The second and last shot of Empty without her is here. I could have changed how things went but I kept it intact because I think the past me wrote it to her best capabilities *wink*

After this one, His Unique Blessing will start from next week.

Happy Reading!

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Author's POV

The 'ding' of the oven ended her self-reprimanding session. She quickly ran to see the cupcakes. She viewed them as the perfect opportunity to apologize to him. She knew it wasn't completely her fault, but she was ready to mend things because she couldn't see him upset. She took out the cupcakes carefully and iced them, writing letters of the words sorry on five of them. She decorated them on a plate and sauntered to soothe him. Her smile fell as she saw him sleeping on his side of the bed. He never slept without cuddling her. She felt bad. Shaking away the negativity, she stored the delicacies carefully back in the kitchen and slept beside him, hoping she would change for him.

He opened his eyes when he felt she was asleep and pulled her closer. When she got up, he wasn't there. He went to the office early. Two days passed, and he ignored her. By the third day, her efforts had died down. She decided to change herself a bit for his sake. She could do much more than that for him. For others, she was still the same Ladaku Vimaan (fighter plane) but she was ready to be a private jet for him.

It was a regular morning when she served him breakfast. He was yearning to hear her voice because he was angry at himself for being so harsh on her. He wanted things to be normal between them. He attempted to spark an argument. She had made the parathas (flatbreads) just as he preferred, but he said, "The yellow butter on the top is too much. I don't like it."

"Oh! Sorry, I will make another one. Give me two minutes," she said and rushed to the kitchen. What happened to my Siren? She did not revert back today. He frowned.

"Here" she gave him another one. This time, he had it quietly. The whole day he kept on trying to instigate her to fight with him, but she, unlike her real self, bowed down to his will. This wasn't the woman he married two years ago.

Today he was determined to talk to her, so he took off. He felt empty for the last few days. He couldn't sleep as the whole night he kept thinking, why did they not fight? There was no peace in his life. Would this be his life if she turned quiet? He thought horrified. 

He couldn't eat because nobody reacted to his tantrums. He didn't crave perfection anymore. The perfection his wife offered every day seemed like a thorn to him. He wanted her to scold him for being rude. He wanted anything but this. He lost his solace.

The sun shone brightly, and he admired his sleeping beauty and caressed her hair softly. He pecked her lips softly. He knew she was his everything. Though every physical need was met, he craved more. This was because he was emotionally dependent on her. He depended on her for his mental health. He loved the way they were with each other. Their true and raw selves. He didn't need to put a mask before her because she knew him inside out. He didn't like the show she put up in front of him because she thought it was where his happiness lay. How much did his woman love him?

She opened her beautiful orbs, and he whispered, "Good morning, my love."

"Morning," she whispered back and got up. He didn't like her leaving his embrace. He pulled her back and asked, "What's the hurry?"

"You will be late to the office. I have to pack your lunch. Mumma also needs her morning tea. I also have to bring some stationery," she said.

"I bought them till a week back, right? You didn't like buying things from nearby stores," he pointed out.

"Doesn't matter. You already work so hard. Let's not overload your plate," she kissed his cheek and went to get ready. He remembered his own words from their fight: 'Have you ever adjusted for me?'

'Damn! I messed up big time,' he berated himself for being so stupid.

'If she starts adjusting like this, I will go crazy,' he muttered aloud and got up to do his morning business. He got ready in his casual clothes and went to make her favorite chamomile tea and pancakes. His mother stood by his side and said, "Ahem-Ahem. What's cooking?"

"Pancakes," he grinned.

"In my opinion, a wife-persuading session is the correct answer," she said. He sighed and nodded.

"She isn't angry. She is hurt," his mother said.

"It wasn't just you who fought with us for her sake. Didn't she persuade her parents? Didn't she adapt to our culture? For your sake, she still observes Karwa Chauth despite being a Christian. Did she ever complain like you? I asked you, why do you love her? You said because she stands up to you and a few days back, you scolded her for this reason. You scolded her for being herself and now you are trying to apologize like an idiot. If you have gone blind in love, she has turned deaf, blind, and mute in love too. The chatterbox is silent only in front of you. She is the same with everyone else. She still argues with her students, us and all the neighborhood ladies because for her, right is right and wrong is wrong. Her decisions have always been as significant as yours from the beginning. I miss your fights. How dare you snatch my daily dose of entertainment?" she slapped his back.

"I want her to argue with me," he muttered.

"Then make her talk to you. Women are the strongest creatures born on earth who always stand up for their loved ones. You don't rely on them for household functioning but for the smooth operation of your entire self. It feels empty nowadays, right? It will always be this way if she stops being what she is. It will always be like this when you question her personality. Women might be selfless and kind, but underestimating them is mankind's biggest mistake. Their true power lies in the way they carry themselves. Her way of correcting herself gives more pain than peace, right? This is because she has always been loyal in showing herself to you and accepting you in the same form. Man up to match the standards, my son," my mother winked and left me alone. She is right. Real empowerment starts in our homes when we consider our better halves as powerful as us, if not more. Did my words undermine her worth? They did when I made her profession sound like an easy job.

