I set the plate down on the small table beside her chair and pulled up another chair so I was sitting directly in front of her. Then I picked up the plate again and tore off a piece of roti, scooping some dal onto it.
"Then I will feed you."
She finally looked at me, her eyes flashing with irritation.
"I am not a child."
"I know you are not. But you are stubborn. And you will not take care of yourself just to spite me. So I will take care of you instead."
I held the morsel up to her lips. She pressed them together stubbornly, turning her face away.
"Viya, please. Do not punish the baby because you are angry with me."
That got to her. Her jaw clenched, but after a moment, she opened her mouth and let me feed her.
I felt a small surge of victory.
We continued like that in silence. I would prepare each bite, and she would reluctantly accept it. She did not look at me, kept her gaze fixed on the garden, but she ate everything I gave her.
When the plate was empty, I held up the glass of water. She took it from my hands herself this time, our fingers brushing briefly. I saw her shiver at the contact.
Good. She still felt something. Still reacted to my touch even when she did not want to.
After she drank the water, she set the glass down and finally spoke.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"This." She gestured vaguely at the empty plate, at me sitting so close. "The party. The announcement. The feeding me like an invalid. Why are you trying so hard?"
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees so I could look directly into her eyes.
"Because I love you. Because you are my wife. Because I will do whatever it takes to prove to you that this marriage is real. That my feelings are real."
She looked away, but not before I saw tears gathering in her eyes.
"I love you too," she whispered, so quietly I almost missed it.
My heart stopped.
"But I cannot trust you anymore, Armaan. You lied to me. You kept secrets. How do I know you are not lying now? How do I know this is not just guilt or obligation because of the baby?"
I reached out and gently turned her face back toward me, my fingers soft against her chin.
"Give us time. Give me time. I will win your trust back, Viya. Day by day. Moment by moment. I will prove to you that every word I say is true. That I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. That I am not going anywhere."
A tear slipped down her cheek. I wiped it away with my thumb.
"I do not know if I can," she said, her voice breaking. "I do not know if I am strong enough to risk being hurt again."
"You are the strongest person I know. But you do not have to be strong alone anymore. Let me be strong for both of us. Let me carry this weight while you heal."
She did not say anything, just looked at me with those beautiful, wounded eyes.
I stood and held out my hand.
"Come inside. You need to rest."
