Chapter 25: Like Father, Like Son, After All

The following morning near dawn, another frantic phone call was made.  This time, it was Khushi calling Arnav.

“Hello?”  Arnav yawned into the phone.

“It's Khushi.  Can you come over right away?  It’s an emergency!”  Khushi said urgently.

Arnav sat up with a jerk.  “Are you okay?  Are the kids okay?”  His first thought was that one of the three was hurt, and that had his heart beating in his throat.

“We’re fine...Anjali’s in labour!  We’ll have to head to the hospital as soon as we can but I can’t take the kids there...would you mind staying with them?”

“I’m already putting on my shoes, Khushi.  I’ll be there.”  And with that, he hung up before rushing to his car.

Within a half an hour, he knocked at her door and she opened it almost right away as if she’d been standing behind the door, waiting for him.

“Thank you so much.  We weren’t expecting this.  They’re still asleep and...Oh God.  Are you okay?  You look really tired.”  Khushi looked at him worriedly.

“I’m fine.”  Arnav yawned.  “I was on the phone with Akash late into the night.  And don’t you worry...I’ll stay with the kids.  I’ll cancel your appointments for today.”  He said walking in and following her to the living room.

“Hey.”  Anjali looked up at him with a big smile on her face.

Arnav frowned in confusion.  “I thought you were...in labour?”

Anjali nodded.  “Early labour...the pain’s tolerable for now and comes in waves.”

“I called the hospital after I called you and they said we should go over anyway...”  Khushi said zipping up a bag.

“Nervous?”  He asked Anjali.

“A little...but Di’s with me, so I’m not too worried.”  Anjali smiled affectionately at Khushi.

Khushi placed her hands on her hips.  “I’m only a week older than you...stop calling me Di.”

Anjali giggled and winced.  Khushi put a hand on her shoulder.  Anjali took slow breaths and Arnav just watched on.

“You’re sure you don’t mind staying with the kids?  I don’t know how long we’ll be at the hospital.”  Khushi looked at Arnav.

“Don’t worry.  I’ll be here as long as you want me here.”  Arnav said with a smile.  It wasn’t until a few seconds later that the depth of those words resonated in his mind.  It didn’t apply to this situation only.  It applied to life, itself.  He would be here until she told him to go away.  Somewhere in his heart, he knew that she understood this.

“You can go to sleep.  The kids wake up around 8:15...you shouldn’t have any trouble with their morning routine.”  She looked at him and thought for a minute.  “You can find a spare toothbrush in the cabinet next to the sink.  You may have to wear the same clothes though.”

Anjali just looked between the two amusedly while Khushi helped her up.

“I’ll call Aman later...he can bring them for me.”  Arnav shrugged.

Him and Khushi helped Anjali into the car.  After saying good luck to Anjali, he turned to Khushi.

“Let me know if you need anything.  And don’t worry about Amby and Adi.”  He said awkwardly.  He was telling a mother to not worry about her kids.  Even his conscious rolled its eyes at him.

“I’m not worried.  They’ll be more than ecstatic about having their buddy around all day.”  Khushi smiled at him.

An odd sort of sadness flashed across his face before he covered it with a smile.  Khushi thanked him, got into the car and drove away.  Arnav yawned as he walked back into the house.  His steps automatically took him to the kids’ bedroom.  He frowned as he looked at the scenario.

Aditya slept on one edge of the bed, on his back, one hand resting on his chest, the other on the pillow.  Amber took up three quarters of the bed and she was sprawled across it diagonally...upside down!  Her feet were propped up on top of the pillow while her hands were under her head.   Arnav couldn’t help but chuckle.

Despite the fact that she behaved like him, subconsciously, she was truly her mother’s daughter.  Arnav recalled the earlier weeks of his marriage when he had realized that Khushi liked taking up her space on the bed.  Lucky for them, Arnav didn’t need much room even though he had a queen sized bed.  Had his sleeping stance been anything close to his wife, they would have beaten each other off the bed daily.

He stepped back and walked to the next door.  He paused with his hand on the doorknob.  No.  He shouldn’t go into her room.  It didn’t feel right.  He felt like he was invading her privacy, her space.  He had already invaded her space before in a drunken state.  The memory made him jerk his hand off the doorknob as if it were at a boiling temperature.

He went back to the couch, lay down, closed his eyes, and tried his best to make the thoughts go away.  But they didn’t.

-  -  -  -  -

“Khushi!”  Arnav woke up with a start and looked around only to realize that he was at her house.  He rubbed his eyes and hid his face in the hands.

It was the same nightmare.  The memory of her crouching in the corner of her own bedroom, bruised and scarred, of her hateful and fearful glances, of her outburst after finding out about her pregnancy, of the last glance she’d given him before she’d walked out of his life forever.  He woke up screaming her name at that moment, every time.

He looked up and took a deep breath to collect himself.  The sun was pouring in from the gaps in the blinds of her floor to ceiling French doors that led into her backyard.  He glanced at the clock and it was almost 8:30.  He walked into the kids’ room and found them sitting up.  Amber was stretching and yawning while Aditya rubbed his eyes.

“Good morning!”  Arnav said cheerfully.

The kids gasped and jumped out of bed.  “Buddy!”  They simultaneously cheered as they ran up to him and he kneeled to gather them in a warm hug.  He smiled contentedly.  This was almost a perfect way to start the morning.  Almost.  It would be perfect if Khushi was here with them, partaking in the group hug.

“What are you doing here?  Did you have a sleepover?”  Amber asked with a glint in her eyes.

“Nope.  I’m babysitting you two today.  Your mom has gone to the hospital with Anjali aunty.  She’ll be back later.”  Arnav explained.

