quickly secured a job at a company nearby.

Ishaan came back home after work that evening. Arohi mustered some courage and spoke “I got the job,” she told Ishaan. “I’ll be starting next week.”

He glanced at her and gave a small nod. “Congratulations.”

It wasn’t much, but it meant something.

As she started work, her world expanded beyond the quiet confines of their house. Her colleagues were friendly, and she found herself fitting in easily. With her knowledge of the industry, she helped the company expand its market in Asia.

Through a colleague, Nina, she made new friends—three boys and three girls who welcomed her like family. They bonded over Indian food, shared inside jokes, and had movie nights filled with Bollywood classics and Marvel marathons.

For the first time in a long while, Aarohi felt alive.

Ishaan watched the change in his wife. He noticed the way she laughed more, the way her eyes sparkled with newfound joy. She was making a life for herself.

And somewhere along the way, it made him want to change too.

The guilt of that night—the way he had lashed out at her over something she had no part in—haunted him. Drinking wouldn’t fix anything. It would only hurt the innocent.

So he stopped.

Instead, he focused on his work, throwing himself into new projects, climbing back to the ambitious man he once was. Aman, his best friend, noticed the shift and encouraged him further.

“You should get to know her,” Aman said one evening over drinks—non-alcoholic this time. “You’re going to be living together anyway. Maybe she could be a good friend.”

Ishaan considered his words but gave no reply.