3 months later-
Everything was perfect.
We were all living together as a family, Sanjana was doing a lot better and my mom had genuinely been in contact with me. My brother and Ashwin visited a couple times and we discussed the plans to try to stop the wedding.
We weren't able to find even a single way to stop it other than telling everything to everyone. None of us was ready for that. Ashwin was still accepting his sexuality and I knew how people saw pregnancy before marriage in India.
.
It was the 8th month of my pregnancy and I was enjoying cake and tea at my baby-shower. We were supposed to have it a month earlier, during the 7th month, but my mom wasn't able to visit then for some reason.
"You look so good, Naina." I heard Faiza say as she walking in the door and towards me. She hugged me while I kept sitting. Her smiling face always brought joy to me.
"I would stand but it is a lot of work for me to stand or sit. Sorry." I said apologetically to her. It had gotten difficult for me to do anything, my bump was slightly bigger because I was carrying twins and it affected my mobility a lot. I needed help to sit, to stand and sometimes even to walk.
"Oh, it is fine. I know it all. Not to scare you but babies are a lot of work, I had one but you are going to have two." Everyone had been telling me the same thing. I knew it too.
Babies cry a lot and we would have to change their diapers very frequently. I would have to breastfeed both of them, it was going to be a lot of work.
"Oh I know, that is why I have my mom and Shiv's mom staying with us for the next few months. I know that Shiv will barely be of any help." I said. All he ever did was annoy me instead of helping. I had taken my pregnancy as a weapon to make him do things but I knew as soon as it was over, he would go back to being a baby.
"That is great. Congratulations!" she said and handed me a huge box covered with paper wrapping.
"Oh you shouldn't have." I said to her.
"It's nothing. Just a gift. Keep it."
"Thank you so much. There's tea and cake and lots of cookies and cupcakes over there, go on. Sanjana is right there too." I told her pointing to the dining table full of different types of delicacies.
"Hey, baby." I heard Shiv say. He sat down beside me on the sofa and hugged me.
"Hey. What are you doing here? You had work and I think your mom threatened you not to come here." Both our mothers were hell-bent on keeping him away from the baby-shower. It was some kind of tradition to not allow men to be there.
"Oh I am just leaving. I had a break so I came over to see how you were doing." He told me and touched my belly. "How are my monkeys doing in there?"
He had started talking to the babies a couple months back. They kicked whenever he talked to them. It was such a cute sight watching him talk to them, he even put on some songs for them and told them that the songs were his favourite. He told them most of the things that happened to him at work and what he had for lunch. It made me fall for him all over again.
"Okay now go before both our moms murder you." I said and he kissed my forehead and belly before leaving.
.
"Thank you everyone for coming and for all of these gifts. I hope you all enjoyed." I told to the few women who were there including a few friends from college, from work. My boss was there too with Victoria. She had turned out to be a wonderful person and I was so thankful that she did, I would've flipped if I had to deal with her whines during my pregnancy.
After everyone had left, we all sat together and opened up the gifts. Just then, we heard a knock on the door and it swung open.
"Oh my God! You are here!" I exclaimed as I saw my brother walk in with Ashwin following closely behind him.
"Oh, look at you!" he said when he saw me sitting on the couch with my legs on Shiv's lap.
"You didn't tell us you were coming." my mom said to him and hugged him.
He then hugged me and handed me a shopping bag.
"These are for the babies." I looked inside and saw a bunch of different kinds of toys.
"Thank you so much." I said and hugged him again.
"And these are for their father." Ashwin handed Shiv a small paper bag.
"You are such an asshole." Shiv said as he peeked into the bag.
"What is in there?" I asked and Shiv handed me the bag.
A pack of condoms.
"Oh no." I said in disgust and handed the bag back to him.
"Its not like we would even need them for a long time." Shiv said.
"Will you shut up?" I rolled my eyes and Shiv acted as if he chained and locked his lips and handed me the imaginary key.
"I know that won't last. You will start speaking again in thirty seconds." I said. I knew him better than anyone.
"No I won't" he said and his eyes widened with realisation. "Damnit!"
I gave him a look which said 'told you.' and he rolled his eyes in reply.
.
We were all laughing and having fun till a knock sounded on the door. We all looked at each other in confusion and Shiv got up and opened the door.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice tensed up.
"Hello, son. Is your mother here?" a deep, familiar voice asked.
Holy shit!
I looked at her and she seemed relaxed, not even a bit tensed or nervous.
"Why do you need her?" Shiv asked him in a stern voice.
"She knows that." his father replied. His voice lacked the authority and pride that it had the last time.
"Let him in." his mom said.
"Mom, really?" I asked her. She had told me to call her mom; It felt weird at first but then I got used to it.
"Yes. Let him in."
Shiv nodded and opened the door wide enough for him to walk in.
"Hello, Naina. Congratulations." he smiled at me.
"T-thanks?" I said. It sounded more like a question. I was utterly confused.
"I think I need to apologise to everyone here." he said and my eyes widened and I looked over to Shiv who mirrored my expression.
Apologise?
"Wh-what?" Shiv asked.
"I am sorry. Your mom has made me realise what all I have missed. I missed having an actual family." he said.