Aditya gasped.  “Is it baby time?”  He said excitedly.

“Yes it is.”  Arnav smiled wide.

“Oh man, oh boy, oh man!”  Aditya did a little happy dance, making Amber roll her eyes.

Arnav chuckled at them and followed them to the washroom.  Arnav observed them closely as they brushed their teeth.  As he’d expected, Amber seemed to be counting the number of strokes in her mind.  Every ten strokes later, she would change the row of teeth she was brushing.  Arnav raised his eyebrows and looked at Aditya who didn’t seem to give a monkey’s furry little a** as he brushed his teeth in all directions, looking at the ceiling as if in deep thoughts.  He looked at his own reflection in the mirror with wide eyes.  Were kids always this amusing?

“Breakfast time!”  Arnav chimed, placing his toothbrush in the holder...as if he’d be here again another morning to use it.

Amber looked horrified at the idea.  Aditya just ogled at Arnav with a dropped jaw.  He looked between the two a couple times.

“What?”  He demanded.

“Shower first and then breakfast.”  The two chimed what seemed to be a rule in the house.

Arnav stopped the urge to roll his eyes.  Before he could say anything, the kids ran out of the bathroom and into their room.  Arnav muttered his signature ‘what the’ before following them.  He had to say that he was surprised to see them making their beds.  With an impressed expression, he watched on as Amber went to the cupboard and pulled out her clothes.

“Let’s go, buddy!”  Adi came up to Arnav with a jump rope.

Arnav raised an eyebrow.  “What do I do with this?”

“You skip rope!  I’ll show you.”  And with that, the little one grabbed Arnav’s hand and led him outside.

“How about you skip rope and I count for you.”  Arnav suggested, horrified at the idea of having to jump rope...something he hadn’t done even as a kid.

Aditya’s face fell slightly.  “But mama always does the morning exercises with me.”

With a sigh, he stood up and grabbed his rope from Adi.  Aditya led him through 50 jumps of the jump rope, 20 jumping jacks, 10 sit ups, and a few stretches.  Arnav followed Aditya back into the house at the end of their small exercise session only to be pulled back out by amber when Aditya went to take a shower.

“I can’t reach those pots...I need help watering them.”  She pointed to the pots at the ends of the window sills.

He picked her up and placed her on his shoulder before walking to the pots.  She watered them with a big smile on her face.

“Those are nice...”  Arnav noted the small white petals of the aromatic flowers.

“Jasmines are my favourite.  They smell nice.”

The next few minutes, Amber took him around the yard, pointing out her favourites which seemed to be all of them.  Just as he was kneeling next to a rose bush, admiring the dark red velvety petals, his phone rang.

“ASR!  Where are you?  I’ve been looking all over the house!”  Aman said freaking out.

“Oh...Sorry Aman...I was going to call you but lost track of time.  I’m at Khushi’s house.  Anjali went into labour and Khushi needed someone to watch the kids.”  Arnav explained.

“Oh...have you heard from them?  How’s Anjali?”

Arnav’s eyebrows knit together in interest.  “No I haven’t.  The kids woke up an hour ago and I’ve been...busy.  Listen; can you bring me some clothes?  And I can use some help here.  I’ve gone from a novice to trying to babysit two kids at once.”

Once Aman got there, he entertained the kids while Arnav took a shower.  The four made their way into the kitchen and cooked up a delicious breakfast.  Arnav called the orphanage and asked another employee to cancel all the appointments for Khushi.  Amber and Aditya had busied themselves with their colouring books and puzzles.  Arnav rummaged through the kitchen to find things he needed to make lunch.

He had just sent away Aman to the hospital with the lunch when Aditya and Amber walked up to him.

“Can we bake today?”  Amber asked innocently, batting her eyelashes.

“Uh...”  Arnav paused and pondered.  He had taken up cooking as a way of keeping himself busy at home.  Khushi always cooked when she was bored and made jalebis when she was upset.  Taking up cooking had, in a very odd way, eased her absence a little bit.  Baking, however, was not Arnav’s cup of tea.

“No!  Let’s make jalebis!”  Aditya beamed a huge smile.

Arnav’s eyes really widened now.  Baking, he would still deal with but Jalebis?  Arnav Singh Raizada making jalebis?  That was definitely a recipe for disaster.

-  -  -  -  -

“Get out right now!”  Anjali yelled at Aman.

Aman looked at her wide eyed and Khushi came running into the room.

“Khushi...tell him to leave...ugh...he’s so irritating!”  Anjali complained.

“I’m sorry...I was just joking...trying to lighten your mood, you see.”  Aman looked at her sheepishly.

“Messing with the wrong woman at the worst time possible Aman...”  Khushi murmured.  “Thank you for bringing lunch.  How’re Amby and Adi?”

“They’re fine...and...So is ASR.”  Aman smiled at Khushi.

Khushi raised her eyebrows at him.  “I didn’t ask about him...”

“You wanted to...”  He teased, taking the lunchboxes from her.

“Tell him I won’t be home until after dinner time.  I’ll stay here with her until visiting hours are done.”  Khushi said as the two walked out of the room.

“Anything else you want me to tell him?”  Aman rolled his tongue into his cheek.

“Shut up, Aman.”  Khushi glared at him.  “I already feel bad for having him babysit the kids.  They can be a handful...”

“M’am...He’s having a great time.  They’re having a good time, don’t worry.  Besides, I’m about to go back and bestow them with my awesome company.”

Khushi rolled her eyes as Aman walked away, smirking to himself.  When he got home and knocked on the door, he was surprised to his core when Arnav opened the door.

Aman looked at Arnav’s ruffled hair, untucked shirt, opened buttons on the vest.  He looked back up at Arnav’s face and blinked blankly.

