"They forgot their wives?" Advik asks astonished. I chuckle still looking at the elevator. Oh. What I would do to witness The Rudra Mehrotra and Samyak Sahdev have this conversation --to be read as faceoff-- with their wives. Jumping out of the chair, I head to Zia-Shea's shared cabin where our mothers disappeared some time ago. Advik, Zia and Shea following me. "Mumma!" I yell throwing the door open. Shika Maa screeches from where she's seating on the chair. "Sahil! Stop scaring me." Shika Maa scolds keeping a hand on her chest.

"Sorry!" I walk in hopping on the table. Advik stands beside me. The girls head to the couch with gloomy faces. Whatever. I bring my focus back to the mothers. "Your husbands left." I grin at the mothers.

"What do you mean left?" Mumma questions still scrolling through her phone. "Left as in they forgot you two were here and left for-- god knows where." I shrug trying to remember if they said about where they were heading. Nope. Shika Maa looks at her best friend, my mother nods to whatever they conversed in eyes.

Ishaaro ishaaro-- Shut the fuck up Sahdev! You need to stay away from Shea.

"Kaise aunty wali harkatein hai aapki." Shea shakes her head giving me judgy looks. I look at her with my squinted eyes and focus back on my mother who has her phone on speaker. I peek to see who she's calling. Samyakji. Ji? Psst.

"Haanji biwiji." My father's voice fills the room. "Where are you?" Mumma comes straight to the point.

"In the car, just coming home. You want something, shona? Chaat? Rasmalai? Both?" My father who was just yelling and who never looks at me without daggers in his eyes, purrs from the other side. I'm thirsty, I need acid. Thankyou very much.

"And where am I, janu?" Mumma asks, her fingers moving the pen around and I'm-going-to-ruin-you look on face. Such evil woman! But my father deserves evil. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" Rudra Uncle yells from behind my father. "Avni. We're sorry. Shika. Sweetu." Rudra Uncle probably snatches the phone from my father as his voice is now clear. "We're not far. You both come down, we'll be there in two, Shi." Rudra Uncle legit pleads from the other side. Shika Maa doesn't reply and we hear a shuffle. Advik and I share a look. What did we both ever did to them? Why do they always speak to their women's and daughter's so sweetly and so angrily with Advik and I; like we kicked them in their balls? Maybe we did when we were little but why hold that against us? At this point I need a list on what all things I have to cry about in my wife's arms later tonight.

"We forgot our wives, Samyak." Rudra Uncle growls. Perhaps he returned the phone without disconnecting the call. "Avni's going to be so angry. Fuck." This makes them sweat? Really? They can deal with Bakshi and Agarwal but not these 5'4 women?

"We'll take them to their favourite chaat place. I was going to take them today but then ran into Agrawal." Rudra Uncle speaks to my father. My mother lifts her hand to cut the call but Advik stops her when we hear our names. "You think Sahil and Advik will handle Bakshi?" My father's tone comes off worried.

"I'm sure they will handle. Our boys are smart and not to mention manipulative. If their mothers came to know what they both do to deal with business stuff, they will run for hills if they found out they are not the chocolate boys they pretend to be in front of them." I quickly move to cut the call at Rudra Uncle's words, but this time my mother takes the phone away from our reach. "They are doing so good with Mehr. And their women, every time I see them with Shea and Falak my heart swells a bit. We raised our boys right, Samyak."

"We did and the fact that their girls know about their not so good image and still stays by their side just shows how much they love those idiots." My father replies, with his tone I can almost imagine his face in a ear to ear smile.

"I love how they are so competitive for our love with Suhana-Ahaana." Dad continues making Rudra Uncle laugh out loud. "We gotta have heart to heart with them before they plan Suhana and Ahaana's murder." Rudra Uncle says.

"I'm not having any heart to heart with those two little shits. Sahil hogs Avni's attention like he's the sun, moon, fucking everything of her world when he's in her vicinity." My father scoffs and my smile wipes away. They are jealous of their own sons? The fluf-uck? Damn it!

"When I come to think of it, Advik doesn't either. Can you believe I found him with his head in my wife's lap in my fucking bed just last night?" Rudra Uncle scoffs. Advik rolls eyes. "Fucker turns twenty-eight next year and he still find ways to cuddle with Shika. I can't wait for him to move out." We hear the car engine shutting down. "Let's go get our women. I'm sure the Queens didn't come down like I asked them to and are waiting for us to come back."

"As they should!" My father replies, Mumma presses on the red button disconnecting the call.

"Where's Falak and Yug?" My mother questions looking at us. Advik and I look at each other, "Fuck." We forgot she's still here.

