A Late Spring Epilogue// IMP NOTE Pg. 164 - Page 96

The kids squabbling over which show to watch and then Branny strolling in and cleverly getting them all to watch what he wants is adorable yet very realistic... brought back memories of my interactions with my elder brother: As the three five year olds gathered around him and poured out their grievances, a transient naughty look suffused Branny's hazel eyes... cute! He must be thoroughly enjoying taking on the elder brother role. Arnav and Khushi working away in companionable silence is pleasing... his frustration at the unexpected meeting taking longer than usual to end, her listing of the schedule for Sunday, especially the kids' activities, his kiss being interrupted by her warning about the open door and Branny's arrival make for a very realistic portrait of married life. ...his request of addressing him as Brandon instead of the silly nick name, Branny, which he now found embarrassing, especially in front of his friends... awww, Brandon is all grown up... nice of Arnav to treat him as such and to comply with his wishes. With four kids around, it's not surprising that Arnav and Khushi have little time for intimate moments. ...the three younger kids somehow managing to sit in Arnav's lap all at the same time... looks like any chance they get, they would like to be as close to their dad as possible. Arnav desperate for the kids to go off to sleep so he can spend some time with Khushi, his efforts going to waste and having to turn to her for help, the bargaining between her and the kids are all highly entertaining. "Even fifteen is too much, if you ask me..," murmured Arnav with his eyes fixed on the TV screen... poor Arnav, can understand his frustration, which was compounded when he finally made it to his room only to find his exhausted wife fast asleep and in no mood for intimacies... very realistic! Despite his frustration, he doesn't continue with his amorous ministrations when Khushi sleepily stops him... shows what a loving husband he is. Sadly for him, his morning moments with his wife, where she is a also a willing participant, get interrupted again... Hearing her, Mr. Foster spat a mouthful of toothpaste foam into the sink in a long suffering manner and wisely decided to ignore her... while I sympathise with his predicament, the image is amusing! She turned to look at Branny, but before she could even utter a word, he said firmly, "Keep me out of it, Mama". The kid sure has learnt fast. Looks like Aiden is a foodie like the on-screen Khushi. Sofia's and Emma's excitement at passing messages between their parents is endearing. Lovely to see little Sofia admonish her dad for sending a hurtful message to her mom. So you just LET me make love to you as if it's not something you would be interested in too... their quarrel doesn't seem at all contrived... it must be provoking to miss out on the spontaneity, especially when he feels he's making all the moves while she is only going through the motions... one can't blame her either as she is overwhelmed by work and family responsibilities, not to say that he isn't. Khushi over-thinking their fight and coming to the conclusion that she has taken Arnav's love for granted is quite natural... the coldness from Arnav's side, as seen in his texts, just adds to her woes... wish she had taken the time to go surprise her hubby at the office. The ease with which they apologised and then spoke about their predicament indicates that their marital bonds will only go from strength to strength. Making up is always the fun part of quarrels and when pent-up desire is added to the mix it makes for an incredible combustion. Their bargaining as to how many times they need to declare their love is cutely reminiscent of Khushi's bargaining with the kids. The lyrics of 'The Evergreen Tree' are very apt for the Arnav-Khushi love story. A brilliantly written final epilogue that leaves us with a sense of warmth and well-being and the feeling that this couple will always be able to overcome all the obstacles in life thanks to their love and support of each other.