“Aman!  What the hell are you staring at?”  Arnav shook Aman a little bit.

“Nice style...ASR.”  Aman bit back a laugh.  He had never seen a single hair misplaced from Arnav’s scalp and here he was, standing completely unkempt. 

“Shut up.  We were playing tag.”  Arnav explained, closing the door once Aman stepped in.

Aman whipped around with a dropped jaw.  Arnav frowned at him.

“The Arnav Singh Raizada is playing tag?”

Arnav rolled his eyes.  “Yes.  And Aman Singhania is playing with us.”

Aman put up his hands as if on gunpoint.  “Whoa...that’s not on my job description.”

Arnav jabbed him lightly in the middle of the chest.  “It is now.”

Numerous games and diversions later, Arnav took a break, collapsing on the couch as he answered the phone.

“Hello?”  He said breathlessly.

“IT’S A BOY!”  Khushi screamed cheerfully from the other end.  “It's a cute little healthy baby boy!”

“That’s great news!”  Arnav smiled wide, still breathless.  “Congratulations!  Give her my best wishes!”

“She’s over the moon right now...”  Khushi chuckled.  “The joy of becoming a mother...how are you guys holding up?”

“We’re doing alright.  I’ll tell them about the baby...they seemed excited about it this morning.”

“Why do you sound so breathless?  I hope the kids aren’t giving you a hard time...”  Khushi said worriedly.

“Oh, not at all.  Aman has them in the yard now...I’m about to get started on dinner.  Any special requests?”

“No...Actually...don’t worry about dinner.  I’ll be home after the visiting hours are over...why don’t you four come over and see the baby?”  Khushi’s voice was restored to the original cheerful one and Arnav smiled hearing it after so long.

With a promise to be over at the hospital in a few minutes, Arnav hung up and went to inform the kids.

Within half an hour, Arnav and Aman walked into Anjali’s room with a very excited Adi and Amby at their tails.  Arnav’s breath caught in his throat as he looked at Khushi, who was currently holding on to the baby.  He hadn’t seen her this happy since their first kiss.  The men greeted and congratulated Anjali before walking towards Khushi.  She greeted them enthusiastically while Arnav and Aman took a glance at the baby over her shoulder.  She sat down in a chair so that Aditya and Amber could take a look too.

“He’s so adorable!”  Amber said in an amused voice.

“Why isn’t he talking to us?”    Aditya questioned.

The adults giggled at the child’s innocent inquiries. 

“He’s too young to talk...he won’t be talking until he’s one year old.”  Anjali explained with a smile.

“Do you want to hold him?”  Khushi asked Arnav, taking him by surprise.

“I...Uh...”  He looked at Anjali for approval and she still smiled at him.  He looked at Khushi and shrugged.  “Okay.”

Khushi stood up and handed the baby to Arnav.  Arnav held the little bundle of joy awkwardly.  Though he’d had practice with his nephew, Sahil, he still felt odd.  Khushi placed her hand under the baby’s head, effectively covering Arnav’s.  An electric tingle ran up and down his spine at her touch and he had the feeling that she felt something similar too because she looked at him at the same instant he looked at her.

“Do you have a name for him yet?”  Aman asked, breaking Arnav and Khushi’s eye lock.  Khushi removed her hand and smiled at Anjali who was chuckling to herself.

“Ishan.”  Anjali and Khushi said together before bursting out into waves of laughter.

“Well, do I get to hold Ishan?”  Aman asked.  Arnav passed Ishan to Aman and felt better seeing that even Aman held him a bit awkwardly.  Maybe women were naturally gifted with ‘how to hold a baby tutorial’ engraved into their brains.

In a couple of hours, as Anjali started drifting into sleep every few minutes, Arnav stood up to take leave.

“Is it okay if I stay here?  I’ll drive M’am back home.”  Aman suggested.

Khushi stared at Arnav, trying to telepathically convey to him to let Aman stay.  When he felt her gaze boring holes into face, he glanced at her.  She nodded in the slightest and he frowned slightly in confusion but nodded his approval to Aman anyway.

“I’ll drop them downstairs.”  Khushi smiled at Anjali and the family of four walked through the hospital’s hallway towards the elevators.

“What was that?”  Arnav said quietly to Khushi as they stood in the elevator.

“She needs someone to distract her.  She’s been thinking about her ex-boyfriend.  She’s worried that he’ll come and try to harm Ishan.”  Khushi explained, her voice barely above a whisper.

They walked to the car quietly.  Khushi kneeled and hugged both of her kids. 

“Don’t bother your buddy too much, okay?  I will be home in a couple of hours.”  Khushi smiled lovingly at them.

The kids nodded back obediently.  Khushi stood up and looked at Arnav.

“I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”  She smiled at him.  He just nodded in response, debating whether or not he should give her a hug.  She’d hugged him after dinner last night, so it would be okay if he did, right? 

While he was having an internal debate, Khushi turned to leave only to stop again when she felt the dupatta around her neck tighten.  She looked over her shoulder and saw Aditya holding the end of it, looking at her sheepishly.  She kneeled to his level again and he kissed her cheek before saying goodbye again.

She kissed his cheek and stood up, catching Arnav’s eyes in the process.   His bewildered eyes were looking at Aditya, observing his actions.  Arnav looked at him until he’d walked past him and had settled in the car.  Arnav turned to look at Khushi, his expression still bewildered.  She just smiled at him knowingly for she knew exactly what he was thinking.  She shrugged and looked at him with a soft gaze.

“Like father, like son, after all.”  Khushi said before turning on her heels and walking away.

