The Life She Wants

Eleven

"You can?"

"Mmhm." She nodded. "If there's anything four years of fashion designing has taught me, it's sewing buttons and tears perfectly."

"You're...a fashion designer?"

"Yes."

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For the day, Tanay had borrowed his friend's car. He sat in the driver's seat, his father in the passenger seat beside him, and mother and Aadya in the back.

He would glance at her every now and then through the rearview mirror. She had a soft smile on her face. She had worn the gajra in her hair; it was in a circle around her classy bun.

She was looking so beautiful.

His father talked to him about his stay at his older brother's.

Tanay's older brother and his wife had a four-year-old boy, and now we're expecting another child. The day they came back, her mother cried about how unfortunate it is that her oldest son has two kids and he doesn't.

Now he was scared his father would bring out the topic again, and their day would be ruined. But surprise surprise, Aadya wasn't affected by that.

Tanay wondered if she had even heard it.

"Bhabhi is pregnant?" Aadya questioned, a small smile on her face. "That's amazing."

Tanay smiled and kept on driving.

They reached the restaurant.

"How do you know about this place? It's so far away from our house." His mother frowned.

"My boss suggested it." Tanay said, locking the car. "It has some amazing food. Come on." He placed one hand around Aadya's back and the other around his mother's shoulder, leading them in.

They occupied a booth. Tanay's father ordered chicken biryani, and Tanay ordered the mutton curry with naan.

When his father took the first bite of the curry, his expression changed. "Oh my, it's really good."

"Yeah. Do you like it, maa?" He turned to his mother.

"Yes, yes, it's really tasty." Even his mother was surprised.

Tanay grabbed Aadya's hand under the table and turned to her, silently asking her the same. She nodded with a smile and continued eating.

In the middle of their meal, Tanay squeezed Aadya's hand and said to his parents, "I got a promotion."

They both paused their meal. "That's really amazing, son."

"Yeah, thank you." He smiled. "We'll talk more when we get back home."

After the meal, they ordered the gulab jamun for dessert and soon left the restaurant.

Aadya was feeling a little weird... As if something bad was going to happen today.

When they reached home, Aadya went on ahead to change into a more comfortable saree and take off her jewelry. She was taking off her gajra when she heard a shout from the outside.

She stepped out of her room and saw her father-in-law saying, "who's gonna take care of us then!?"

"Dad..." Tanay trailed off.

"You are not accepting that promotion that's it. You're not going to Mumbai."

"I have worked five years behind this opportunity..." Tanay said, his fists clenched, "I'm accepting it- I have already accepted it."

"How could you-"

"I'm 28." Tanay swallowed, "and married, I have my own life now. Until now, I have done everything you've asked me to. Never went against you. You didn't have a problem when bhai left the house, you shouldn't have a problem with me. And, I'm not abandoning you or something. I am simply...choosing myself for once."

"Do you hear him, Gayatri? This ungrateful brat-"

"I can't... You have been treating Aadya so poorly; you think I don't see that? You don't let us be, baba. We... we can't even look at each other without you giving us the side-eye."

"Tanay-"

"I'm moving out to Mumbai. I have decided." He stepped back and turned around, walking to his room.

He took Aadya's hand in his and pulled her inside the room, closing the door.

Aadya hugged him, rubbing his back as she tried to comfort him. "It's alright. It's gonna be okay."

Tanay sighed into her shoulder. "Yeah."