Nandini rubbed the towel in her wet hair as she walked out the washroom, freshly showered. Aarav was asleep as she threw the towel on the chair and rushed downstairs to prepare breakfast for Manik before he left for work.

"Manik, parantha bana du? Subah aloo ki sabzi banai thi uske saath," Nandini enquired as he was busy going through the newspaper in the living room. He hummed in response and she moved to the kitchen. Placing the pan on the stove, she spread a spoonful of ghee on it, heating it up before taking out the dough from the fridge. While she prepared a flat bread for him, she simultaneously took some of the sabzi in a bowl and heated it in the oven. Taking out another pan, she placed it on the stove to prepare tea. While the water boiled, as she was about to move over to turn over the flat bread on the pan, she winced as her left arm rubbed against the hot pan.

(Manik, shall I prepare parantha?)

Her mouth blew air on the burn, not paying much attention she didn't want anything burning off and prepared the rest of the breakfast. By the time she was serving breakfast to Manik, she was drenched in sweat. She sat beside him while he had his breakfast quietly, sighing in relief as the fan cooled her down.

"Manik, bijli ka bill bhar diya tha aapne? Kal last date hai," Nandini reminded him while she was pouring tea for both of them in cups.

(Manik did you pay electricity bill. Tomorrow is last day.)

"Aaj shaam ko bhar dunga," Manik said. Nandini nodded before saying, "Maa ki dwai bhi khatam ho rakhi hai bp ki. Aur Aarav ko doctor ke bhi leke jaana hai. Uski vaccination lagvani hai dusri."

(I'll fill it in evening. **Even Maa's medicines are about to finish. We even have to take Aarav for his second vaccination.)

"Dwai ke liye raat ko yaad dila dena," Manik grumbled, almost swallowing the tea and wanting to get away before she reminded him of any other work. "Vaccination ke liye thode din tak time milega toh chal lenge."

(Call me at night for medicines. **Vaccination will have to wait for a few more days.)

"Aap ka roz ka ho rakha hai. Chaar din se yahi bol re ho," Nandini said, making him snap in irritation, "Toh khud le ja na. Saara din ghar pe karti kya hai? Das minute ka kaam hai."

(*You have been doing this everyday. You have been saying this for the past four days. **So, take him yourself. What do you even do whole day? It will just take 10 minutes.)

"Haan haan main toh kuch nahi karti. Nashta toh aapki Maa ne karvaya na abhi," Nandini gritted out as she got up, collecting the used utensils.

(Right. I don't do anything. Your mother served you breakfast, no?!)

"Ab ye kaam karne ka bhi sunao gi. Sahi hai," Manik said, annoyed as he walked and sat on the sofa, wearing his shoes while Nandini walked out to the kitchen, not wanting to fight early in the morning. However, she couldn't control the anger as she dropped the utensils in the sink, all of them clanking together loudly.

(Now, you'll even boast about doing this work?)

Picking up the lunch box, she walked back, holding it towards him as he finished tying laces of his shoes. When he got up, he looked at the box and sarcastically said, "Rehn do ye bhi. Joh dil se nahi hota kaam usse chod dena chahiye."

(Leave it. The work which isn't done from heart should be left aside.)

"Manik, kyu subah subah ladai kar re hai aur dono ka mood kharab kar re hai? Maine kya sunaya? Dil se na kar ri hoti toh bhuke pait bhej deti aapko," Nandini snapped back, glaring at him. Rolling his eyes, Manik took the tiffin from her and walked out of the house without a word, while she raked her fingers through her hair in frustration. If she didn't remind him of the bill and medicines, he would have raged at her and now, when she did, he again got frustrated! What was she supposed to do? Nandini sighed, knowing that her morning had successfully been turned into a mess.

(Manik, why are you fighting and spoiling our mood early in the morning? What did I boast about? If I wasn't doing this from heart, I would have sent you without any breakfast or lunch.)

