Virika FF: New Beginnings - Page 58

Chapter 40 |

"Virenji, it's a good idea..."

"No, it's a terrible idea."

"Fine! Do whatever you want then, what do I care?"

Viren watched in amused resignation as his wife huffed, sinking back into her armchair grumpily. She'd been an emotional mess the past few days, sometimes extremely happy, sometimes getting annoyed for no plausible reason at will, as the baby's due date approached. Her current predicament was that she was fed up with what she irritably termed, "house arrest" and wanted to go out for a bit. She suggested Viren go to his office and she'd accompany him, just so that she'd be somewhere other than the house. Viren wasn't particularly keen on the idea, sharply reminded of Vidhi stumbling down the stairs and Manvi's water breaking in the middle of nowhere. Jeevika's baleful glare sent in his direction, however, was enough to make him reconsider. After all, a happy wife equaled a happy life, he reasoned. And a happy wife was probably better for the baby as well.

"Okay, how about this," he squatted down on the floor in front of her, hands in her lap, "We go for a picnic. Not too far from here, close to a hospital and that way you can sit or lie down or whatever you want."

"We still have another week before the baby's due," Jeevika pointed out.

"It's still quite probably that it may arrive early," Viren countered.

She sighed, "Alright, fine. Picnic it is."

"Perfect, I'll go tell the kitchen staff to pack us some food," Viren said cheerfully, striding off.

Jeevika couldn't supress a smile at his enthusiasm, feeling slightly guilty. She knew she'd been a bit trying of late, but she simply couldn't help herself. All she wanted for this baby to be born. Safely. And each day leading up to its due date was like a heavy burden on her shoulders that only grew heavier. All the fears and doubts she had been calmly ignoring for the past months had suddenly resurfaced with a vengeance. What if she wasn't meant to have a baby? What if something went wrong? What if, what if, what if...

"Mama." Manvi's coo from her crib shook her back to the present. She couldn't keep worrying about the future. Not when it would hinder all the tiny joys and precious moments in the present.

"Has Mummy been ignoring you?" Jeevika asked ruefully, "I'm sorry, darling, I know I've been cranky. And I've been taking it out on you and Daddy." Her daughter had recently even been calling her "Mama" of late and yet, despite the happiness it brought at first, her fears had crept in soon after. It seemed that no matter what little happiness she tried to find for herself, it was all too quickly stolen by whatever doubts haunted her.

Mansi curled a little fist around Jeevika's finger. "But, you know what?" Jeevika continued, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "Sometimes Daddy deserves it. Always telling me what to do, making me sit in this room all day, not letting me do things for you. He needs to loosen up, don't you think? He's becoming a worse Fikar Minister than I am!"

Mansi waved her arms about in agreement. "Still," Jeevika said softly, "I know he just loves me and he's doing what he thinks is best. Maybe he's right. I need to be safe, after all. Just until your baby brother arrives, I should listen and take care of myself. And yes, it's going to be a boy. I just know it," she smiled, putting a hand over her abdomen, "I've already thought of a name, but it's got to be a surprise for Daddy. Can you keep a secret?" She smiled, whispering the name into Mansi's ear. "You like it?"

Mansi beamed in response.

"I thought you would," Jeevika smiled back, "I know you're just as excited as Daddy and I are for this baby. And you're going to be such a wonderful big sister."

Mansi reached her arms out to be carried but Jeevika hesitated, "I told your father I wouldn't carry you while standing. I know you're as light as a feather, but Daddy thinks even the slightest weight could topple me over. Whoosh! Still, don't worry, Daddy's going to take us on a picnic."

"We can go to the park," Viren added as he entered the room, "Mansi can sit on one of the baby swings if she likes it."

"That sounds good to me," Jeevika smiled, putting a pretty little flowered beanie on Mansi's head. Viren picked up Mansi from her crib, "Who's my beautiful little girl?" Mansi waved her arms about in enthusiasm as he buckled her into her carrier. "And...who's my beautiful wife?" Viren inquired of Jeevika.

"I don't know," Jeevika pretended to look around in search, "I can't find her."

Viren followed suit, looking about, "She must've run away from her tyrant of a husband. Always telling her what to do and so on."

Jeevika blushed, looking sheepish, "I'm sure she's around here somewhere. She'd never leave you, you know. No matter how tyrannical you can be."

