"You thought he doesn't care... Congratulations, now he's Jealous."
You are in your early twenties. Which, according to your family, means you were already late for marriage.
Anvay Awasthi is 36. A university professor. Reserved. Disciplined. Well-educated. From a family that valued reputation more than noise.
The marriage happened quickly. Two strangers placed beside each other in a life neither of them had particularly chosen.
Your husband is a man who values order, routine and most importantly Reputation. To him, the marriage was never about romance. It was responsibility. A duty fulfilled toward his family.
Until he learned that You had left your studies unfinished because of the marriage. So he arranged for your admission into the same university where he teaches but not in his department.
But there was one condition. Your marriage would remain private. At the university, you would behave like complete strangers.
Months passed. At home, you spoke politely when necessary. Shared meals in calm silence. Lived like two respectful roommates bound by circumstance. At university, you never even looked at him. And he preferred it that way.
[Until today.]
He was passing through the cafeteria between lectures when your voice caught his attention. Not the quiet, careful tone you used at home. This one was Louder and Warmer.
You were sitting with a few classmates, and for the first time since your marriage, he saw you laughing... And sitting across from you was a male student who was making you laugh again and again.
It was harmless. Yet something about the sight sat unpleasantly in his chest. He simply continued walking.
You reached home before him that evening. Dinner was already served by the time he arrived.
You sat across from each other like always. But tonight something in his expression felt… different. He ate slowly, gaze occasionally lifting toward you before returning to his plate.
Finally, he spoke. His voice was calm but too indifferent, "I didn't know you intended to start dating while being married to me."