"Yug had a meeting." Advik informs the mother before turning to me, "Go call her." Advik whacks my head.

"Keep you mouth shut. If you make her cry na Advik, I swear I'll never let you come near her and get her married to someone else." I make him understand word by each word. He shoves me towards the door. Throwing one last intimidating glare at him, I walk to his cabin.

After knocking, I wait momentarily before slamming the door open. Falak whips her head to me from where she's laying down on the couch. I extend my palm to her without saying anything, she puts her hand in mine and lets me tug her out and to the other room where everyone else is.

"He's still angry?" She murmurs softly right before we reach Shea-Zia's cabin. "Ask yourself." I reply back, Advik and Falak's eyes meet when we are at the threshold. "Advu! Bring my Falak's smile back." Mumma says standing from her chair and pulling Falak to herself.

I know Falak will handle him when she has him all to herself. "Avni. Shika." Samyak Sahdev's voice comes from behind us. We all look at the door to find the best friends leaned against either side of the door frame. "Go wait for us." Shika Maa moves her hand in dismissive gesture. Advik snorts when their happy faces turn to pathetic and then scowl when they meet our eyes.

"We can wait here." Rudra Uncle speaks so softly, I question if I even heard him. "Rudra! Leave." Shika Maa meets his eyes, he huffs and turns around, leaving. My father follows behind him. Whipped and how.

"Ahaa. Come here." Shika Maa opens her hand towards her side. My head turns sideways looking at where my wife sits with my sister and a pouty face. Suhana untangles their laced fingers and Shea comes to her mother.

Shika Maa gestures with a tilt of her chin at me. I walk to where the mother daughter stands. My mother and Falak close to them. "I would never bring this topic up if it was Falak or Suhana. But I know your body's been a sensitive—"

"Maa, please." Shea cuts her mother off, her face turns crimson, she ignores everyone's eyes.

"Shh!" Shika Maa hushes her before continuing, "Your body was only yours before marriage. Now it's not, someone gets to see you, love you, touch you—"

"Mumma! Stop it." Advik jumps down from the table, his face flushed. "Stop behaving like narrow minded Indian men, Advik. We brought you up better than this!" Shika Maa pins him with a glare. Our family has been open about every topic in our lives, it's been both a blessing and curse. The conversations always leaves all us youngsters embarrassed and flustered.

"Maa, it's my sister and best friend. Can you please not give me images?" Advik pleads, his head tilted back looking up at the ceiling. "I need to speak to Papa about something." He mumbles turning around.

"Come back here! It's not just for them." Advik huffs out a breath, his shoulders dropping in defeat as he drags himself to the table. Shea hides her face in her mothers chest.

"I don't want you to look at yourself from others eyes. Not even yourself because you have never been kind to this body." Shika Maa caress her arms to fingers. "But I want you to look at yourself from his eyes. Remember, you once questioned me why you're so thin and why your hands look like you're going to wither away and I told you because I once looked like this." Shea nods her head.

"You know I hated my body and that's the reason why I didn't give in to Rudra's efforts to be in relationship. Your father was... well himself. Handsome, charming and everything a girl wanted. I thought that one day he'll see me... completely and he won't like what he sees and he will... leave me."

"So when I finally confessed this fear of mine to him, you know what he said?" Shea gestures at her to continue, a smile on her lips. My wife loves these snippets our parents sometimes gives us in their love stories. She loves watching our parents in love.

"Stop looking at yourself with your eyes and just once, look at this body with my eyes, Shi and I swear to god, you will fall in love with yourself. You will be as crazy for yourself as I am. This craziness, this obsession, this love is here to stay. I'm going to wife you up. I'm going to have beautiful, annoying kids with you. And then I'll spend the rest of our lives showing you and them, how gone is their father for their Mumma." A red hue spreads on Shika Maa's face as she looks over my shoulder. I follow her line of gaze to come face to face with Rudra Uncle who has his eyes on locked on Shika Maa from where he's sitting with my father in the waiting area. He can't hear this conversation but I'm sure he has an idea of what we are talking about.

"How did you gain weight, Mumma?" Shea's question makes me turn back to her. My heart sinks to my stomach at the tone of her voice. It's still so frustrating for her when she has to get all her clothes altered. She sometimes has to shop from the kids section and it leaves her devastated. Now that other things have fallen into place, she's back to dealing with these little problems which are problems only for her. I often catch her frustrated when she's changing and the clothes are lose or the fitting just ain't how she wants it to be.

