*Jay Pov*
"What?" she asked, frowning, but I just took another bite of food still staring at her.
"Well?" she stressed, but I kept my calm.
I opened my mouth, but another voice beats me making both of us turn towards it with a shock. While Lakshmi repeated saying, 'Hash'.
"Is she calling him?" I asked Jhanvi and she nodded smiling at Lakshmi.
"She liked him immediately." She replied and turned towards me only to lose her smile making me realize I am having some brooding look on my face.
"Sorry!" I mumbled and finished my lunch before standing up.
"I am getting fed up with that word." She mumbled back.
"Then why did you kiss me?" I asked her and immediately felt confused with the way I asked it.
"What is the connection with that? Anyway, I didn't kiss you because you say sorry." She replied shrugging.
"I should forget about it, right?" I asked her and she nodded.
"I... I don't know why I did it. Maybe I was angry because you did it wrongly or maybe because I thought wrongly about you." She replied shrugging.
"You didn't think wrongly about me. As far as you know me, it was an apt explanation that entered your head." I said, shrugging back and walked inside the kitchen to wash my hands.
"Are you going to the office?" she asked when I passed her.
"No! I took leave today. Actually, I took leaves ahead on all the days you had the sessions." I explained and she nodded standing up.
"Can you look after Lakshmi? I let the maid go as she stayed in the house yesterday night and I want to take some rest." She said and I nodded moving towards her to take Lakshmi.
"Are you feeling fine?" I asked when she looked little pale.
"Yeah! Didn't get enough sleep." She replied and I frowned, but she walked away.
"Well, it is our day." I said, smiling at Lakshmi and lifted her up.
"When will you start talking?" I asked her and felt a presence beside me.
"The people in orphanage said that she always stayed calm without uttering a word even after she was able to talk. She chooses specifically and talks." Jhanvi explained.
"I know! I was there when the head madam was explaining." I pointed out and she scratched her forehead.
"Sorry! I was explaining it to Ali and Harsha. So, kind of got used to it." She mumbled and I stilled before moving away to walk out of the dining room.
"I am going to my room." She said, passing me and I nodded at her before walking near to the couch.
"Well, you became busy these days and we didn't have our cartoon time these days. I will not leave you today." I said warningly to Lakshmi and switched on the television.
"Even I am bored." I mumbled after an hour when she yawned.
"Fine! You are going to take a rest too." I said, getting her down from the couch and we both walked to her room.
"Now, what?" I asked when she stared at me.
"Stoy!" she replied, gesturing the book.
"It is only for nighttime, Lakshmi." I said, smiling but she frowned.
"Fine!" I mumbled and she immediately smiled.
"You are just like your mom, aren't you? Will just show the sad expression and gets me to do everything." I said, shaking my head and sat on the chair beside her to read her the story.
When she slept off, I walked out of her room, but then heard a crash sound, making me rush inside the Jhanvi's room to see the pitcher fell from the bed table.
"What happened?" I asked, moving near to her while she groaned, still lying on the bed.
"I am... feeling thirsty. So, moved to take the pitcher, but it slipped my hands." She replied with a soar throat.
"I will get you some water." I said, leaving her room and immediately returned with the glass of water.
"Maybe I am feeling too sleepy." She mumbled when she was unable to sit up.
I moved her to sit but felt her body heat. I let her drink water before saying, "You got high temperature, Jhanvi! Is there any specific tablet you take or shall I give you the one I take?"
"Fever! Oh god! Yesterday there were so many fever cases." She mumbled frowning.
"And I think I didn't take enough precautions." She added before gesturing the cupboard and I walked near to it and opened it to see a medical box.
I took it to her and she had it before I asked, "Why didn't you take enough precautions?"
"I was... I was just lost in my thoughts." She replied, closing her eyes and I made her lay down properly.
"Because of me, right?" I asked her frowning and she immediately opened her eyes.
"What do you mean?" she asked in suspicious tone and coughed.
"It means, no matter what you said, you wouldn't like any person in the world being with another woman while being married. Then I am your husband, so it disturbed your mind." I replied covering her with the blanket.
"Where is Lakshmi?" she asked averting her eyes away from me.
"She is sleeping after she made me read a full story." I replied and she shook her head.
"Every day afternoon she asks that, but I don't agree to it." She mumbled and I frowned.
"I shouldn't have? Are you upset?" I asked and she immediately glanced at me with surprise look.