"I told you I will do it." Shiv's mom said with a smile.
"How do you know he has changed?" I asked her.
"What do you think I have been doing the three months I was here? I talked to him and shared some of your cute pictures and reminded him of the times we were happy. He realised that he missed the chance of having a happy family." she said and held his hand.
"Shiv? Son, do you forgive me?" his father said to him.
"No." he replied in a small voice.
"No? why?"
"Because you stole my childhood from me, because you made me do horrible things, because you tortured mom and because you almost wrecked the only good thing I have in my life when you showed her the pictures. Because you were never a real father to me. Do you really think that you could just walk in and get forgiven?" Shiv yelled.
"No, I don't think that. I am utterly sorry for all those things, I truly am. But I am willing to try. I want to be better." he said in a soft voice, completely opposite from what I had heard last time.
"Naina, can I talk to you for a minute?" Shiv asked me lifted me up from the couch after I nodded.
We walked in our room and he shut the door.
"What do I do?" He asked me nervously.
"That is your decision to make. I gave a chance to my mother and she has changed a lot and I love her. Maybe if you give it a try, you have a chance to have an actual father. But it is totally upon you." I told him.
"I- what if he hasn't changed?" he stuttered.
"Your mom has been with him these last three months and I know that she would never put our family in that kind of a danger."
"So should I just forgive him?" he asked.
"I didn't say that. Let him earn the forgiveness."
"I guess you are right." he said and kissed me softly.
"I love you." he said when we broke the kiss.
"I love you." I said back.
.
"I will give you a chance. You screw up once and you are out." Shiv said once we had entered the living room again.
"I understand. Thank you, son." his father smiled.
"That doesn't mean I have forgiven you."
"I didn't even expect you to do so." he said.
"Our family is complete." Shiv's mom said and I hugged my own mother.
She looked a little sad when family was mentioned.
"What's wrong?" I whispered.
"Nothing." she said and smiled. "Everything is perfect." she kissed my cheek.
.
All of us sat down and had dinner together. Shiv and his father were still giving each other awkward glances but other than that, it was pleasant.
Then someone knocked on the front door, again.
"I am going to rip that door out of the hinges if someone knocks it again." Shiv whined.
"Calm down." I said as my mom opened the door.
"Is Sanjana here?" I heard the familiar Italian accent and I noticed Sanjana's eyes light up.
She ran to the door and jumped up in his arms.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him curiously.
"I proved that I wasn't guilty, it was just self defence so I got out." his broken English made a return.
"Oh my God, you are really here."
"Yes I am, princess." he said and I saw Shiv roll his eyes at the used of the nickname.
"You are such a bad boyfriend." I whispered in his ear.
"Still the best you have ever had." he said with a smirk.
"Shiv, your cockiness is showing." I said to him and his eyes widened and shot down to his pants.
"I thought you said-" he said with his eyes still wide open.
"You are disgusting." I rolled my eyes.
"Well, come on in. We are having dinner." I heard Sanjana say.
"I would but I already ate. I will see you tomorrow. Is that okay?" he asked.
"It is more than okay." she said and shut the door after he left.
I gave her a funny look when she turned around.
"Shut up." she told me.
"I didn't even say anything." I smiled.
.
I looked around the dining table. Sanjana arguing with Ashwin and my mom saying something to Vivan. Shiv's mom and dad looked happy together. My eyes then went to my side where the man I loved sat. One of my hands was in his as he had insisted on feeding me with his hands so I didn't need my own hands.
Everything was complete. We still had problems but they evaporated when we were all together. It is true what they say. Family is first.
.
The next day, I woke up in Shiv's arms while one of his hands rested lightly on my bump.
The babies will be here in a month. Our family will be complete. I thought.
I smiled at the thought and ran my hands through Shiv's soft curls. His eyes fluttered a bit and he woke up.
"I am sorry. I woke you up, go back to sleep." I said in a whisper.
"No, that felt good. Keep doing it." he said in his raspy morning voice.
I rested one hand on his bare chest and ran the other hand through his hair, massaging lightly.
"We need to get up now." I said and he whined.
"Don't stop. It felt so relaxing." he complained.
"I would love to but we really need to get up and you need to help me get up."
He got up clumsily from the bed and walked to my side to give my back support and help me sit first so I could get up. He held my arms as I stood up and went to the bathroom for a shower.
I got out after washing my hair and body. I wore one of Shiv's sweatshirts I stole from him. I wore a pair of loose joggers which didn't have a very tight elastic.
I walked out of the room and saw my mom sitting near the window with an empty cup in her hands. She was lost in her own thoughts. She didn't even notice me walking over and sitting beside her. I touched her arm and she jumped out of her thoughts.
"Mom, what's wrong? You were looking upset yesterday too and now you are sitting here alone, zoned out."
"It is nothing. I was just thinking about the wedding." she said.
"Mom, please don't lie to me. I know something is wrong."
"It is nothing. You shouldn't be bothered, you have problems of your own. I don't want to burden you with mine too."
"Just tell me. I swear you are not burdening me. You will do me and yourself a favour by telling me." I told her honestly.
"I don't know how to tell you." she fiddled with the hem of her shirt.
"Just say it, mom." I pressured.
"I- I filed for a divorce."