"Frankly, some of it was right after the marriage, with all the physical intimacy and changes." Shika Maa's face turns the deepest shade of red and I look up at the ceiling, running a hand through my hairs. Why are we having this conversation? Oh because the mothers wanted.

"And then when I was pregnant with Advik, I started gaining weight." Shika Maa cups Shea's cheeks. "I know this generation of yours is all about woman empowerment, feminism and all those things. But from what I know by my personal experience is, we females don't know how to be kind to ourselves. We can be loving, caring and kind with everyone in this world but ourselves. We also don't know how to ask for help. I can't speak for every female but I can for the one I'm growing old with, the one I birthed," Shika Maa looks at my mother and then turns to look at Suhana who's been intently listening to the conversation. "The one my best friend birthed." Maa looks at Falak, "and the one I will welcome as my daughter in law."

"We all crave for love. A love only our man can give us. This world can be all about woman over man, but both of these genders cannot survive... exist without the other." Shika Maa gestures for me to step closer, I do, she turns Shea to me; I wrap my arm around my wife. Shika Maa continues, "So when this time your head or this world plays with you, calls you names, tells you you don't look beautiful or you look ugly, just look at yourself from his eyes and you'll be the most beautiful person— a goddess to ever walk this earth."

"Believe what you see in his eyes more than what you see in the mirror. Hear his words more than the world's. Let his touch speak louder than those other people. Lean on him and let him lean on you because that's what marriage is all about, love, trust, respect and support." I open my other hand, letting Shika Maa in my arms. She kisses her head and then my cheek before taking a step back.

"Okay, but promise me you will never put us through this conversation ever again?" Advik says from behind me, I chuckle. "You mean you boys, right? Because the girls whine to me to know about how Rudra and I fell in love, our love story is the best out of all of us." Shika Maa gives a smug look to her son.

"Puhleasee! Sahil-Ahaana's toddler—love at first site? Falak and mine school romance? Suhana and Yug's six year long hidden eye locks, flirting? Psst." Advik's gaze darts from my mother to his. "Your corridor first meet and my father begging for your attention for three years stands no chance in front of us." Advik says throwing his hand over Shika Maa's shoulder.

"Yeah yeah yeah. But everyone loves their own stories the most so... psst!" Shika Maa teases him rolling her eyes. He shakes head leaning down and brushing his nose against hers. "Behan ka or best friend ka gussa unn dono par, samjha. Meri bahu par nahi." Shika Maa lightly slaps his cheek.

"Advik. Step back. You have your own woman. Stop stealing mine!" Rudra Uncle's voice infiltrates the room.

"Can I bribe you both with something to have our woman's to ourselves?" This time it's my father, I turn around with Shea still snuggling in my arms to look at the two men. "Car? New house in another country? Vacation for a year? A kick in the butt?" Dad raises eyebrows looking between Advik and I.

"Advik, don't you miss your sister and best friend? How about you move in with them till your flat works done?" I narrow my eyes at Rudra Uncle's smirking face. "No thankyou. I'd rather eat insects." Advik is quick to reply. Thankgod!

"Avni. Shika. Come on yaar." My father looks at my mother with a pleading face. "Chaat?" Mumma asks. Shika Maa gives a pouty look to Rudra Uncle, the men looks at each other before huffing out and extending their hands. "Fine, we'll get chaat." Mumma and Shika Maa giggles like school girls --cringe-- before quickly taking their phones from the table and walking to their men.

"I want chaat." Shea looks up at me. "Me too." Suhana says in the same soft tone. "Me three." Falak looks at my best friend.

"Boys, take your women on chaat dates, if I find you didn't, I'm going to take away your cars. No overworking. No one stays late or pulls all nighters, work should only be done in work hours. After 6pm, its' family time." Dad repeated one of the most important rule he's been reminding us every now and then since we took over. Our grandmothers never let our grandfather overwork, even when we had nothing. When our fathers got married and started working, this rule was passed on to them. Now to us. No ignoring family for work. Lucky for me, my wife and I have the same workplace, not Suhana and Advik though. My sympathies with the two fluf-ckers!

"Advu." Shika Maa bring our attention to herself. "She's not your punching bag, okay? If you're angry at Ahaana-Suhana, take it out on them. Stop hurting my daughter in law."

"You think I'm angry at her for this? Really?" Advik looks at his mother in disbelief, he looks at Falak and then back at the parents. "She doesn't want to be your daughter in law. She doesn't want to marry me Mom." What the fucking fuck? We all turn to look at Falak with such jerk, I think the we all --to be read as Samyak Sahdev and Rudra Mehrotra-- ended up with a whiplash.

