How to Woo Your Bride

28| He's the Dad

People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy - Anton Chekhov

Important Author's Note at the end.

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Chapter 28: He's the Dad

   No sooner had Riya driven out of the apartment, than she looks into the mirror and finds Madhan running behind her like a loose maniac.

   Riya sighs. She has to give it to him for trying. Madhan was true to his words. He isn't going to leave her. The thought brings a smile to her face, but the moment she remembers why she is in this position, she frowns. Either Madhan feels guilty and is trying to make amends, or he really is innocent. Her gut instinct tells her it is the latter.

   She pulls over to the nearest side curb and waits for Madhan to catch up with her. She rolls down the window, watching him pant.

   "Don't leave," Madhan says, in between breaths.

   "Get in," says Riya, as she unlocks the door.

   Madhan gratefully opens the door and sits inside. Riya starts her car again and the two sit in a comfortable stretch of silence.

   "We need to talk," Riya says, as she parks into the nearest TacoBell. Madhan chuckles as he realizes where they are. "Was this where you were headed?" he asks her as they get out.

   Riya responds with a glare and Madhan remains silent. No small talk it is, he thinks.

   Riya places her usual order of two seven layer burritos. She curtly asks Madhan what he wants, and he chooses Mexican Salad. He tries to correct her order when she says three seven layer burritos instead, but Riya dismisses him.

   "I'm showing you heaven," she smirks, as they choose a place to sit.

   Madhan merely nods, wondering if it is right time to tell her he's dieting.

   "I'm ready to listen to what you have to say. Only because you didn't let me go. Thank you for that. It meant a lot to me. I'm going to give you the benefit of doubt."

   "I had no intention of letting you go. That divorce notice statement was just out of anger. I knew you had no place to go, and it was my way of using that against you. I'm so so sorry for that. That was the absolute worst thing I could have done, and I give you my word that there will never be a talk of divorce again."

   Riya smiles. She motions for him to continue.

   "Look Riya," Madhan starts but is stopped when they hear their order being called. He excuses himself for a moment to collect the order while Riya walks over to the tray to collect mild sauces.

   "Everything was Armaan's plan. He wanted to teach me how to woo you," he says, in between bites. "Mmmm, this is so good."

   "Told you." Riya takes a bite of her own and hums like a pregnant woman who has satisfied her cravings.

   "He suggested Sheila to help me out. She's a certified gym trainer, and it doesn't help to get a woman's perspective on things. She also offered to help me out with my diet, so I'd been eating her food all this while."

   Madhan stops as he looks at the hurt face on Riya. He tries to reach Riya's left hand on the table, but she pulls it back.

   "We both work at the same place. We got teamed on a project and I had to go for a meeting in New York with her for one week. Working out, not succumbing to cravings, office work, and not being able to talk to you just made me so frustrated and annoyed. It turned into anger. It didn't help that you were ignoring me as well. I hate myself for it, but it made me think Sheila was such an angel because she cared for me, and you didn't. And that was why I became so angry."

   Riya tries to digest what she just heard.

    "The meeting was a success, so we went out for a drink. I got drunk out of anger, and I guess Sheila helped me to my room. I still don't get how we ended up in the same bed. We were wearing clothes. I can't swear that it didn't happen because I really don't know, but I can tell you that it was a huge mistake. I promise I won't drink anymore."

   Riya wipes her mouth with a napkin and starts to open her next burrito. She looks at Madhan's hardly eaten burrito and asks him to eat it. "I think we can make this work."

   Madhan heaves a huge sigh. It was a relief to hear this.

   "But," she continues.

   Madhan groans. No! No buts, he thinks. Every single but of hers ends in a disaster. The first she used it on an unsuspecting him was regarding the house. She claimed she loved it but she said she didn't like a couple of things which ended in her redesigning the whole house. He didn't like that she redesigned the whole house, but he took it with a grain of salt.

   The second time, it was when she said he was a great person and all, but that she couldn't love him. Look where that ended him.

   There were a few other instances he couldn't recall, but he remembered enough to know that this wasn't going to end well.

   "I have some conditions."

   And there it was.

   Madhan takes a bite and nods in agreement. "Go on," he says.

   "Well, I feel extremely dependent on you, and I need to feel independent. You need to help me get a job."

   "That makes sense. I ca-"

   "In return, I will help you with your diet. You will no longer eat at Sheila's. I'll cook for you and help you work out."

   "That definitely makes sense," Madhan says, grinning big. Maybe this but wouldn't end up so bad.

   "And, I want to move."

   He thought that too soon.

   "You just redesigned it! We don't have enough-"

   Riya bursts out laughing. "Oh dear, you should have seen your face. I'm joking. I'm not joking about the fact that I don't like Sheila, though."

   Madhan shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "Riya, I'm sorry." He feels so ashamed.

   "Deal?" Riya asks, smiling at him.

   Madhan looks at the palm outstretched in front of him. "Deal." He shakes it, and his hand lingers there a bit too long. Surprisingly Riya doesn't pull away either.

   Right at that moment however, he gets a phone call. He sees that it's Sheila. "It's Sheila," he mouthes, and picks it up.

   "Hello?"

   "Madhan, give the phone to Riya." Sheila says, in between sobs.

   Madhan hands the phone to Riya, looking quite worried.

   Riya frowns as she places the phone in her ear. "Hello," she says, noncommittally.

   "Madhan is the dad," she wails. "You need to convince him to marry me! As a woman, you know what it's like to be pregnant and abandoned."

   "He's yours after six months. Till then, take care of yourself by yourself," she says coldly into the phone.

   Riya drops the phone in shock and once it hits the floor, it breaks apart and the battery scatters apart.

   As Madhan bends down to pick up the pieces, Riya quietly says, "Congratulations. You are a dad," and walks out the door, again.

Author's Note:

I'm back! Way back sooner than I thought! :P I've revised the plot, and have progressed considerably, that I thought I would update once a week! :) Updates will be more frequent(twice a week) once I've actually completed the book.

Please vote and comment if you enjoyed the chapter! And thank you, everyone for your support. :)