Naina's P.O.V.
"Akshay!" I yell as he shakes his wet hair all over me.
He was mad that I made him take a bath before bed. I scowl at him as he sticks his tongue out at me. He never listens to me, only his dad.
"Akshay!" Ishaan says sternly and Akshay stops goofing around. He knows when his dad gets serious, he means business. He calms down and now I can dry his hair with a towel.
It's been a year since Ishaan and I adopted Akshay from the orphanage and three years since we've gotten married. This past year was amazing with Akshay. He was quite a goofball, always pulling pranks on me with his dad. He was also insanely talented in cricket and I could already see him playing nationally in the future, but that could just be me. I was biased.
When Ishaan and I told our parents that we weren't going to have any biological children, they were upset, especially my parents.
They couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that we could love a child that wasn't ours so much. But they eventually got over it and love Akshay as their own grandchild.
Amma was more accepting of the fact because she also adopted herself. She knew how you didn't need to have your own child to be parents.
Amma actually came back to India when we adopted Akshay because she wanted to help us. She took care of him while Ishaan and I were at work.
I transferred back to Delhi once Ishaan and I knew we were ready for kids. The long-distance was just not going to work out when we were going to add a child to our relationship.
Akshay falls asleep in my lap and I give Ishaan a glance. I sigh. He hasn't said anything to me ever since I've dropped some major news on him.
"Can we talk, Ishaan?" I whisper to him so we don't wake up Akshay.
"We'll talk about this in the morning, Naina. I need time to think." Ishaan turns off the lamp's light as he lays down next to Akshay.
I gape at him as anger soars through me. He was barely talking to me the whole day. I left him to be to think things over and he's still giving me such an attitude.
I turn the lights back on and Ishaan squints at the sudden brightness. I put Akshay's head on a pillow and face Ishaan.
"You've had the whole day to think, Ishaan. Talk to me."
"What do you want me to say, Naina? This is just unexpected okay? This isn't part of the plan," Ishaan says.
"You don't think I know this isn't part of the plan?" I ask, annoyed. "I didn't ask to be pregnant, Ishaan. Yet, it happened. I'm trying to make the best out of the situation and you aren't helping."
"We can't afford another child right now, Naina. Especially not a new born baby," Ishaan says and he wasn't wrong.
We spent a lot of our money on Akshay. From adopting him to buying him all the things he needed to be comfortable in our home. We also needed to save up money for his college.
"What do you want me to do?" I exclaim while trying not to wake up Akshay.
Ishaan gives me a pointed look and his silence is a thousand words.
"You want me to get an abortion," I conclude and Ishaan shoots me a guilty look.
"I know this is going to be hard, but maybe it's the right decision for us right now."
Tears emerge in my eyes that such a thought would even emerge in Ishaan's mind. He was considering aborting our child. A child that we made out of love.
"I'm not getting an abortion," I tell him and he doesn't say anything for a while.
"Doesn't my opinion matter?" Ishaan questions. "What if I don't want the child?"
"Then, I guess I'm raising this child without you," I fume as I turn away from Ishaan. I turn of the lights and lay down on the bed. I can feel Ishaan's eyes on me but I choose to ignore it.
• • • • •
"How much longer?" Akshay questions, restless.
We were all going to Aishwarya's first birthday party that Priya and Rahul were throwing. Akshay loved that baby and he couldn't wait to play with her.
I was so happy when Rahul and Priya got back together. She loved him so much and was miserable without him.
"Five more minutes," Ishaan says as he shoots me a glance. I look out the window, ignoring him. I've been ignoring him ever since last night.
I see the car pulling into the venue of the party and a smile emerges on my face. It's been quite a while since we all met up with Ananya, Rudra, and Priya because of our jobs and kids.
When Ishaan parks the car, Akshay and I get out the car. "Akshay, don't run!" I yell after him and hold onto his hand to prevent him from going farther from me.
Akshay pouts at me but listens as he walks next to me.
"Naina!" Priya greets as she holds Aishwarya with Rahul trailing behind her.
"Hey, Rahul, Priya!" I greet as I smile at her. "Awww, Aishwarya is so cute." I glance over her pink dress and I take her into my arms.
"Akshay, isn't she cute?" I ask him as I lean down to show him Aishwarya.
"Akshay, my man," Rahul kneels down to give Akshay a fist bump, "How is cricket practice going?"
"He's amazing!" Ishaan gushes as he looks at Akshay with a sense of pride. "I really think he has a future in cricket."
Rahul and Priya continue to converse with us for a few minutes before they had to go and talk to the other guests. While Akshay goes to play with the other kids.
I can feel Ishaan's gaze on me and I try to find Ananya so I can get away from him. Before I can leave, Ishaan holds onto my arm.
"What?" I question as I glare at his hand on my arm. I hate that I like his touch even when I was pissed at him.
"I booked an appointment for a gynecologist tomorrow 4 pm," Ishaan informs me.
"Why? So we can abort the baby?" I question as my eyes shoot up to meet his eyes that are full of guilt. Ishaan flinches when those words leave my mouth.
"No, it's a check up," Ishaan tells me.
When I don't say anything, Ishaan continues. "I'm sorry if you felt that I didn't want the baby. I do want the baby, Naina but we also need to think logically. We're not financially stable for a baby."
I melt at his apology. He was right in his own way. "I know. But, I think we can do this, Ishaan. We have this under control." I take his hands into mine.
Ishaan caresses my hand with his thumb. "I know. I love you."
"I love you too," I tell him. Ishaan pulls me into his embrace and gives me a kiss on the forehead.
I sigh as I relax into his arms and close my eyes.
I know for a fact that whatever comes our way in the future, we'll overcome it because we have each other.
There's the epilogue! I'm so sad that Naina's and Ishaan's story is over :( but I felt it was time. What did you think about the epilogue? Let me know in the comments!
- richithar