"Advik yaar. Shut up. Don't be so dramatic." Falak glares at... her man? "Mumma, I said I don't want to get married in a court. I want a big fat June destination wedding, it was what we originally planned. But now he's not even talking to me since last three days because I said no to court wedding." Shika Maa's face morphs into such angry face, I haven't seen her turn red so quickly in the longest. She used to get this angry when Shea and Advik fought before Shea left.

"Advik Rudra Mehrotra! If you follow into your father's footsteps and take this wedding dream away from her like your father did to me, I'm going to leave you naked on the terrace in the sun." A chuckle escapes me at her threat, Shika Maa's blazing eyes turn to me and I clear my throat, hiding the laugh.

"Not a kid anymore, this doesn't work on me." Advik replies with a eye roll.

"No kid of mine is getting married in the court!" Shika Maa points finger at Advik in warning.

"But why?" Advik looks up at the ceiling whining frustrated. "I can't wait anymore Mumma. I'm so done with this dating thing. I want to live with her. I don't want her grandfather's permission to see her. I don't want to lie to him to have a weekend alone with her. Yug can spend nights with Suhana because her parents and you all are cool. She could accompany us to Leh only because he was in Vrindavan. We had to book separate rooms on Ahaana-Sahil's wedding. He fucking came to our floor to make sure she was living alone. It was so embarrassing!  The weekend at Lonavala? Her father had to lie that it was an urgent work trip. It sucks to live like this, Maa." Advik's voice goes from angry to sad at the end of his tirade.

Falak's parents are cool but not her grandfather. He's a Hitler and I'm not saying this lightly. He still tries to control what she wears and Falak being the sweetest always listens to whatever he says. When Rudra Uncle found out about Falak and Advik, he got in touch with Falak's parents and the first thing they said was, 'it's fine with us but her grandfather will never agree and will probably stop Falak from going to same school/college as Advik'. So they came up with a solution, hide it from him for as long as they can, which means Falak and Advik had to play hide and seek till we graduated. In his eyes Advik and Falak are getting married in a arranged setup. Falak still has a curfew. She's still not allowed to see him for more than two hours only once a week. She's not allowed to hang out with boys meaning Yug and I. But her parents being as cool as ours, they handle things for her but she still has to lie, plan and get his permission for many things.

"And you think he will agree to his only grandchild getting married in a court?" Shika Maa scoffs. She despises court marriages with everything in her. "Stop holding it against me, Shi. Its been thirty years. I said sorry!" Rudra Uncle grumbles, almost angrily. This topic always ends up with them fighting.

"I'm going to hold it against you for as long as I live. I wanted to get married at the beach in a pink lehenga not at the court in salwar kameez." Shika Maa whispers, her tone sad. She shrugs off Rudra Uncle's hand from where it was thrown over her shoulder, he lets her.

My parents' love story was cute and cheesy. They bumped into each other in the college corridor, Dad couldn't take his eyes off Mumma. He was in second year and she was a fresher. He started writing her love letters, she replied and they started dating the same year. Shika Maa and Mumma met in college, they were classmates. Rudra Uncle was Dad's postman, he used to deliver the letters because he got to see my mother's friend, Shika. Rudra Uncle and Shika Maa's love story was absolute chaos. Shika Maa liked him but like she said, she had her own body image issues. She thought Rudra uncle was a bad boy. He had the attention of almost every woman of college. Rudra Uncle and Dad graduated and went on to pursue Masters from a different college but they'd daily come back to our mothers campus to bother them. Shika Maa finally said yes to his proposal after three years and six months.

Two months into the relationship and they were talking about marriage, Shika Maa teased him saying she's not sure if she wants to marry him. Next day, he took her out on a date. Shika Maa was confused when she stepped down his car in front of the court. Everything fell into place when she noticed both their parents there. He forced her into a court marriage, something Shika Maa still hasn't forgiven him for. He tried to get married to her again, properly this time, but she never agreed. At the time of Advik's naming ceremony, Ahaana's grandparents made them take seven pheras and do sindoor daan.

"Don't take this away from her, Advu. A girl dreams of her wedding all her life. It's her biggest day. You both have been together for a decade, you can wait six months." Shika Maa stands on her tip toes and kisses Advik's cheek. Before she can breeze past her husband, he holds her wrist and tugs her to himself. His hand twisting her arm behind her back jerking her to his chest, Shika Maa looks from us to her husband. "Don't make a scene in front of my kids." Shika Maa grits out lowly, Rudra Uncle joins their foreheads together. I look down to see my wife's eyes on her parents, a wide smile plastered on her face. She enjoys their fights the most. Mean little thing!

