Aarush
"Waise ek baat bolu"
[ By the way, can I say something? ]
"Hmm" she agreed.
"Like you heard me in the morning, my point of view. Why I quit my job, the faith you showed in me without a doubt. I also want to know your point of view. If you trust me enough that I won't judge you." I voiced out. I hope this conversation will be a successful one, yet fulfilling.
"My point of view about what? Quitting your job?"
"No, about you. How do you see yourself? Why don't you talk to your parents? About us" listening my words she lifted her head from my shoulder and seated straight. Priyansh was fast asleep in her arms and she caressed him lightly. A motherly aura radiated from her soul which maintained a calm atmosphere near us.
It has been few minutes I uttered but she was constantly looking at the sunset. No words came out from her lips like she didn't wanted to talk about this. I felt like my try was slipping in vein. I just wanted her to vocalize her feelings so it won't bottle up within her and entangle her emotions.
"It's okay-" I was about to shoo away the thought that she might share anything with me but to my surprise she interrupted me.
"I don't know. I mean- I don't think bad about my parents. It's just that I don't talk to them."
"Why?"
"Because I think they didn't gave me enough freedom. They didn't let me have my choices. They didn't let me make mistakes. Don't you think so? I was already told that I was marrying you. They didn't ask my opinion. Even though I voiced it out that I don't wanna marry."
"I was so angry on them. I never wanted to talk to them again. And it wasn't possible if I stayed there. So, when I got married, I made my choices"
"But you know Vaani, they were so concerned, so traumatized when you had that allergic reaction. They didn't rest or had food. They just wanted to make sure that you are okay."
"Any parent would do that, Aarush. I am not saying I'm not grateful for them. I am. You know what they said before marriage? That you are a good man plus, you have kids. So no one would put pressure on me to have kids." She looked deep in my eyes as if her eyes were saying And you want me to talk to them?
"That's unbelievable" I whispered maybe she heard it.
"The fact I hate the most is, he didn't considered my dreams. As a woman. What I wanted from my husband. He said love and all is a bullshit. I shouldn't look after these parameters."
"But Aarush, a girl who's single since birth! Had only one wish that she wanted a family, a loving husband. She wanted them to create their future. I never thought that I'll marry a man with two babies. But, I did. You know what's the best part about this marriage?" she asked me and I was looking in her eyes as if my eyes asking her what?
"Them" she caressed sleeping Priyansh's head and planted a soft kiss on his hair along with taking Pihu's hand and kissing her back of the palm.
"I never imagined I could ever receive this cute set of babies! They are so cute. I don't think I could even make this cute babies! Haha"
"Why are you saying like this? You are a beautiful woman, Yuvaani. Of Course your kids would take over you. They might be more beautiful than you! Who knows"
I could feel her heart talking out. It felt good, but it eventually made a serious environment. So to lighten up, I asked her "You never had a boyfriend or a crush?"
"No boyfriends, but once I had crush in my college days"
"Who was he? Are you in touch with him?"
"He was from my class. No, I never spoke to him"
"Accha kiya! Nahi toh tumhari usse shadi ho jaati toh mujhe tum kaise milti?"
[ Well done! Otherwise, if you had married him, how would I have found you? ]
"Huh?"
"Facts"
"Are you flirting with me, Mr. Papa?" she narrowed her eyes on me.
"Maybe, Mrs. Mumma" with that I earned a playful smack on my bicep.
"Chalo ab, kaafi masti hogyi. Ab ghar chalte hai" she uttered.
[ Come on lets go home now ]
We got up and headed home. It felt good. The evening took a good turn in my life, unknowingly. I promised myself that I'll be a good husband to her. I'll let her have me, as a husband. She is my Wife. For a duration, I lost the meaning of the word Wife. Past can't be changed, things can't be changed. We have to accept it and move on. And, I'm happy with Yuvaani. She's the best mother anyone could ever have. She treats my babies as her own, even when she didn't gave birth to them. She understands why are they crying. She gives them time when they are cranky. She doesn't get annoyed when they trouble her. I believe only a real mother could do this. No doubt Priya would have been an amazing mother is she was here. But Yuvaani is filling her voidness in my children's life. Even if I thank her loads, that won't be enough.
