Arnav asked the driver to reduce the volume of the radio. Twenty minutes had passed since they had been driving back from Anjali and Aman's house. Arnav had had just three pegs of scotch, but Anjali had not been in a mood to listen to him and let him drive back by himself. "Take our driver. He will drop you off. He can come back later, or even tomorrow" she had ordered. Arnav and Khushi agreed without a single protest. The last thing they wanted was for Anjali to get annoyed at them. Arnav, who was leaning against the door in the backseat, turned to look at Khushi. She had dozed off and her head rested against the glass of the car window. Arnav smiled to himself as he saw her sleeping in peace. She wasn't that bad, and was, thankfully, no more Frosty. She was quite a nice woman. Not to forget, how much Samrat loved her. He looked outside, as the car drove along the curve of the road, which had huge trees on either side. It was a pleasant sight to drive during the day, but at night, the road was creepily silent. The bend along the path caused Khushi's head to tilt and lightly rest against his shoulder. She leaned closer, feeling more comfortable. Arnav froze when he felt her inch closer to him. She was fast asleep and had no clue about leaning over him. And she must have been feeling chill due to the cool blast of the AC within the car, for she wrapped her petite hands round his thick, muscular arm, probably seeking some warmth. Arnav sat still, fearing that if he moved, she would wake up. At least, it was better than her behaving awkward once she woke up. Her grip round his arm slackened, and he felt her head slipping down his arm. He freed his arm from her loose hold, and wrapped it round her shoulder. He chose to ignore the feel of her back against his forearm, and pulled her closer, so that she could lean comfortably, with her head on his shoulder. Arnav felt the car slow down, and finally come to a halt. The driver turned back to say something, but Arnav signaled him to remain quiet as she was asleep. "Traffic Jam" the driver mouthed and Arnav frowned. How could there possibly be a traffic block on this Godforsaken road? Arnav peeked at the road through the gap between the front seats. He could see a long line of vehicles lined up. The driver indicated that he would check what the matter was and come back quickly. And even before Arnav could say anything, the driver hopped off the vehicle.
Ratna, Payal and the kids had reached home an hour ago. After a visit to the temple, the kids had insisted on going to McDonalds, and Payal had chimed in too. Ratna had no option, but to give in. Although, there was something odd about Samrat that evening. The boy seemed to be sulking over something. He had been fine when at the temple. But ever since he came back, he had been dull. She wanted to know what the matter was. Presently, Ratna peeped in to the kids' room. She saw Samrat was hugging that obnoxious-looking stuffed toy, Lulu, and was muttering something to it. Kavya was busy playing with her doll house in another corner of the room. Ratna tiptoed into the room and Samrat instantly stopped talking to Lulu when he felt his Daadi's presence. "Samrat? What happened? I see that you are sad about something." Ratna cooed. "Nothing Daadi" he said in a soft, low tone. Ratna sensed something was troubling the boy. She asked him to come with her and he readily went into her arms, along with Lulu.
Ratna took him to her room. Thankfully Arvind was not yet back, and she felt that little Samrat could be open enough to her, Although, Arvind had begun to shower his affection over Samrat, the boy was still intimidated by his Daadaji, quite many number of times. He was yet to get comfortable and acquainted with his grandfather. She closed the door and made the boy sit on the bed. Then, facing him, she made him look up at her. "What is it Samrat? Are you missing Mommy and Daddy?" she asked. She knew that they would have left Anjali's house by now, and was wondering what was taking them so long. Samrat nodded at his Daadi's question, "But I know that they are not missing me, Daadi. Not even a bit" he said, looking at Lulu in dejection. "Samrat? What makes you think like that?" asked a surprised Ratna. The response was the curling of his lips and big fat tears dripping down his cheek as he hugged Lulu tightly.
Arnav heaved a sigh as he sat in the car. He peeked at the road ahead. None of the vehicles had inched ahead since fifteen minutes. He threw his head against the seat in frustration. He hated waiting. And what made him more frustrated was that Khushi was leaning into him. This frustration was a different one, though- the one which made his throat parch and hands itch. He wanted to move, but couldn't do so without the risk of waking her up. His senses began to work overtime. She had that feminine scent - a mix of lavender, citrus, honey and fresh lilies. He hated it, because it tempted him to do certain things. He could not deny that she was an attractive woman. And who could blame his brain for wandering into certain thoughts? He was a lonely man, in his prime, and had not been with any woman since Swathi. Surprisingly, her name did not bring any bitterness. His thoughts were more focused on the warm body of his wife that was pressed up against him. He felt her taking a deep breath, after which she threw her arm round his waist. She must have felt slightly uncomfortable in the posture that she was, for she shifted her head against his chest. It caused him to be more uncomfortable, because now, he could feel her breath on his skin at the opening of the first button of his shirt. The male instincts within him caused his hand to slide down her arm. "Stop it, Arnav. She's asleep and you're taking advantage of her?" the rational side of his entire being screamed out to him. But he was unable to stop himself. It was as if the hand had a will of its own. It halted when his hand felt her elbow and slowly slid over her lower back. For the first time, Arnav really couldn't help himself. He knew he was wrong in touching her. Yet, that guilt felt so pleasurable.