"You should have thought that before starting this in front of your kids." He pecks her lips and before she can stop him, he picks her up in his arms. Shika Maa gasps, "Rudra!" He walks towards the elevator. My parents following them, laughing and shaking head. "Avni. Samyak. Ask him to put me down." Shika Maa screams looking at her friends.

"Tch. You look good in his arms." My mother retorts back snuggling into my father as they wait for the elevator.

"If you don't stop taking his side, I'm going to find myself a new best friend." Shika Maa threatens my mother. "With your social skills? Sure." Mumma snorts making Shika Maa narrow eyes at her. My mother and Rudra Uncle get along better than my dad and Rudra Uncle. Probably because both are same level of evil. The elevator door open and all four of them get in. Shika Maa says something to Rudra Uncle, the elevator door starts to close. Our last look is Rudra Uncle shutting Shika Maa by placing his lips on hers and my parents giggling to themselves in the corner.

"Shika Maa's in for a long night." Suhana's voice makes us all turn to look at her. "Suhana!" The Mehrotra sibling screams together making the rest of us laugh. "I'm not going home tonight after this." Advik shakes head looking at the elevator. "There there, bebu." Falak steps close to him and pats his chest lightly, he looks down at her with squinted eyes.

"Tu baat mat kar." He tries to look away, Falak makes him look at herself with her index finger on his chin. "Tum bekaar ki baatein mat karo!" Falak wraps her arms around his neck. Now she'll coax him and I'll never have my best friend back. I should have murdered her when I had the chance. "Rub it in, why don't you all?" Suhana fumes.

"We are trying our best, do you want me to add more romance? A French kiss perhaps? Make out against the wall?" Falak retorts back smugly. Zia picks up the cushion and throws at her, Advik catches it before it can touch her, keeping it aside laughing at their banter.

"Call him." I look at my sister. "I tried, he texted that he's in a meeting and will see me tomorrow." Suhana mumbles looking down at her phone, the smile vanishing from her face. Yug will never go to bed without speaking to her. If he says he's busy, means he really is.

"Chaat?" I ask my wife, she nods her head. It's been a long day for all of us. They messed up and I'll get back to these two for it but not now when they are already so dull.

"You guys go ahead. I will—"

"No, it's either all of us or none." Shea cuts Zia off. The best friend have an eye to eye talk before Zia leaves a huffed sigh muttering 'bitch' under her breath.

"Go wait for us in the car, we'll get some more information on Bakshi from our legal team. Just give us ten, okay?" I speak to my wife. She nods and moves back from my arms. Advik lets Zia go. Falak heads to the meeting room where she left her belongings and Shea-Zia collects their stuff from the cabin and dumps it all in their handbags. Advik and I pretend to go through the papers Hood left behind —which are of no fucking use!

He's getting shit at his job! I need to remind him he's not here to kiss the ground my wife walks on—I'm already happily doing that— he's here to do our dirty work for which the fucker takes more than deserved money.

Once all three of them are in elevator, I punch in to call the other one up. Advik taps his foot beside me, impatient. The elevator door opens and we get in, Advik presses in the button to designers floor. We come face to face with Zia when the door opens on the designers floor. "I knew it!" Zia shakes head at me. "How dare you do this alone without me?" Zia's gazes moves from me to Advik. "You had your fun. Go wait with her in the car, she'll be suspicious." I speak, my eyes roaming around to spot the familiar faces. Joey spots me and starts walking to us.

"Nope. She's playing candy crush." Zia replies just as Joey stops beside us. "Advik already fired the two. They are clearing their cubicle." Joey fills me in. "Not enough." Joey chuckles to my response, gesturing for me to start walking. He leads us to the interns cubical. The third one who received the job offer from Joey being cornered by the other two.

"Don't lie to us. We know you snitched about us!" The girl who made the comment about my wife and me in bed yells to the girl who received the job letter. I lean against the cubicle bringing all three of their attention to me. "Hey." I follow my greeting with a little wave. Advik and Zia snort behind me.

"S--Sir..." The girl gulps looking at the three of us. I gesture at Joey to leave us alone.

"You know what you did, right?" I smile looking at the two who were fired today. The girls look down, not meeting my eyes. The one who didn't spoke much but supported the other one who bullied my wife, looks up, on the verge of tears. "We are sorry for our behaviour, Sahil Sir. We didn't know she has heard us, we were... it was just friendly..."

"Gossip?" Zia chimes in when the girl trails off.

"Ahaana Ma'am, made us work like we are not interns but cleaners. She practically bullied us." The one who-is-getting-on-my-last-nerve spits out, sounding angry.

