After a sleepless night staring at the whitewashed roof, my eyes started to burn. I picked up my smartphone again, booking a ticket for a one way trip to Paris the next afternoon.
Aruvi can't miss school, because of the strict regulations on absences at her school. I can't leave her at my parents', since I'm not ready to face them without sorting out my problems with Aniket.
I decide to leave Aruvi in the care of Alisha, since the two have become best buds; and partially because Alisha possesses a wired magic trick to calm Aruvi down. Alisha has that calming effect on me as well. I guess it's because of her job as a gynecologist. She receives patients with all sorts of problems from food to abortion.
The morning sun rises at the tedious pace of a turtle, and I sit near the window of my office, a hand fisted over my cheek in boredom. I wait for Alisha's shift to start, letting Aruvi sleep in for a while. The angel deserves it, after she has woken up every single day at the complicated schedule I dictated over her. Four in the morning really got her sluggish throughout the start of her days, but it helped me ready her within my busy schedule.
I speed walk through the hall, gasping as I reach the end of the same corridor. Pregnant ladies deserve an award for restraining our use of profanity every three seconds.
Alisha's door is closed, but the light inside the room escapes through the creaks of the door, betraying the occupant in the room. I bite my lip, wondering if Alisha would agree to take care of Aruvi in her busy schedule. I'm not asking for much. The only responsiblities she would have regarding Aruvi would be to drop and pick her to and from school, and pack up the lunch my mother secretly drops off to the security at the front of the hospital. Aruvi washes her own lunch box and her uniform. I've taught my baby to be independent in my frequent absences concerning work.
I barge in through the door, as I always do to enter my best friends' office and find the most shocking thing I've payed eyes on.
Alisha sits on the hand-washing station, her hand supporting her weight while Aarav stands between her thighs, kissing Alisha passionately on the lips. My jaw drops as the two continue to indulge in their activities, not acknowledging my presence in the room.
I look at my watch, giving them an ounce of privacy while pretending to be waiting for their atrocities to stop in their workplace.
I'm their boss.
Except, I can't keep up the act. My cheeks are bright, betraying my shyness, and pure embarrassment at catching them in the passionate act.
I pat my cheeks, demanding them to stop this nonsense, especially when my glowing skin reveals the blush so blatantly.
I can't deal with this. Their still kissing, for god's sake! Alisha has thrown the bone and Aarav came wagging his tail. That's how it works with my best friend. She might seem calm and serene, but there's a tigress disguised in that thin body.
I clear my throat.
The two spring apart, but Aarav's hands are still reluctant to part Alisha's waist. I clear my throat again and Alisha giggles like a hormonal teenager.
Giving up on my threatening facade, I sigh, shaking my head. Aarav kisses Alisha lightly on the cheek, moving on to whisper something in her ear. Alisha's blush deepens, and her eyes flit to mine. She smiles sheepishly, pushing Aarav away. Aarav chuckles, waving at her before turning to exit the room. He trudges past me without a single embarrassed glance.
Once he exits the door, I close it behind me, and face Alisha. I swear, my next action was the most cheekiest, girlish thing I've ever done in my life.
"Eeek!" I squeal, scrunching up my body with excitement.
Alisha chuckles at me, jumping off the counter with a spring in her step.
I gasp, catching my breath after my enthusiastic actions. "How did that happen?"
Alisha shrugs her shoulders. "We just— we were working late one day. The baby I delivered, she had part of her brain missing. I needed a neurosurgeon to analyze their condition, and I called Aarav in. After we worked on the problem together, I accidentally bumped into him as he left, and we ended up on the floor, me on top. It was embarrassing, but our lips met and somehow— I don't know—everything just came together."
"That's one hell of a boring, cliche story to tell your future kids."
"Hey, you were betrothed at birth. How is my love story any more cliched than yours?" I chuckle. She's not wrong. "So, why are you here?" She asks, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. I haven't seen the girl in days, sticking my nose into any surgery I can do to avoid the outside world.
"Uh, it's just that, I'm going on a trip, and I wanted to leave Aruvi with you."
"Trip? You?" She closes the distance between us, analyzing my cheeks left and right. "Are you a alien disguised as Krithi?"
"Shut up, Alisha. This trip is personal." I reveal everything to my best friend, starting from where I left off before. "So, I think he's cheating on me, and I want to kick his derrière to the other side of the world, and possibly murder his assistant."
She bellows in laughter, erupting like a volcano as I complete my story. "And where do I come in?
I bite my lip, nervous. "I just wanted to ask if you can take care of Aruvi for me. It'll only be a short trip. I'll probably be back soon enough. All you have to do is take her to school and get her back. And you have to pack her lunch that my mother will give the security guard every morning. She can take care of herself otherwise."
"Krithi, you don't even have to ask. I love Aruvi. She's an absolute angel." I snort. If only she knew about that girls' antics. "But, I'm concerned about your state. You shouldn't be traveling. Since you're having twins, you might have an earlier labour. Twins are usually premature, especially in your workaholic life." She sighs as I glare at her for accusing such a thing. I have been taking care of myself. "I know how stubborn you are, so just let me take a ultrasound."