Her skin felt like warm velvet. His palm rested on the curve of her hip and he closed his eyes at the sensations that shot through him. The closed space in the car, the cold weather, his loneliness and the fact that she looked stunning in that saree with the backless blouse; all of these were playing games on his mind. Damn, he felt so bad that he was feeling so good. His hand decided to explore more. Arnav, No. Stop! He easily wound his arm around her petite waist and his hand disappeared under the saree, letting his fingers come in contact with the soft skin of her midriff. Arnav, stop. You're crossing the line. He closed his eyes and withdrew his fingers, avoiding the touch. It was wrong, so wrong. Arnav's head started throbbing. Scotch did not seem like a very good idea now, even though it was tempting then. Khushi involuntarily moaned in her sleep, as she raised her feet up on the seat, and slid closer to him; his body providing her with human comfort and natural warmth. All of his resistance shattered as he heard her feminine moan and his hand lay flat on her midriff. He turned his head to face her, inhaling her scent once more. His fingers were inching on her belly button, and that was when he was brought back to earth with the noise of the car door opening. He quickly pulled his hand away, almost disgusted that he had behaved in such a manner. The driver sat back in his seat, took a breath and looked back at the couple. The woman was comfortably asleep and the man had his arm round her shoulder. He smiled at them, for they looked so perfect together! "A truck accident ahead. It's going to take time to clear up. Probably an hour" the driver told him and Arnav nodded. He gently pulled his arm out of her hold and made her lie on the seat after he got out of the vehicle. "Going somewhere, Saheb?" The driver asked, to which Arnav replied, "Yes I need some fresh air" Someone had rightly said it- Men think with their groins. Gosh, he felt guilty; scotch was to be blamed. Also, all that closed up space was making him lose his mind. He needed to get out before he could do something more foolish.
Ratna only hugged Samrat while he kept crying. She couldn't believe that Samrat would be jealous over such a petty issue. But then, he wasn't the one to be blamed. He had got his Mommy just three days back, and both his parents were busy fawning over another baby. She felt guilty for showing the picture to Sam. "But Samrat, it isn't like that. Mommy and Daddy love you a lot! In fact, that is why they got married, so that they can both love you and stay with you, forever!" Samrat shook his head and huddled closer to his grandmother, if that was even possible. "No Daadi, I don't like it if Mommy or Daddy love another baby. I am their only baby. They cannot love someone else." He only wailed and hiccupped. Ratna shook her head at Sam's stubbornness that he had inherited from his father, which his father had inherited it from his father. Did these Raizada men have to be so difficult? Why did a five year old boy have to be so stubborn? She patted his back and pulled away, making him look at her. "Sam when you were born, even Akaash Chachu and Payal Chachi pampered you. And Kavya too was very angry. She said that her parents did not love her." Samrat frowned, "But Chachu and Chachi love Kavya so much" Ratna smiled. "Yes, just like how Mommy and Daddy love you. And just as how Chachu and Chachi pamper you, so did Mommy and Daddy pamper Ananya. Would you like it if Kavya Tai got angry with you or with her parents, just because they love you?" Samrat shook his head. Gosh No! Kavya Tai was his sister and his best friend; even before he became friends with Abhi. He would feel really bad if Kavya were to be mad at Chachu-Chachi just because they loved him. He had never seen it like that! Mommy-Daddy loved Ananya just as Chachu-Chachi loved him! Ratna knew that she was able to convince the boy; the slightly relaxed look on his tear-stained face told her. "You mustn't get angry at Ananya or your Mommy-Daddy. They were just pampering Ananya, as Chachu and Chachi would pamper you. So, now be a good boy and stop crying. Okay?" She hugged him as he nodded and he hugged her back. But somewhere deep down in his heart, he was still mad at his Mommy and Daddy. He knew he had to talk to his parents about it.