"Quite audacious of you to fuck with your boss. What did you think? She'll let you get away with your bullshit? Her name's Ahaana Mehrotra Sahdev, she can chew you for breakfast and leave the remains for our dogs. You gossiped about the wrong girl." I lean down to match their heights. "Thank God that it was Advik who fired you, if it was me I'd make sure you never get any type of work in this industry." I move back standing to my full height, my gaze turns to the third one who stood some steps back, looking scared. "You're joining Joey's team, right?" She nods at my question.

"The next time you call someone's husband a hot hunk just make sure she doesn't have wife like mine. And shame on you for being a woman and still contributing to the culture of body shaming and unrealistic beauty standards. You trying to judge my wife based on her appearance didn't define her, it defined you." I make sure to keep my voice low but threatening. I didn't want others to look down at these little girls for their one mistake.

Yes, they made my wife shed some tears and they got their punishment by being fired but I wasn't going to put them through something harsh. They were here at Mehr as Interns, trying to make a life for themselves in this industry and I wasn't going to take that away from them. My wife was once this same age, trying to build a life for herself in a foreign country, probably these girls were also from other city, state, chasing their dreams here in Mumbai. That's the reason why these two were still getting their stipend and certificates.

And also if Shea ever found out I did something horrible with them, she'd kick my arse! I'm scared of my wife.

"Not that it's any of your business but I can satisfy my husband--" My lips stretch in a smile as my wife's voice comes from behind me. I turn around to find Falak's hand slapped on her lips shutting up her next words. "I don't need to just bleach my head but go in comma at this point. This day was horrible and needs to end asap!" Advik huffs out a tired breath and leaves making Zia laughs at his misery.

"Get a filter for her." Falak shoves Shea in my chest, I chuckle lowly. Shea goes to speak again but I lean down to her ears. "Please, they don't need to know how you molest me." I whisper in her ears making sure no one can hear us.

My eyes twinkle looking at her lips turn into 'o' and eyes squinting at me. "How dare you!?" Shea hisses at me, I wrap my arms around her and start walking towards the elevator yanking her with me.

Body shaming was something I have faced all my life. The taunts came in variations, coated with sweetness and care, but it was all that it was... taunts. I knew it, the person throwing the words knew it, my family knew it. It started off with 'oh my god, Shika, your baby girl is so light. Like a feather. Its' like holding nothing' followed by 'Shika, you need to take her to paediatrician, she's so small and fragile for her age, that's why my five year old son was able to push her down. It's not my kid's fault, that she's bleeding with just a light shove' to 'make her eat something, no one's going to marry her. She's so bony, looks so lifeless... like a skeleton'. Probably that's the reason why my parents stopped being in touch with their social groups. When Yug and Falak joined, their parents became our parents friends.

I forgot this body shaming thing back when I was in UK because I wasn't there to impress anyone and no one really gives two shitz about some strange thin girl from India. But now I was back in India. Back where people thought God gave them a nose, to be nosy with it.

"His words. His eyes. Him." I repeat my mothers words under my breath, bringing me out of my head before I start wallowing in self pity. My eyes go to the watch --12:43am and then the person beside me --Suhana. Bish.

I contemplate choking her to death. She's here in my bed, my house because she had a fight with her brother for a stupid papdi chaat. Sahil Sahdev forgot who he was messing with and stole three papdi from her chaat. Even after she warned him so many times. The audacity to ignore her threats, what the fluff was my husband high on? Doesn't he know his sister? What Suhana says, Suhana does. She's his fluffing sister for goodness sake, this not enough to know she will go by with her threats?

The Sahdev siblings had a fight over three papdi when we were on our chaat date-- without Yug. Suhana warned him saying she will not let him step foot inside our house if he doesn't stop taking her chaat. My husband didn't stop. He didn't only take the last piece but also scooped up the pomegranate seeds she was saving for the last. We arrived home and Suhana slammed the door on his and Advik's face. They had a high voltage verbal spat with the door closed and him being on the other side of it. Advik had enough after she didn't open the door for twenty something minutes and he took my husband away saying they had our messes to fix.

I gaze at my bestfriend. I missed this idiot. I can't believe I spent five years without her by my side.

Tere jaisa yaar kahan, kahan aisa yaarana --Not the time and place!

But enough is enough. I miss my husband. I love my best friend but I have stayed away from my husband enough to last a lifetime, I'm not going to let their stupid fight keep me from snuggling in his arms. Quietly I pull my phone from under the pillow, unlocking it I check the last message I received from my husband. "Here at home office. Discussing the Bakshi thing with Adv. You sleep. I love you, baby."

