It was a Saturday afternoon a couple of months later when Sanam received a news that shook her to the core.

Five months into their marriage, this was the last news she had thought she'd get. Absent-mindedly, she walked into their room from the kitchen. Arjun was getting ready and he glanced up from wearing his watch around his wrist. "I'm ready, just need to put on my shoes."

She shook her head. His tardiness wasn't on her mind at all. "Arjun?"

"Hmm." He answered clicking the watch.

"My parents are getting a divorce."

He stopped to replay her words before looking at her. Her blank expression was all the confirmation he needed and at once, he was unsure how he should react.

She made it easier on him by asking, "Did I hear her say it right?"

He took her hand and brought her to sit at the edge of the bed. "Did your mom call? What did she say?"

She relayed the summary of that phone-call, "Just that. She said I was right and that she should have asked for a divorce long time ago."

"Uh... okay. Are you okay?" He asked, habitually turning circles on her hand for comfort, "How do you feel about it?"

She answered, "I think I'm okay?" blinking out of her confusion and looking in his gentle eyes. "I mean, I'll be happy for her. It hadn't ever been a marriage anyway."

"Then why do you sound worried?" In the year and half of knowing her, he had certainly learnt to decipher her hidden emotions.

She breathed through her mouth, "I don't know. It's hard to believe my dad agreed to give it to her. No one on his side of the family believes in divorces. It's why mom could never leave that marriage even though she was never happy."

"Maybe he's trying to change after your last argument?" He offered one explanation. It may almost be a year since then and that would be easy to believe – if he wasn't her father and she hadn't known him her entire life.

She wasn't convinced, "There's something mom isn't telling me."

"How about you call Esha? Maybe she knows more."

"Good idea." Sanam unlocked her phone and speed-dialed her sister to see what she knew about it.

Esha didn't have any details to offer that Sanam didn't already know, "No, di. As I've told you a few times, this year everything's been quiet. Too quiet. Like eerily quiet. Anytime I'm home from school, I've not heard a single argument. I'm still trying to figure out how they even came to an agreement for a divorce without any fights."

"No fights?"

"Nope. This morning, mom just came to my room to tell me she was going to stay at her friend, Disha Aunt's house and they'd decided to get divorced. She told me to stay there since she didn't have her place and you know, didn't want to take me to her friends' house. Anyway, it's a good thing right? It should have happened a long time ago."

Sanam said, "Yeah," since she didn't want to worry Esha with her concerns. "Okay, well, just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'll try to come in a few weeks over Thanksgiving break and if anything happens..."

Esha quickly interjected, "Call you. I know, di. I always do. Now don't worry. It's all for the better."

"Hmm."

"Talk to you later, bye."

Arjun understood it was a dead end and suggested another tactic, "Okay, if you're comfortable with this, I can ask Parth to check into it? He can look to check when the papers were filed and who the lawyers are."

She nodded, "Thank you for not telling me I'm being paranoid."

He draped an arm around her shoulder, "Hey, I know better than to say that when its about your parents." He took his index finger and thumb to ease the creases on her forehead, "Now don't worry so much. We'll figure this out."

She believed him and nodded. He kissed her temple and stood up, "Let's go before Amey gets mad at us."

"More than Amey, you should be worried about Neha." She reminded him. Their 9-month-old nephew couldn't speak and so he wouldn't even remember they were supposed to come in and spend the day with him while his parents took a day off and went out.

~

Sanam exclaimed, "Amey, get back here!" He seemed to love crawling and before she could get her hands on him, he'd started to run off in his own manner. She stood up almost slipping over the mess of toys he'd created. While she balanced herself, Arjun quickly grabbed him and gave him a little jump in air. He laughed and squealed.

Sanam huffed as she walked over, "Why do you hate me?"

Arjun chuckled at Sanam's exaggeration. She had been trying for the last hour to feed Amey but this little kid was making a fuss, spilling things everywhere and letting everything drool out. Arjun held him steady as Sanam wiped his chin.

"Champ, what do you say we help chachi out a little?" Arjun talked to him even as Amey outstretched his hand and tried to grip at Sanam's hair to get her to stop cleaning him up.

Sanam had to fight against his reflexive grip to free her strands of hair before he'd rip them out. "If there wasn't a rule to not curse in front of the kids..."

Arjun tickled Amey and squealing again, he released Sanam instantly. "You know, this is just Champ's way of telling you that you need to spend more time with him and less time at the hospital."

She scolded him, "Hey, don't put your words in his mouth."

Arjun stuck his tongue out at her and seeing this, Amey mimicked.

