23. Honeymoon
It's where your honey takes you to the moon.
Jhanvi had put a private investigator behind Sunny to catch him red handed. She still needed more evidence for her divorce case. My cousin wanted me to meet her ex husband to check if he tried anything inappropriate with me.
Although I was torn between helping her and minding my own business, I decided to take her side. After all, she was family.
Half an hour after I returned home, Aara and Rosie came home from school. I was scrolling through social media on the sofa when Aara's arms strangled my neck.
"Today was epic!" she nearly screamed in my ears.
"Relax," I said as she let me go and planted herself next to me. Rosie took the other sofa in the living room eagerly waiting to know the reason behind her older sister's excitement. "What happened?"
"So, I got to school, right?" Aara started. "Ashar talked to the Dean and everything was resolved. When I entered my classroom though . . . " She began fanning her face. "All eyes were on me. I think the students expected me to keep my head low after the fight instead I showed up fancy!"
"Did anyone bother you?" I asked. "Those mean girls?"
"They invited me to sit with their crew at lunch!" she said thrilled. "I played cool and told them no, but then the girls apologized for the fight. They were asking me about the brands I was wearing and my family. I barely said anything except for the brands list I had memorized. Then, I sat with them at lunch. It was such an amazing day! All because of you! Thank you!"
She side hugged me.
I smiled. "Enjoy it. Make sure you keep up your grades or your brother will throw a fit."
"Don't worry," she assured. "I'm going to apply for ivy league universities like the rest of my classmates. I thought the competition was intense in public schools. Private schools are a whole another level of mental stress."
"From what I know, I think you'll be able to make it just fine," I told her. Ashar had praised her numerous times especially her wish to become a doctor. It was surprising I remembered. I still didn't know what Carter's younger sister or Tara's little brother wanted to become.
"Can you help me pick an outfit for tomorrow?" Aara pleaded with her eyes.
I caught Rosie watching us disappointed. Aara hadn't spared her little sister a single glance. She was too caught up with the high school drama.
"Why don't Rosie and I both help you pick?" I suggested.
Rosie's eyes lit up. She jumped to her feet.
The girls and I went upstairs to have our own fashion show.
* * *
"No," Rosie and I said simultaneously.
"Yes," I said to the next outfit Aara was wearing but Rosie rejected it. We trusted a child's opinion over mine.
"Yes!" Rosie and I said finally after two hours of Aara's cat-walking.
Someone knocked on my closet door. Rosie opened it to reveal Ashar who stood puzzled in his office clothes.
"What are you guys doing?" he asked.
"We're helping Aara select an outfit," I explained.
The three of us stepped out of the closet. Aara wore ripped jeans by Versace with a grey crop top sweater from another designer brand. We decided to keep the jewelry minimum and pair the outfit with a red scrunchie. The grey handbag made it chic.
"I'll put this in my room for tomorrow," Aara told me and ran off. Rosie followed behind asking if she could try the scrunchie.
Ashar took a seat on my bed and started taking his shoes and socks off.
"I'm guessing Aara's day one was successful," he commented.
"Yes sir."
"Thanks," he said. "I'm glad she isn't crying anymore."
"Me too." I meant it too. She was nerdy and emotional but that didn't mean she deserved to be tortured at school. I knew exactly how she felt.
"Did you meet your cousin?"
He took quite a bit of interest in Jhanvi. Then, it occurred to me he was responsible for the divorce. His guilty conscience must've been acting up.
"Yeah, she'll be fine," I told him. I didn't want to bring up Sunny. The topic always agitated him and I was avoiding that today.
"I hope so." He headed towards the bathroom to change his clothes. "Listen, about this morning . . . "
I blinked, knowing what was coming next yet I refused to say a word. I wanted to hear him explain it.
"You said Aara thinks I don't love you. That's why I said it," he explained.
"I expected as much," I told him. A tiny part of me felt disappointed for no apparent reason. Why would he actually love me? We married under a contract.
"Glad we have it sorted," he said looking anywhere but in my eyes. He started to go when I called his name. He stopped in his tracks.
"I know we're trying to prove we're in love," I said calmly. "But ultimately we're Indian. Saying things like 'I love you' in front of family is still strange to me despite me growing up in America. I don't want your sister to become suspicious. Let's save those words for when we actually mean them. And for people we're actually in love with."