I received this message at 10:12pm, it's been two hours and thirty minutes and no sleep in my gorgeous brown eyes. Fluff this! Sliding the covers off as gently as possible, I crawl down the bed --literally-- get on my knees and then crawl to the ajar door with my phone in my bra. Once I'm out of the room, I stand up and look back at the bed where Suhana sleeps with her phone still in hand. This bish better didn't sleep smexting when I was by her side.

Gently, I bring the door to its frame and leave it ajar. The door to Coco and Oreo's room is open and both are sleeping. Oreo is on his bed and Coco on the floor with his paws in air and toys around. He slept playing, such a baby. My eyes dart to their bowls to see they are still full. I smile at the two and with slow steps walk to the living room. Sahil's other car keys are on the key holder, I take them and leave the house making sure to lock behind me.

Aa raha hoon main, zindagi aa raha ho --Stop!

It takes me a total of eight minutes to reach our floor in our parents building. The door to both the houses wide open but the lights are turned off meaning the parents are asleep. I walk ahead to the office and turn the doorknob, pushing the door open. My brother and husband turn to me. Smile adorns both their faces when they see me. Advik starts collecting the paper while my husband keeps his eyes on me, my heart finally starts thrumming in my chest; making me feel alive. I last saw him at 7pm. The longest I have gone without seeing him since our wedding.

"We'll handle this tomorrow. You make her sleep." Bhai mutters softly leaving his chair from behind the table. "I'm going to snitch to Papa you were overworking." I whisper when my brother reaches me. "Sure." Bhaiyu smiles leaning down to brush his lips against my head, I keep my head on his chest. "Did you clear it with Falak?" He hums in positive at my question.

"Destination wedding it is." Bhaiyu huffs out making me chuckle. "Good night, bachu." He leaves the office kissing the crown of my head. When I meet my husband's eyes, he stands up from the chair and walks to me. His hand comes on my waist, turning the lights off, he leads me out of the threshold and to Sahdev house. We both silently climb the stairs, reaching his bedroom.

While I make myself comfortable on the bed, he heads into the bathroom/closet. He was still in the clothes from this morning. Setting the alarm, I put my phone on sidetable. I look around the room. We have never spent night in this room. When we were in our dating phase, he used to come to my room. I spent only one night in this bedroom in all twenty five years of my life, after I returned from UK when he was still ignoring me and living at the penthouse at Mehr.

My husband walks out of the bathroom in his shorts and bare chested. Yanking the covers from my body, he climbs on the bed beside me. I turn sideways, nuzzling into his chest and kissing the tattoo on his chest. He covers us and gets comfortable.

"You hid it from me." He looks down at my face, I don't meet his gaze and continue feathering kisses on his chest. His hand comes on my shoulder to stop me, I flick my tongue on his nipple. "You were ignoring me for this hai na? You knew if you come near me I'll know you're hiding something." His fist wraps around my braid —Suhana braided tonight. "Shai." I hiss, my head tilted back, his warm minty breath hits my mouth.

We haven't been intimate for almost two weeks. I had my periods and when Bloody Mary bid me farewell for the month—which scared me by being on time for the first time ever since I had my first period— I became partner in crime with Suhana. Like my husband said, I knew he'd get suspicious so I usually came after him or before him so somedays he would be sleeping and other times me.

I don't say anything in response to his words. My eyes meet his glaring ones. I move my hips back and bring my hand between our bodies. Under the covers, I move my hand on his waist, our eyes still locked together. A breathy hiss escapes him when I drag my index fingernail from his waist to the front of shorts. His hold tightens on my hairs when I cup him from above the shorts and give a gentle squeeze.

"Don't play with me. I'll want to fuck. It's been twelve days, you can't give a man the ride of his life and then go MIA on him." My chest reverberates with laughter at the last of his words, a smile plays on his face. I lay back on the bed not saying anything. My husband grins leaving my hairs and quickly cupping my breasts in his hand.  I help him in getting rid of the shorts and briefs while he undresses me. It's one of those rare times when my husband doesn't play with my body and goes straight to the main business.

Teri baahon mein ye jism khil gaya —Atleast have smex without lyrics running in your head!

•

The next time that I wake up it's 9:23am, I jump out of the bed naked as the day I was born. Fluffer left without waking me up! If Suhana finds out I'm here with him, she's going to be so pissed. Picking up his tshirt that I came wearing last night, I pull it over me and simultaneously walk to the door to lock the door. It's properly closed and no one would walk in without knocking as I'm sure by now everybody knows I'm in here, but Suhana can. She gives no fluff! I mean I'd do the same if she were in this condition but still.