"It's not as though I'd let her leave anyway," Viren shrugged teasingly before unexpectedly hooking an arm around her waist, "Hey. I think I just found her."

"Are you sure?"

He dropped a light kiss on her cheek, waiting. She smiled. "There we go," he touched a finger to her cheek, "Yes, now I'm sure."

Jeevika lounged back on the mat Viren had carried with them to sit on, sipping some cool lemonade. It wasn't too hot out, just enough to relish the warmth of the sunlight. She watched in fond amusement as Viren pushed Mansi gently on the baby swing. She wasn't afraid at all, she laughed and made happy baby sounds at ever push. It was enough to make Viren laugh as well and Jeevika sat back, content to simply watch.

Or at least, she was until two newcomers arrived.

A slender tall woman in a light summer dress arrived, carrying a baby that looked to be around a year old. She smiled at Viren, before putting her son into the adjacent swing. Now, that was hardly an issue. Jeevika wouldn't be jealous of some random stranger.

But then the woman began to talk.

"My son, Krish, likes the swings too," she began conversationally, "Your daughter looks at though she's having a blast!"

"She certainly is," Viren chuckled, "How old is he?"

"Thirteen months."

"Really? He looks older," Viren eyed the chubby infant.

The woman laughed, "He just eats a lot. He's pretty big for his age, I know. Do you come out to the park often with your daughter?"

"Not that often," Viren admitted, "I'm usually busy with work during the day, my wife usually takes her out," he indicated Jeevika, who hastily looked down into her picnic basket to not be caught staring.

"Oh, congratulations on your second!" the woman exclaimed, clearly discerning Jeevika's baby bump, "It's so sweet that you come out to play with your child at the park. My husband is always too busy, works late, you know."

Sweet? Jeevika narrowed her eyes, beginning to bristle. The woman was practically flirting with him.

The woman continued, "Your wife must be very lucky to have you around."

Hmph. Who was this complete stranger to make such statements, Jeevika groused.

"I'm very lucky to have her as well," Viren replied. Jeevika's heart swelled happily.

The woman's phone buzzed and she checked it, sighing. "No rest for the weary. Another notification from work."

"That happens," Viren said, sympathetically.

"Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but I'd really enjoy another nice clean break. I miss maternity leave. Your wife must be enjoying it."

"Oh, she doesn't work."

"She doesn't?"

Jeevika didn't appreciate the tone of surprise.

Viren shrugged, "She was a teacher in Rishikesh before we got married. After that, she shifted here to Chandigarh with me."

"She could still continue her profession here though," the woman replied, "I mean, I don't know about her, but I'd be bored at home all day..."

That was it. Jeevika had enough. She paused in rummaging through the picnic basket and called out as cheerfully as she could manage, "Virenji! I have to feed Mansi now."

"Coming!" he picked up a reluctant Mansi, joining her on the little hillock.

Jeevika took Mansi from him, spoon-feeding her some strawberry mush. "I don't know if Mansi's that hungry," Viren lounged back lazily.

"It's her eating time," Jeevika retorted stubbornly.

"Was it Mansi you needed to come back...or me?"

She threw him a dark look, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Alright, alright," he said hastily.

A silence, then Jeevika said abruptly, "After this baby is born...I want to work again."

Viren looked suspicious, "You do?"

"Yes, I do," she said defiantly.

"Mmhmm...Mrs. Vadhera, I think you might be slightly jealous."

"Jealous? Me?" she forced a casual laugh.

He raised an eyebrow, "If you want to work, I'm not stopping you...but that's not the real reason you brought up the subject."

"You're deluded," she snapped.

"I'm your husband," he reached out to brush back a strand of hair from her face, "The only delusions I may have surround you, I assure you, but I still think you're jealous."

She batted his hand aside, averting eye contact, "Don't be ridiculous."

"Jeevika..." he rolled over to his back, poking her side, "You're jealous."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm - why are you being so childish?"

"I'm being childish?" Viren looked at her incredulously, "You're the one jealous over a woman who barely spoke to me for five minutes."

"She called you sweet," Jeevika grumbled, "And then she had the audacity to say she'd be bored if she was me."

"Well she didn't say that expressly..."

"She implied it."

"And now you think you want to be like her?"

