“Can you be my husband?” Just for today?” the female colleague whispered to the security guard of the building, her eyes filled with worry when her relatives suddenly arrived… And finally…
The security guard, Arun, was stunned, his eyes narrowed, as if he could not believe his ears. He was standing near the reception desk in the lobby on the ground floor of the Gurugram office building, his hands still rubbing together due to the mild cold monsoon that hit the end of the year. In front of him, Mira – an office worker accustomed to just greeting each other – was looking at him with unusually curious eyes.

Mira was a gentle, calm colleague. In the company, people knew her only as dedicated to her work, a punctuality, and rarely involved in parties or gossip. But today, she came in with a tense face, constantly looking out of the mirror at the parking lot.

“My relatives from the countryside suddenly came to visit, they don’t know that I am divorced…” – Meera said in a tearful voice. “I don’t want them to be disappointed. For today, can you help me?”

Arun scratched his head and let out a long sigh. The security job had nothing to do with the family affairs of the employees. But those eyes – both worried and desperate – stopped her from refusing.

“Yes… Okay. But what do I do?” – Arun asked, half surprised, half worried.

Mira heaved a sigh of relief, her face a little relaxed. She explained: All she has to do is accompany him to visit his relatives, introduce himself to her husband, and then sit down to lunch. There is no need to show off anything special, just pretend to be familiar and close.

Arun has a little to tell this story… It was funny. He was unmarried, a security guard for more than three years, his salary was not high, but enough to make ends meet. He never imagined that one day he would play the role of the “fake husband” of a smart, handsome office worker like Meera.

The bus stopped and some men and women got off. Mira suddenly grabbed his sleeve. His hands were cold. “Please, help me. ”

At that moment, Arun nodded. And began the story of the “fake husband”…
A small dhaba at the end of the street was chosen as the meeting place. A table for six people, neatly decorated dishes, the aroma of fish curry, dal tadka next to it, hot roti and ginger scented tea.Meera’s relatives sat down, everyone was talking.

“Wow, is this Meera’s husband?” What a gentleman he looks!” – said the aunt looking at Arun with a smile.

Arun nodded quickly and gave a fake smile. His heart was beating like a drum. He had never before been used to acting in front of so many scrutinized eyes.

Meera quickly interrupted: “Yes, I am Arun, my husband. He works as a security guard in this building, his job is not very big, but he is steady and polite. ”

Arun was a little shocked to hear Meera’s voice. The way she introduced herself was simple and natural, but strangely warm.

The uncle in front of him sipped his wine and nodded: “Yes, it is enough for a husband and wife to love each other. Any job is precious. ”

Gradually the atmosphere became comfortable, but Arun was still tense. She had to remember names, roles, and not say anything out loud.

The food went on, relatives asked: “Have you two thought about it?”, “When will you have a baby?” … These questions seemed simple, but for Meera, they were like pricking a needle on the wound.

Seeing Meera a little confused, Arun replied: “Yes, we are thinking about it, but work is busy, so we will have to wait a little longer.” ”

The people at the whole table nodded at the answer, and then the conversation turned to the crops and the countryside. Meera looked up at Arun, her eyes full of gratitude and a little strange – as if she had not expected him to be so skilled.

Just then, the cousin suddenly joked: “Meera is so lucky to have such a gentle husband.” But why haven’t we seen any pictures of the wedding yet?”

The whole table fell silent for a few seconds. Arun stiffened. Mira managed to smile: “Ahh We registered with the registrar a little, didn’t make much noise, so there are only a few pictures. ”

Arun shuddered a little at that smile – strange but hiding a deep secret. Relatives nodded and continued to eat by raising their glasses.

But in Arun’s heart, that fabricated story was slowly… Truer than he thought. Every question, every answer, every glance – all made him feel as if he were a member of that family.

At the end of the meal, when everyone was full, the uncle patted Arun’s shoulder: “You are a good person. Remember to be nice to Meera.” ”

Arun could only nod, not muster up the courage to look directly at Meera. He was afraid that he would no longer be able to distinguish between fake and real.

In the afternoon, Meera’s relatives took the bus back to their hometown and gave them several instructions. When the bus left, Meera and Arun breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had just missed a long drama.

They stood silently in front of the gate of the building. The wind was blowing slowly, waving a few dry leaves. The two remained silent, until Mira tilted her head slightly:

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know how to deal with it…”

Arun smiled awkwardly: “Nothing.” I just… One was pretending. But as soon as he finished speaking, a strange emptiness filled his heart. Why was he missing that “role” so much?

Mira was silent for a moment. Suddenly, her voice trembled:

“It’s been more than two years since I was divorced. My relatives still think that my marriage is happy. I’m afraid they’ll be sad, disappointed. I’m selfish today, dragging you into this. ”

Arun looked at her. For the first time, he saw those eyes so fragile, so weak that even a gust of wind could break them. He said softly:
“It’s not selfish. Everyone has things that are difficult to say. I understand.” ”

At that moment, a strange sympathy arose between them. No more security guards, no more “fake wives – fake husbands”, but two people who were looking for each other in solitude.

That afternoon, as Meera was packing her bags to go, Arun called out:

“Hey… If you need someone in the future… If you play this role again, call me. ”

These words were half funny and half serious, but both of them had their hearts pounding. Mira turned and smiled lightly – a smile that was no longer artificial, but gentle and warm:

“Who knows… Maybe it’s not just a role. ”

Arun was watching her figure disappear outside the gate, a small ray of hope emerging in his heart that enveloped his quiet life.

The story of “fake husband for a day” seemed like a coincidence, but in the end, it opened a new door for both of them – where they could no longer show off, but embark on a real journey.