In a daze, Arnav got into the car and started driving.  He was aware that Amby and Adi were talking, to each other or him, he wasn’t sure.  He just nodded anyway.  His mind was elsewhere.  They reached home and Arnav found himself sitting at the step that separated the living room from the yard while the kids played catch.

“Here’s your coffee.”  Khushi said taking a seat next to him.  He thanked her taking the cup from her hands.

“Why don’t you start coming to the office, again?”  He asked her, frowning.

“I will soon after our niece or nephew is here.”  She said taking a sip of her coffee.  “Until then, there is a lot to take care of around the house.”

“We have Hari Prakash, Om Prakash, and Jai Prakash for that...”  Arnav sulked.  He wanted her to resume coming to the office because he missed her presence there.  He missed her when she wasn’t around.  Ever since they’d been on their weekend getaway, he felt restless when she wasn’t around.

She placed her cup next to her on the ledge of the poolside.  That had become their favourite spot these days.  Sitting on the ledge of the pool, sipping coffee and chatting until one of them felt sleepy.  He felt arm wind through his and her fingers closer around his biceps, her head resting on his shoulder.

“I like taking care of the family...I’ve been alone all these years and it’s amazing to have all these people that I can care for...having all these people who care for me.”  She said in a quiet voice.

He held his cup in one hand and placed on hand over hers, resting his head on hers.

“I don’t mean to take any of that away from you...I just...I...”  He wanted to tell her that he missed her but couldn’t.  He was never good with talking about feelings.  “I have competition for your attention.”

He felt her chuckle lightly before she lifted her head off of his shoulder.  The two drank their coffee in comfortable silence.  She took the empty cup from him and stood up.  She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet for a moment.

“I miss you when you go to work, too.”  Khushi said emphasizing on the last work, indicating that she understood what he was trying to say earlier.

She had taken a couple of steps forward only to stop again when the dupatta around her neck tightened.  She looked over her shoulder, her cheeks a shade of crimson.  He stood up and closed the distance between them.  He tucked a loose fringe of hair behind her ear and cupped her face with the same hand.  She looked up at him with twinkling eyes and smiled at her.  How had he gotten so lucky to have a wife like her was beyond him.  He leaned in and kissed her cheek, making her blush an even darker shade of red.  A few seconds later, she went on her tip toes, planted a kiss on his cheek and then ran away shyly leaving Arnav chuckling to himself.

‘Like father, like son, after all.’  Khushi’s words came rushing back to Arnav and he sighed.

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Chapter 24: Shocks, Surprises, and Signals

The next day, the constant ringing of her cell phone woke Khushi up bright and early.

“Hello?”  Khushi mumbled drowsily.

“Khushi...its Kripa...I’m sorry I’m calling so early but Angad and I will have to leave for Gujarat right away.  His aunt had a heart attack and she’s admitted into the hospital.”  Kripa said, sounding worried.

Khushi was sitting upright on her bed, completely awake and worried for her friends that had become her family in the last few years. 

“Do you need anything?  Should I pick up Prateek and Sur?”  Khushi said as she got out of bed and headed towards her closet.

“No...They’re coming with us...I called to tell you that Anjali is all alone here...She may deliver any day now...” Kripa started but got interrupted by Khushi.

“Don’t worry...I’ll bring her here.  I’ll take days off from work or something...we’ll figure that out.  You don’t worry.  You just get to Gujarat safely and call me as soon as you get there.  How’s Angad?”

“He’s still in shock...his aunt practically raised him so he’s shaken up.”  Kripa said sadly.

Khushi closed her eyes and sent a quiet prayer to the heavens.  “Tell him not to worry...she’ll be perfectly alright soon.”

With a promise to call as soon as they reached Gujarat and to keep Khushi updated on their aunt’s health, Kripa hung up.

On her way to the office, Khushi picked up Anjali from Angad’s home.  Anjali was just as worried about Angad’s aunt.  The four of them; Angad, Kripa, Khushi, and Anjali had become very close in the last four years--the last year in Anjali's case--they’d spent together.

The ladies filled Arnav in on the latest development.  Arnav was also instantly worried for his friend and her husband.

“Anjali will stay in my cabin today for the most part...How’s my schedule for the next couple of weeks?”  Khushi asked.

Arnav shrugged.  “The usual...a few appointments...a couple of meetings...”

“Damn it.  Can you try and see if you can shuffle it around?  I’d like to have empty spaces in my schedule...Anjali will go into labour anytime now and I’ll need to go with her...I’ll need some room in the schedule to change things around if need be.” 

“I’ll make sure of that.”  Arnav smiled gently.

Khushi stared at him for a couple of seconds while he stared back.  Khushi collected herself and walked into the cabin.  Anjali stared after her.

“So...when’s the first date?”  Anjali teased.

Arnav choked on air.  “W-what?” He stammered.

Anjali chuckled and jerked her head in Khushi’s cabin’s direction.  “I know.  I overheard Angad and Kripa...they gave me a summary of your story.  She’s your wife...something happened and you two fought and she left...now you’re here to win her back.”  Anjali smiled at him kindly and waited for him to say something.  When he didn’t, she went on.  “Let me know if you need help.”  She winked at him and left.

Later in the day, Kripa called to let them know that they’d reached and that his aunt was still in the ICU, recovering.  After a light conversation, the phone call had ended.

“I feel a little restless...I think I’ll go for a walk.” Anjali stood up.  She saw Khushi get up as well.  “It's okay...usually a little bit of fresh air does the trick....and I’ll be just in the grounds.”

Khushi smiled and nodded.  Anjali walked out of the cabin to realize that Arnav wasn’t at his desk.  Shrugging, she turned the corner of the hallway and bumped into a tall figure.  He caught her from falling and brought her to balance.  Anjali looked at him gratefully.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”  The stranger smiled.