The car had managed to reach home after an hour. Arnav had decided to sit in front, next to the driver. He did not trust his male instincts anymore. He would end up doing something more foolish if he were to sit in that backseat with her. As the car entered the Mansion gates, he turned around and looked at Khushi, who was still asleep. After the car was parked in the driveway, he opened the back door and bent down to pat her cheek so that she would wake up. Carrying her into the house was out of question. If anyone saw him doing that, he would be teased for quite many days about it. There was no denial from him that his family was a complete nutcase in package. After several attempts, she woke up with a start, and looked up to see Arnav hovering over her. She sat up, and arranged her saree, consciously. Arnav looked away. He was still guilty for touching her without her knowledge. He wouldn't confess to her though. Part of him did enjoy it. Shut up, shut up, shut up Arnav! "We're home" he said, and she nodded while tying her hair in a ponytail. They walked into the house, after the driver was asked to stay at the servant quarters for the night. And as they walked in, Samrat watched them both from the room upstairs.
Both, Khushi and Arnav entered the bedroom to find Samrat seated on the bed with a grumpy face, along with Lulu who had fallen in his lap. "Samrat? Baby, you're still awake?" Khushi sat next to him and hugged him tight. He squirmed out of her arms and sat backing her. "Buddy, something wrong?" Arnav asked him and in response, the boy turned his face away with a frown. Arnav looked at Khushi, and she shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what the matter was. Khushi pulled him closer and made him sit on her lap as he hugged Lulu in his arms. "Samrat, if you don't tell us what is wrong, how will we know?" He looked at her from the corner of his eye and frowned, "I saw the photo what Anjali Phuphi sent to Daadi." Khushi and Arnav frowned in confusion. What photo was he talking about? "You both were busy hugging Ananya. You both forgot me. You both don't love me" Both Arnav and Khushi broke into smiles, as they heard their jealous little baby talking, and that annoyed him even more. "Don't smile. Don't make fun of me" he said with a soft voice. Their smiles faded as he pouted at them. Then turning to Khushi, he said, "You don't hug me as much as you were hugging Ananya" Khushi hugged him tighter and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, my huggy puggy little baby bear" she said to him and he smile slowly at the strings of endearments she used. "Daddy's sorry too" Arnav said, holding his ears and sat next to him. Khushi looked at Arnav and grinned, and Arnav returned her a smile. Sam glanced at Arnav and then at Khushi. "Don't look at each other and smile!" he said loudly, causing both of them to focus on him, "You both have punishment from me, for what you did" His parents simply looked at each other blankly.
Forty-five minutes later, Samrat was cozily nestled between Khushi and Arnav, all the three under the quilt. "Happy now?" Arnav asked his son, facing the ceiling. His son had punished them; the punishment being that all three had to sleep in one bed together, and both of them had to hug him. "Not yet, Daddy" he said with a naughty smile. Khushi's eyes grew wide as she looked at the little boy. Sam glanced at his left, and then at his right, and said, "Now you both need to hug me, and go to sleep" Arnav heaved a sigh and Khushi shook her head, saying, "Samrat, both of us said sorry na? Then why all this?" "That is my punishment for you both. If you don't do it, I won't talk to you both. And I'll not go to school. And I'll also tell Daadaji as to why I'm not going to school" Arnav turned to face Samrat and threw an arm over Samrat. It would be better than answering his Dad as to why Samrat did not go to school. What would he tell him? I did not hug my son and so he did not go to school? Nonsense! The little boy then looked at Khushi, waiting for her to hug him. She took a deep breath and turned to her side. Samrat gave her a toothy grin as she hugged him. "Now are you happy?" Khushi asked him with a grin, to which he nodded and laughed as she tickled him. Arnav only watched the two of them giggle.
In the middle of the night, Arnav woke up with an urge to visit the bathroom. He turned the bed lamp on and stumbled his way into the washroom to take a leak. After relieving himself, when he was back to the room, he looked at his son, cuddled close to his Mommy. The blanket had been kicked away by both of them. Sam had wrapped his tiny arm around her, and thrown his leg over her thigh. Arnav smiled at the way Khushi held Sam in her arms; just like a protective lioness. She kept her little cub as close as possible to her. Touch my baby and you're dead' seemed to be the message she was trying to give away with the way she was embracing their little baby. Arnav sighed. If only Swathi had been one percent of a mother that Khushi is. But that woman never knew what selfless love was. Arnav sighed at his own fate, walked to her side of the bed and covered them both with a blanket. Then, unable to fall asleep, he crept out of the room and went by the poolside.
