Chapter 41: Chapter 41

"I was given such a great gift. It's a miracle that never stops amazing me and reminding me to give thanks, every day. Having a wife gives me a lot more purpose. I was much more selfish before, but now I think about what kind of role model I'll be. I just want to be a better man."

Shree's Perspective

"Wow! Is it moving?" I asked, wondering, palming Vandana di's baby bump trying to feel the movements of baby. She giggled, heartily, "Yes. It seems to do this a lot, lately." She said with proud and I grinned, pressing my ear to her belly, "Let me hear it. Does it make any sounds?"

"Nah! It doesn't." She apprised me; all I could hear was gurgle of water in her stomach. I smiled, recalling a joke where a boy ask his father, where does the baby come from and his father made up a story but then, kid asks what's in his mother's swollen tummy and his father dismisses him, saying there's water and then the kid scoffs saying, if there's water in his mother's belly, the baby will drown inside.

I just thought the same and giggled earning curious looks, I just shrugged before launching another question at her, "Di, does it kicks?"

Vidhi bhabhi laughed, sitting beside me and teased me, "If you want to know so much, why don't you try to make one?"

Color rose up to my face and I looked down shyly, "Bhabhi...I was just asking."

"But I don't see what wrong did she say?" Vandana Di joined her in, "It's going to be one year of your marriage after three months, are you guys practicing family planning or is there already a bun in the oven?"

"Di..." I blushed scarlet red and got up to go, "I am going to take care of your kids now, but I can change my mind if you guys are going to tease me anymore."

They laughed heartily and I rolled my eyes, springing upstairs to my room, their kids were giving me company in Abhimanyu's absence. It had been one week since Abhimanyu was off to Udaipur and his nephew and niece had jumped on the opportunity to sleep by my side.

Though being almost 412km away from me, he was still irked about the arrangement of kids sleeping with me. He quoted, "What if they get used to you and then demand your attention. I don't want to grapple with kids now." I laughed at this and assured him, "It doesn't matter who seeks my attention, my world would always revolve around you."

"Aunt, see I made this." Pakhi passed me her drawing book, there was a flower drawn on the pink sheet, "How's it?" She looked at me expectationly. I smiled at her, pulling her on my lap and grabbing my red pen gave five stars on her drawing, "It is so beautiful."

"Thanks aunt." She hugged me, wrapping her little arms around my neck and the jealous Aditya, leapt on me to demand his attention.

ESV sobbed, rubbing her nose with Kleenex, 'So what am I now? A nanny. Kids all around. I am seeing my future, boney cheeks, bended spine and kids hung on my waist.'

I shooed her off but ESV's telepathic connection with my husband made me startle at times because Abhimanyu called me at the very moment.

Detangling myself from kids, I picked up his call, "Hello?"

"What are you doing? Ah! Let me guess, with kids. Right?" He asked and answered himself and I giggled, "Where are you now?"

"Have just reached the hotel. The day was too tiring; my limbs are aching in stress." He huffed and I suggested, softly "Why don't you rest for a while and we talk after that?"

"No. Talking with you is my stress buster. I am not going to sleep anyway, I don't get sleep easily without you."

"Me too!" I confessed and he scoffed, "What is it? The joke of millennium."

I made a face, getting up from the bed and padded to the balcony, "Why are you being so snappy today? What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you come with me? I am missing you." He whimpered and I smiled, "Don't whine. You're coming back in just three days, right? I am looking forward to meet you and I am missing you too."

"I've a surprise for you."

"And what's that?" I asked, biting my lip, aware that he wouldn't answer me at all but still.

"How will it remain surprise if I tell you, stupid?" He laughed, "I just have reached my room and now I am going to order some food."

"You better do that. Don't you dare to skip your meal today because if you do, I will cut the call right away?" I blackmailed him and heard as he rolled on the mattress probably, "Why would you blackmail me for food? This is not something a wife should do."

"Then what's that a wife should do?" I asked, hiding my smile. He never got me mad, and if I pretended to, he would just melt me in snaps.

