The life 'we' create

Chapter 1. Positive

Tapping her right foot anxiously on the brown marbled floor, Kusum pursed her lips and hoped that her manager would end the meeting soon; her eyes kept drifting off to her wristwatch.

'When will she get over with frying our brains for such a small mistake?' Kusum thought.

"I know, right?" her colleague, Rati, said.

Kusum smiled at her, shaking her head to herself as Rati read her thoughts.

Finally, their manager announced the end of the meeting, and Kusum dashed out of the conference room as if her life depended on it.

Usually, Kusum would wait for Rati and two of her other colleagues to wrap up and leave together, but it wasn't the case this time.

Kusum's Uncle and Aunt-in-law had arrived for a four-day stay, and today being their last night at their place, Kusum didn't want them to leave with a bad impression. It was the first time they had come.

Just as she reached outside the office building and hailed an auto, she received a text from her husband Naveen.

Hubby-nubby: Where are you?

Kusum: Just got an auto.

Hubby-nubby: Kusummm... You know what time it is?!

Kusum quickly typed out a reply when she read the time on the notification bar of her mobile screen: 8:10 p.m.

Kusum dropped her mobile back inside her handbag, jumped out of the auto on reaching the metro station, and joined her fellow commuters.

She cursed to herself as the time didn't seem to be stopping, making her anxious as she imagined her aunt-in-law's taunts and expressions for keeping them hungry beyond their dinner time.

Her husband, Naveen, would have helped her, but he was transferred to the second shift just one week ago after being put on an important project by his company.

"Please, don't be late today," Kusum pleaded silently to her next local train going to Thane, which she had to take after getting off at Ghatkopar station.

Ten minutes later, she was running down the stairs to catch the same train which had unfortunately arrived one minute before its arrival time, but somehow Kusum managed to jump inside it, dangling from the metal pole and thanking the universe for the small favour.

As she moved inside the train to make way for the women getting off at the next station, she checked her phone and sighed.

Naveen had messaged her again, telling her that he had convinced his boss to give him an early leave today. He would reach home earlier and handle 'his relatives', while Kusum could take 'all of her time' to come.

Kusum didn't miss the sarcasm in her husband's message but brushed it off. Their guests were none other than Naveen's maternal aunt, whom he loved a lot, and aunt's husband.

Thinking about the guests at home, Kusum took out her handkerchief from the bag to wipe off the dust and sweat from her face; she noticed the pregnancy kit peeking out from below the sanitary napkins in her handbag.

She had bought the kit one week ago as she had missed her periods for two months straight but always forgot about it. She decided to do the pregnancy test after her guests had left, leaving her enough time for herself.

If it hadn't been for her manager keeping a surprise meeting, Kusum would have left the office one hour ago only, just like she had promised her husband. Feeling dejected, she closed her eyes till the time her train reached her station.

Next station: Thane. Agla station: Thane. Pudhil station: Thane.

Kusum blinked her eyes open on hearing the announcement and quickly joined the queue on the left side of the ladies compartment while the women on the right scrunched themselves to make space for them.