"Shiv"Iti called out to her husband who was busy doing something on his phone but looked at her when she called him.

"Kahiye"Shiv said.

"Aap staff ko bol denge kya ki kal se lunch time mein hamare liye itna saara khana na banaye"Iti said and Shiv stared at her in confusion.

"Lunch time pr ghar mein sirf hum hote h,aap office chale jaatein h,Nanisa Hukum bhi apne work place pr hi hoti h,hamare liye itna saara khana bana dete h yeh log,hum akele kitna hi khaa payenge!"Iti said.

"Jaha tak hame pata h roz normal khana hi banta h Iti"Shiv said because the same food is then sent for him and his Nanisa Hukum at their work places at lunch time.

"Nhi,roz 4-4 sabziyan banti h,aur 2-3 types ki dal banti h,aur pata nhi kitne type ke chawal"Iti said.

"Ha yeh normal hi h"Shiv said and she gave him a look of disbelief.

"Ek akela insan 4 type ki sabziyan aur 2-3 type ki dal kese khayega?"Iti asked him.

"Mat khaiye sab,jo accha lagta h unmein se woh khaiye"Shuv said.

"Pr baaki toh waste hoga na?aap hi toh kehte h khane ko waste nhi krna h"Iti said.

"Waste nhi hota h Iti,wahi khana staff bhi toh khaata h na"Shiv said and then she stared at him in confusion.

"Acha matlab baaki sab khana staff khaata h?"Iti asked and he nodded his head at that.

"Woh kya khayenge phir?sab yahi palace mein hi toh rehte h,staff ke liye alag section h,unka khud ka ghar nhi h,na woh log sham ko ghar jaatein h, isliye jo yaha banta h woh sabke liye banta h,sirf hamare liye nhi, isliye khana bulk mein aur itni variety ka banta h,unn sabki apni families bhi toh h,unke bacche h,apne-apne respective partners h"Shiv said and Iti was amazed hearing that.

"Humne kabhi nhi dekha kisi ko bhi,sirf cleaning staff aur kitchen staff ko hi dekha h humne,aur guards ko"Iti said confused.

"Kyuki unka section thoda durr h,palace aakhir bada bhi toh h,woh waha rehte h taaki unki privacy bhi rahe aur hamari bhi"Shiv said making her nod her head at that.

"Phir bhi khane mein itni variety ki kya zaroorat h? maximum 2 sabziyan aur ek dal,kaafi hota h ek insaan ke liye yeh sab"Iti said.

"Hamare yaha issi type se khana bante aaya h Iti,yeh humne decide nhi kiya hua h,pehele se aisa hi hota h,aur wese bhi kitchen waghera ka saara kaam Nanisa Hukum supervise krti h,aap unse kahiye"Shiv said and Iti immediately shook her head in denial at that.

"Aree aap unhe keh sakti h,woh aapki baat maan jayengi"Shiv said but Iti still shook her head in denial.

What if Nanisa Hukum gets angry?

She doesn't wants to meddle into anything related to the functioning of the palace.

"Nhi,hame laga tha ki sirf hum teeno ke liye khana banta h isliye hum aapse keh rahe the,agar itne saare log khaa rahe h toh thik h,jaisa h wesa hi rehne dijiye cheezon ko"Iti said as she turned the page of the book she was currently reading.

Shiv didn't said anything to her then and went back to his phone as the two sat on the bed ready to sleep after sometime.

"Aap thakti nhi h books padhkr?hum jab bhi aapko dekhte h aapke haath mein koi na koi kitab zarur hoti h"Shiv couldn't help but share his observation of the past few days.

"Hame reading krna pasand h"Iti said as she looked at him.

"Hame bilkul nhi pasand kuch bhi padhna"Shiv said and Iti shook her head at his words.

How can someone dislike reading?

_____________________________

"Jaiye jaakr Shaam ko bulaiye"Shiv said a lil irritatedly to the female staff who had came to call the couple downstairs for breakfast.