Taking a seat in the open garden by the pool, he looked up at the sky. A few stars twinkled and the moon, though hiding behind the dark clouds, shone brightly. His thoughts wandered and settled on Khushi. Despite a tough exterior, she was a wonderful person on the inside; a wonderful daughter, a caring daughter-in-law, a loving and protective mother and a dutiful wife. And to add to it, she was a beautiful on the outside too. He recalled how her back looked as he was tying those strings of her blouse; how she felt when he had touched her secretly in the car. Guilt washed over him. How could he behave that way? It was disgusting. Not that you did not enjoy it then! Stop acting like a monk now! his brain exclaimed. He threw his head in his hands and leaned back in his seat, in an attempt to shut the voices of his brain.
A minute later, he felt someone standing by his side. He looked up to see Khushi next to him, with a shawl in her hand. She put it round his shoulders, "You may catch a cold". He thanked her to which she blinked at him with a smile. "Mind if I sit?" she asked and he nodded; she occupied the seat next to him. "You aren't asleep" he said. It was more like a statement rather than a question. "yes, I woke up when you pulled the blanket over Samrat and me" Arnav shook his head, "I'm sorry, I did not intend to wake you up" "It's okay, Arnav. I anyway finished one hour of my sleep in the car" she smiled. He smiled at her and leaned back in his seat.
After a prolonged silence and feeling restless in the quietude, she spoke up again, "The weather is quite pleasant today, right?" Arnav chuckled. "Really now, Khushi? Is it that hard to have a conversation with me that we are talking about the weather now?" She shrugged her shoulders with a sheepish grin, "I guess I am not used to a lot of silence. In fact, I love listening to others. Rishi loved to talk, and after he passed away, Ma used to keep chattering. At Samrat's school, Gauri used to keep me busy with her jibber-jabber" Arnav noticed her eyes lighting up at the mention of Rishi and Garima, but chose not to say anything. He was just happy that she wasn't crying at the mention of their names. She continued to talk, "And even here, Samrat, Ma, Payal, Kavya, everyone loves to talk. And right now, it's really odd for me to be in so much of silence. It feels as if I am amidst monks in prayer at the monastery" He gave her a wide grin. "Well, what do you want to talk about?" he asked, leaving it to her. "I don't know" she waved her hand in the air, "I don't have a specific topic as such"
Arnav leaned back into his seat and sighed. Khushi propped her chin on her hand; the elbow rested on the handle of the chair. Both of them were looking at the sky, as if trying to figure how high it was above them. "Thank you Khushi" Arnav spoke, out of the blue. Khushi knit her brows together in confusion and looked in his direction. "You're welcome Arnav, but may I know why are you thanking me?" Arnav looked at her; he noticed she had deep doe eyes that shone in the bright moonlight. Speak, Arnav, Speak. It is creepy when you stare in silence. He shut his brain for a while. "Thank you for being there for Samrat." Khushi smiled and was about to say something, but he raised his hand to stop her. "Let me say this, Khushi" She listened to him in silence as he continued. "Being a single father, ever since Samrat was just 84 days old, was not an easy task for me. After all, we men aren't really moulded to nurture and be empathetic. Swathi had left an infant behind to go ahead and achieve her dreams. That poor little child had depended on her for everything, and she left him, helpless. Initially it was difficult to handle Sam. He would not stop crying. He would be hungry and would refuse bottled milk. He would refuse to stop crying in anyone's arms." Tears welled up in Khushi's eyes. Could a mother be so cruel? "Sometimes, I would get frustrated and would even wonder, what if Samrat was not born? I could have still had my bachelor's life! I mean, I had my job on one hand, and an infant on another, and balancing in life was getting really tough. But every time I thought of it, I realized how meaningless my life would be without him. Sam taught me what true happiness really means." He smiled to himself. "They say that time has a way of healing and improving things. And it did happen for Sam and me too. Gradually, Samrat became accustomed to being without a mother. My boy learnt to grow up without a mother. Of course, Ma and Payal were always around, but no love can replace the one of a mother's love. Khushi, you cannot imagine how happy I was when the first words he uttered were Dada." Arnav smiled despite his moist eyes. Khushi smiled as she saw him beam with happiness. "As years passed by, I understood that Sam is my priority. Nothing else came before him. Nothing else mattered other than him"
