"AVERAGE" is the sole descriptor that 26-year-old Anaisha Singh assigns to herself. Having resided within the confines of her own shell for the entirety of her life, Anaisha lacks friends she can consider family and a social life to speak of. The pi...
Chuckling, I set my phone down after texting Anaisha, letting her know I had also reached home. Playfully teasing her about the heavy rain, which she had earlier used as an excuse, she ignored my banter and scolded me for texting while driving.
As I approached my house, ready to ring the bell, the door swung open, revealing my elder brother, Adarsh. We exchanged a "bro hug," and upon entering, I found my parents and bhabhi seated in the living room, their attention instantly focused on me. Anticipating the upcoming interrogation, I swiftly retreated to my room, shutting the door firmly behind me. Taking my time to freshen up, I eventually returned to the living room.
My brother appeared with tea for both of us. As I accepted the cup, I couldn't help but remember Anaisha's aversion to tea, prompting a private smile.
When I looked up from my cup, I noticed my bhabhi smirking and playfully wiggling her eyebrows, while my mother simply stared at me. With a sigh, I said, "You guys can start." Laughter erupted from everyone except my mother.
"Did you reach there on time? I hope you didn't make her wait," my mom began.
"Yes, Ma, I left the office at the right time. You can even ask bhabhi for confirmation," I almost whined. She simply nodded in agreement.
"So, how did it go? Were my intuitions right?" Bhabhi asked. I nodded, rubbing the nape of my neck to alleviate the heat that was beginning to develop there.
"And what were your intuitions, madam?" Adarsh grinned at her. She shared with Adarsh what she had told me in the afternoon, expressing her belief that Anaisha was the one for me.
Having admitted it, I turned to my parents and said, "Mom, Dad, it's a... a yes from me. I've thought this through carefully, and I know I'll be happy with Anaisha in my life."
"I'm so happy for you, beta. I'll let them know about your decision soon," my mother said, patting my hand. My dad gave me a playful slap on the back, saying, "I hope she knows how to train monkeys." Adarsh laughed, and I shot him a Jedi glare.
"Now that it's a happy occasion, can we please order some ice cream? I've been craving them for so long," Bhabhi suggested. I reached for my phone to do the same when my brother stopped me.
"Srishti, it's November. We don't want you to fall sick at this stage of your pregnancy, do we?" Bhabhi had already started getting up to return to her room when my mother interjected, "One scoop won't do any harm, Adarsh, and she's been following her diet chart diligently."
"Okay, fine," he sighed, looking at his wife, who now sported a huge smile. I could almost see the hearts in her eyes. He chuckled, shook his head, but then slyly took her hand in his.
Srishti bhabhi was expecting their first child and was just four weeks away from her due date. The excitement for the baby's arrival was palpable, and we had already begun setting up the nursery at their house.
Adarsh and bhabhi had moved out of our parents' house a year after their wedding, opting for an apartment closer to their workplaces. The decision was also influenced by the fact that our family home, with only three bedrooms, had started to feel cramped. This left no space for my paternal grandparents, who visited us for a month every year.
Given Adarsh's frequent professional travels, sometimes out of town and even overseas, it was decided that they would stay with us until after the baby was born.
After dinner that night , Ma served us kheer. When we asked her the reason as to why she had made kheer , the reply she gave had my heart jumping in joy. Apparently , she had messaged Anaisha's mum about my decision since it was too late in the night to call her . In reply , her mum had said that Anaisha too had agreed. They had agreed to talk over the phone in the morning to discuss things further. Once everyone finished their desserts and had expressed their happiness over the situation , we headed to bed.
I had almost picked up my phone to text Anaisha, but decided against it when I realised it was way past her bedtime and she wouldn't see it until the next morning . Making a note to atleast text her tomorrow , I closed my eyes letting sleep take over me.
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Being a first time writer , I might end up making grammatical and spelling errors . Please let me know if you spot any and I will look into it ASAP.
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