"Something more like phone coi-"

"Kids are here. Don't you dare to?" I warned him and he sneered, "Relax! I was going to say some confessions on phone, like I love you. I am missing you."

"I do." I accepted and could sense his smile, "Then say again. It's revitalizing." Awkward silence seeped in between, I happened to hear his breaths, so calm, it often made me wonder that was it real! Were we real?

Had we really crossed all the hurdles? There was no place in this world today where I would be happy without him, I didn't know if I loved him more or he loved me more, it was all like a dream, an untouched reality, I shivered when I pushed my memories to jog through the prospects of our separation.

What if I hadn't given him a chance!

What if he hadn't given us a chance!

What if we both had really gone for divorce!

But I was thankful that we didn't. We behaved like adults and coped through the adversities of our marriage and emerged out as winners, as lovers, as soul mates.

"Shree... you there?" My reverie break as he called my name, as if my name was secure within his mouth, as if he had caressed every syllable before pronouncing.

"I love you, Abhimanyu." I confessed, blushing.

"I know. I love you more than you do." He responded and our chat grew pubescent as night foreyard.

***

The glowing sun dragged my world to life. Lazily, I got up and after doing routine, hopped downstairs.

"Good morning bhabhi." I wished, entering the kitchen and she greeted back, smiling at me, "Shree. Will you please make smoothies for everyone today? Anshu is ruining my cupboard for his file."

I giggled at her, "Sure."

She patted my cheek and sprinted outside to stop Anshu dada's hunt. The men of this house could get extremely clumsy at times, be it anyone and the best part was, they didn't even know how to clean the mess they made.

I mixed curd, soya milk, papaya, castor sugar to make smoothies and poured it in glasses one by one. As I was done, Paridhi trudged inside, "You need some help, bhabhi?"

"Nah! I am done. Here!" I passed her the tray with smoothies and asked to put them on the dining table, meanwhile I cut the fruits for Vandana Di and cleaned the already cleaned kitchen island. I didn't have to work so much because of Vidhi bhabhi, life had been too easy only because of her. I couldn't harbor the concept of surviving in kitchen without her to be honest.

***

"Rhea. Will you please focus here?" I hissed, as she constantly gawk at her cell phone's screen, waiting for someone's call desperately.

Akshat maybe.

They were getting married in a week. Six months had flown away in a wink and Miss Rhea Kulkarni was finally going to be Mrs. Rhea Akshat Divan. The whole week had been extremely exhausting for me. Abhimanyu's absence wasn't a good thing for me as well and I missed him badly.

"Heights! This guy just doesn't have manners of giving heads-up." She groaned, thumping her cell phone back and glanced at the file.

"Why don't you drop a message? Rather why don't you call him?" I reasoned.

"Yeah and depict myself as desperate." She scoffed and I rolled my eyes, "He's your fiancé and almost husband, Rhea. Even if you're desperate to talk to him, nothing's going to be wrong."

"You won't know." She scowled at me, "Since you've got a perfect husband, who loves you to moon and back, how would you understand what goes on us when our one week delayed husband doesn't call being on a trip?"

I laughed, heartily, "I shouldn't feel this way but I am happy that you're jealous of me." I teased and she smacked my back, "Focus on your work."

"Wait..." I said as I noticed my cell phone ringing. Vidhi bhabhi...caller's ID read. I quickly picked up the call, "Hello?"

"Shree, come home now."

"What happen? Everything's fine, right?" I began to panic as I heard her quivering voice.

"Come home. I will tell you later."

"Bhabhi. Please. You're scaring me now. What's wrong?"

"I... We...I think Vandana di is losing her child." She stammered and as for me, I sank on the chair, shocked, "What?"

"Yes. Just come home fast." She said and cut the call. I immediately packed my stuff and throwing it in the backseat geared up to my home.

"What happen?" I asked as I entered and saw everyone gathered in the hall, their faces desolated. I could sense this strongly that something was wrong. Extremely wrong.

"Bhabhi." I whispered, coming next to Vidhi bhabhi and she squeezed my hand, "She lost it."