He paused for a minute and looked at her. "And then, one fine day, we bumped into you, where you begin to lecture me on how I should raise my son" Khushi turned red in embarrassment. She now realized that Arnav was doing quite a good job at raising Samrat. "And that was why you were offended, because you were trying you're best and I was finding faults with you" she said and heaved a sigh. "I'm so sorry, Arnav. I did not realize..." "No, Khushi. You were right to a certain extent. I was making mistakes and I was learning. But somewhere, I knew that something was lacking. Ma had always spoken about getting married again, quite many number of times. I refused it back then. I knew that there may be girls willing to be my wife, but unwilling to be a mother to Samrat. And quite frankly, when I saw Sam getting attached to you in just a few days, I was jealous" Khushi's jaw hung open. "Jealous? Why?" He shrugged his shoulders, "I guess, I was insecure that he would get more attached to you than remain attached to me, and that he would be distanced from him as he would get close to you." Khushi laughed, "Now I see where Samrat gets that jealous streak from!" Arnav joined her in her laughter, "Let's just say we Raizada men tend to be possessive about what we consider ours. We hate sharing!" She smiled and nodded her head in understanding. A moment later, she asked him, "Arnav, do you really think that I am taking Samrat away from you?" Arnav looked at her again, and noticed a guilty expression on her face. He smiled at her and shook his head, "No. You aren't. I admit that I thought he was getting distanced from me, but I cannot be selfish. I realize that he does need the love of a mother. And Khushi, tonight when I saw him sleeping so relaxed with you, I realized that this was the first time I've seen him sleep so peacefully. In fact, you two reminded me of Simba and Sarabi" Khushi laughed, "So you think we both are cartoons?" He shrugged his shoulder with a mischievous smile, "I can't say that about him, but you..." Khushi narrowed her eyes and shot him an angry look, but laughed when he laughed out too. He suddenly placed his hand on hers and she looked down at their hands. "But seriously, thank you, Khushi. Thank you for coming into Samrat's and my life, and making it better and brighter. You've given us both something so precious, something that we can call a family now. We cannot be thankful enough..." "That's enough Arnav, you're being formal now. Quit it" she interrupted him with a shy smile. He pursed his lips and smiled back at her.
"Mommyyy..." They both heard the voice from the room, followed by soft sobs. "Samrat!" They both said in unison and rushed inside. Samrat had woken up and was rubbing his eyes and crying. Khushi rushed to his side and pulled him into a tight hug. He hugged her back and leaned closer to her as if she was his refuge, his strong fortress. "Where did you leave me? I was so scared" Khushi patted his back and hushed him as she lied down on the bed with him in her arms. "My brave son was scared? Of what?" she asked him and he sincerely admitted that the bogeyman under the bed was scaring him. "Really? But there is no bogeyman, Samrat!" Khushi said. "Are you sure? Did you check?" he asked innocently. She nodded. "Both, Daddy and I, checked." she said, startling Arnav. She was saying it because she did not want Arnav to feel that Sam focused all of his attention on Mommy, and not over Daddy. And it seemed like Arnav understood why she said that. He simply smiled at her. "Really Daddy? You checked?" Arnav nodded, "I did, buddy." "And Daddy chased the bogeyman away. Daddy said to the bogeyman, how dare you think of scaring my Samrat? Daddy took his sword and bogeyman got scared; he ran away" Khushi said and Sam giggled, clapping his hands proudly for his Daddy. "Yay! Daddy chased the bogeyman!" he said and jumped into his Daddy's lap. Arnav hugged him tight with a small smile as he kissed his bearded cheek. "Now, it's time to sleep Sam" Arnav said. The boy pouted, "But I'm not sleepy Daddy, sing me a song!" "Buddy, it's quite late and..." "No Daddy. Please... Sing me our song. That Count on me like one, two, three song." Arnav grinned. Sam turned to Khushi, "Have you heard of it, Mommy?" Khushi shook her head. "Well, it's Daddy's and my song. We always sing it. Daddy, sing it for us, please?" he said. Arnav heaved a sigh. Sam lied down between his parents and pulled the quilt over him. He looked up at his Daddy with eager eyes, and Arnav just couldn't say No. He began to sing, while gently patting Sam on his chest.
Khushi was amazed. Arnav sang? She never knew! He had the most melodious voice; it just soothed her mind. She watched in wonder how the little boy dozed off to sleep as his Daddy sang for him. After Sam dozed off, she leaned closer and whispered to Arnav, "I never knew you sing!" "Now you do!" he answered with a small smile and a wink. Samrat stirred in his sleep and both of them patted his chest; her hand fell over his. She withdrew it and smiled at him. After Arnav withdrew his hand, she bent down to kiss Sam's forehead. "Goodnight baby" she whispered in the boy's ears. Arnav held Sam's tiny hand and kissed the back of it, "Sleep well, son" he breathed. Both of them looked at each other, "Goodnight" they said in unison and Arnav turned the bed lamp off so that they could get some sleep for the rest of the night.
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