Chapter 4 — The Woman in the Mirror
Days turned into weeks.
Arav learned to cook several dishes, clean the house, organise groceries, and take care of Raghav's medicine schedule. Vasundhara remained demanding, but she gradually began to trust him with more responsibility.
One afternoon, she asked whether he would be willing to help her prepare for a neighbourhood cultural programme. She needed someone to demonstrate a traditional saree arrangement.
This time, Arav considered the request carefully.
“I'll try it,” he said, “but I want to do it because I choose to—not because I am being ordered.”
Vasundhara nodded. “That is fair.”
She helped him arrange the deep green saree, its delicate border falling neatly across his shoulder. Arav chose the floral blouse for the demonstration, while Vasundhara showed him how to secure the pleats comfortably. He wore small jhumka earrings and a few green glass bangles.
His hair had grown longer, and she helped him gather it into a thick braid. A tiny butterfly pendant rested against his chest.
When he looked in the mirror, he did not laugh this time.
He felt nervous, but beneath the nervousness was a quiet, unfamiliar tenderness. He adjusted the pleats, moved the braid over his shoulder, and watched how the jewellery caught the light.
“Do I look like Meera?” he asked.
“No,” Vasundhara replied. “You look like yourself, wearing a saree.”
The distinction stayed with him.
Later, he returned to the mirror alone. He tried a softer hairstyle, examined the earrings, and practised walking without holding the saree too tightly. He was surprised by the patience the process required—and by the sense of care he felt when he attended to each detail.
He still did not have a name for what was happening inside him.
But he knew he wanted the freedom to explore it without ridicule.
Emotional turning point: Arav studies his reflection with a thoughtful, almost peaceful expression, beginning to recognise that the experience means something personal to him.
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