8| Dilkash

✨Ishq mein jaane kaisi ye bebasi hai, Dhadkano se mil kar bhi dil tanha hai ✨

"I do not care if it's a Bloody Sunday or not. Gather how many ever men of yours that are required. FIND. MY. HUSBAND." Aashi barked the order into her phone.

Armaan was missing.

He was away for a business meeting held in Singapore. He was away for a week and his flight was suppose to land this morning.

Ranbir, Armaan's best friend has connections to the airline Armaan was travelling with and an insider informed him that Armaan's plane had went off the radar a couple hours ago.

He ran to the Oberoi mansion and informed everyone about this. By the time they contact anyone, this became the breaking news of almost all the local media houses and it was all being broadcasted on the tvs.

The atmosphere at the Oberoi mansion was tensed to say the least. Aashi's parents, Vedika and Khushi were there as well.

Mr. Oberoi and Mr. Malhotra we're calling a bunch of people and trying to figure out the plane's whereabouts.

Aashi had just disconnected her call to the man who was the in-charge of the plane's route and radar system. She was getting anxious by the minute. No one knew weather the plane was okay or not. The passengers were even alive or not was a big question.

By the minute, negative thoughts started invading her mind. She was in such a tensed mood and it was really hard for her to think straight. Her mind started clouding with various thoughts and date she say none of them were positive. She was pacing the living room since the last hour and still cannot calm her irrational thoughts down.

"Aashi, beta 5 minute ke liye bethja. You getting so stressed won't bring Armaan back this instant." Mrs. Oberoi said.

Aashi, dear, sit down for at least 5 minutes.

"I know mama, par main kya karu? Un logon ko abhi bhi kuch pata nahi chala Armaan ke plane ka."

I know mama, but what am I to do? They still don't know anything about Armaan's plane.

"Tum subhe 5 baje uthi thi aur khana bhi nahi khaya kuch. Ek kaam kar, jaa thoda kuch kha le ya aaram kar le thoda." Mrs. Malhotra said.

You've been up since 5 this morning and you haven't had anything either. Do one thing, take rest or at least eat something.

"Ek kaam karein, aap dono apne kamre main jaakar aaram karein, khaas karke aap Bhabi. Hum bethe hain yahan." Ranbir said pointing towards the rest of them.

You both please go to your rooms and rest for some time, especially you sister-in-law. We all are here.

Mrs. Oberoi and Aashi had been up since 5 because they had to prepare for the upcoming Pooja that is going to be held the next day. It was Aashi and Armaan's one-year anniversary and Mr. Oberoi wanted to do keep a Pooja for them.

"Main theek hun, mujhe nahi..." Aashi started but was interrupted by her mother-in-law.

I'm okay, I don't...

"Aashi, chalo." Mrs. Oberoi said in a stern voice.

Aashi, come on.

Aashi couldn't argue any further. She kept mum. She bowed her head down and started walking next to her mother-in-law.

Mrs. Oberoi walked Aashi to her room and before she could entered, she held Aashi's hands in hers.

"Mujhe pata hai tum bahot pareshaan ho, hum sab hain. Par tumhare bhookhe rehne se ya stressed hone se kuch nahi hoga. Sab koshish kar rahein hai. Ranbir apne dost se baat kar raha hai, tumhare papa aur dad dono apne contacts aur sources use kar rahein hai. Fikar mat karo, Armaan jaldi ghar laut aayega." Mrs. Oberoi said looking into Aashi's eyes.

I know you're very concerned, we all are. But you not eating anything or stressing yourself would lead to nothing. Everyone's trying their best right now. Ranbir is talking to his friend in the airlines. Your papa and Dad, both are trying their level best and getting in touch with their contacts and sources. Don't worry so much, Armaan will be home soon.

"Bhagwaan kare aapki baat sach ho. Jald se jald Armaan ghar waapis aa jayein. Unka chehra dekhe bhi ab 2 hafte ho gaye hain." Aashi said with sadness laced in her voice.

May your words be true. May he return home as soon as possible. It's been 2 weeks since I last saw him.

"Abhi thoda aaram karlo. Mujhe apne Bhagwan par poora bharosa hai. Dekhna, tum jaago usse pehle Armaan apne ghar par hoga." Mrs. Oberoi said.

Right now, rest for some time. I have strong faith in my God. You'll see, by the time you wake up, Armaan will be home.

"Get some rest." She said and held Aashi's face between her palms. She kissed her daughter-in-law's forehead and then went towards her room.

Aashi turned towards their room and walked inside.

She decided to changed into some something comfortable. Going into her walk-in wardrobe, she pulled out one of Armaan's T-shirt and wore it with a pair of short cotton pants. Going inside the bathroom. She rinsed her face with cold water and wiped it dry.

She opened the first drawer by the basin and pulled out a pink stick. She saw the two lines on it and her eyes filled with tears.

She was pregnant.

She found out a couple days back when she missed her period. She randomly took and test and it came back positive.  She then took two other test which both came back positive.

She was elated. She and Armaan had discussed about having babies. They hadn't set a time but they knew they both wanted to have kids some day.

She couldn't wait to break the news to her husband. She hadn't told this to anyone yet because she wanted Armaan to be the first person to know this. She even planned to take him out tonight and reveal this to him once they get back from their date but fate had other plans.

