The Time Traveler’s Wife (After the War)

Loving you

is loving a man unstuck in time.

Just when your laughter

begins to resonate in our house 

and learns the shape of our hallway,

just when your hands remember

where my waist bends,

time grabs you by the collar

and pulls you away.

You leave at the peak—

when love is loud,

when the bed still holds heat,

when promises are mid-sentence.

And I am left

to live in echoes.

I pine in the afterglow of you,

warming myself on memories.

Your shirts smell of ordinary life—

coffee, your perfume, yesterday—

and I breathe them like oxygen

until today stops hurting.

You return altered.

Your eyes carry landscapes

I am not allowed to see.

Your silence is heavy, metallic,

as if it has marched too long.

You hold me

like someone checking for landmines.

You’ve seen horrors—

I can tell by how gently

you place your boots at the door,

by how sleep refuses you,

by how your body flinches

at kindness.

I do not ask for stories.

I know some wars

cannot be translated.

When you come back,

I become something else.

Not a lover waiting to be desired.

I am the field medic of your heart.

I learn the geography of your wounds.

I press love where language fails.

I stitch you together

with patience, with warmth,

with a faith that does not demand proof.

If time insists on breaking you

into before and after,

I will stand in the aftermath,

hands steady, voice soft,

loving you back into one piece.

I am not the woman

who asks you to stay.

I am the woman

who makes coming home possible.

Because 

I am not a lover.

I am a healer. ❤️‍🩹

Happy 15th anniversary, Sangram!

Let’s talk about my husband-

Because apparently I am his emotional support STRESS BALL 🙄 

While he treats work like his spouse.

First of all—

He LOVES his job

Too much.

Aggressively,

Romantically,

Like he’s in a relationship with his laptop,

And I am the “other” woman 👩🏻 😫😭

The moment Teams pings

His whole body activates—

He sits up straight,

Cracks his knuckles,

Whispers,

“I’ll just finish this one thing…”

LIES.

Fake news.

Propaganda.

That “one thing” has a beginning, a middle, a sequel, and a spin-off series.

I’ll be sitting there

Looking cute ☺️ 

Existing peacefully 

Fully available for love and affection 💕

And he’s staring into the screen like it owes him money. 💵 

Then, when he FINALLY notices me,

It’s not romance.  💘 

Oh no.

Suddenly I am:

• A pillow 

• A stuffed toy 🧸 

• An emotional support plushie

• A stress relief device 

He pulls me into a full embrace

And gives wet kisses on my cheeks

Sometimes, he attempts to eat my nose—

Says it’s too cute 🥰 

Sometimes, he will pat my head

And pretend I am the replacement for the pet dog he wants. 🐶 

Sir,

I am not your custom squishy toy. 😡

I am a human being.

My mother didn’t birth me

Or my parents raise me 

For this.

And If I try to leave-

He pleads-

“Don’t leave! “ ( যাস না !)

EXCUSE ME??

I am not a cuddle subscription service.

But do I leave?

No.

Because sometimes,

In between emails and calls,

He’ll look at me properly.

Kiss my forehead.

And hug me sooo hard I will melt.

Like a fool.

So yes,

I’ll let him squish me like a stress toy.

Yes, I’ll sit quietly while he battles 

Deadlines after deadlines like a warrior monk.

Because no matter how much he loves his work…

He still loves me.

Signed

Slightly neglected but deeply cherished 😻

Vanraj was not a simp

In modern slang, a “simp” is someone who:

• sacrifices their own dignity,

• chases someone who clearly doesn’t value them,

• and lowers their self-worth for attention or love.

Vanraj does none of these things.

Let’s break it down:

❤️ 1. He respected her autonomy — he didn’t beg for love

When Vanraj realized Nandini’s heart was with someone else, he didn’t

• guilt-trip her

• force himself on her

• “try harder” to win her

Instead, he took the mature, painful, man-of-integrity route:

“If your happiness lies with another man, I will help you find it.”

That’s not simping.

That’s emotional courage.

🧭 2. His actions were based on values, not desperation

A simp changes behavior, hoping for approval.

Vanraj acted according to his principles, not because he wanted points or to be chosen.

He believed in:

• honesty

• commitment

• doing right even when it hurts

He didn’t drive her to Italy to “win her back.”

He did it because he believed her marriage deserved truth, not imprisonment.

💪 3. He had self-respect the entire time

He never:

• pleaded,

• groveled,

• degraded himself,

• or competed with Sameer for affection.

He simply stood in his own dignity and let her choose freely.

A man who knows his worth doesn’t fear losing someone.

🔥 4. His love was unconditional, not needy

A simp gives everything, hoping for affection.

Vanraj gave everything without expectation.

He didn’t say, “I did this for you, now love me.”

He said, “I did this because love deserves freedom.”

That is strength, not submission.

Nabdini returns to him because of the man he is, not because he manipulated her or demanded anything.

Her feelings change because he is:

• steady

• grounded

• emotionally intelligent

• and self-secure

These are masculine traits, not simp traits.

🧠 In short:

Vanraj was a king, not a simp.

He proved that:

Loving someone deeply doesn’t make you weak.

Losing yourself for them does.

 

And he never lost himself.