Sanam gaped and Arjun just about lost it laughing. She gave up for the odds were stacked 2 against 1. "Know what, feed him yourself." She pushed the bowl in Arjun's hand.

Without cribbing, Arjun walked over to the couch and sat Amey on his lap. With one arm around him to hold him in place and also hold the bowl in his palm, he used the other to feed him with the tiny spoon. Sanam watched for a few seconds in awe at how easily he opened his mouth up.

Arjun explained, "He likes to be rocked when feeding."

That's when Sanam observed that seated on his thigh, Arjun was gently rocking him. Ofcourse, Arjun would know such little things.

She let the uncle and nephew be as she cleared up the mess on the floor of the nursery room. Minutes later, Arjun had fed him the entire serving and Amey hadn't made a single sound of protest. He then set him down and Amey crawled over to the corner where Sanam had just piled up his toys. With a tug, he let the bucket trip over.

Sanam sighed. What was the point of her cleaning when he was just going to turn it into a mess the next second? Kids.

Arjun chuckled and waddled over too on his knees to sit by him and the two played with him for the next few hours until he started to rub his eyes and crawled over to Arjun's lap and placed his head on it. Tonight, he didn't even need to hear someone read a book. He was fast asleep within seconds in Arjun's arms.

After Arjun had tucked him in his crib, they gently closed the door and walked down to have dinner themselves – though Sanam was too tired to eat. Getting that hint, the two of them just sat in the living room for a moment.

"Why are you so good at everything?"

He answered her draping an arm over the back of the couch and she fit in perfectly to his side, "You'll get there too. He's just not used to you as he's used to me."

"I honestly can't wait for this semester to end." It was her last. She'd graduate medical school and she was hoping the break between medical school and her internship would help her find a better balance.

"Two more months." He voiced it out loud as even he needed to believe her graduation was so close.

She hummed having closed her eyes and letting his warmth and safety of his arms take away her exhaustion. Seconds later, she made it known. "I want a little girl, by the way. Boys are too much work."

A smile slowly spread on his face. It was the first time she brought up the topic of kids. "I wouldn't mind having a cute little Sanam running around the house."

She breathed out a chuckle, "Ofcourse you wouldn't. You're a little kid-lover. You'd completely turn her into daddy's princess and spoil her rotten."

He didn't tell her that he'd already imagined it all, "Is that such a bad thing?"

She lifted her head and tilted it back to him, "Depends."

"On?"

"If your love for me is divided... I may have a problem with that."

He laughed and kissed her nose, "Oh baby, you don't even know how much my love for you would only increase then."

"Sweet talker." She mused and leaned up to kiss him. She couldn't believe she'd blurted out her thought so casually. She knew better than to think he'd freak out over the mention of kids, but it still was good to be reassured.

She reopened her eyes to lock with his. There was so much love in there. There was no measure for it. His thumb grazed her chin and he leaned in again for another kiss – a deep, soul-wrenching one. In just one kiss, he had her breathless with the intensity of it like never before.

"What was that?" She whispered in confusion after parting.

He only smiled at her and reached for her hand. "Let's get some food in that grumbling stomach of yours."

Locking her fingers with his, she let him pull her up.

~

Neha asked as they returned home, "I hope Amey didn't trouble you too much."

Sanam answered giving her a hug, "You're lucky I love you both because I swear, that little devil of yours hates me." When the couple laughed, she clarified, "No, seriously! He does. But then Arjun turns on his charm, and just like that," she snapped her fingers, "and not a single peep."

Rahul tapped her to let her know to continue their conversation and he left to the living room where Arjun was watching a game. Neha placed her purse on the kitchen counter, "Well hey, atleast you know he'll be an amazing father."

Sanam defended Rahul, "Rahul is a great father."

Neha grinned helping Sanam clear the dishes, "Oh yes, he is. I'm just saying. For future."

Sanam caught on and blushed a little. "Right. There is time for that." Before Neha could say anymore on the topic to tease her, she changed it. "So tell me, how was your date with hubby dearest?"

"Oh you know," Neha dragged out, "It'll be perfect if you and my dear brother-in-law leave so we can have some mind-blowing sex."

Sanam rolled her eyes, "And you keep saying Arjun and I make you uncomfortable?"

"Uh, duh." Neha defended her reasoning, "I just say it. I've caught you both making out on multiple occasions. And sometimes the way you two look at each other across the room? You might as well be having sex right there."

Sanam turned off the tap and dried her hands, "I'm just going to get out of your hair before you turn me into a hormonal mess too. Good night."

Neha slipped in a quick comment, "Don't pretend you two aren't going to when you get home."

