Deewana

Chapter 8: Accomplishments

Chhaya, on the other hand, had completely forgotten why she was even here. She was too busy on her call.

"Rohan! Please! Kya tum bhi kuch bhi bolte ho. Chup kr ke apna kaam kro aur shaam ko hi ghar aana."

(What is up with you, just saying whatever. Get back to work and come home at normal time.)

"But I miss you jaan. I'm coming home."

"No! You came home early yesterday as well. Do you know the looks everyone was giving me?"

On the other side of the phone, Rohan leaned back on his chair eyes scanning the file in front of him as he talked to his wife. In no mood to stay at work, he tries his best to convince his wife to let him come home. He knew that if he went home unannounced she would be upset, the pregnancy hormones were not working in his favour. Just as he was going to offer to bring home food, Aarav popped his head in with another file.

Rohan gestured for him to just leave it on his desk and he'll look through it. Aarav smiled and did just that, as he walked out he could hear his cousin talk on the phone. The change that Chhaya had brought into his life was immense and Aarav was just so glad that his cousin had that. A woman to celebrate his and his achievements and he would celebrate hers. They were just perfect for one another. His shoulders slumped wondering when he would have that. When would Muskaan see him? Just notice all he does. 

He walked past his brother's office to get to his and saw him on the phone too, the smile on his face told him everything. Finally arriving at his desk, he took a seat and dropped his phone on the hard wooden desk with a crash. He turned his laptop back on to get some of his work done, but there was only one thing he could think of and that was Muskaan.

She'll notice. One day. 

His heart battled his mind at the possibility that maybe one day he might sit here and be on call with his love, romancing her. His heart tells him yes, but his mind disagrees that she might not ever notice the small things he does for her. His spirits dimmed the more he listened to his brain and realised his brain was winning. 

Just as he was about to accept defeat, his phone went off. A notification catching his attention. It was a notification on Instagram, Muskaan had tagged him in a post. He opened his phone to like it, but his heart picked up and his eyes almost watered at what he saw. He laughed as he flipped his brain off. The post was an appreciation post. For him. With pictures, he had sent her of all her achievements, with the caption 

"Thank you to the man who stood by every single achievement of my life. There's no one I appreciate more than you."

He swiped past the pictures to the last one and he couldn't help himself from crying. It picture of the two of them. Both of them on her fifth birthday, sitting on the same sofa that was still there at the Rao's home, smiling brightly at each other as she shared her new presents with him.

He couldn't wipe the smile off his face and it just got bigger when the second he liked it, his phone began buzzing with Muskaan's name flashing on the screen. Without giving it a chance to ring for a second time, he picked up and pressed it to his ear whilst shutting his laptop. 

"Hello."

"Did you like my post?"
Sighing, Aarav gently rolled his chair slightly away.

"Yes. I love it actually."

Muskaan smiled on her end, "I knew it."

A laugh erupted from both of them before they fell into a comfortable silence. The silence was broken by Muskaan, "So, now that I've put up an appreciation post for my boyfriend....."
Aarav raised his eyebrow at the way she dragged the word 'boyfriend' before humming.

"I think he should take me out on our first date."

Muskaan couldn't believe what she was saying, but the words rolled out of her before she could stop them. "Of course! It's the least I can do."

Another round of silence was created as Muskaan took in his words, both not knowing what to say. Something they weren't used to because they always had something to say. A minute passed before Muskaan began talking about her day and the crazy things the twins had done today.

As Muskaan was telling him about the twins he looked at his reflection in the glass door. His laptop shut in the middle of a work day, and his chair a few feet away from his desk, a hand behind his neck whilst the other holding onto his phone. A bright, cheesy grin consumed his face as he talked to the woman he loved. 

The reflection was identical to what Rohan had looked like when Aarav went to drop the file. The reflection was identical to what Shourya looked like when Aarav had walked past. And now it was him. 

Soon Muskaan hung up, but Aarav was still looking at his reflection. He was so happy with just that one step she had taken. And in return for this one step, he was going to take her on the most precious date ever. Make it a day she'd never forget. A grin on his face as he picked up his phone again to make another call. A call that would bring his grand vision to life. The call that would make this date a reality.