"Why would I be? I have always been little strict, and every kid needs one person with no strictness." She replied and I felt confused.
Because if I let my mind, then I can get many conclusions from her words, but again, I don't want to feel something which maybe is not true.
"Okay! You take a rest while I will go and call your hospital for your leave." I said, moving a little but she immediately held my hand.
"I already took so many leaves." She mumbled.
"You are not taking it now just because you wish to. You are not feeling well and you would be no good to go and take care of anyone in the hospital." I said pointing out and she sighed.
"Fine! Don't call now, but let's wait. It can be normal fever and if it still doesn't reduce or doesn't come back again after reducing, then you can call." She said and it was my turn to sigh.
"And don't let Lakshmi come near me." She added and I nodded leaving the room.
"But I don't want to eat that." She literally shouted while I stared at her.
I thought the woman before me is kind of calm and very normal patient, but the ringing in my ears can be a proof that I have a very difficult patient before me.
"Jhanvi! You need to have the soup." I said gently but she shook her head.
"Look, I already called the hospital and you got three days leave." I stated to which she closed her eyes.
"You called them without telling me." She mumbled.
"You were literally unconscious, Jhanvi. How can you even think of going for work?" I asked in a rough tone.
"You don't understand. I may lose this job, then what will I do?" she asked opening her eyes.
"Then you would get to enjoy your husband's money." I replied in anger tone, to which she gasped and seeing the chance I pushed the spoon inside her mouth.
"That was a very mean thing to say." She mumbled frowning, but continued to have soup as I kept on taking it to her mouth with a spoon full.
"Why? No matter what, you are taking care of my daughter and looking after the house. You are even bringing groceries with your money and guiding the maid to work properly. And top of that, you got the car tank full. Are you mad?" I asked, staring at her.
"She is my daughter also and the groceries are used by me too. I am living in this house and I am using your car. I don't see anything wrong with this." She replied back.
"The fever didn't affect your mind, did it? Well, I think there is nothing wrong with just taking care of the money too, and leave the job." I said standing up when she finished the soup.
"I like doing the work." She pointed out.
"That is a good thing, but it shouldn't have any pressure on your body or mind." I stated and left her alone.
For the next three days, we fought a lot, which was not there even at the beginning. Maybe it is because this time, I gave back the fight.
Well, I am angry at her. I am angry at her for making me feel the fear and then confusion. Suddenly once it feels like she accepted me out of nowhere but then the indifference shows.
How can a single woman make me feel all these things stupidly? And then on the other hand, I had amazing time with my daughter.
I started treating her as my daughter only. In the sense, even in my mind and the words, I am calling her as my daughter.
I don't care what happens later, but for now she is my daughter and no one can anything about it. It seems like all this was not enough as the people came for checking how we are treating Lakshmi when Jhanvi was lying on the bed still with fever.
"It is okay! You will do fine. Don't make them wait, Jay." Jhanvi said encouragingly and I nodded, but took a deep breath.
"Wish me luck." I mumbled and suddenly bend to press my lips to her before leaving the room without giving her a chance to say anything.
"Where is your wife, Mr.Jay?" one of them asked when I walked near to them after getting Lakshmi from her room.
"She is not feeling well." I replied and they nodded.
"How are you, Lakshmi?" the lady asked, but Lakshmi hid her face on my shoulder.
"Do not mind her. She is still shy until she gets used to the person." I explained, knowing well they thought she will be fine as they met her last time.
They left after a few minutes, and I sighed in relief and smiled at Lakshmi who smiled back. We both immediately decided to play cricket which we started feeling bored with the television.
"You are playing?" we heard an angry voice and turned to see Jhanvi standing near her room door.
"Yes? Is something wrong? And what are you doing stepping out of your room?" I asked her frowning.
"You were so worried about those people and didn't have a thought of telling me what happened and did they left or not. What was I supposed to do?" she asked in accusing tone.
"I forgot!" I mumbled and she glared at me, but smiled when Lakshmi smiled at her.
"You always glare at me, but all smiles are for her only." I pointed out to which she shook her head.
"She doesn't do any stupid things." She said, shrugging and I rolled my eyes.
"Go and take a rest." I said, waving her away.
"Today is the last day. Tonight, I am going for work." She said but I frowned.
"Lakshmi! Go to your room and play." I said, smiling and she frowned, but nodded before walking away to her room.
"You are really fine?" I asked, walking near to her, but she is already walking towards the couch as now Lakshmi is out of the room.