••••

As if her morning hadn't been shitty enough, it became worse as she got to know that the maid who came to sweep and mop the house wasn't coming since she was unwell. She wouldn't have worried about letting it be for a day if her mother in law hadn't invited some of the guests over for lunch. By the time she finished sweeping and mopping, her back was in pain.

The moment she entered their room upstairs and was walking to the washroom to take another shower Aarav's loud cries filled the room as he woke up from his nap. Picking him up, she walked out of the room and moved downstairs as he whined while his hand fisted her kurti and head rested against her shoulder, his mother's warmth comforting him as he woke up.

"Bas paanch minute mai aati hu, mere bache. Dadi paas baitho thori der," Nandini said as she carried him to the in-laws' room since she was drenched in sweat. "Maa isko das minute sambhalna, main nahake aati hu."

(Just five minutes, baby. Go and sit with your grandma for some time. **Maa, take care of him for ten minutes. I need to take a bath.)

Her mother in law gladly picked him up in her arms and bounced him in her arms, making him smile in happiness. Observing him playing, Nandini rushed out of the room quietly and went for a shower, not noticing his cries the moment she stepped out of the room.

Ten minutes passed by before Nandini came downstairs and as she walked to Neyonika's room, Aarav, who was busy playing with a soft toy, laying on bed, after five minutes of futile attempts by Neyonika to stop his cries, he immediately threw it aside as Nandini entered. His cries once again filled the room.

Neyonika sighed, shaking her head while she said, "Kitna roh raha tha ye jab se tu kamre se bahar nikli thi. Abhi chup karvaya aur ab phir se. Itni aadat mat daal khud ki isse. Baad mai tang karega bohot."

(He has been crying so much since you stepped out of the room. I just handled him and now again. Don't get him so habitual to yourself. He'll trouble you a lot afterwards.)

"Abhi chaar mahine ka bacha hai, Maa. Meri aadat nahi hogi toh kiski hogi? Feed deti hu aur jab se utha hai tab se kuch nahi diya. Bol nahi sakta issliye royega hi," Nandini replied, not in the mood to listen to her opinions, which sounded unreasonable. Moreover, she was frustrated since morning and wanted nothing but some silence around.

(He is a four month old baby. If he won't be habitual to me, who he will be. I feed him and haven't given him anything since he woke up. He can't speak up so he will cry only.)

"Toh thoda toh sabar rakhe. Itna kya hai jo ghar sar par utha rakha hai," Neyonika said. Nandini thought this woman was mad!

(He should be patient na.)

"Sabar ke mamle mai aap par gaya hai lagta hai fir toh. Jese aapko subah uth te hi chai ka cup samne chahiye hota hai vese hi isse bhi," Nandini said, forcing a smile and shutting her mother in law as she picked Aarav.

(I think he's on you in case of patience. Like you want your tea the moment you wake up.)

"Theek hai. Tumhe jo theek lage woh karo. Baate sunane main toh mahir ho hi," Neyonika taunted and Nandini stayed quiet, knowing it may otherwise lead to a fight between them. Picking up Aarav, she carried him to their room, his cries gradually decreasing to sobs and hiccups while his face dropped to her shoulder.

(Okay. Do whatever you want.)

As she sat down on bed and laid him in her lap before she raised her kurti, her hand gently caressed his head as he immediately latched on her breast, gulping down the milk hungrily. However, a few minutes later he suddenly unlatched, crying loudly.

"Aarav, putu kya hua?" Nandini asked, arranging and getting up as she roamed around the room with him in her arms, trying to quieten him. An hour passed as he continued crying. After Nandini tried eveything, but he still continued crying, her own eyes teared up, not knowing what she did wrong. She sniffed as she picked up her mobile before dialling her mother's number. Her mother picked it up on the third ring and before she could say anything, Nandini cracked up, "Maa."

(Aarav, what happened, baby?)

Hearing her voice which sounded like she was crying, her mother's concerned voice reached her ears as she asked, "Kya hua bache. Theek hai sab?"

(What happened? Everything alright.)

"Haan, Maa. Par," Nandini sniffed, patting his back to calm him down as she walked around while continuing, "Par ye Aarav bohot ro raha hai Maa. Maine sab kuch karke dekh liya. Mujhe kuch samajh nahi aa ra."