It also felt like our equations changed. She would let me see her playful side as well. No doubt she's a hardworking and dedicated soul. But I guess we were discovering different shades and versions of each other. Every other day would bring something new about her as an individual. It's like I know her, still I feel there's so much more to know about her. And, I wanted to know her.
I could see us as a unit. Two individuals as a unit, working for a purpose. Purpose? The purpose were our kids? What if the kids grow up and don't need us anymore? Then?
"Aarush!!" I could hear my name being called out.
"Huh?" I didn't know where was I lost. I looked around and I could see Yuvaani calling me.
"You don't want to sleep?" she asked me while setting her side of the bed.
"Uh- Yeah" I said and I quickly made my side of the bed and made myself comfortable.
"By the way, our talks are safe with me" she said while dimming the light.
"Yeah, same here. Your secrets are also safe with me, I don't want you to beat me with your heels if I leak them" I replied leaving a small laugh.
"Beat YOU with my heels? Mai aapko waisi biwi lagti hu jo apne pati ko heels se maare?" She asked me almost instantaneously. I know she was lying down, but she git up on her elbows in disbelief.
[ Do I look like those wives who hit their husband with heels?]
"Nahi, aap toh bohot pyaari lagti ho!"
[ No, you look lovely! ]
Yes with that, I earned a slap from her pillow which I know, made her giggle. "Good night" I wished her.
"Good night"
____________
I am all stressed out and and that I'm pacing around my room in god knows what speed. I am so freaking stressed! I don't know what to do next!? I am having a feeling like my startup won't work. It will clash down. Because I never did this before! I am having a feeling like my knowledge isn't enough. It will fail. It will fail massively, which I've to pay a good amount. Why TF Aarush you have to leave your well settled job? Everything was good, even the damn salary was good. But know, you have to go out of the box! Now face it!
"Will you calm down for a minute?" she asked me while gently sitting on our bed, just observing me pacing here and there!
"How can I? Do you know-"
"You might have completed 500 steps by know, I assume" she interrupted me while getting up from the bed and by grabbing my shoulders lightly, she made me sit on our bed.
"You know, Thomas Edison failed 2774 times before he successfully invented an electric light bulb." she uttered.
"Huh? Vaani. I know what are you trying to do. But- it's just-"
"I know. Self doubt may feel as a negative emotion but isn't it a sign that we are doing right? We had this thing too, before our exams! But we excelled in our exams no? So why not here? We will try again" she affirmed placing her palms over mine.
"Vaani, In exams, we don't lose money. Here we do" I tried to explain.
"The graphs are not always so certain, Aarush. You are wrong if you are expecting one. Failures are bound to come. That's how life is. But what matters is our ability to bounce back. You know you are getting wrong, so go and talk to professionals, and correct yourself na? Shouldn't we? One should reach out to people when they get struck. We can't do everything in the perfect way in the first go, right?" I heard her and nodded slightly.
I wish I can exactly explain her where is the problem. But it's business so I guess she's right. I need to reach out people. I took my phone out from my pocket and called one of my college friend who's into finance. He asked me to meet after his work.
"Need to meet my friend regarding this" I said and pointed towards the paper bunch lying on my desk, she just nodded.
I got up to freshen up and walked up to the bathroom door. I was about to open it but I heard her words before steeping in there.
"You'll do great" I looked at her and she was already smiling at me. I too smiled at her. I am grateful for the faith she has in me. I hope what she says come true.
Soon, it was seven and I headed up to meet my friend. We had planned to discuss it over a coffee but it stretched into longer than usual. Whatever he was teaching me was new and fresh. I need to learn few things from him, it might take a day or two. He agreed on meeting me for the next two to three days for the same.
