Bandita continued working on her laptop while stifling a wide yawn. The wooden wall clock showed 10 minutes past 11. There was still an hour or two of work to be completed. While contemplating whether to simply shut down the laptop and carry over the remainder work to the day after or continue working; Vivek’s voice drifted from the adjoining room “I’m off to sleep. You too sleep soon; you have to wake up early. Get adequate rest dear, you need it. Goodnight.”
She smiled and went back to her task. Unlike her, Vivek, her husband, followed a disciplined lifestyle. He slept and woke up at almost the exact time every day. He professed a routine style of living for a healthy and sound life. They had been married for almost half a year now.
The clock struck one, Bandita unable to hold her sleep any longer retired to the bedroom. Overworked and fatigued, she could barely walk straight; she simply wanted to hit the bed and retire to a deep slumber. She climbed under the quilt they shared. She could hear his synchronised breath indicating he was fast asleep. She set the alarm for 7 am and closed her eyes.
20 minutes passed. She was still wide awake. Sleep evaded her. Bandita knew if she tried a little harder she could fall asleep. She made an effort to keep her mind blank, keep any and every kind of thoughts at bay. She tried the reverse counting technique. 100..99..98.. Should she wake him up? 97…96..95..94..But it wouldn’t be right to disturb him with something so silly, would it….93..92..91..90..She should have gone to bed with him ….89..88..87..86..85.. Sleep was sure to find her, after all she was exhausted from the day’s chores both at office and home..84..83..82..81..Naah,She couldn’t sleep like this, she concluded. May be she should get back to work, but would that be a good idea?
She ceased reverse counting; sighed and sat up on the bed. Crouching in the darkness she stared at Vivek’s contour. She envied him sometimes, the way he could keep his professional and personal lives separate and not let anything affect his normal methodical life. She so wished she could be like him at times, especially at nights, sleep like a log. Gulping a glass of water she checked her phone which should never be checked at least 30 minutes prior to sleeping as per Vivek’s instructions, to ensure a sound sleep. Maybe it was high time she started giving heed to his silly rules; that way one was sure to get some peace of mind.
The clock showed half past 1. She had to sleep, she needed rest to be fresh and energetic for the next day. She crashed on the double bed for slumber round two. As soon as her head rested on the pillow, siesta eluded her yet one more time. She kept shifting in order to find a comfortable position, she changed the temperature of the AC over and over, trying everything in vain, knowing the result would be futile. She realised there was only one last resort left to ensure a sound sleep. Her hands reached the bed side drawer and she took out the bottle of sleeping pills, which was kept in her hideout without Vivek’s cognizance for emergency situations like these. Vivek would be furious if he knew about it. He hated medicines and believed on human body’s natural healing process. She would make sure he wouldn’t know. About to pop the pill she stopped midway remembering her last experience of the pill when the following day she had been groggy and sleepy, unable to concentrate on work. She raised her hands up in the air, submitting herself to whoever the God of Sleep was and whispered “I give up! I am done trying.” She laid back on the bed one more time feeling dejected, helpless, tired yet not at all sleepy.
She eyed Vivek who was unaware of her misery. It was high time she woke him up and explained her situation to him. He would definitely understand and comply, but what if he dismissed her theory as ridiculous and baseless. Even worse, what if after being woken up he wasn’t able to go back to sleep, just like her he too was rendered sleepless. She decided against the idea of disturbing him and lied down embracing her fated sleepless night. She remembered her carefree bachelorette days when she would fall asleep in no time at all without any hassle. No matter how her day would turn out to be, she slept like a rock. She didn’t have any sleeping habit or technique. But as they say marriage changes you forever, her sleeping habit had reached a point of unchangeable dependency. The night went on. It seemed like an endless black nightfall without any visible end. She started making a mental note of the tasks for the next day. Right then the miracle happened, Vivek turned towards her and his hand fell on her. His palm caressed her shoulder, his long fingers grasping her ever so lightly, his warm skin brushing against her cold epidermal layer; Bandita was aware Vivek was still sound asleep and completely unaware of anything. In no time, Bandita fell asleep and slept smoothly till the daybreak without any further inconvenience.
Dug this one up from the archives, wrote it way back in 2015.
Do share your thoughts, perspective, feedback about the story in comments below. Its always good to get some feedback.
Very good story, it drew me in. I have the same problem. We spoon in bed to start the night. You do grow accustomed to that and it’s hard to sleep well apart when the bed is empty.
Oh totally. When I wrote the story, I still remember that day after waking up and realising the importance of this connection. Had to write it down. Am so glad the thought resonated with you. Thank you for reading the story & taking the time out to comment.
Beautiful! Such a sweet story. My husband is like the husband in the story!! He can sleep with no problem and always seems able to disconnect no matter how stressful his day was. And when I can’t sleep I always want to wake him up to spend time with me and talk to me. It’s so true that getting married changes you somehow. 😊 great read!
I am so happy that, 1) you could connect with the story and 2)your comment showed up on my blog!! I agree, it’s true, marriage or any relationship changes you in so many ways. When we look back its not the house or savings or furniture that we think about to but priceless moments like these which melt our heart. This story was an honest attempt to portray the simplicity yet profoundness of the institution of togetherness. Thank you so much for reading and making my day with your lovely feedback.
You did such a great job of portraying what you set out to! =) I’ve been really enjoying reading your posts!
Thanks a lot for your continual uplifting support. Means a lot to me. I’m glad you enjoyed reading the story 🙂
This story was all too familiar with me. The lack of quality sleep or being able to easily fall asleep why my husband drifts. But a soothing touch solves so much!
Thanks a lot for reading! I wrote it way back in 2014, a few months into my marriage 🙂 Thank you for taking the time out time to read.
Wow such a lovely story!
Thanks a lot 🙂
I like this one. Glad she was able to fall asleep in the end, I know that feel sometimes 😂
Ha Ha this one was inspired from a real life experience of mine 😉 Thanks for reading .
What an interesting story! Can relate with both characters: Bandita -not being able to fall asleep b/c of the billion thoughts going on in her head, Vivek – not being a fan of medicine, haha.
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GABBY | http://www.gabbyabigaill.com
Thanks a lot for stopping by and taking out time to read 🙂 🙂 🙂 Am glad the characters were relatable 🙂
Such a beautiful reminiscence in this story! There’s something so beautiful about touch that brings us back to the kinaesthetic energies flowing through us. This is reflective of who I am as a person completely. While I don’t have a Vivek in my life yet, I can relate entirely to the importance and significance of even just a touch to bring us back to our happy place.
Thanks a lot Sugi for the detailed response. Am glad to get your feedback. Your last line summarizes my story perfectly. Thank you so much for reading & hoping you found your Vivek soon!
I love this story! It’s really a refreshing change from all of the how-to’s and listicles on every other blog. Thanks for sharing it with me!
Am so glad you had a good time reading my stories 🙂