"How?" I barely asked, I couldn't believe the baby that was here all the way was suddenly lost. Just like that. What probably could've gone wrong?

"Because of you." Badi ma charged at me, I couldn't think straight for minutes, why would she blame me? I blinked rapidly, before matching my gaze with her.

"Di, why are you starting it up again?" Maa said, stiffly, before turning to me, "You go to your room, Shree."

No way!

"What did I do?" I queried, whispering to no one particular and could sense Badi ma's glares at me, "It was your entire fault. Are you happy now? After eating my grandchild?"

My eyes ore up at the way she spoke to me. I was being accused of something I never done. I was being accused of feticide and I didn't even know what my fault was.

"Ma. Please!" Anshu Dada scowled and turned to Bhabhi, "Vidhi take her to the room."

"No!" I protested, "I am not going anywhere before knowing why you are blaming me Badi ma? What's my fault?"

"You deliberately mixed papaya in her drink. Even after knowing that she can't have that. Are you happy now?" She glowered and I sobbed, looking down.

"Di, she didn't do it on purpose. It was our responsibility to check what Vandana should eat or not. Why are you blaming her?" Mom shouted and Badi ma didn't look convince.

"What did I have done? Why are you blaming me badi ma?" I mumbled, fighting with my tears and badi ma glowered at me, "Don't call me, Ma. I don't want to see your face. Go to your room, I can't stand a woman who killed my-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" I heard Abhimanyu. He was standing on the doorstep with his luggage and his eyes were oozing fire. He was visibly angry and I could see his clenched jaw through my foggy vision. I was happy at least; he will be on my side. If I tried to not cry before, I wasn't trying that anymore. I pranced to him and sobbed, hugging him and he wrapped his hands around me, I could sense his rash breathings, "How can you blame her badi ma without listening her part?"

"Abhimanyu..." Dad warned him because he had raised voice at Badi ma and I sank my head deep in chest. It was happening all because of me.

"No dad." He snapped, "How cans anyone Shree for something she hasn't done? I won't allow anyone to walk over her or tell her off even if she's at fault till I'm alive."

"Abhimanyu. Don't cross the line. She's your badi ma, is that what we've taught to you?" Dad chided and I sobbed more. I clutched his shirt tightly in my hands, slowly looking up at him, pleading him through my eyes to not say a word. It would just make the situations worse and I didn't want him to hold grudge for his family.

"We are leaving." He said, strictly, wiping my tears. His words were so graved and powerful that I couldn't defy him.

"Abhimanyu..."

"Pack your bags. We are leaving now." He commanded and didn't even wait to hear my protest but dragged me to the room with him, howling like a bull and pulled out bags.

"Pack your clothes."

"Abhimanyu please. Badi ma is angry now, she will come around when-" I trailed off as I sensed his glare, "I won't repeat."

Unwillingly, I stuffed my dresses inside the bags, fixing my eyes over him; he was done with emptying his files in one bag and was almost going to empty his cupboard.

"Abhimanyu... Don't do this. Why are you hurting everyone in process?" I whimpered, hugging him tightly, trying to calm him down. He took a full minute to wrap his arms around me and respond to my hug.

"I'm not doing this to hurt anyone. I am trying to alleviate the pain. I know badi ma, she won't forgive you and I can't see you getting hurt when you're not at fault. I won't allow anyone to hurt to you, be it anyone."

"Abhi-"

"It's the best I can do to not hurt anyone." He cupped my face, "Look into my eyes and tell me, are you not hurt?"

Without meeting his eyes, I nodded and opened my mouth to reason when he pressed a finger against my lips, "Then let's go. We'll make our home. It will make me guilty forever if you have to stay somewhere people don't respect you. I can't bear it. Your self-respect is my pride and I don't want anyone to hurt my pride."

I couldn't say anything after that. He wouldn't let me. Mom, dad, Dada and Bade papa tried to waver him from his decision but he was firm. My self-respect was his pride; he was ready to hurt himself with a view to protect my respect.

Then it was my call to stand by him even if it killed me to see mom and dad like that.