An hour ago, Aarav had left with his brother to deal with some issues at work, leaving Muskaan to sit and ponder over the thoughts of what had just happened. Her childhood best friend just showed her a secret folder, locked with a password, that was filled with pictures of her. From her biggest achievements to her smallest, all there. Sitting beside her nephew, she gazed at the pictures he had sent her. There were just too many emotions building in her, from last night to the posts to now, it was a lot. She was a complete mess, and she just wasn't in the frame of mind to deal with any of it. She switches her phone off and throws it in her bag and to her it was like she switched off her problems and shifted her focus to her nephew.
Seeing him playing with the Barbie made her smile, but she giggled when he said he was teaching her taekwondo so she could smash Ken's face. That was her brother-in-law's new obsession, enrolling his kids in taekwondo, which is why now her nephew was now also obsessed with it.
"Vihaan, shona. What did Ken do?"
Muskaan held her nephew in place to get answers, she knew this conversation would get her mind off all the drama her life had right now. Vihaan shrugged at her and said, "Nothing, he did nothing."
Muskaan laughed at the answer, "Then why should Barbie beat him up if he did nothing?"
"Because that's the problem. That he did nothing."
"What do you mean mera baccha?"
Vihaan rolled his eyes at his maasi, before jumping onto her lap and holding her face in place with his tiny hands.
"Maasshhhiiiiii!!! If Barbie has to do everything, then what's the point of having a Ken? In every movie he does nothing! Why would Barbie want some guy who puts in no effort?"
Muskaan looks at him, taking in his words. She sighed to herself, even her little nephew had his thoughts sorted out and then there was her, no idea what she was doing. But his words held meaning that she understood but decided to ignore for now. But one thing she understood was that she wasn't going to play Barbie and let some guy tag along just because he put in minimal effort.
Her thoughts were interrupted by her niece, who had been sitting patiently with her drawing.
"He just hates Ken because he has the biggest crush on Barbie."
Muskaan's eyes widened as her niece shrugged her shoulders like she did not just embarrass her brother. Vihaan was also gaping at his sister, betrayal was written all over his face like his sister just casually exposed his biggest secret. The aunt-nephew duo was busy expressing their shock when Chhaya walks in. Now being 4 months pregnant, her husband had decided she should come to work only part-time. There had been a huge discussion about it between the two, but ultimately Chhaya found herself agreeing with her husband.
"Hi, bhabhi."
"Muskaan, you treat me like I'm a hundred years older than you."
Muskaan almost giggles at the pregnant woman, knowing how her pregnancy hormones have kicked it already.
Just as the two were about to start a conversation, Chhaya's phone rang, and without needing to look at the screen who was calling. The two laughed before Chhaya picked up the call. Muskaan smiled as she listened to the two soon-to-be parents talk on the phone. Her heart clenched at the thought that this could be her if she just gave Aarav the chance he was asking for. But her heart also knew that she needed some time. She tuned the voice of her heart out and turned her focus back on the twins who had moved on from their Barbie discussion.
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.