Chup Chup Ke Part Four

Khushi and Arnav are expecting their first child and want to keep the secret to themselves for a while.

Part Four

Arnav, Khushi and Akash came home just as tea and snacks were ready to be served. They all sat at the table, Sanjay on Akash’s lap and Krish on Arnav’s with Khushi intermittently squeezing his cheeks and kissing him in between making sure Arnav’s plate was topped up with pakoras.

Payal in turn kept filling Khushi’s plate with potato pakoras but on receiving a questioning look from Khushi only smiled and encouraged her to eat.

Krish tried to wrestle a pakora out of Arnav’s hand and Khushi caught his eye. Their minds both simultaneously went to a future where they would soon be holding their own child. Arnav put one comforting hand softly on Khushi’s thigh. Khushi smiled and very quickly gave his arm a squeeze before looking around the room, worried that someone would be able to discern their secret from the small movement. Anjali and Nani were looking at them fondly, but this was nothing of note as she knew how happy they both were for her and Arnav’s continued marital bliss.

Arnav however caught a fond look coming his way from Mamaji’s and felt an uneasy fluttering in his stomach.

***

Manorama put on her night cream and looked at herself from all angles in the mirror before she was done with her nighttime routine. She made her way to the bed where Mahendra was sitting up reading a book.

“I think you’ll have to finally give up all this makeup and accept we’re old Manu.”

“Excuje me, maybe you are old Mr Raizada but I am still young and beautiphul.”

He grinned and kissed her cheek “beautiful yes, young not so much. We are grandparents now.”

“The babies are still young, when they are up and jumping around then I will say I’m old. Arnav bitwa and Khushi are still on the the starting gate so how can I be old?”

The look that flashed across his eyes had Manorama jumping to clutch his arm as Mahendra went to lay down on the bed. “What is it? What do you know? Tell me Mahi.”

He nodded and pulled her down to the pillow. “We’re going to be grandparents again. My Di’s Chotte is going to be a father himself, I can’t believe it.” His eyes welled up again, while Payal’s pregnancy had only filled him with happiness the thought of both Anjali and Arnav having children brought with it a sense of melancholy.

Manorama put her hand to his cheek, “you don’t need to worry, their child will never feel the absence of a Dadiji, I promise.”

Mahendra took her palm and kissed it, “I know, you’ll be the best Dadiji the child could have wished for.”

“What news, I can’t believe it. Although who will be shocked with the way they play cricket and break their bed.”

“Manu,” Mahendra chastised, uncomfortable with discussions about his nephew’s nightly activities. “You can’t talk about it to anyone though, it is a secret.”

“Hello, hi, bye, bye, who will I tell?”

***

Payal gently rubbed Akash’s wet hair with a towel, and he looked up at her fondly through the mirror. “Akash, have you noticed anything strange about Arnavji?”

“Bhai? Nothing unusual, I mean he seems happy, but he always seems happy these days.” He smiled as he thought about how nice it was to see Arnav laugh and enjoy life. Arnav had had to grow up much quicker than Akash but now with Khushi it seemed like years had fallen away from his shoulders. He looked up at Payal again slightly uneasy as he thought about how Arnav and Khushi had come together and the part his own obliviousness had played in it. “Why? Is everything okay with them?”

Payal put down the towel and sat next to him on the stool before taking his hands in hers. “More than okay Akash! I’m going to be a Mausi! Khushi’s pregnant.”

“What?” Akash felt his heart flip at seeing her beautiful smile and kissed her swiftly. “Wait, Mausi? No, Chachi and Chacha surely.”

Payal laughed and stood up, pulling down the duvet cover, ready for them both to get into bed. “This is my only chance to be a Mausi, Nanheji will have to be the Chacha.”

Akash shook his head in disbelief, leaving the argument for another day “NK bhai will probably want to be called Uncle NK or something. I’ll ask him tomorrow.”

“Oh no, you can’t tell him or anyone anything!”