The Stain on the Sofa

The shards of the broken vase

Nikhil moved the wooden cabinet to sweep the remaining pieces of the porcelain vase which once adorned its top. The fall of that vase was a rough start to the surprise party that was held at his home. The time spent in the party was as chaotic as his married life with Sunaina

It was just another ring on the doorbell. Nikhil went to check on the door. He took a deep breath before he opened the door. There were two confetti blasts and a group of his office friends-cum-neighbors  with their spouses cheered “Happy Marriage Anniversary!”.

Nikhil was taken aback. “How come they know?” he wondered as he welcomed them inside. “I had eavesdropped on your conversation with your mother yesterday at the office” told his friend and neighbor Akshay, who like Nikhil had been deployed in Ohio for an onsite project of their organization. Nikhil smiled. While letting them inside he moved closer to the wall  when he stumbled over the wooden cabinet. The vase rolled over to its edge and then fell down breaking into pieces. The room went silent. 

Nikhil sighed as he bent down to collect those shards on the dust plate. One of them pricked his finger and blood oozed out of it. “What’s the hurry man?” he cursed himself as he sucked the finger to stop bleeding. He glanced over the broken pieces on the dust plate. “Mindlessness can turn beauty into dust” he thought as he got up to dispose of those shards.

Smudges on the glass table

The sticky remains of the delectable meal that they had in the afternoon was giving hard time to Sunaina. Twice she had swiped over the glass table but the smudges were hard to come off. “One more time and I will leave it,” she thought. She sprayed the glass cleaner over the table again. At last, the smudges were gone. The glass had turned back to its original self; clear and shining. “Hope there is a cleaning solution for misunderstanding” she said to herself. 

After the vase broke everyone had been cautious while moving around the house. But as minutes turned to hours they lost their guards. The lunch was a potluck. The food was cooked by everyone who was there at the party. “You guys are now embarrassing me,” said Nikhil. “Okay you’ll give us a treat tomorrow” teased Akshay.

Sunaina was in the kitchen accompanied with other ladies present there. All of them were assisting her to take out crockeries. Nikhil entered the kitchen to keep the tray of glasses. “Place them on the table,” she said to him. Nikhil obliged to it. All the bowls were set on the table. As the lids were put down, everyone plunged to have them. While they were busy gorging in the food, Sunaina nudged Nikhil to get a bowl from the fridge. Nikhil nodded and got up. Almost everyone was done with their meal but Sunaina could not trace the bowl that she had asked Nikhil for. When she checked in the kitchen, the bowl was out of the fridge but Nikhil had forgotten to bring it out.

Sunaina felt abrasion on the tips of her finger. Her fingers were aching. She balled them into fist and opened it again. The friction while swiping the glass had made them numb just like her relation with Nikhil because of constant misunderstanding and arguments. 

How did it get started? Even she didn’t know. The beginning of it seemed to be like a windy evening which takes a gradual shift to stormy night. That day the surprise party was like a crack of thunder which for a few moments brightens up the surroundings but when it ends it is darker than before.

Stain on the sofa

The house had been set as it was before. Both Nikhil and Sunaina slumped together on the sofa. The relief for their tired muscles was momentary as the stain on the sofa had caught their eye.

 “The potluck had savories but no sweet,” said Anita, Akshay’s wife. “I have told you to coordinate with everyone. Hmm… Sumptuous meal with no dessert, this should be a punishment” said Akshay. “I will order something. There is an Indian restaurant here, I and Sunaina once went there. The food was good so dessert should also be great” said Nikhil.

“There is no need to order. I have a sweet dish” said Sunaina as she placed the bowl at the center of the table. “I had prepared Srikhand today. I have been practicing it for over a week. I hope it will taste good” she said 

In a jiffy, the bowl was empty. Nikhil and Sunaina had to share in one bowl. “Is it a coincidence or a planned incident?” winked Naman, his other friend. “Oi! I didn’t even have an idea she had prepared this how can this be planned” clarified Nikhil.

“Uff… Nikhil they are just pulling your leg and you… Both of you should not be just sharing sweets but some time as well” said Anita.

Nikhil nodded “Yes I had planned that”

“Planned? Then what happened” asked Akshay

“Wifi was not working,” said Nikhil. Sunaina was about take a bite when Anita nudged “When you are sharing the bowl then why not first bite”

Sunaina moved the spoon towards Nikhil who was busy in talking with his friends. “Nikhil!” Sunaina called him but he did not turn. Second time all the ladies shouted “Nikhil!”. All the men were startled and Nikhil turned towards Sunaina. The reaction gave a jerk to the spoon. It got slipped from Sunaina’s hand and fell on the sofa.

Albeit of all the differences, one thing that was common between them was not to leave anything undone. Thus, they sprang up from the sofa and grabbed the cleaning supplies. Nikhil poured a mixture of baking soda and water over it and let it rest for sometime. 

“Shrikhand was delicious,” said Nikhil, avoiding looking at her.

“Thanks!” said Sunaina

 “You have been practicing for a week, it has to be good,” said Nikhil. After a brief pause, he added “That’s why you forgot about paying the Wifi bill?” he asked

Sunaina nodded.

His peripheral view had caught a faint smile on her lips. But he kept his focus on the stain. He wiped off the mixture from tissue. The stain had lightened a bit. 

Sunaina scooped out cleaning foam over the stain and started scrubbing.

“You were planning a holiday” said Sunaina while scrubbing. The white color of the foam was turning yellow.

Nikhil sighed “Yes”

“Where?” she asked

“Vegas”

“Were you able to do the bookings?” 

“Tickets, I had already done. Today I had planned to book hotels then…” Nikhil’s voice trailed off.

“Fight” both of them thought at the same time.

“Did you say something?” asked Nikhil.

Sunaina moved her head sideways and asked “Did you?”

“No” replied Nikhil.

Sunaina stopped scrubbing and wiped the scum. Both moved closer to the stain. It was nowhere to be seen. “We have cleaned it on time otherwise it would have been a nuisance” said Nikhil and got up. He gave Sunaina a hand. Holding his hand she got up and both walked to their room.