Anjali smiled back.  “Can I help you?”

“My name is Aman...Aman Singhania...I’m looking for Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada...”

“His desk is over there.  You can have a seat; he should be back any minute.”

Aman thanked her and took his seat after she left.    He waited a few minutes and smiled listening to the furious sounding conversation on the other end of the door.  Whoever the lady was reminded him of his boss -- ASR.  She was clearly making a point, not giving a chance to the person on the other end to speak.

“WHAT THE!!”  Arnav shouted involuntarily as he saw Aman sitting there. 

Aman nearly fell off his chair from the impact.  He took a moment or two to regain his balance and recollect his thoughts as he stood up to face Arnav.

“What are you...how did you....what are you doing here?”  Arnav hissed between clenched teeth.

“Arnav?”  Khushi stepped out.  Hearing him yell had startled her and now Arnav’s worst fear had come true.

Aman turned to face Khushi and she visibly flinched while he gasped.

“M...M’am?”  Aman rasped out of shock.

Arnav squeezed his eyes shut and ran his hand through his hair.  His plan was to keep Khushi a secret from Aman.  Arnav could bet his life that Aman would tell Akash the first chance he got.

“Uh...Hi...”  Khushi said at last, trying to break the awkward silence.

“You...here?  I mean...ASR...you...we...you knew?”  Aman turned to Arnav, looking at him accusingly.

“Yeah.”  Arnav kept it short and simple.

Aman smiled wide and pulled out his phone.  “I’ll tell Akash sir...he’ll be really happy.”

“NO!”  Arnav protested.  “Can I have a word with you, Aman?”

Arnav turned and left without another word.  Aman looked at Khushi questioningly.  When she just shrugged and shook her head in response, Aman turned on his heels and followed Arnav.

-  -  -  -  -

About an hour later, Khushi heard a knock at her door.

“Come in.”  She said without looking away from her laptop.

“Uhh...Hey...”  The nervous trembling of his voice made Khushi look at him.  “All your appointments are done for the day...”

Khushi smiled at him.  “Thanks.  I’ll just finish this e-mail and then head home.  Anjali could use some rest...you can go if you want...I’m sure you’ve got catching up to do with Aman.  He must’ve missed you in the last couple of months.”

Arnav chuckled.  “I think he enjoyed my absence.  He didn’t have anyone on his tail or yelling at him.”

Khushi smiled at him and the room fell silent.  Her heartbeat started increasing slowly as if hinting out the next bit of the conversation.

“Can I have a word with you?  Alone.”  Arnav’s voice trembled again.  It was an odd occurrence, for someone like him to be nervous.

“There’s no one here.”  Khushi stated the obvious, trying to keep her voice even.

“I know but...” he tilted his head towards the door.

Khushi nodded lightly, understanding his dilemma.  He nodded back and closed the door, his hand lingering just a little too long on the handle.  When he turned around, Khushi was already on her feet, her hands tightly clutched into fists against her side.  She thanked the height of the table for covering her hands from his sight.

“So...uh...our conversation the o-other day...we didn’t have a c-chance to c-complete it.”  He paused to see if she would say anything.  When she didn’t, he went on.   “I guess I wanted to...err...ask...if...if you wanted to...perhaps...h-have uhh dinner tomorrow?”  Arnav finished, his breath catching in his throat.

Khushi slowly let go of the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.  She felt a voice inside her head screaming in approval.

“Well...Amby and Adi...” Khushi trailed off.

“They can come with us.  That would be lovely, actually.”  Arnav said a little too fast.

Khushi nodded and then bit her tongue.  “Anjali is staying over...”

Disappointment flashed across his face once before he covered it up behind his poker face.  “Of course.  Some other time, I guess.”  He smiled sadly and walked out of her office.

Khushi felt a painful tug at her heart and sat in her seat.  She closed her eyes and took a couple of minutes to compose herself.  She finished typing her e-mail, texted Anjali and picked up her keys.  She opened her door quietly to peek at Arnav.  He sat in his chair, leaning back, his head tilted back so that he faced the ceiling, his eyes closed, and his lips were tightly sewn together.

He sat up properly as he heard her door click shut.  He stood up seeing her looking at him with a small smile on her face.  Khushi leaned her elbows on the counter and looked into his face, gathering all the courage she had.

“How about dinner tonight at my place, instead?  Anjali and the kids will be there but... ”

She saw him try to bite back a smile and fail.  He smiled brilliantly while Khushi stood up straight, already aware of what the answer would be.

“It sounds great.”  He looked back at her, his confidence renewed.

“See you.” She smiled, walking away.

“Ms. K?”  Arnav called out as she was about to turn the corner.  She looked over her shoulder at him. 

“Thank you.” He said with a voice full of pain, gratitude, and something that warmed her heart—love.

Khushi successfully hid a grin.  “You can call me Khushi.”

And with that, she turned and walked down the hallway, smiling to herself.  At the entrance of the building, she saw Anjali and Aman in a conversation while Amber and Aditya played nearby.  Aman, out of habit, stood up as soon as he saw Khushi.  Anjali smiled at them and walked away towards Amber and Aditya.

“It’s nice to see you.”  Khushi smiled at him.

“Same here.”  He smiled back.

“Where are you staying?”  Khushi asked after a minute of awkward silence.

“With ASR.  I have specific instructions from Payal M’am that I am not to leave his side until we get back.”  Aman said sounding wary.  He looked towards Anjali and the kids.

“Amber looks just like you...but she behaves more like ASR.  Aditya, on the other hand, looks like him but—” Aman’s observation was interrupted.

“But he behaves more like me.  Yeah, it’s funny how that’s worked out.”  Khushi completed, smiling fondly at her kids.

