♔ Aarav  ♔  

          I get to the outdoor shooting location earlier than the scheduled time so I can talk to Annie. I need to ask her what that was two days ago when she met Jhanvi. Even yesterday when I was trying to talk to her, she kept trying to turn the conversation around to work. I do remember what I promised her years ago, but we have to talk. 

And then it didn't help my restlessness at the messages I kept getting from Eva and Dad about the progress on finding Dinesh... or better yet, lack of any progress. She was the one I would talk to about things like these but she wasn't around these days and that has to change.

I am not blind here. I can tell when she is trying to push me away and be distant. I stop one of the workers who was setting up the cameras to ask, "Have you seen Angel?" At his confused look, I clarify, "I mean, Annie."

He pointed towards a camp, "She's in the dressing camp there."

I nod and walk towards the camp that was set up to use as the changing area for the models. I politely ask the model who is in there with her, "Could you give us a second?"

She nods and leaves. Annie scolds crossing her arm, "Aarav, you can't walk in here like this." She tries to walk around me to leave but I block her path. She tries to get me to move aside.

I warn her, "Don't force me, Annie."

"I have work to do." She sticks to her decision of running from this conversation.

Well, then. That leaves me only one choice. I turn about and zip the camp.

She tries to stop me, "Aarav, what are you...?"

"Shut up," I say in frustration. "I should be asking you this. What are you doing?"

She crosses her arms over her chest again, "I'm trying to work, you know, what I am getting paid for here."

I counter her excuse, "No, you are pretending to work so you don't have to talk to me. Don't even try to argue with that because we both know your job is to be out there working on the camera's, not play a stylist and help the models get dressed."

"I'm trying to help out where they need help."

"Bullshit," I call her out on it.

"I don't care what you think, but that's the truth." She still tries to move me from standing in front of the only exit so she can leave. When it doesn't work, she tries to walk around me.

I hold her under the elbow and make her stand in one place. "Annie, I made you a promise so I won't mention it, but you also said this friendship meant more to you so what are you doing?" She tugs her elbow out and I am down to pleading, "Please talk to me."

She turns her back to me and takes a few steps away. I watch as her shoulder rises and falls while she inhales and exhales. Without turning back to me, she asks. "Just give me some time, okay?"

"Time? Time for what?"

"To... to get used to this." She fumbles turning around.

"You always knew this."

I thought she was okay. with the way she had happily accepted the news a few days ago at the bar and also the other day on meeting Jhanvi openly, I had thought everything was fine. But...?

She raises her voice just a bit to argue, "Knowing it was one day going to happen and learning it is happening now are two different things, Aarav. Now, I am happy for you. You've waited for this all your life. But, you can't be a pushover."

Lost on how to accept how much it affects her, I helplessly ask. "What am I supposed to do?"

She walks up to me and calmly suggests, "What you always do." I don't even know what that means as she walks around me, unzips the tent, and leaves.

What exactly is that?

I think and think standing there until it comes to me. Whenever she goes through mood changes, I let her be. I give her space because a part of me has always known... she'll come back to me when she is ready. Until then, I realize she's going to remain distant like this. Normally, I know it comes with a week-long time limit.

This time, I have no idea how long she'll take.

And the thought... it's unsettling.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

          I knock on the office door and Jhanvi lifts her hand to wave me in. She is too engrossed in the file she is reading. "Tell me you don't allow just anyone to walk in without checking."

She glances up at my voice and smiles, "Today's an exception." Her smile is more than enough to brighten up my day. She starts to get up but I motion for her to stay seated. On the table, I place the brown paper bag containing our lunch. Chinese was not my favorite but it used to be hers in childhood and I hope it still might be.

She smells the bag and the smile on her face widens, letting me know I wasn't wrong to make the assumption. I reach for the bag and take out the two lunch boxes. She uses the time to push the files aside.

Just as we are about to dig in, there is a knock on the door. She sighs and looks towards it. "Come in," She says to the man who walks in.

"Ma'am, here is..."

I cut him off taking the file from his hand and putting it on top of other files. "She's off for lunch. You can brief her on it later on."

The guy looks at her for confirmation.

She momentarily glares at me for being demanding once again, but I shrug back at her for certainly they can allow her half hour of peace for lunch. She nods at the guy to let him know it was okay for him to leave right now. Upon receiving the approval that he seeks, he leaves.

"Seriously, don't they have eyes? Can't they see you're trying to eat here?"

"Aarav. He's only doing his job."