Even my parents rarely said those words to me. Hearing it from Ashar was nothing less than touching a power outlet with a wet fingers.
He smiled. "I weirded you out?"
"Definitely." I grinned back.
"I could tell from your face this morning," he admitted. "I was trying to subtle. You're right though. Let's not make them more suspicious with the sudden declarations of love."
"It's hard being so lovable." I sighed dramatically. "I knew these gorgeous looks were going to make you love me. I didn't want to break your heart."
He raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, I'll live."
He went into the bathroom leaving me laughing at his expense. I knew he felt embarrassed by his words this morning.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it. A tiny place in my heart felt warm reminiscing the moment. I immediately reprimanded myself. Ashar and I were living under the same room. That's why I was starting to see past his waiter status.
At the end of the day, he could never come near me.
We were not meant to be.
* * *
Dinner was an embarrassing event to say the least. The Virk family ate a pasta salad while I chose a bowl of quinoa. I had nothing against pasta except for the bloated feeling it gave me. Their family conversed about their day with Aara taking the lead over explaining her events.
I was accustomed to eating with my parents two times a month and catching them up with weeks' worth of events. This family gave transcripts about every single minute of their day every dinner. Everything was going as usual until Aara decided to interrogate us.
"Annie, why did you choose my brother?" she asked with her mouth full of pasta. "You could've probably married a handsome celebrity like Shawn Mendes."
"Are you saying I'm ugly?" Ashar asked offended.
"Compared to Shawn Mendes, yeah," Aara said unabashedly.
Ashar narrowed his eyes at her. "Say that again and you'll never be allowed to have a boyfriend."
She pouted and looked at me for help.
"Ashar, relax," I said. "Aara, celebrities are regular people. They're no different than us. You should meet some without makeup, Photoshop, and filters. You'll change your mind."
"But that doesn't answer why you married Ash," she insisted.
He sent me to jail? Would that suffice?
"We love each other so we got married," Ashar said coming to my rescue. "What other reason do we need?"
"If you love each other, why haven't you gone on honeymoon yet?" she retorted. "I want to become an aunt."
I choked on the water I had just gulped.
Ashar looked lost by his sister's words. I hadn't expected her to say that either and her cheeks turned pink when she saw her brother's cold glare.
"I was just saying," she mumbled.
"What's honeymoon?" Rosie asked.
"It's where your honey takes you to the moon," Aara told her and then burst out laughing.
I supposed that was one way to describe it. First, Tara talked about it and now, Aara. Why were they interested in my private life with Ashar? Not to say, Ashar and I had a private life. It still made my cheeks warm. That was a new feeling after a year of moping around and staying away from men.
"Aara," Ashar said in a warning tone.
"Isn't the moon far away?" Rosie asked. "Can I go with you guys there, Ashar?"
Aara went into another round of giggles. I tried to hold back my laughter too even though I knew my face was burning. Ashar looked at me as if I had betrayed him. I didn't realize we were on the same team.
"No one's going anywhere," Ashar said firmly. "Finish your food quietly. I don't want to hear another word."
I swear I saw his own ears turn pink.
"I guess we're not becoming aunts anytime soon," Aara stage-whispered to Rosie.
"Aw man!" Rosie said in such a cute tone that even Ashar's face melted. The little had no idea what that even meant and why she was disappointed.
Needless to say, the dinner became funnier and funnier as Aara kept cackling which made Rosie and me laugh harder. Ashar kept widening his eyes to make us shut up which ultimately lead us all into crazy laughter hysteria.
I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed this much over nothing. I had tears come out from the corner of my eyes and my stomach ached.
After a long time, genuine happiness had blessed me.
I met Ashar's eyes and he was shaking his head at all of us. He gaze locked with mine for three seconds and I felt it down to my toes. Something in that moment made my heart skip a beat. It gave me a funny feeling in my stomach.
I blinked hard and told myself to behave.
Then, I realized the walls I had put for the world were still intact. It was just Ashar's family wasn't trying to climb them. They were knocking on the door of my heart.
I welcomed them in.
* * *
A/N
I sincerely hope you like the story because it's close to my heart.
How was the chapter?
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Chapter's a bit short and maybe more of a filler but I need it.
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—K-K-Kiran