The next day, Ashwin and I decided to go to a movie in the afternoon. Since neither of us is particularly interested in romantic films, we opted for a horror-comedy called Munjiya. It turned out to be the perfect choice. Ashwin and I were thoroughly enjoying ourselves, laughing at the absurdly funny yet scary scenes. It was a much-needed break for both of us, especially for Ashwin, who had been so caught up with his busy work schedule. I felt a sense of relief seeing him unwind and enjoy the moment.
Throughout the movie, I kept thinking about how lucky I was to have Aarti Ma as my mother-in-law. Her thoughtfulness in arranging this little outing for us made a big difference. She wasn’t just supporting us practically but emotionally too. I realised she truly cared about our relationship and was helping nurture it in her own gentle way. As I sat there in the theatre, lost in these thoughts, I realised that, for the first time in days, I wasn’t stressed about the exam. I was simply content, soaking in the moment.
Once the movie ended, Ashwin grabbed my hand as we walked out of the theatre. We decided to continue our afternoon by dining at a nearby restaurant. As we sat down at the table, Ashwin handed me the menu with a teasing smile, “Dear wifey, order your favourite non-veg today.”
I smirked playfully and then turned to the waiter, “Brother, please note down chicken lollipop and chilly paneer for starters. For the main course, we'll have veg pulao and dal makhni. And wait... don’t forget the mocktails.” The waiter smiled and asked, “Which mocktails would you like, ma'am?” I passed the menu to Ashwin.
Ashwin chimed in, “I’ll have a Chambord cocktail, and for my wife, a virgin mojito. Also, please bring the drinks with the starters, and could you add some spicy corn as well?”
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As we waited for our order, something caught my attention. I noticed Vidya, a girl I knew from my college days, walking out of a private dining room with a group of people who looked like her classmates. A sudden wave of sadness hit me, and I felt my chest tighten. The memory of my last college exam flashed before me. I had given the same exam as Vidya, but unlike her, I had failed—not because I didn’t know the answers, but because I had made a careless mistake. I had forgotten to put my roll number on the answer sheet. That memory haunted me.
Lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed that tears had welled up in my eyes until I felt Ashwin’s warm hand gently touch my shoulder. Concern filled his eyes as he asked softly, “What happened, Dolly? I called your name. Why are you crying? Are you okay?”
I nodded, trying to pull myself together, but the pain in my heart was still fresh. I explained in a quiet voice, “Do you see that girl over there? That’s Vidya. We both took the same college exam last time, but I failed... only to realise later that I forgot to put my roll number on the paper.”
Ashwin gently wiped my tears with his thumb and spoke with kindness, “It’s okay, Dolly. Sometimes things happen that are out of our control. You’ve worked so hard, and one mistake doesn’t define you. Let’s enjoy our dinner and not dwell on the past.”
His words comforted me, and I realised he was right. Mistakes happen, but they don’t dictate our future. We still had so much to look forward to, and I didn’t want to let this memory steal our happy moment.
As the starters arrived, Ashwin and I shifted the conversation to lighter topics, laughing about the silly parts of the movie and planning what we would do next. The food was delicious, and I felt myself slowly letting go of the anxiety that had been weighing me down. Being with Ashwin, with his calm and understanding presence, made everything seem manageable.