"Ranasa Shaam toh aaj chutti pr h"The staff said and Shiv sighed deeply and asked her to leave.

Shiv sat on the bed and bend down to tie his shoelaces which he can never get right, that's why Shaam,one of their staff was on duty to tie his shoelaces every time he wore shoes which had laces.

Iti who had came out of the bathroom just then was making her hair when she heard the continues sulking of her husband who sat on the bed doing God knows what.

"Tch!"

"Tch,tch!"

"Tch,ssstch!"

She finally looked at him when she couldn't hear his sighs and tcsks anymore.

"Kya hua h?"Iti asked finally and he stared at her and then shook his head in denial.

Iti stared at him as he with great concentration tried to tie the shoelaces of his shoes but was unsuccessful again!

"Tch,tsk,tch!"

Again he hissed.

She understood that he was having issue tying his shoelaces.

"Laiye hum kr dete h"Iti said and before he could deny her she bend down infront of him to do it but Shiv immediately stood up and backed away.

"Nhi,aap mat kijiye,hum kr lenge"Shiv said as he went and sat on the diwan and again tried to tie his shoelaces.

"Aapse nhi ho raha h,hum kr dete h,hame bandhana aata h shoelace"Iti said but he still shook his head in denial,his eyes still fixed on the laces.

"Hum kr lenge.... chodiye Iti aap,mat kijiye yeh"Shiv said as Iti again moved closer to him and bent down to tie his shoelaces.

"Hum kr dete h,aapse nhi ho raha h wese bhi"Iti said as she tied one of his shoelace to which he kept protesting.

"Hamare pairo ko haath mat lagaiye Iti,hame accha nhi lagta"Shiv said as he took his foot back.

"Itni badi baat nhi h Shiv,hum sirf aapki shoelaces baandh rahe h"Iti said but he shook his head in denial.

"Phir bhi hame nhi pasand koi hamare pair chuye toh,aapko toh bilkul nhi chune chaiye hamare pair" Shiv said.

"Kyu?"Iti couldn't help but ask,in Indian culture it was appreciated and glorified if the lady touches her husband's feets,there wasn't anything wrong in it,it was purely their wish to do so.

"Kyuki aap Rani h,Raniya kisi ke pair nhi chuti h"Shiv said.

"Hum aapki patni bhi h,ek patni toh apne pati ke pair chuu hi sakti h"Iti said as she bent down to tie his other shoelace as well.

It wasn't as if she was dying to help him,she could see the struggle he was having while tying his shoelaces,she was just being good and doing what she thought she should.

He has also always tried to make her comfortable and help her in any way he could.

Maybe he didn't really liked some one touching his feet but she wasn't doing so with an intention to make him uncomfortable.

Anyways,if a man touches his wife's feet it is glorified,it is appreciated but if it is vice versa the man is bashed for asking his wife to do so even if the wife does so with her own wish.

He was still not liking it though and she could say that by looking at his face.

Her tying his shoelaces wasn't appreciated by him.

"Agli baar aap hamare shoelaces baandh dijiyega,phir equal ho jayega"She said and he shook his head at them making her frown.

"Hame shoelaces baandhana nhi aata h,humne bht try kiya seekhne ki pr humse kabhi nhi hua, isliye toh Shaam roz hamare laces baandhta h...ab jab humse khud ke laces nhi bandh rahe h toh hum aapke laces kese baandhe?"Shiv said and Iti understood his point.

"Iti agli baar mat kijiyega yeh please,hame sach mein accha nhi laga aapka hamare pair chuna,bhale woh koi bhi reason ki wajah se kyu na ho,mat kijiyega aisa kabhi please"Shiv said and Iti just nodded not wanting to argue on this now.

"Chodiye isse,neeche chaliye,Nanisa Hukum wait kr rahi hongi hamara aur aapka"Iti said and Shiv nodded at that.

They both made their way downstairs and settled on the table for breakfast once they greeted his grandmother.

"Aapki baat hui thi Veer se?"Nanisa Hukum asked and Shiv shook his head at that.