I glance at the closet. Nothing for me, fluff. It takes me thirty minutes to finish my morning routine. Sahil Sahdev can be mean when he wants to be. He knew I have nothing to wear here yet he didn't arrange anything for me. If he was in his lover mood, I'm sure he'd make sure I have everything I need but guess he's still pissed at me for the Bakshi thing. I'll get even with him for this soon!

Corn nuts. Zoinks. Son of a coconut. Fluffing Karen!

I plug out his white shirt which seems pretty expensive —Ralph Lauren. Fluffing awesome! Thankgod I was wearing bra for once yesterday. I slip it on followed by the shirt, then the shorts from last night. I'm brushing my hairs when I heard the loud yelling from downstairs, shitz. Suhana.

"Ahaana Rudra Mehrotra!" I hear my bestfriend screaming from the bottom of her he—throat. "It's Ahaana Mehrotra Sah—"

"Shut up, jerk!" Suhana cuts her brother off. I gulp scared. She's going to throw such a huge tantrum. Dropping the hairbrush, I just wrap my hairs in a knot and keep my ear against the door, hearing the ruckus downstairs.

"You fucking hoe! Come out." Suhana screams making my heart jumps in loud thuds.

"Shea, come out. It's your turn for the walk of shame." My husband's cheery voice comes through. Lizard! Crappity! I'm going to wash all his whites with all my reds.

He's taking his revenge for the walk of shame moment he had right before our marriage. He used to spent the night in my room like usual but everyday he would leave before my parents woke up. That day he asked me to put the alarm, me being the innocent kiddo put the alarm of 'pm' instead of 'am'. Like I said innocent with a pinch of silly. By the time we woke up, it was already breakfast time and that day they were eating at Mehrotra's for a change. He had walk of shame moment and I behaved as if he had snuck without my consent. Guess he's still holding it against his Shea baby. Bad husband!

"Come out you hoe. You couldn't spend a night without shagging him, bitch?" Suhana's voice comes from the other side of door, almost in a whisper. She knows I'm listening to them. I look around the room to spot a window. Nope!

"He called me. Started crying saying he can't sleep without me, breathe without me." I whisper back to my sister in law. "Stop lying. I was right there in the same bed when you received his message, twat." I face palm soundlessly letting out a scream. Huffing out a long breath, I unlatch and turn the doorknob coming face to face with a very pissed off Suhana. I give her a smile. She gives me middle finger. That's bestfriend behaviour right there! She turns around walking back downstairs. I follow her running, trying to catch up.

"Morning baby." My husband makes me look at the couch where he's sitting all dressed up in his work wear with a smug, shitz eating grin. Holy guacamole! The fooker looks handsome in all blacks.

Oh.. Kaala Shah Kaala...
Oh... Kaala Shah Kaala,
Mera Kaala Hai Sardaar...
Goreyaan Nu Dafaa Karo —Focus Shea, focus. You're already on your walk of shame!

I focus on my footsteps, now walking and not running since Suhana's already on the couch muttering curses, scowling at me. I reach where everyone's sitting around him. I clear ny throat looking at my mother in law, totally ignoring my husband and others. "I'll go change." Avni Maa gives a small nod smiling brightly at me.

"That's RL, Shea. Make sure it's not creased." My husband shouts behind me when I start walking towards Mehrotra's house. "I'll give it to Aunty, she was asking me for a cloth for mopping." I retort back without turning around. Loud chuckles and laughter erupts behind me, I flip him the bird over my head before slamming the main door of Mehrotra house shut.

•

Agarwal denied to work with us this launch. He said he'll do it from the next launch but we are on our own for this one. Yeah, fluffers punishing us, trying to teach us a lesson. Obviously Advik and Sahil were pissed. So pissed that they said they'll either get us out of this legal mess we have put us in, or arrange raw material. In short, we are on our own when it comes to this year's launch.

The meeting was five days ago. Today we finally managed to arrange all the raw materials. It took Suhana, Falak and I all of five days along with our teams to make a list of all the small vendors that we'll take this years raw material from. Joey made the list and got in touch with suppliers, while Suhana, Falak and I with our teams scourged through every local market to handpick each and every fabric, embroideries and other items.

Then we shoved our victory in my brother and husband's faces!

And they shoved the amount on check they had to pay to get Bakshi off our backs. Yeah well, we still roamed around Mumbai all day and night while they pulled some strings sitting in their air conditioned offices. So we win.

My husband's a mean lit—big thing and I'm going to do everything in my power to get back at him for all his meanness. I drop Yug a message. He loves pissing my husband as much as I do!