"Fine." I make my way towards the gurney, biting my lip as I struggle with seating myself on the bed.
Alisha helps me up, clutching me my the elbow. I wince, putting a hand over my enlarged stomach. "Crap." I curse, as I try to lie down on the bed.
"You are one weird woman. You should trust Aniket. He's the most innocent person I've met in my life. If I had a husband like him—
I glare at her outright, and Alisha purses her lips as glare at her and tries to control her laughter.
She parts my t-shirt up, and the cool air settles on my skin, sending a shiver throughout my body. She rubs the cold gel on my stomach, and probes my stomach with the machine, looking toward the scanner and analyzing my children's state. She gasps as the image comes into focus. I crane my head towards the monitor, trying to see as well.
"Krithi, I'm so sorry." Alisha says.
"What?! What happened? Are they alright?" I shriek, a sudden wave of anxiousness settling over me.
"They're Alright, I suppose." She replies, shrugging her shoulder.
Thank god. She scared me. "Then why the hell did you scare me for?!"
"Krithi, they're connected." She shakes her head at the monitor, as if she's not believing her eyes. "You're having conjoined twins."
"What?!"
"The two boys are doing well, I suppose."
I specifically told Alisha that I didn't want to know their gender.
"Boys! Alisha, why did you tell me?!"
"I'm sorry. It just came out." Her voice quivers at the end in nervousness.
I sigh. "It's alright. Are they really okay, though?"
"Yeah, they're completely fine. They are joined by the hip, by the looks of it. We would have a major problem of separating them if they're connected by the head."
"Separating? No, no. I don't want them separated." I wince at the thought of losing them.
"They will hate living and acting together, Krithi. They need to be separated."
"Well, we'll worry about that when the time comes. I just want to know if I can travel."
"You can, but it's risky. What if you go into labour in Paris?" She exclaims.
I laugh. "Alisha, there are doctors in Paris too." She bobs her head nonchalantly, floating in her own world.
"I suppose." She sighs. "Take care of yourself, Krithi. I'll have a plan for how to deliver your babies by the time you come back, alright?"
I kiss her on the cheek, and she pulls me in for a hug. "Be careful with Aarav." I warn her, and she smiles a gentle smile, and turns, taking off the gloves she wore.
****************************
It is exactly midday as I board the plane. It was tempting to call for a wheelchair as I walked through the colossal airport, but I control the urge, uncomfortable with the fact that I will feel incapable of walking.
I sleep for most of the time on the plane, occasionally having some fun with the paper bag in the pouch in front of me. There was no space to put my legs, and I tossed and turned for the majority of my slumber. My seat-mates, and the air hosts and hostesses were quite fond of me by the time we landed on the ground. This is exactly why I should have booked first class tickets; but it was too expensive for a cheapskate such as myself. I just got my account floating on top of the waters again, and I don't want to sink into another round of pre-bankruptcy.
Once I pick up my luggage, I drag myself through the Paris airport, too tired to marvel at the architecture.
A flock of taxi drivers flock towards me, speaking in their thick French accents as I exit the doors. I don't trust them. I clutch onto my luggage, picking a random taxi, and noting the code on the number plate like my mother taught me to. The taxi driver who owns the car claps, running towards me to aide me.
I took French in my higher secondary, so I better put my skills to good use.
"Bonjour." I greet, hoping my slight Indian accent wouldn't ruin my French speaking skills. The round-bellied man greets me back, smiling at me warmly as he asks for my luggage. I shake my head, clutching onto it. He might look like my grandfather, but looks can be deceiving.
"Merci beaucoup, monsieur." I reply, as he sighs and opens the door. I place my small luggage in front of me, observing the car as the driver climbs in on the other side. Is how him the address I wrote down. I might have called up a certain secretary and black-mailed the information of his whereabouts.
The man nods curtly, and starts to drive. After a te minute ride, we stand in front a massive hotel, and I open the door, paying the man with my world-wife credit card and rolling the luggage toward the hotel.
I wore a conservative dress that I bought before I made my way to the airport to catch my flight. It was comfortable but high-end. It looks wrinkly now, thanks to my plane ride. I walk in through the doors, and a man greets me warmly. I am not paying to stay in this expensive place. I smile for the sake of it, and ask him if I could know where Mr. Aniket Pandya can be found. The man leads me to front desk, and the woman at the counter tells me directions to the room, informing me that they had been waiting for my arrival. That is strange. Why the hell would they be waiting for me?
"This way, madam." The man says, grasping onto my luggage. I refuse, but the man shakes his head, signaling that it was his duty. I sigh, narrowing my eyes at him as we ride up the elevator.
I follow him to a room on the fifth floor, surveying my surroundings. It was a dark hall, but the decor seems like a nineteenth century architect had built it with the fancy lighting and the ancient carpets and the yellowish walls. The man stops, turns on his heals and knocks on a oak door. I shove the porter/greeter out of my way, waiting for the person to open the door.
Once the door parts, revealing the human, I punch the person in the face.
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