(Yeah, Maa. But–**But Aarav is crying alot. I've tried everything. I just can't understand.)

"Nandini, mere bache. Voh toh roh raha hai, tu kyu roh rahi hai mere bache. Ye bache essa hi karte hai," her mother explained, smiling as she said so. When Nandini didn't reply and continued sniffing as she sat back with a crying Aarav, her mother asked, "Acha kab se roh raha hai?"

(Nandini, he is crying, beta but why are you? He is a kid, they do it sometimes. **When did he started crying?)

"Woh jabse isko feed di thi–" Nandini said, trailing off as she suddenly realized what she did and her mother caught it too as she asked, "Kya khaya tha subah bache?"

(When I started feeding him– **What did you have for breakfast, beta?)

"Woh curry khali thi," Nandini mumbled, her heart filling with guilt for being so irresponsible. She had been so busy in the kitchen and other chores, she had forgotten all about her breakfast and when her stomach ached due to hunger, she had eaten a parantha with some curry.

(I had some curry.)

"Ab mai kya karu, Maa. Iska pait dard ho raha hoga na?" Nandini asked in concern, rubbing his back to calm him down while pressing a kiss on top of his head as if apologising for her actions.

(What should I do, Maa? His stomach may be aching, no?)

"Hing ka paani banale bache aur usko na aaram se iske pait par rub karde. Isse thodi der mein theek hojayega," her mother replied, hearing Aarav's cries getting louder in the background.

(Just prepare some asafoetida water and rub it on his stomach gently. He will feel better after sometime.)

"Theek hai, Maa," Nandini said in a rush before bidding her farewell and declining the call. Hurrying downstairs, she juggled with his crying self in her arms as she prepared the water before laying him on the sofa and holding him with her hand as she gently massaged his stomach while cooing, "Bas mera bacha. Abhi theek hojayga." As he hiccuped, his cries decreasing, she looked at the time, noticing it was nearly lunchtime and she had to prepare food for the guests. He was still whining in uncomfort, so she didn't want to hand him over to her mother in law.

(*Okay, Maa. **Shh, it will be okay.)

Carrying him to the kitchen and picking his bouncer, she placed him inside with some of his toys and amidst his cooes and occasional cries, she quickly preparing the lunch while simultaneously looking after him.

•••••

Her back was paining by the time she came to the room at night. Aarav was sound asleep on one side while Manik was laying on another, playing some game on his phone. As she walked to the bathroom to freshen up, he looked up but she ignored him. They hadn't been talking to each other, her specifically, except for occasional yes or no when necessary.

A few minutes later, as she sat on the dressing to apply moisturiser on her arms, she felt his gaze on her the entire time but refused to look up through the mirror. Switching off the lights, she crawled in the centre, laying down quietly and turning towards Aarav, closing her eyes. However, it didn't take long for Manik to move inside her blanket, his arm wrapping around her waist.

"Nandini, abhi tak naraz hai," when he got no reply, he sighed and explained, "Jaan woh frustrated tha aur sab tum par nikal gaya. Sorry."

(Nandini, you're still angry. **I was just frustrated and all of it got released on you. Sorry.)

"Manik side hatiye," Nandini mumbled, pushing away his arm, although her efforts were futile since he was stronger than her. When he didn't budge, she turned to her back, snapping, "Aapki frustration ka source nahi hu mai. Thodi izzat se baat kara kare aur woh nahi hoti toh mat bulaya kare mujhe."

(Manik, move aside. **I'm not source of your frustration. Talk to me with respect otherwise don't talk.)

Manik clenched his jaw at her tone. Although he admitted he committed a mistake and she had the right to be angry and say this, but the tone, being outright rude, whenever they have a fight just sounds wrong. She could have said this in a gentle way, it wasn't like he didn't apologise. And then she wants him to respect her. Removing his arm gladly as she shook it off her, both of them turned around with their backs facing each other.

Hi! I'm still alive. Hope you didn't forget me :(

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