"Yeah, well, he can do that when you aren't eating." I mutter. "Now eat." She ought to stop being so careless about herself.

She makes the smart choice to not argue back and instead dig her fork into the box. I start eating as well. "How's it going at your end?" She starts on a conversation that she deems safe.

"Okay. I'm just overseeing the shooting so I feel like I'm not doing much but hovering over people." I point out, and she nods along.

She lets out a relishing sigh as she gulps down food. It's as if the taste makes her forget about all the stress for the time being. That is, until I suggest. "You should take things slow..."

She reopens her eyes to scold, "Aarav, I'm not dying."

My jaw clenches in response. I really hate how nonchalant she is about almost everything in her life. Is this how she has been after growing up in Australia? Without a care for anything? I bite my comments, because is it really her fault? It wasn't her fault she lost her parents at a young age. It wasn't her choice to move to Australia to live with her aunt.

She senses the atmosphere is tensed, and as such the rest of the lunch is eaten in silence.

"I'll be late at shooting today," I inform at the end. "Jose'll take you home at 6. Just text me whenever you are ready."

She answers with a quick nod. I stand up and button up the suit coat to leave for my cabin. She stops me when I turn my back to her. "Wait." She walks to stand in front of me. "I'm sorry if I said something I shouldn't have." She apologizes, not knowing what for, but at least she didn't want me to leave upset.

The blank look I'd put on to mask my emotions on my face softens. "You're not entirely wrong," I admit in a low voice.

Her eyes turn a bit confused at how easily I admit it. If she would remember me to be the kid I used to be, she'd know that I don't shy away from accepting my mistakes when I do make them. I need for her to see my real life and shed the impression she has of me so far.

"I guess it's too early for me to treat you like you're fragile, but to me, it feels like you still are and I just..." I trail off speaking indirectly as the words linger about in empty space between us.

It leaves her speechless as if she did not expect me to be caring or that she' hasn't had anyone treat her with such care and look at her like she was fragile in a long time. It only clenches my heart further, for her life could have been better.

The silence between us scares me a bit into wishing I could take the words back, but then she smiles up at me. As she steps closer, our height difference dawns on me. "Thank you," She says after pecking my cheek as if she really means the two words.

I stand there with shock written all over my face, and then I smile back at her. A genuine smile that I haven't yet given to her. Maybe it won't be that difficult to get through to her. 

"And if it makes you feel better, I promise to take it slow."

That was enough to convince me. "Okay, let me know if I need to yell at anyone here. I won't take well to anyone troubling my Shona."

My concern is a bit possessive, but it still makes her smile. "Will do, Raizada." She cheekily answers with a grin on her face. "Now get out. I need to get back to work."

I gape, feigning hurt. Did she just try to kick me out of my own building? It only makes her laugh and compels me to touch her upper arm. She glances down at it and then up at me questioning with her eyes. "You need to laugh often." I whisper and like once before, lean down to peck her forehead.

She takes a tiny step back, uncomfortable. I didn't mean to. I just want to show her my affection. Yet, I drop my hand from her arm and step back as well, not pushing her limits. "See you tonight."

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

          I am in between an internal meeting with the human resource team when my phone rings. I have it set in such a way that it'll only ring during office hours if someone from the family is calling me. Any other messages or calls remain silenced. I glance at it to see its Rihaan calling. Instantly I am concerned for Sanya and announce to the team, "Excuse me, we'll continue after a short break."

I stand up and leave the conference room to walk to my office before answering the call. "Rihaan, is everything okay?"

He cheekily responds as he is plopped on his bed in the room at Raizada house. "Yup, all good. I just called because I was getting bored. The girls have gone shopping."

I breathe out sitting on the chair before scolding him, "Kid, you need to realize to only call me during office hours when its an emergency. Do you realize how worried I got?"

He carelessly rolls his eyes, "No offense big brother, but you get hyper too easily. You need to learn to tone it down to bit."

I scoff, "As if. Anyway, isn't it around dinner time there? Aru and Ana are still not back?"

"I did just say they went shopping. You know they don't keep track of time then." He points out as he walks out of his room and walks towards the stairs. "Anyway, just FYI, I did call for a reason. Not just because I was bored. San's holed up in her studio again."

I question, "That's normal for her."

He clarifies, "Only when she's working on some paintings. Right now, I reckon she's only in there because she misses you but probably didn't want to call and bother you."

"Well, aren't you her knight in shining armor?" I tease him a bit, for he seriously has a gigantic crush on her. He knows all her knit bits and moods despite how little Sanya uses her words to communicate.