Aashi walked out of the bathroom with the stick still in her hands.

She sat on Armaan's side of the bed and kept the stick in his drawer, mindlessly. She picked the photo frame from Armaan's bedside table. It was a photo from their honeymoon. They were on a beach, and the background was a sunset. She was dressed in a casual sundress and he was wearing a simple jeans and white top.

In the photo, she had tiptoed and was seen placing a sweet kiss on Armaan's cheek. Armaan had his eyes closed with a big smile on his face, hands wrapped around her, supporting her weight.

The tears that were earlier gathered in her eyes, started trickling down her face. She rested her back on the bed rest and bought her knees up to her chest. She hugged the frame and started crying.

Now that she was alone, her negative thoughts were escalating like anything. Multiple questions crowded her mind.

Where is Armaan?

Is he okay?

What if he's hurt?

What if there's no one that the pilot can contact with?

What if he's stuck in a place where they don't have the reception?

Thousands of what ifs crowded here mind.

She hugged the photo frame to her chest and started crying even more than she was before.

She didn't realise when her eyes became heavy and she dozed off.

.

.

.

.

"Aashi... Darling..." A familiar voice whispered in Aashi's ears.

She scrunched her eyebrows, thinking it was one of those dreams again. God knows how many nights she has had such dreams.

She'd imagine Armaan's touch on her cheek. His masculine voice, becoming extremely soft when whispering her name and that endearment only he calls her by, in her ears. She'd become hopeful and wake up in an instance only to realise it was just her imagination.

'I'm not gonna give into my imagination today.' She thought to herself and closed her eyes tightly.

"I'm here, Darling." She felt a faint kiss on her cheek and opened her eyes in an instance.

To her utter surprise, Armaan was standing next to her bed.

She threw the comforter off her body and literally jumped into his arms. Encircling her arms around her husband, she closed her eyes and welcomed the familiar comfort.

Tears started to trickle down her cheeks when she hid her face in the hallow of his chest and heaved a breath of relief.

He was here, safe and sound.

Armaan tightened his arms around his wife and kissed her hair. Her slender arms wrapped around his neck and the feeling of her slow breaths on his chest. He closed his eyes in relief.

He was home now.

Aashi was the one to break the hug after a long minute. Still in his arms, she cupped his face and starred at its features for a moment.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you." Aashi said hitting his chest lightly. Tears were still pouring down her face and breaking Armaan's heart at the sight.

"You have no idea how I've passed the last 12 hours, not knowing where you were. Aisa lag raha tha jaise meri saansein kisine cheenli ho." Aashi said, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves.

It felt like someone snatched my breath away.

Armaan bent his neck and took Aashi's lips in for a sweet, long kiss. With the kiss he assured her that he was there with her. Present in the moment, as alive as he always is when with her.

"The only way I want ke tumhari saansein cheenli jaaye." Armaan said as he pulled away, making Aashi blush profusely.

The only way I want your breath to be taken away.

"Look at you, a whole year of being married and you still blush like a newlywed." Armaan teased her and she smiled, biting her lip in an attempt to stop blushing.

"Armaan, there's something I've been meaning to tell you since a couple of days." Aashi said in a serious tone.

The previous playful look on Armaan's face morphed into a serious one. She rarely calls him by his full name.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" He said with his scrunched eyebrows.

"I'm fine..." Before Aashi could complete her sentence there was a knock on the door.

"Continue," Armaan said ignoring the knock.

"Bhabhi?" Came Aditi's voice.

"We'll talk later." Aashi said as she heard her sister-in-law's voice. She freed herself from Armaan's arms, who reluctantly let her go. She opened the door and Aditi rushed past her to meet Armaan.

"Thank God you're safe, Bhai." Aditi said as she hugged her brother with tears in her eyes.

"I'm alright, stop crying, Adi." Armaan said as he caressed his baby sister's head.

"Bhagwaan ka lakh lakh shukar hai, tu sahi salamat hai, beta." Armaan heard his mother's voice as he saw his parents at his room's doorstep.

Thank God, you're safe, child.

He released Aditi and walked towards them. Aashi quickly went to her wardrobe and changed into a loose pants and a tunic top.

"I'm alright, you guys can stop crying and worrying now." Armaan assured his parents with a smile.

"Aashi beta, ab to khana khaa le." Mrs. Oberoi said as soon as she saw Aashi walking out of the wardrobe.

Aashi child, now have something to eat.

"Tujhe pata hai isne kal subhe se kuch nahi khaya." She complained to her son. Armaan looked at his wife with disappointment clear on his face.

You know, she hasn't had anything to eat since yesterday morning.

"Kis khushi me?" Armaan walked to his wife and held her hand.

Why so?

"Tera pata jo nathi tha." His mother replied.

She didn't knew about your whereabouts.

"Accha. Koi na. Mai aa gaya hu. Ab to apne haathon se khilata hu." He said and Aashi hung her head down in an attempt to hide her blush.

Okay. No problem. I'm back. I'll feed her myself now.

Armaan pulled her out of the room with the other three following them with the biggest smiles on their face.

Armaan is a complete goner for his wife.

— x —

How'd you like the chapter? I kinda cut the waiting part of the scene to not drag her story too much. FYI, the book is coming to an end soon.