APRICITY [Completed]

17. SURBHI

"Maa, I need a new bedsheet for my room."

"You don't have to worry about it, beta. I will clean after yu've left."

"Maa you don't understand. I need a new bed sheet," I accentuate my words, and she finally understands.

"You two?"

"Last night."

She squeals and hugs me tightly.

"That's why you didn't come down for breakfast?" she asks.

I was sore when I woke up this morning. Vihaan was considerate enough to bring me breakfast in bed and run a hot bath for me. After the bath, I felt good enough to walk.

Mom retrieved a bedsheet. Vihaan and I cleaned up after us before leaving.

-

I moved in with Vihaan again. Initially, I felt uncomfortable in our old bedroom, so we slept in the guest room. Later, I got over it. In Vihaan's powerful embrace, my fear of the dark vanished, too.

Currently, Vihaan and I are on the roof. I'm sitting on the wooden bench, and he is lying with his head in my lap. I graze my fingers through his hair. I am proud of him.

He proves to me every day how much he loves me. The start of our relationship was rocky, and its effects will linger for a long while.

But if I had to go back, then I wouldn't choose to change the majority of it. If it wasn't for those hardships, then me and Vihaan wouldn't have understood each other like we did. We would have been living a robotic life with no feelings for each other.

"What are you thinking?" Vihaan asks.

"That-how much I love you."

He shifts to look at me, and I smile. He doesn't return it.

He doesn't meet my eyes again. I sigh.

"Vihaan look at me."

He does, then again diverts his gaze.

"You'll have to get over it and move on," I urge him.

"I can't Surbhi," he says, sitting up. "I can't forget that you hated me so much that you wouldn't let me call you by your name. Or that I stole your voice from you."

And there it is again.

"I forgave you, Vihaan. If I can put it past myself, then why can't you?"

"Because I hate myself. I hate it when every time you try to raise your voice, your throat hurts and that it's not the same anymore. The worst part is that I can't do anything about it."

His self-loathing breaks my heart, and I move to sit in his lap.

"Does my voice make you love me any less?" I ask.

"Of course, not."

"I have nobody to impress except you. And I love myself irrespective of what I sound like," I affirm.

"Surbhi-"

"No Vihaan. You'll listen to me once and for all. I do not regret how the events of our lives played out. I got you out of this, and I'm eternally grateful to the Almighty. You will not curse yourself for anything. We're onto a fresh start, and you will find a way to kill your demons. I can't do it for you, but I will stand by you at every step."

"Alright," he breathes.

"I mean, we gotta pull our shit together before we become parents." And there it is. I dropped the bomb.

Vihaan opens and closes his mouth a few times.

"I'm pregnant," I confirm.

"How long have you known?"

"I found out this morning."

"Shopping with Shruti?"

"It was a doctor's visit. My period hadn't come in a while. I wanted to make sure before telling you."

"I'm gonna be a father?" he asks, and a tear slides down his cheek.

"Yes," I confirm, and a few tears of my own come dripping down.

"I'm gonna be a mother," I say, and Vihaan hugs me.

"We're gonna be the best parents ever."

-

"Don't worry, mom. Vihaan is taking complete care of me," I reassure her.

And it's true. Vihaan has done everything in his power to make my pregnancy go as smoothly as possible. He does all his work from home and only goes to the office for the most important meetings.

He woke up at night holding my hand during cramps and dealt with my mood swings. Be it 11 in the morning or 3 in the night, he has run to various stores to buy me whatever I'm craving.

Despite his excellent surveillance, we have a 24/7 maid who tends to me. We renovated Vihaan's old nursery that his father destroyed. We bought only unisex stuff, so irrespective of gender, the baby can be kept here without having to make changes.

-

I gave birth to Aarush on 22nd October. Vihaan and I cried that day. We both have earned a chance of happiness from fate. My family came to meet us in the hospital itself.

Grandpa stepped forward and stretched an arm to hold his great-grandson. We all held our breaths, but Vihaan carefully placed Aarush in his arms. A lot of words are yet to be said among them, and a time will come when they won't be able to delay it any longer.

We welcomed Aarush into our house. I thought Vihaan would go back to work after my delivery, but I should have known better. We took turns watching him. Though, fortunately, Aarush is not much of a crier and more of a sleeper.

Our daughter, though, is a completely different story. My second pregnancy period was easier, yet Vihaan was just as careful and considerate. Labour, too, was not that hard.

But sleeping with her certainly is. She sleeps all day and then wakes up at night and doesn't let us sleep. This is our 4th sleepless night.

"Give her to me and go to sleep," I tell Vihaan.

"No way," he shoots me a glare.

"You have a meeting tomorrow," I say, chuckling at his possessiveness.

"My daughter comes first."

Vihaan is the most possessive father I've ever seen. He doesn't even let Aarush get away with complaining about how much Resha cries. He loves her from the bottom of his heart, and I know I just know that he will go to any length to protect her.

We are the warm rays of sun on a cold winter day for each other. We are each other's APRICITY. And just like that, our family of four is complete.