He glances away from the screen to try and hide his blush and it only makes me happy. Atleast he is there for Sanya when I'm not around. Really, she's the one I worry about the most. Okay, that might be wrong. I worry about all of them. I am a worrier. So, let's just say I worry more about Sanya because she is a special case.

As Rihaan just said, she's considerate enough to not call even if she misses someone while others in the family won't stop to care for a second. They will unabashedly claim their right and disturb the hell out of me even if I specifically tell them to leave me alone if I am in one of my moods. But not Sanya.

He tries to dismiss my comment, "Well, more like her annoying family friend in a shining leather jacket."

I scold him, "Hey, you know that's not true. San doesn't think you're annoying."

I wish he would trust his feelings for her more, because even though I can't tell him Sanya too feels the same way for him as I can't betray her secrets like that – it's a different matter that she's never specifically confessed to me. I've just learnt to read between the lines when it concerns her. And because she never says anything, he often feels insecure about where he stands in her life.

"I'm sure she doesn't appreciate it either." He counters and reaches Sanya's studio room. "Anyway, I'm going to give the phone to her." I hear him open the door and wordlessly turn the phone in her direction and hand it over.

Her eyes widen in surprise as she places her sketch pencil on the drawing book. Her eyes travel from the phone screen where she smiles at me to Rihaan, who I assume walked out of the room as I hear a door click.

"Bhai..."

I smile at her, "San, how are you?"

"Fine," she answers in a mumble and I raise my brows in response. It has her admit, "I miss you."

See, Rihaan does know her. I don't know why he ever doubts that. "Oh San... I miss you too little one. Why didn't you just call?"

I don't realize when the entire hour passes away talking to her. Well, it's mostly me talking and her answering in a few single words now and then, but it's just how she has conversations with everyone.

I eventually have her promise to call me whenever she feels the need to talk to me, and tell her that if it would make her feel better, she can text me first to check she won't be bothering me. Though, I don't tell her that if she texted and even if I was busy somewhere, I'd drop it all to talk to her. It's just the kind of things you do for your little sisters.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

          I walk into Jhanvi's cabin on Tuesday and she looks up from her laptop screen to tease, "I didn't hear a knock."

"That's because I didn't knock, Shona." I reply hastily. "Ready to go?"

Her brows furrow, "Where? We don't have a meeting right now."

"You don't remember?"

"No...?" She says as if searching the ends of her brain.

It's a good thing I remember to look after her, otherwise I don't know how she normally manages. I am slightly concerned in this matter. I sigh and turn her chair away from the desk before taking her hand and pulling her up. In the last few days, I can't believe how comfortable I've gotten to holding her hand and I love the fact that she doesn't stop me.

"You have a doctor's appointment today."

Her eyes widen in sudden realization. "That's today? Oh God, how could I have forgotten?"

"Good thing I didn't," I say standing behind her and starting to push her out of the room just as she quickly grabs her purse. "Come on now, you don't want to be late."

I don't understand why she grabs her purse because it's not like she is going to be using it.

She opens the door and demands, "Okay, alright. I'll walk. Stop pushing me."

I listen, dropping my hands from her shoulder and allowing her to walk at her own pace.

Eva sees us coming out, "Ms. Raichand. Mr. Raizada. Anything I can get for you?"

She shakes her head, "Oh no, I have a doctor's appointment. We'll be back soon. I've left a project file on the desk. Can you forward it to graphics and tell them I want to see a draft by tomorrow morning? Ask them to bring me the color palettes for spring collection as well."

"Sure."

"Thanks."

With that, I am back to holding her hand and tugging her away towards the elevator. I am proud that she is grasping everything so quickly but right now, there is only one mission on my mind and that is to get her a check-up.

The past five minutes of the drive, she has been eerily quiet. "Penny for your thoughts?" I urge her, desperate to know what has her so silent.

"I'd think about it if I were getting more than a penny."

"What?"

Grinning, she explains. "Quit being a miser. You can afford a ton more than a penny for my thoughts."

Getting her point, I grin back and shake my head in amusement. Sometimes she shows her disappointment for going out of my way with my spending's and other times, she says things like this to encourage me. What am I to make out of it?

"If only it weren't a saying."

"If only," She agrees along.

"You know, mom says this to dad all the time." As a child, I've heard Khushi saying it plenty times.

She looks sideways at me and I understand why I have her entire attention. It might be the first time I am giving her insight to my family. I made a comment yesterday of how her cooking reminded me of my mothers cooking, but that was it.