"I am fine! But I am really worried about my head nurse. I don't know what she will say. I mean I already took all those leaves immediately by second month and now these." She replied in a worried tone.
"What need is there for you to even worry about someone saying something when you can just do whatever you wish. I am saying this, sit at home and take rest and if you lose your job, then lose it." I ordered and turned around to walk away but suddenly felt a punch on my back.
"Well, you are nothing to me to spend your money like you are suggesting." She shouted by the time I turned around.
"Did you just hit me?" I asked and she realized that she did that.
"That... I... I was angry and well..." she stuttered but I moved towards her making her rush back to her room but I followed her.
"Look, you just ordered me as if... as if..." she screamed stopping in the middle as she slipped and fell on the bed.
I too moved over her making her push me but my leg hit the bed making me wince and lose my balance and ended up falling over her.
"Move!" she screamed and started hitting me but I held them before moving a little to stare at her face.
"As if I am your husband? I am your husband if you forget." I stated with narrowed eyes while she glared at me.
"Oh god! I wish this marriage never happened and it wouldn't have if you had just called Kalpana. She would have taken me with her." She said trying to get her hands released.
"Her phone was switched off and she didn't want to talk to me. I tried so many times from the time I met you. How many times should I tell you?" I shouted and she flinched, but glared back in the next second.
"Why do I have a feeling that it is not the truth?" she asked and I felt more anger out of nowhere with her words.
"Shut up! I am fed up with your disgust, looks and don't talk before I finish. Do you really think I wanted to sit here and do everything? I was on my way to never return to this city. But look at me, I am still living here. Still, what do you think? Yeah! I wished for you to get stuck with me and please do tell me what will I achieve if you stay with me?" I asked or maybe shouted at her.
She stared at me in silence with wide eyes and breathed heavily matching mine. I narrowed my eyes at her and shifted her both hands in one hand of mine before taking out my mobile phone.
"You see for yourself. Because I know no matter what, you will never believe me." I said and dialed Kalpana's number and switched on the speaker.
I narrowed my eyes still staring at her, but that look changed to panic when the call was lifted while her eyes narrowed from panic.
"Jay? Is everything okay? You called so many times." Kalpana's voice flowed and I sighed in relief while Jhanvi gave a guilty look.
"Er... Kalpana!" I mumbled, not knowing what to tell her and Jhanvi immediately shook her head, making me realize she doesn't want Kalpana know about our marriage or anything else.
"Yes! Tell me, Jay." Kalpana asked in a normal tone and Jhanvi frowned this time.
"How are you?" I asked and she sighed.
"I am fine! Is it the reason for all those calls? I am sorry for not lifting, but you know Manohar." She replied.
"You are talking as if you were dying to talk to him and I stopped you." We heard a sarcastic voice and I closed my eyes.
"Manohar! Talk to him." Kalpana said and my eyes immediately widened.
"No! I will not talk to him." Manohar said harshly.
"He is your brother." Kalpana admonished and I heard the gasp before it released from Jhanvi and so immediately covered her mouth releasing her hands.
I gave her a pointed look while she gave a sheepish one before removing my hand. I sighed and waited for more of the conversation.
"Step-brother!" Manohar corrected which I already expected and Jhanvi's eyes went wide more than before.
"Manohar!" Kalpana said, sighing.
"Dad! What are you doing? We will miss cricket match." We all heard a soft voice and I stilled.
"I am coming, Sudhir." Manohar said and everything went silent while I didn't even glanced at Jhanvi.
"Jay! You know how Manohar is. Is there anything you want to say?" Kalpana asked making me close my eyes.
"I called casually, Kalpana. I am glad you are happy." I replied with a smile.
"You too deserve it." She mumbled softly and I hung up placing my phone aside still with closed eyes.
I leaned forward and settled before breathing out not wishing to open my eyes. After a few minutes I felt a hand on my head brushing my hair and one on my back, making me realize I am on top of Jhanvi.
"I am sorry!" I said and moved, but she just held me.
"Shh..." she mumbled and I closed my eyes back while she passed her fingers through my hair in a soft caress.
Then I just drifted off into sleep, losing the thoughts of everything except the caress I am feeling which has been too long since I felt like really too long.
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uff that's a long one... and by the way the ali story got a kind of intro already in one of my stories i have written... can anyone guess? but dont let it stop giving the views for this though...
how is it???
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