“Um...How’s he...with...you know...them?”  Aman asked.

Khushi knew exactly what he meant and she sighed.  “They don’t know that he’s their dad but he’s become their Buddy.  Both of them absolutely adore him.”

“They ought to...blood ties and what not.”  Aman said sounding sad.  “Thank you for bringing back the old ASR.  Not that he smiled much to begin with but he was miserable after you left.  He’s smiling now and he’s happier than I’ve seen him in the past four years.”

Khushi didn’t trust her voice this time around and decided to stay quiet.  She knew that outside of the family, Aman was the closest person to Arnav.  She had so many questions that she wanted to ask Aman but she didn’t know if she was ready to hear the answers.  Aman decided to change the tone of the conversation.

“I’ve been talking to Anjali for the past hour or so.  Quite an interesting woman.  Do you think she’d give me her number if I asked for it?”  Aman asked easily, looking at Anjali.

Khushi turned to him with one perfectly shaped eyebrow raised playfully.  Aman turned to her with his tongue rolled into his cheek for he knew what she would say.  She proved him right by saying exactly what he expected.

“Shut up, Aman.”

Aman laughed out loud, making Khushi chuckle just as Anjali walked up to them.

“What’s so funny?”  She asked with a smile on her face.

Aman shrugged.  “I was just asking her whether or not you would give me your number and she told me to shut up.”

“Oh...”  Anjali said shyly and then Khushi saw what she hadn’t seen...ever!  Anjali was blushing.

Khushi’s jaw dropped slightly as she saw Anjali look at him furtively before walking away again.  Aman stared after her with a small smile on his lips.  Khushi raised both her eyebrows. 

“You know what...why don’t you come over for dinner?  We’ll get a chance to catch up...”  Khushi turned to Aman.

“Well...I’d love that but...ASR...” Aman trailed off suggestively.

Khushi’s heart thudded harder at the mention of him.  She had invited him for dinner anyway...maybe this would be a good idea too.  A dinner with everyone would sort of be a practice for whatever he had planned which she was sure would be more isolated.  Would Arnav mind her adding another person to the gathering?  Would he think that she was keeping people around because she didn’t trust him?

“I’ll bring him with me.”  Arnav said, making both Khushi and Aman jump.

A surprised Aman looked between Khushi and Arnav.  Khushi nodded, mumbled a goodbye and walked to her car.  She helped Anjali in and they drove away much too soon to Arnav’s dismay.

-  -  -  -  -

Khushi was just finishing up her ‘Shahi Paneer’ when the doorbell rang.  She turned off the heat and walked towards the door, gesturing to Anjali to stay seated.  After taking a composing breath and smiling to herself quickly, she opened the door.  She smiled at the two men and led them in.

Arnav felt his breath catch in his throat as he took in her sight.  She was dressed in a light blue chudidhar, with the dupatta hanging off of her right shoulder, the ends tied in a knot against her left hip.  Hair tied up in a messy bun, the shorter strands engulfed her face and made her look a couple of years younger.

Aman walked in first and handed Khushi the bouquet of white roses and red carnations.  Khushi smiled taking the flowers from him and thanked him.  Arnav greeted her as he walked in but didn’t hand her the flowers he’d been holding.  Instead, he walked to Anjali and handed her the bouquet of pink roses and red carnations.

Amber and Aditya came running to Arnav.  Aman and Anjali watched on with a smile as Arnav pulled out the chocolate bars he’d gotten for Amber and the box of jalebis he’d brought for Aditya.  Khushi watched from a distance and smiled at the interaction.

Everyone chatted easily through dinner at the circular dining table.  Khushi pleasantly surprised Arnav by taking a seat next to him confidently.  Amber sat on Arnav’s other side while Aditya sat on Khushi’s other side.  The circle was completed by Anjali and Aman who sat more or less opposite from Arnav and Khushi.  Throughout dinner, the four adults were able to carry out a comfortable conversation about random events happening in the world.  Arnav was pleased to see that Khushi didn’t cast him out of the group.  In fact, when he seemed quiet, she would ask him a question to try and bring him back into the conversation.  Soon enough, all the food on the table had vanished.

Amber and Aditya got up and left with their plates, glasses, and cutlery when they’d finished dinner.  Anjali stared after them and then smiled at Khushi.

“You need to give me parenting advice.  These two are such angels!”  She said, stuffing a spoonful of rice into her mouth.

Khushi chuckled while Arnav smiled proudly.  “No matter how mischievous your child turns out to be, he’ll always be an angel for you.”

“I guess so.  The food was delicious, by the way.  I feel like I’ve eaten an elephant.”  Anjali said sheepishly.

Arnav and Aman also voiced their agreement to Anjali’s compliment.  Khushi said a collective thank you as they got up from the table.

“No!”  Khushi instructed Anjali.  “I’ll get that...you go and have a seat.  Stop trying to help me around the house.  You guys can keep her company...it’ll only take me five minutes.”

Arnav nodded meaningfully at Aman and Aman nodded back, understanding.  Aman gestured Anjali to follow and she did but not before she winked at Arnav.

“I’ll help you with these.”  Arnav picked up a couple of bowls and followed her.

Imitating her movements, he put the bowls in the sink.  Both walked back to the table in silence and came back to the sink with hands full of utensils.  Khushi tied her dupatta at her hip again before starting the tap and adding detergent to it.  As the sink filled with bubbling soapy water, Arnav stood there next to her, racking his brains for something sensible to say.  She beat him to it.

“Thank you for the flowers.”  She said in a gentle tone with a slight hint of teasing to it.

Arnav swallowed.  “Um...Aman—” He began to say but her expression shut him up.  She’d seen right through that facade.  “You’re welcome.”  He said in defeat.