I clear my throat and ask, "Anyway, seriously, what's up? You have that deep-thinking face on that tells me I should be worried."

"You have nothing to worry about. Why would you think that?"

I shrug my shoulder, "I don't know. It usually doesn't mean good for me when you go that deep into thinking."

"I have a deep-thinking face?"

"Oh yes, the face that tells me you are rethinking our deal. Which should be good but when you have that frown on, I know it can't be good."

She questions without a blink of an eye. "Are you a mind reader by any chance?"

I glance at her briefly amused. "Did you just ask me that?" She has a dead serious look so I expand looking back at the road, "No, Shona. Ofcourse I am not a mind reader."

She counters, "There is no way you can know that much about what I am thinking."

For a valid reason, I frown. "So, I was right?" I would have liked for her to prove me wrong this once.

"Yeah." She mumbles and I wait for her to continue. "Just trying to figure out why you're doing all of this."

"I'm not doing anything I shouldn't be doing." I argue not pausing for a second to think over my words, "Isn't it a husband's duty?"

"You're not my..."

I swallow and catch myself. "Yeah, I know. But you know I want to be and I'm only doing what I would be if you would agree."

She goes back to being silent, taking in my words and trying to decide what to make of it. I wish she'd talk out these thoughts and we could come to a mutual point together that way but it never seems to happen with us.

She says she is trying to understand why I want to marry her. She doesn't understand what it is about her that I refuse to let go. And, how do I even begin to explain to her?

I don't probe her to talk and a minute later, pull into the parking lot of the hospital.

As we walk inside, I inform. "Dr. Jaiswal referred us to one of her colleague here. Hope that's okay."

She nods and as we sign in, the nurse tells us to wait in a room and that the doctor is with another patient right now and will be here to see us soon. She gives Jhanvi a hospital gown to change into for the examination.

She walks behind the changing stand to change and then takes a seat on the bed. "Aarav?"

I look up from my phone, "Hmm?" She sticks her hand out calling me to her. I get up from the chair and walk over to stand in front of her and hold it. "What is it?"

She closes her eyes momentarily as if talking herself into saying what she wants to. Reopening them, she locks her eyes with mine and smiles. Her nerves settle and she leans towards me to kiss my cheek.

I stand there numb. The first time she's shown me some affection. It's usually me who'll kiss her forehead or cheek in a greeting. "Did you just...?"

She fights her blush when I trail off. "Thank you."

My brows pull together, "For what?" I haven't done anything out of the ordinary.

"I'm serious, Aarav. Thank you... you don't have to do any of this. You don't have to be here right now. You don't have to stand up and be brave for me when I'm struggling to do it for myself. You didn't have to insist on helping me but you are. And yes, you say you want me to say yes to marry you, but I appreciate that you aren't forcing me into it. We both know you are capable of that but thank you for waiting and for letting me make my own decision – even when I take my time with them. I'm sure you aren't used to that and it can't be easy for you to..."

"Shh," I interrupt her, "Don't say that, Shona. I would change anything about myself to be with you without blinking twice. I don't mind waiting. It's only fair you get to know me and I want you to say yes only when you are in love." It kills me to say the next part but I still do as I was already ready to do that with Hiten – if he had been a decent guy who genuinely loved her. "If another guy comes along... then so be it. All you have to do is tell me and if I see he cares about you and will keep you happier, then I will back off. I promise you that."

I can't help myself from connecting to how Annie is doing this for me... backing off. It's almost been a week and it is starting to take a toll on me. I would usually talk about things that bother me with Annie but this once, I can't. But, I do need to find a way to tell her she doesn't have to back off. She doesn't have to pick for me.

Jhanvi seems to force a lump down her throat. She is on the verge of crying with her eyes moist. I know she doesn't hate me, but right now, she doesn't love me either. And the only reason I have not told her that I am the guy named in her father's will is because I want this to be her choice. Like I told her, I want her to marry me because she loves me, not because it's how it was supposed to be. I want her to get to know me because she wants that, not because it is stated somewhere in a will or because of memories of a friendship from years ago that she does not recall.

"Please don't cry," I ask gently placing my forehead against hers. She closes her eyes and inhales a deep, ragged breath. As she is composing herself, we hear the door opening behind us. I take a step aside, keeping my eyes on her in concern even as she forces a polite smile on her face and greets the doctor as he introduces himself.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Zach Lewis. You must be Jhanvi."

At his voice, I face him with a frown. "You're not a female."