I plated the pancakes for her and saw her drumming her fingers in impatience. She would have been yelling if it was some other day. So much patience for me, whoa! He concluded.

"Here" he gave her the pancakes.

"Thanks," she said and dug in.

"Thanks? When did this happen, Mrs. Awasthi?" he asked, sitting by her side.

"Mrs. Awasthi is trying to adapt to your life, Mr. Awasthi," she shrugged it off. He kept the food aside, turned her towards him, and started, "I am sorry. Please forgive me, my love."

"It's okay," she said, trying to escape.

He cupped her face and said, "It's not okay. The fact that you stay put when I yell at you like that is unacceptable. You aren't my senior's wife who has to be understanding when I am not. Relationships might work that way, but that does not give men the right to question a woman's efforts. It does not give me the right to undermine you. I love you. When I say these three words, I mean I love the whole of you, starting from your irritating to your caring self. I am sorry for questioning your love, affection, and devotion. I am sorry for disappointing you. I always want you to fight back and set me right. I am—"

"It's not easy to teach kids. If you find it that easy, why do you run to your room as soon as the class starts? It's because Ronit and Geeta infuriate you to no extent. Remember when you gave them weekly tests?" She raised a brow.

"Oh, that was pure and complete torture. How do you even bear them? Geeta kept asking the meaning of every question. How do we explain the meaning of geography questions, in one-word answers? And that Ronit, he broke the protractor apart while measuring an angle and then disturbed the whole class," he reminisced.

"Secondly, you must be patient yourself if you expect patience. I am the way I am. After two weeks, I made that lentil curry, but I'll make it twice a week from now. And yes, I will add extra yellow butter to your paratha and you will have to eat it. By the way, you had a hefty dinner the previous night and weren't even that hungry when you left the breakfast table that day. Otherwise, I would have made you sit and eat anyhow. Furthermore, you are my husband. I will show you my care the way I prefer. You don't get to decide for me. Next time, if your tolerance level drops down, expect me to elevate the situation and not give you silent treatment till you realize it by yourself." She flipped her hair dramatically. This was her, who had a heart big enough to forgive people when they realized their mistakes.

"Means you weren't actually intending to change? Oh ho! I wasted my time pacifying the wrong woman. Haina Siren (Right Siren)?" he laughed.

"Earlier you were going to do 50 push-ups as punishment, but now you will have to do 100 because you called me that name," she pouted.

"That's not fair," he exclaimed.

"You deserve it," she said, sticking out her tongue. He pulled her to himself and hugged her tightly. Slowly he felt his shirt being wet, and he tilted his head to see his siren crying.

"I thought sirens only irritated others. When did you start crying like a baby?" he teased.

"You are very bad. So sooo bad," she whined, wiping her nose with his shirt.

"You are so strong. So sooo strong. So selfless. So beautiful. You handle everything effortlessly from my tantrums to our complete household. We rely on you for being our strength. Stay exactly the way you are. My wonder woman. And yes, give me one extra tiffin box tomorrow. I am yet to answer a few people properly," he said. He was going to tell his senior to stop being rude and start respecting his wife, or else it would leave him with nothing but emptiness. An emptiness that would eat him up from the inside.

Real feminism starts by changing the thinking of those who don't realize the importance and rights of their women. Men's grace lies in being their power instead of criticizers. Every woman is an exceptional diamond who is incomparable and a masterpiece in her own way. Every being's value lies in respecting this beautiful jewel and supporting her to rise in every aspect. Harmony in a tribe is not the responsibility of a woman alone. It belongs to both the creations of the lord. Women are as human as men, so the treatment cannot be different. A man and woman are two pillars of society who adjust, coordinate, and strengthen each other to give rise to strong generations.

"Golgappe (an Indian snack)" she said looking up at him.

"Huh?" he asked, confused.

"I choose golgappe, Ice-cream is for our next date," she announced and they laughed.

Her smile makes it feel like home. It is her existence that completes that home and her efforts that beautify it. That's worth all the respect the world has to offer because she is a proud woman. A woman who can change the world just by her silence. A woman who has silently sacrificed her happiness for the sake of her people. A woman who raises hell when her dignity is threatened. A woman who asks for nothing but love and admiration in return for her diligence, painstaking labor, and selfless concern. A woman who deserves to be treasured.

~Feminism is nothing but welcoming the trend of equality between genders~ 

Thanks a ton for Reading! 

So did I keep the true sense of feminism intact?

How was it?

I justified the title right.

Something you loved about this little journey?

Something you adore about them?

Did this surprise update make you happy?

Excited for His unique blessing to start?

So Anna vs. Amar who do you love more?

Tip of the day: The more the inline comments the sooner HUB starts. 

Signing off

With Love

Ms. Bhatia