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Gita opened her eyes to see Anand working on a laptop in the bed. She looked at the clock and it was 7 AM. Did he not sleep?

He looked at her scanning eyes and answered her unasked question, "I had a meeting." Gita sighed. In the one and half year of her marriage, she was frustrated with his working ways. He didn't sleep enough and worked till unusual hours. He was married to his work and his company was his first love. She taunted him for it to which he cheekily replied, "No, my company is not my first love," he huskily whispered in her ears and she looked down, almost blushing.

"Architecture is my first love." He said and Gita's blush diminished in no time as she glared at him.

"Look baby, we are not important! Papa loves architecture, then his company, then me and last you!" Gita complained.

"A little change in the order, my dear. You are last, Gitanjali." Gita shrieked at his words while he laughed.

Shanti Didi and the other staff was happy to see her back at home. They told her how the house was too quiet and dull without her. She came to know that after she left, Anand was rarely home and used to eat out. He only asked them to keep the house clean. The question : Did he miss her as much as she missed him?, thought Gita.

Anand had informed her that he will be home today. Anand's definition of being home was a little or very different from others. Instead of office, he stayed in his study and did his meeting. But surprisingly today, he got free after lunch and dismissed the staff.

Gita came home from school just after an hour. As soon as she entered home, Anand saw her throw her bag on the couch and she was sprawled on the couch. He scrunched his nose at her act. He was very particular with things kept at their place. "Gitanjali, get up, wash your feet and keep your bag where it belongs." She jumped from her seat, startled by his voice. Whenever he is home, he is in study at this hour. If she knew he was out of his study, she would have never done this. Gita liked keeping things organised and clean but he was a neat freak. He was a neat freak and didn't like it even if the bedsheet had creases. She knew not to push his buttons, unnecessarily and kept her bag in its place after washing her feet.

His phone rang and she heard him talk on the phone. It seemed like he was pissed off for someone's incompetency in office. There was a lot of cursing in the conversation and Gita shut her eyes a little everytime she heard him say a bad word. She couldn't believe this same man, who was so livid on the call, had apologised to her yesterday?

He walked towards her after he was done with the call. "You look so tired. What happened?" Anand had not seen her this exhausted after work. 

"Today was tough! The kids had a fight and the parents were involved and so on..." She didn't even had it in her to continue the whole story. 

He looked at her intently, hesitating if he should say it or not. He was skeptical, knowing very well that his words could be taken in a wrong way but decided to say it.

"Quit your job..." It didn't come out as it was supposed to. Gita's eyes displayed shock at his words.

"I don't want you to take stress during the pregnancy. If you can continue from home, that's good."  Gita didn't respond to his words and went to their bedroom to freshen up. She came back from the closet to see Anand with his Mac in their bedroom. "Did you hear what I said a while back?" He hated not being acknowledged. 

"Anand, my job can not match the amount of stress you gave me in last few weeks!" She was unapologetic or polite about the truth. "You blamed me for helping your sister runaway, forcefully tried to make me drink so I could tell you about the pregnancy and cut Rohan's dad treatment!" His face scowled as she recounted his deeds. He got his answer, she was not going to quit. His head was down, he was remorseful for his acts.

"Sorry." Gita was stunned. She turned to look at him to confirm if what she just heard was correct. She should write this date in a book. His apologies were rare, extremely rare and he said it twice! He had apologised yesterday as well as today. What happened to her rude husband?

"What?" He asked rudely and Gita stopped staring at his face with open mouth.

"I am ready to talk." The talk definitely referred to the "talk" they were meaning to have since last night. Gita continued, "I know you. You are not someone who will apologise first...so who was the genius who pushed you to come to my house yesterday and say sorry?" She still was in a disbelief that her husband came to pick her up at her one message, leaving everything and also he said what she wanted to hear.

"My dad." He said quietly. Gita had thought his dad was in London all this while. "He had come to meet me after knowing things from Isha. He told me to apologise and unlike you, I am my parent's good child. I always listen to them." He said the last line to pull Gita's leg.

Gita gave him an annoyed look. She would have listened to her mother if she didn't always blame Gita.

"So you apologised just because your dad told you to?" As far as she knew him, noone could make him do things he didn't want to. His dad could only advise him, not command him. She wanted to know what pushed him to get her back.

Anand shook his head. He remembered when his dad entered his cabin. It was rare for his father to come to his cabin. So ofcourse, it was Isha's complaint that brought him here.

"These days, there are a lot of complaints I am getting about you. Feels like you are a teenager again. But remember, I am getting old and I don't have it in me to bear with your complaints." His father was very subtle with his words, he never showed them anger or yelled at them. This was his warning to be good again.

"I heard you are always in cranky mood. Your office people are scared to approach you. Is this what you want to be? Why are you so restless and angry, Anand?" His father knew the reason but wanted to hear it from Anand.