Dr. Jaiswal had only told me the last name.

"Uh, most certainly not. If you're more comfortable with a female, I can reschedule with our female OBGYN but she's out of town for this week. You'll have to wait till next week."

"No, it's fine." Jhanvi beats me to an answer. I glare at her but she only smiles back in amusement. She leans towards me and whispers, "Are you jealous?"

I scoff, "I do not get jealous."

She chuckles, not believing my words. "Then smile and greet the nice doctor."

I narrow my eyes at her for ordering me but its as if from our moment earlier, she's taken the message that she has the right to do so. Well... she's not wrong. She raises a brow at me daringly and I look at this Zach person and give a stiff nod and shake his hand.

It's a rather firm hold and I don't release it right away, blaring warnings at the doctor. Why? I don't know.

She seems to catch that since she lightly slaps my arm.

I turn to her and drop the doctor's hand. "What was that for?" She doesn't answer and looks away. It only makes me lean in and whisper in her ear, "You are not allowed to hit me."

She leans back and offers the sweetest fake smile she can manage. "I say I am."

I raise my brow in a daring challenge but she doesn't back off. She mimics my actions and I am left to huff. I had lost this dare since the beginning.

She grins victoriously and turns her attention on the doctor when he asks, "How is the morning sickness?"

"Comes and goes."

He asks me, "Step away?"

"Why? No."

He insists, "You're holding her hand and that's only making her heart beat faster. I want to get her normal heart rate, So, please."

Now... Jhanvi certainly is wide eyed and unpleased that Zach offered up that piece of information, but I am not. Maybe I will approve of him. Now I know how Khushi must have felt all those times when I was a kid and I would spill dad's secrets to her. I still do it now and again just for some fun. But still, this. It's a good feeling to know she does get affected as well.

I clear my throat and release her hand, walking two steps back.

He blocks my view of her, but I can hear the glare in her voice as she accuses him, "You did that on purpose."

"And if I did?" She groans knowing she can't do anything of it now. I already know that the action of simply holding her hand does affect her just as it does me. "Ready for ultrasound?"

She answers with a nod and lays back. This time, I don't stay back and go to stand next to her. He puts on gloves and squeezes the jelly on her belly and then uses the probe. An image soon forms on the monitor.

I have to narrow my eyes to outline the tiny form of the baby and just looking at it... I don't know when I am back to holding her hand, admiring the little life inside her.

"Look at what you two gave life to." Zach says smiling at us.

I glance at Jhanvi thinking she might correct him but her gaze is fixed on the screen as if the realization of being pregnant finally sinks in and a happy tear escapes the corner of her eye.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

          I speak up when we're leaving the hospital, "You didn't correct him."

She doesn't have to ask and pretend naïve on not knowing what I am talking about. She knows exactly. "I didn't." She answers. Just that. No explanation.

I need more than that, but she just smiles back in response and steps out of the elevator once it dings open.

The ride back to the office, she just turns the dial to increase the volume and listens to music. She is about to get out when I pull up in front of the building when I put my hand on top of hers to stop her. "Shona, you have to talk about it."

She sits back, "Talk about what? I was overwhelmed looking at my baby. What he thought about us didn't concern me in that moment. Simple as that."

I argue, "Really? If it's really that simple, you wouldn't be concerned of people knowing we live together."

"That's different."

"How?"

She fumbles for a coherent response before flailing her hands in mid-air. "It just is, okay? Now can we just drop this?" She pulls her hand back and gets out of the car.

I try to put it on her changing hormones, but can everything be accounted to that?

We have a good moment earlier, and then argue.

Will it ever end?

Only when she starts sharing her thoughts. She shares it one second and then bottles it up again. How am I supposed to get through her then?

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

  ∞ author note  ∞   

Head over to my blog's upcoming works for an exclusive sneak peak on Rihaan & Sanya - a description of their story posted nowhere else yet!  

QOTC: How does Aarav manage to get in the crosshair with Annie & Jhanvi at the same time? :P Do you think one argument affected the other? Thoughts on Jhanvi-Aarav moment in the hospital or Aarav-Annie (personally not satisfied with their starting scene as I did rush through it...)

Long chapters, ain't it?! Yes, if you guessed it, then Jhanvi  & Aarav will hit a rough patch as Jhanvi sorts through her feelings but dw, it'll be for the better (: Anyone missing any of the villains? I think we've gone many chapters without their mention... I wonder what mischief they are cooking up..!

Not feeling any better... but keeps the votes & comments keeping! Something good to look forward to <3