"Kyu?kuch hua h kya Nanisa Hukum?"Shiv asked getting concerned.

"Nhi kuch nhi hua h,Veer keh rahe the ki unke semester exams khatam ho gaye h aur unhe kuch dino ki chuttiyan h isliye woh ghar aa rahe h kal sham,aaj dophar ki flight h unki"Nanisa Hukum said making Shiv smile hearing that.

"Aur Gauravi?"Shiv asked.

"Dono saath hi aa rahe h"Nanisa Hukum said.

"Hume bata dijiyega kab aanewale h woh dono,hum khud lene chale jayenge,dinner saath hi karenge hamari woh dono,toh aap please kitchen staff se kehkr unn dono ke manpasand ka khana banwa dijiyega,khana miss kr rahe honge woh dono"Shiv said all at once and his Nanisa Hukum nodded and smiled at him.

"Keh diya h humne pehle hi"Nanisa Hukum said.

"Iti,Pratap ke Chote bhai aur behen London se wapas aa rahe h kal,aap bhi jaiyega inke saath unhe lene ke liye,woh dono aapse milne ke liye bht betaab h"Nanisa Hukum said and Iti nodded her head at that.

"Hum chalte h phir office,hum chahte h parso office na jaaye aur ghar pr hi rehkr unn dono ko thoda waqt de,shayad aane mein thoda late ho jayenge hum Nanisa Hukum,aap aur Iti khana khaa lijiyega"Shiv said as he got up immediately.

"Aree pr aapne toh naashta toh kiya hi nhi h!"His Nanisa Hukum said because he just had his tea.

"Hum office mein kuch khaa lenge,abhi chalte h,byy"Shiv said as he got up and left.

"Bht time baad aa rahe h na woh dono,isliye Pratap bht khush h"His Nanisa Hukum said with a fond smile on her face which Iti reciprocated.

"Hum bhi chalte h Iti,khayal rakhiyega apna"Nanisa Hukum said and Iti nodded her head at that.

The whole day passed in the same way for Iti,she has recently started working for her husband's business and so all the financial files are sent to her at home only which she checks and audits for them and sends them back to the office.

When dinner time arrived it was just her and Nanisa Hukum because as Shiv has said he was actually late.

The two ladies had their dinner together with Nanisa Hukum sharing things about Shiv and his siblings.

Iti went to her room post dinner and changed into her nightwear.She wasn't sleepy because she had a habit of reading before bed so she continued reading the novel she had left mid way.

She was totally engrossed in the book,her eyes scanning each line as she read what unfolds next in the story.

The door of the bedroom opened and Shiv stepped in,tiredly he moved his eyes around the huge chamber which was there bedroom and found his wife sitting on the bed reading a book.

How can someone love reading so much?

He made his way inside and kept his bag and coat on the diwan and took his night clothes and went straight into the bathroom to freshen up and just sleep.

He came out and made his way towards the bed,his wife still hadn't even acknowledged his presence,she was that drowned in reading.

"Iti soo....

"Ahhhhhh"Iti screamed really loud making him confused as to what happened to her now.

"Kya hua h?"He asked as he leaned closer to her and she kept a hand on her chest as she was surprised seeing him.

When did he arrived?

"Aap kab aaye?"Iti asked and he sighed.

"Jab aap apni kitaab mein khoyi hui thi"Shiv said and she took a deep breath

"Humne aapko dekha nhi,sorry"She said and he just shrugged it away.

"Khana khaya aapne?"Iti couldn't help but ask and he just nodded his head at that as he again laid down on his side of bed.

"Aapne khaya?"He asked thinking she might have not had hers but Iti nodded her head making him sigh in relief.

"Soo jaiye aap,bht raat ho chuki h Iti"He said as he finally closed his eyes and snuggled into the blanket.

"

Ha aap soo jaiye hum bhi bas soo rahe h thodi derr mein"Iti said and she stared at him but he was already deep in sleep.

She looked at him as he slept and then again focused on her book.