The truth was, he didn’t know how she would react if he’d given the flowers to her.  He didn’t want to take any steps that would upset Khushi in any manner, at any cost.  So he’d practically threatened Aman into handing Khushi the bouquet.  He should have known that Khushi would see right through his plan.

Khushi picked up a scrapper and started cleaning the dishes.  Arnav immediately rolled up his sleeves, making Khushi pause and look at him with her eyebrows raised.

“The Arnav Singh Raizada is going to clean dishes?”

He shrugged; taking the plate she’d been cleaning and rinsing it.  “If it means spending more time with you...”

Khushi looked at him for another few seconds before returning to the utensils.  They worked in comfortable silence, the only sounds were of the flowing water and clings of the dishes and bowls as they were placed into the sink or onto each other after rinsing.  Once all the dishes were cleaned and rinsed, Arnav picked up a dishcloth and started drying them.  Khushi would take the dried plates and such and put them back in their respective spots.  He had the feeling that there was something on her mind that she wanted to talk about.  He let her take her time and she spoke at last.

“Look...I just want to clarify something...”  Khushi said as she took the last bowl from his hands.  “I can’t promise you anything.  I can’t promise that...at the end of this...this dating thing, my decision will change.  I just want to make sure that you know that because I don’t want to lead you on.  I’m trying to behave like I normally do around others and its taking a bit of effort...I can’t give you an estimate of any timelines or any outcomes.  I mean...how can I promise something I’m unsure of?”

She looked at him and found his face expressionless.  She could tell that he’d been expecting this.

Arnav looked at her face and held her gaze confidently.  “I’m aware of that but I would be lying if I say that I’m not hoping for anything.  Of course I’m hoping to change your decision but I know that you’ve made me no promises.  I didn’t ask you to make any promises.  You made promises in the past and you kept them, Khushi.  I broke a lot of them.  I need to make new promises to you and keep them this time.  I just wanted you to give me a chance so that eventually I’m able to make those promises and you gave me one.  I also know that it’s my one and only chance and I will do everything in my power to make sure I don’t fail.”

He looked meaningfully at her and gave her an admiring smile.  Khushi couldn’t help but smile back, her heart feeling a lot lighter than it had in days.  Both of them returned to the living room after washing their hands.  They found Aman, Anjali, Amber, and Aditya working on a puzzle.  Anjali and Amber were engrossed in the puzzle.  Aditya looked bored and he blinked with heavy lids.  Aman looked confused as ever and was scratching his head.  Arnav and Khushi just quietly took a seat together on the couch, observing the four.  Arnav had only sat there for ten seconds when he got up again and walked to Aditya.

“Bored of this?”

Aditya nodded.  “I wanted to play snakes and ladders.”

“Go and get it...we’ll play.”  He smiled at his son and then winked at him.  “I’ll even get your mom to play with us.”

Khushi raised her eyebrows at them.  Aditya looked between Khushi and Arnav before beaming a broad smile and running into his room to get the game.  After about an hour or so of playing games and trying to figure out the puzzle, the kids were ready to sleep.  Aman and Anjali were left alone again as Amber and Aditya dragged Arnav with them for their bedtime rituals.  At the end of their showers and teeth brushing, the family of four had ended up in Amber-Aditya’s room.  For the first time ever, Arnav and Khushi put their kids to bed together.

When they stepped out into the living room, Aman and Anjali were gaping open-mouthed at the television screen.  Arnav looked at the screen, frowned and made a face at the scene.  Khushi chuckled next to him.

“The birthing scene from 'Knocked up'...it’s the perfect thing to watch a few days before your due date.”  Khushi muttered sarcastically.

She walked to the coffee table in front of the TV, picked up the remote and switched it off.  She glared lovingly at Anjali before sitting on the arm rest next to her.  Arnav walked around and took a seat on the love seat.

“Please tell me it’s not like that...”  Anjali looked at Khushi.

“It’s not like that.  To be honest with you, it’s worse.  That is a movie, their childbirth happens within a couple of hours...”  Khushi explained calmly.  For the time being, both ladies had forgotten that Aman and Arnav were still there and in their opinion, this conversation was not something they were too excited about.

“I know...I remember you telling me that you were in labour for about 22 hours.”  Anjali sighed fearfully.

Arnav’s eyes went wide and he held a breath without realizing as he looked at Khushi.  Aman squirmed in his seat, feeling like he was intruding a personal conversation.  Khushi pulled Anjali closer, giving her a sisterly hug and resting her head on top of Anjali’s.

“Yeah...22 hours...but it doesn’t have to be that for you...it’s different for everyone...and I had twins remember?”  Khushi tried to calm Anjali down.

“I know...I’m just afraid that my time will be more than that!  My pain threshold is way lower than yours...”  Anjali argued.

“You’ll be fine...I’ll be there, Kripa will be there...we’ll guide you.   I know it will sound like just words to you now and you’ll understand exactly what I mean in a few days but when you hold your baby at last...all that pain and effort is well worth it.” 

Arnav couldn’t help but notice that Khushi was speaking subconsciously now.  Her eyes were unfocused and the dreamy smile on her face made it evident that she was re-living the memory of Amber and Aditya’s birth in her mind.  A memory that he wasn’t present in.  A memory that he’ll never be able to experience or appreciate.  He swallowed a lump and averted his eyes from her face.

“But the dilation...I mean...ten centimetres is like this...”  Anjali spaced her thumb and index finger to estimate ten centimetres.

“Okay...still here...and no...I don’t want any knowledge on this.”  Aman said at last, horrified at the thought.

