It was a lazy Sunday morning, a week since our return home.
While my husband had dashed off to work as he often did, even on weekends.
Vihan was immersed in Tom and Jerry on the TV. Meanwhile, I found myself caught up with my daughter who was making me chuckle time to time by her cute antics.
As I was playing with my daughter, the tranquility was shattered by the shrill ring of the phone.
I immediately attended the call
"Prepare extra food for lunch, a guest is coming with me," he demanded before abruptly ending the call.
Irritation simmered within me, and before I could even think, I found myself dialing his number in a fit of anger.
"Hel-" I seized the moment, cutting him off sharply.
"Don't hang up on me ji, without hearing my response," I snapped before disconnecting the call, not bothering to wait for his reaction.
Fuming silently, I turned back to my daughter who immediately melted my heart by her mere smile.
After coaxing my little princess into a peaceful nap, I set about the task of preparing lunch, my hands moving almost mechanically as I whipped up a meal .
Despite the rush, there was a strange sense of satisfaction in the rhythmic chopping of vegetables and the bubbling of pots on the stove.
With lunch ready and the table set, I finally allowed myself a moment to relax, joining Vihan in front of the TV.
Tom and Jerry filled the room with laughter, and soon, both of us were laughing uncontrollably, the stresses of the morning temporarily forgotten.
However, our laughter was abruptly cut short by the unexpected chime of the doorbell, signaling the arrival of Adhvik and his guest. As I hurried to welcome them in.
Adjusting the pleats of my saree, I made my way to the door, anticipation.
As I swung it open, I was met not only by Adhvik but also by Ruhani.
"Hey, Adhya," she greeted me, her smile stretched thinly across her lips.
"Hi, welcome," I replied, mirroring her insincere warmth as I stepped aside to allow them entry, my eyes briefly meeting Adhvik's before flickering away.
Ruhani’s gaze fell upon Vihan, who was engrossed in the television screen.
"Hi sweetheart," she cooed, attempting to engage with him, but he just gave her a nod.
"Vihan, this is Ruhani" Adhvik introduced Ruhani to our son, the gesture met with a simple nod from Vihan.
Adhvik scooped Vihan into his arms.
"Do what did you do buddy" Adhvik asked vihan with curiousness lacing in his eyes
"I am angry on you, papa," Vihan declared, his tiny lips forming an adorable pout that mirrored his father's own expressions.
"Why is my prince angry with me?" he inquired, his tone laced with confusion.
"Cause you went to oppice without telling me," he explained, his pronunciation endearingly imperfect.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," he apologized, his contrition genuine as he showered Vihan with a flurry of playful kisses, eliciting giggles from the little one.
"Stowp," Vihan protested playfully, squirming in Adhvik's embrace, though the laughter in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.
"Then tell me you forgive me," Adhvik persisted, his lips still pressed against Vihan's cheek as he awaited his son's response.
With a giggle that melted my heart, Vihan relented, his laughter echoing through the room as he uttered a soft "Yes," signaling his forgiveness..
As Adhvik gently set Vihan down, he gestured towards me, indicating his intention to freshen up. With a nod, I acknowledged his silent communication, watching as he disappeared down the hallway.
Meanwhile, Ruhani, attempted to engage Vihan in conversation. Yet, despite her efforts, Vihan remained aloof, his attention still captured by the animated antics on the TV screen.
A few minutes later, Adhvik emerged from the hallway, dressed casually in a hoodie and joggers. I busied myself with serving dinner, deliberately avoiding his gaze throughout the meal.
As we ate, Ruhani piped up with a suggestion. "Why don't we go on an outing today?"
Despite my reluctance to venture out, I kept my reservations to myself, unable to voice them aloud. As Ruhani proposed the idea of an outing.
However, Adhvik intervened with a practical suggestion. "But paparazzi will attack us, so why don't we watch a movie in the home theatre instead?" he offered.
"Sounds really good," she agreed, her enthusiasm evident.
"Adhya," she addressed me out of the blue, catching me off guard.
"Yes?"I responded
"Why are you always in sarees?" she inquired, her question leaving me momentarily perplexed.
Unsure of how to answer, I countered with a question of my own. "Why are you asking?" I queried.
"No reason, just asking because Adhvik always liked girls in modern dress, and he always preferred me in modern dress," she revealed.
Her words struck a chord within me.
"That was before marriage, Ruhani. Now I love her in a saree. It was me who always asked her to wear a saree," he admitted.
It was true that Adhvik had always asked me to wear sarees, though the reason behind his preference remained a mystery to me. Despite my lingering curiosity, a part of me trusted in his sincerity.
As Vihan animatedly recounted the events of his day, the dining room fell into a comfortable silence, punctuated only by the occasional clink of dishes.
Adhvik listened attentively, his focus solely on our son's stories.
After dinner, I found myself tackling the dishes while Adhvik disappeared into the home theatre to set up for our movie night. Once everything was ready, he called us to join him.
Vihan expressed his eagerness to join, but I knew from experience that his enthusiasm would wane within half an hour, inevitably succumbing to sleep. Nonetheless, I agreed to him not able to resist those puppy eyes.
As the movie began to play, Vihan nestled comfortably against Adhvik's chest, drifting off to sleep within the first 15 minutes.
We were all cozily wrapped in a duvet, the cool air from the AC wanting us to scoop inside the duvet.
I settled in next to Adhvik, with Ruhani to his left.
However, I felt a hand creeping around my waist, pulling me closer. Recognizing Adhvik's touch, I remained silent, unsure of how to react.
His touch soon turned more insistent, his hands wandering across my body. I attempted to wriggle free, but his grip was firm.
Struggling against his hold, I found myself trapped in his embrace, unable to break free.
"Isn't my wife getting bolder day by day" he asked while massaging my tits.
I controlled myself from unleashing a moan that was threatening to escape from my mouth.
Certainly! Here's the edited version:
My silent prayers seemed to have been answered when one of the maids called me, informing me that Vrihanika was crying. This was my chance to escape from his advances. I quickly retrieved Vihan from him and left the home theater.
After settling Vihan into his bed, I hurried to comfort Vrihanika and fed her.
As I returned to the home theater, I was startled to find Adhvik hovering above Ruhani. I decided to leave quietly, but Vrihanika's shriek drew their attention to us.
Leaving them alone, I took Vrihanika to our room where she continued to cry for her father.
Eventually, he entered the room and embraced Vrihanika, comforting her with kisses.
After spending an hour playing with her, he took her to the nursery and tucked her into the crib before returning to our room.
"Adhya," he called out to me.