He also game me his manager's contact number in case if I need. I gladly took as I needed to expand my socials for attaining a business profile.
It was seven past ten when I reached home and rang the bell. Yuvaani opened the door having Pihu in her arms. When the door opened and Pihu's gaze fell on me, she immediately stretched her arms in my direction asking me to hold her.
I willingly held her and stepped in. I laid my bag on the sofa and made my way to the kitchen to drink water. When I brought the glass to my lips, my baby abruptly pulled it to her spilling water on both of us.
"You want water too?" I asked her
"Want" she replied in her baby voice. When I put the glass on her lips, she drank a sip and then she was done. When I again tried to drink water, she did the same.
"Your face is hiding a little from her sight when you drink water" Vaani voiced behind me and I turned to her
"Papa" Pihu grabbed his face and licked my lips. In response I hugged her tight. "Hold her for a minute" I stated and gave her to Vaani, and drank water hurriedly. In the meantime she wiggled hard in her touch coming to her me at last.
She missed me so much, I guess!
"How was you meeting?"she asked me
"Good, but it took longer than I expected."I replied.
Soon we were peacefully done with our dinner and we made our ways in our bedrooms. I changed my outfit and got babies' outfit changed too. After completing their bedtime routine Vaani placed them in crib, whereas I was working on his laptop.
"You want me to turn off lights?" I asked her as she was drifting on bed.
"No, turn it off after your work is done" she said and faced in opposite direction to the source of light. I switched off the lights, knowing she can't keep with lights on.
"Aarush?"
"Sleep peacefully, Vaani"
I said and went back to my laptop again. I don't want to disturb her because of my work. But she got up and switched on the light again. "We are not turning it off until you are done. I too have work. I want to read this book" she flaunted the book which was on her side table.
"Okay" I said but I shook my head in disbelief, knowing she did it for Within an hour or so I was done and I asked her "Are you done reading?"
"Yes, you can switch it off" she replied keeping the book on the side table, from where she picked it. It was The 48 Laws of Power.
Reading collection, for sure. I internally smirked.
"Thank you" I uttered softly, so only she could hear and my twins could have their uninterrupted peaceful sleep.
"What for?" she asked furrowing her brows.
"For the light. I need to do some paperwork too, It would be difficult if I done in mere laptop's brightness"
"Not needed. You should keep your work priorities straight. Not everyone's gonna understand you"
"Right" I affirmed.
"But you know what?"
"What?" I asked turning to her
"You'll have this business smooth. And it'll be great"
"How do you know?" my curiosity was at peak.
"Just one of those things" she shrugged her shoulders.
"Accha, agar aisa hua toh mujhe aapko thank you bolna padega, toh mai kaise?" I said.
[ If that's the case then, I'll have to thank you, so how should I? ]
"Just do something thoughtful by then" I heard her. Of course, Yuvaani. I wouldn't let you down this time.
"Sure thing, whatever you want" I whispered softly and kissed her forehead.
And at that moment I knew, life would be easier if we accepted things. I accepted that I'm inclined towards Vaani. But I want to take things slow. I don't want to rush and I want to keep our relationship effortlessly secure. I'll be a good husband to you, Vaani. I will really be. We'll be good parents together. We'll nurture our kids together. Glad to see you by my side.
"Good night" I said
"Night" I heard back.
_____
Author's Note -
Updating schedule - Preferably on Tuesdays.
On my Scrollstack account, chapters will be updated earlier than Wattpad. (Preferably I'll finish my book in a week there, plus multiple updates a week from now) To have that access, I have Scrollstack link in my Wattpad account's bio.
Guys, also if there are updates on Wattpad (about timings and all) I announce it on my Instagram account beforehand, like today I mentioned about this update, so it would be beneficial if you gather all the updates on time. My Instagram handle - chrrywrts.
Next chapter will be out whenever we'll hit 3K votes! (If it doesn't hit 3K votes, I'm seriously not gonna post it, even if it's update day. )