Khushi chuckled while Anjali glared at him.  The topic changed suddenly and Khushi took a seat next to Arnav.  She kept surprising him with her easiness.  He had expected her to be nervous, quiet, and distant.  The fact that she willingly took a seat next to him and seemed to be putting in as much effort as him gave him more confidence. 

After talking for a few minutes, Anjali started dozing off.  Khushi stood up again to help her to the bedroom.  Anjali kept a hand against her lower back and groaned in pain.

“I know...I know honey...just a few more days.”  Khushi said soothingly.

‘I swear Di...This pregnancy stuff looks like all rainbows and sunshine in the movies but in reality it’s a load of morning sickness, back pain, mood swings, and cravings!”  Anjali muttered sleepily as Khushi led her away.

Aman craned his neck to watch until Khushi had walked into the room before turning to Arnav.  He copied Anjali’s index finger and thumb measurement of ten centimetres.

“10?  Really?”  Aman whispered in a flabbergasted tone and shut up just as quickly seeing Arnav’s expression.  Arnav’s mind was more taken up by Anjali.

He realized guiltily that he didn’t know much about her.  Was she married?  He knew she was a single mother but why?  Was her story similar to Khushi’s?  Was that why Khushi and Anjali were so close—because they could relate to a similar life event?

Khushi stepped out precisely when Aman’s phone rang.  He excused himself and walked out into the yard.  Khushi sat next to Arnav again despite all the empty seats in the room.

“Can I ask you something?”  Arnav asked cautiously.

Khushi looked at him, her gaze scrutinizing his expression.

“Where’s Anjali’s husband?”  He asked and regretted it the very next second when he saw rage rush into Khushi’s eyes and her expression darken dangerously.

“Ex-boyfriend.  She’s not married.”

“Oh...where is he?”  He asked, unexplained curiosity taking over his tongue.

“In jail.”  Khushi answered curtly and stood up, indicating that the conversation was over.  “Would you like some coffee?”

Arnav nodded and Khushi walked into the kitchen.  After being in the room alone with his thoughts for a few minutes, Khushi rejoined him holding a tray with three coffee mugs on it.  Her phone rang and Khushi nodded in the phone’s direction.

“Can you get that please?”

Arnav reached over and answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Arnav?  What are you doing over there?”  Kripa’s voice was loud enough for even Khushi to hear.

“Uh...we all had dinner here.”  Arnav tried to phrase it properly.

Kripa gasped.  “So it happened then?  She agreed??  Oh My God!  She said yes?!” 

Khushi bit her bottom lip and looked away, leaving Arnav in awe.  Was she being shy?  His mind wandered and imagined a pink hue on her creamy cheeks.  Kripa’s laughter snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah...how’s your aunt doing?”  Arnav didn’t want to lie to her so he answered her truthfully and changed the topic quickly.

“That’s why I called, actually.  She’s doing much better.  The doctors said she’ll be able to go home tomorrow.  We’ll stay for a couple of days before we head back.  Is Khushi around?”

“Yeah, hold on.”

Arnav handed the phone to Khushi and she immediately walked into the kitchen.  She didn’t want Kripa to tease her and bug her in front of Arnav.  Arnav walked out into the yard and Aman hung up the phone quickly.

Arnav frowned at him knowingly.  “I hope you didn’t tell Akash anything.”

“Of course I didn’t.  Come on ASR...when have I ever done something you don’t want me to?”

Arnav nodded and the two men took a seat on the patio chairs.  A comfortable silence hung between the two men for a few minutes.

“It's so strange...Khushi M’am...Amber, Aditya and...You here...with them...like this.”  Aman said at last, not realizing that Khushi had appeared in the yard and was a few feet away from them.

“I’m glad I’m here...”  Arnav said quietly.

“Why don’t you just tell the family that you’ve found her and that amber and Aditya exist in your life?”  Aman said, speaking as a friend more than a manager.

“You know they’ll come down here and try to convince her to go back.  I don’t want her to have to do anything against her will...I won’t force her for anything.  Even if I manage to make them not fly here right away...just the fact that I’ve met her will increase their hopes.  I’ve already hurt them enough...If she decides that she doesn’t want to change anything and that she doesn’t want to come back home...they’ll be hurt.  If...if she does decide to not come back, I’ll leave from here and never bother her again...it will be slightly easier to do if they don’t know that I’ve met her.”  Arnav explained.

Silence took over again and Khushi took this opportunity to join them.  Arnav definitely looked flustered when he saw her.  He was worried that she’d heard the conversation.  Khushi didn’t give anything away though.  As far as Aman and Arnav knew, Khushi had no idea of the conversation.

As the coffees finished over another light conversation, the men got up to take leave.  Khushi walked them to the door.  Aman turned to Khushi and smiled widely.

“I got Anjali’s number, by the way.”

“She probably kept you in her mind as a potential babysitter.”  Khushi teased him.

Aman laughed.  “Thank you for the dinner.  It was great seeing you again.”

He took a step forward and gave Khushi a hug.  She chuckled and hugged him back.  Arnav saw a glimpse of his Khushi in her today after all these days.  Well hell.  Arnav Singh Raizada had never thought that he would envy Aman Singhania in his lifetime.  But here was the moment when Arnav envied Aman fiercely as he saw him hugging Khushi.

Khushi, herself, had no explanation for her next actions but after Aman took a step past Arnav, Khushi stepped forward and gave Arnav an awkward side hug.  He was taken aback at her gesture too and before he had time to respond, she had pulled away.

“I had a good time tonight.”  She said in a small voice.

“Thank you.”  That was all he could think of saying at the moment.  He wasn’t thanking her for her statement and she knew that too.  They both knew that he was thanking her for the new beginning that she’d agreed to.