"No!"

"Well, that's a relief," Viren said, "Because I wouldn't want you to be anyone else but you."

Well. She could hardly argue with that.

She looked down at him uncertainly, "And what if...later, I mean...what if, I wanted to teach again?"

"I would wholeheartedly support you," Viren smiled, "If that's what you really wanted."

She smiled back, just as Mansi finished eating. Jeevika set her down in a little pile of blankets on the mat, before looking through the picnic basket. "Strawberries?"

"Yes, please...though not Mansi's kind."

She laughed, "No, not the baby food."

"Do I get to be fed too?" he inquired hopefully.

"Don't push it," she rebuked him, but fed him a strawberry anyway, unsurprised when his teeth playfully caught at her fingers. She hit him back, "You'll never change."

"You wouldn't want me to," he grinned, rolling over to put his head in her lap. "I love you, you know."

She looked at him quizzically, "That was abrupt."

"I haven't said it out loud in a while," he explained in a matter-of-fact tone, "Thought I'd just remind you."

"Very well then," she nibbled on a strawberry.

"That's it?" he raised an eyebrow, "Don't you have anything else to say?"

"No," she shrugged, deliberately teasing him, "Should I?"

"Shaitaan," he growled, winding his hand around her hair to draw her forward, "Well?"

"I...Love...Mansi," she enunciated each word with a smug smile.

He tugged her closer, "I'm still waiting."

She suddenly winced, "Virenji."

"Jeevika?" he immediately let go, sitting up, looking anxious, "Jeevika what's wrong? Contractions?"

She laughed in his face.

"And here I thought your sister was the mischief-maker," Viren said, shaking his head grimly, "You scared me!"

"Your expression changed so quickly!" Jeevika still struggled between fits of laughter.

"I'm glad someone's amused," he said dryly.

"I'm sorry," she calmed herself down sufficiently enough to say. He refused to look at her. "Virenji..." she cajoled, "I said I'm sorry."

No response.

She drew her arms around his shoulders and kissed his cheek, "I love you."

A tiny smile curved his mouth finally. "You're terrible."

"I'm sorry," she repeated, then laughed again, "It was pretty funny though..."

"Terrible," he shook his head at her, then laughed too, putting an arm around her, "You're setting a terrible influence for our children."

"You're the one who was trying to romance me in a public park!" she stated.

"Last I checked, you weren't complaining."

"You're terrible. Mansi's going to have a boyfriend one day and she's going to pick up on all these things."

"It's a good thing I kept her away from that Krish fellow," Viren threw the baby in question a dark look from afar.

"You kept her away? I did."

"Oh, it wasn't Mansi you were worried about," Viren said smugly.

"Virenji, you know, I think we should go home now," Jeevika said hastily, "I think I've had enough of the outside for today..."

"I think you're adorable when you're jealous."

In the evening, Jeevika stood in front of the mirror at her dresser, surveying her body from different angles. Despite her prior concerns that she was "fat" and "unattractive", she rather liked the soft roundness of motherhood, that in her stomach lay a child. Her child.

Viren grinned at her from behind his laptop, where he sat on the bed, "Admiring yourself, Mrs. Vadhera?"

"I'm admiring my baby," she corrected, putting a hand over her stomach.

"Well, I'm admiring both," Viren chuckled. He certainly was. Motherhood looked beautiful on his wife.

"Go back to work," she waved him off, blushing slightly. He loved the fact that he could still make her blush by complimenting her. He checked his emails, sighing. He may not have been physically at his office, but that didn't hinder the workload.

"Virenji," Jeevika said softly.

"Hmm?" he didn't look up from his laptop, reading the most recent email.

"Virenji."

"Haanji?" he was only half-listening.

"Virenji, my water broke."

"Oh no, you're not fooling me again with that," he chuckled, then looked up. And pushed his laptop aside.

Jeevika leaned weakly on the dresser, a small pool of water around her feet. "Believe me, this is real."

A/N: So finally figured out what to do with this after talking it out with SJ and I know, I know...cliff-hanger! Haha, I just couldn't resist. 😆 Probs won't take too long to update, but for now thanks for being patient and do leave your comments and thoughts below! <3

Just to let you know, we're also nearing the end of this story, but I do have something planned for after it finishes, which I'll let y'all know about later.