"My wife. I am telling Gitanjali very nicely to come back but she doesn't want to. I was good being unmarried." He muttered the last part. His father controlled a smile. His son was never affected by people's presence or absence in life. The last person who's absence bothered him was Nandini but he had learnt to conceal it and not show his emotions.

"By nicely, do you mean by threatening? Have you tried to talk lovingly?" He can't believe he had to be a love guru to his son!

"I am the nicest to her, dad. Can't she understand this?" Anand was frustrated with her.

"Do you love her?" Anand stopped his movements at this question. He had not pondered over this. He didn't want to love anyone apart from his parents. Sure, he liked her. But he can't love her.

"No." He answered. "She is tolerable, I guess. I am used to her, habitual to her. And she is my responsibility. I thought of her as my perfect match." He was indeed habitual to her. He thought of how he hasn't slept peacefully since she left, he hardly visited his home now, it just didn't feel like home anymore. The thought of her leaving him made him uneasy, almost suffocating and extremely angry.

"So, "she is tolerable" is the new I love you?" His father said hand quoting his words and hiding a laugh. Anand just shook his head understanding his dad's teasing.

"Listen, Anand. Whether you love her, she loves you or if she is just your  responsibility, that is your business but if you want to continue your relationship with her, it's important that you get over your stubbornness and talk to her, nicely. Otherwise, you will yet again lose an important relation of your life." His dad said with all seriousness, hoping his son understands what he is trying to say.

"I think the reason your mother and I are cordial to each other after our separation is because we never loved each other. Hume ek dusre se koi shikayat nahi thi, na pyaar aur na hi takrar. If your wife loves you and if you care about her, get over that anger and stubbornness, otherwise there will forever be grudges and this distance between you two." With that he left Anand to think over his decision.

"He told me that if I care for you and don't want this to continue, I should get you back." Anand explained, not telling her the entire conversation. Did he really love her? Is this what they call love? A suffocating feeling when that person leaves them?

"Though it is heavy for me to say these words and I don't think I was in the wrong," She raised her eyebrows, only Anand can start an apology like that! "My actions are not something I am proud of, I have never wanted to hurt you. I apologise for blaming you when Isha ran away. Sorry that you had to tell me about the pregnancy that way." Anand said looking down, nervous if she would reject his apology. "About Rohan's dad thing. I would never do that."

Gita went near him and put her arms around his neck, looking at his face. "I don't think I am getting over these things so easily, especially the pregnancy thing but I would like to work on us." She pursed her lips and touched her forehead to his face.

He held her waist and leaned forward. "Don't hide things from me. I had told you this before. Especially something that is so important." He whispered.

"Sorry." She said.

"Don't be." He kissed her. "I realised how much stress I put you and my baby through. It's just... it's just me who needs to be sorry."

**

"I am at home. Yes, he apologised! So shocking. Hahhaa"

"....yes, yes I will consult the nutritionist you suggested."

She was back in her chirpy mood.

"Ya, okay...okay...bye. See you soon."

Anand heard her on call with someone when he entered their room. He went and sat near her on the bed. He was done with all his meetings and almost done with all the work.

"Anand, I have my doctor's appointment two days later after which I need to go see a nutritionist, you want to accompany?" Gita asked, hoping he would say a yes.

"Ofcourse I will. Tell me the time, will clear up the schedule." Anand said and bite her neck lightly. "Can't get enough of you." He said while being lost in the crook of her neck.

She lightly pushed him away and looked at him, "You think I forgot all your words." He had no idea where this came from? Is she okay?

"You told me that I will be the parent who lectures our kid...and ya, that the kid will be having a hard time with me. You really think so?" She asked with a small pout.

"Common Gitanjali, I was joking! You can't be serious right now?" He sighed. Was she really hurt by his words?

"No, I am just asking. Will our kid runaway from me?" He didn't know but the moments she was away from him, she had all these insecure doubts clouding her mind.

"No, you are so sweet and kind, so amazing. Why would the kid run away from you?" He explained her calmly. "Also, you are more experienced due to the school kids, so the baby is going to love it with you." He added.

"But I have no experience with infants. I am very excited but scared as well." She confessed to him. "Plus, with you, I get more scared. If the baby gets even a little scratch, you will kill me." He hated  her clumsiness. He always watches her with scrutinizing gaze when she works around the house and a little here and there, he glares at her hard. He looks at her with complete disapproval whenever she breaks a glass in the house.

"Ofcourse, I will." He replied.

"Go away. You are supposed to say something romantic or atleast assure me that nothing will happen. Besides, they are babies, they are bound to fall and get up." She justified.

"Just admit you are clumsy, don't pin it on babies." He roasted her.

Anand felt her staring at his face, it's been minutes and she is continuously staring. "Quit it. It's uncomfortable. Also, just say what you want to." Staying with her for more than a year had taught him to read her well. If she is staring at him for an uncomfortable time, it's usually because she wants to say something.

"Do you....do you really want a child or just an heir?" She asked him. His hands turned into a fist at her question.

***

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