Sanam pointed a finger at her and mumbled, "Just to prove you wrong." Neha opened her mouth but Sanam beat her to it by yelling so the boys could hear her in the living room, "Arjun, we're leaving now!"

Neha quickly swatted her arm, "Don't wake my kid up by yelling!"

Sanam cringed hoping it hadn't been that loud. It hadn't been her intention. She just wanted to leave before Neha made another comment over sex. "Sorry."

She walked over to the front door and removed her coat from the hanging rack. As she was slipping it on, Arjun walked out with Rahul. They didn't hear what Arjun had said, but Rahul pushed him towards the door in response and rolled his eyes.

Arjun snickered and commented, "No appreciation for your little brother. I see how it is."

"Just go home to your wife, man.' Rahul scolded him as Arjun was putting on his shoes. "We'll see you tomorrow for brunch."

"We'll see about that." Sanam replied, "There's a very high chance I might sleep in." Neha opened her mouth and Sanam glared at her. "Don't even go there. Unlike you, some sleep deprived medical students really do sleep in on the weekends."

"Mhmm." Neha made a judging comment.

Arjun opened the door and said while dallying their departure, "Babe, let's just go. Our family has turned into ungrateful people who're kicking us out even after we spent our entire day off babysitting their child."

Rahul muttered throwing his head back and glaring at the ceiling, "Oh for fuck's sake..."

Both Arjun and Sanam snickered a laugh and started walking down the steps towards the driveway. Neither Rahul nor Neha greeted them a goodbye as they shut the door in an instant.

Arjun commented as they got in the car, "You'd think seven years of being together and having a child would tone down their sex drive."

Sanam pointed out, "Where Neha is involved?"

"Touché." He pulled out of the driveway. "You know, I think we should get our own house too."

"We have one." She said, unsure where this sudden topic was coming from.

"No, that's a penthouse. I mean an actual house."

"And do what?" She countered missing the point, "We're never really home except for the weekends. It would be a waste of space and unnecessary spending of savings – which BTW, I don't have right now with all these loans."

He pointed out for the nth time, "I keep telling you to let me help you with that."

She was a stickler for her principles, however. "Arjun, like I've told you before - it's really quite thoughtful of you, but it's your money."

He argued a valid reason, "Sweetheart, I earn too much. A lot more than I need. If it can help you out, I'd like that. I keep telling you to use the money in our joint account but I don't understand why you don't."

She twisted a bit in her seat to explain it to him calmly so they're not starting an argument and there is no misunderstanding. "It's sweet of you, love, but I'm not comfortable with that. I do use money from that account if I have to buy something for home but please let me take care of my own loans. That's my financial burden to carry, not yours."

"Do you realize that you'll drown in those loans before you're able to pay it all off?" If she wasn't wrong, he didn't think he was either. "Sanam, you have a lot of self-respect and I want to respect that. I don't want to take away your choice to decide but please think a bit logically here. What's mine is yours and all that money is just sitting in the bank and at the end of the year, it ends up going into taxes. If you want to pay loans, then when you start earning properly, pay back the one's you have till now. But you do have the finances now to take care of your future tuitions, so think about it. You either use that money for that or I'm going to start investing it in a house."

She gave him an unbelievable look to his last statement, "Now you're giving me an ultimatum."

He shrug his shoulder putting it otherwise, "I like to think of it as a choice. Both of it is an investment in our future. Where? That's on you."

Her shoulders sagged back in the seat and she slumped a little. Maybe to her, right now, he wasn't being fair and to him, he really didn't think he was wrong in showing her the smart way of doing this. He didn't see the point in taking loans and adding amount to it when she had the means to lower the amount and start paying it off so she was debt free. It was a different thing before they were married, but there was no reason now to not just their joint account for current and future academic-related expenses.

He knew she never misused the money he kept adding monthly to their account and even his other accounts there were under his name as primary, and he'd added her name to those as she was his wife. He also knew she never considered using that money for her own motives either - even when he would prefer for her to treat herself now and again. As such, he wanted her to know that he trusted her with it all and using that money wasn't going to make her look bad or compromise her integrity.

There was no way he could think any less of her if she would use that money for her career.

~

author note

Quick mention: For the next few chapters, there will be smaller leaps (weeks/months) to move the story along (As of now, I will not be mentioning the specific weeks/months passed). I hope it won't seem choppy, but the goal is to show their increasing comfort and progress in their understanding and relationship with just every-day things between couples (as seen in this chapter with financials/discussing future and all). 

I shall be back in roughly 2 weeks. Stay well till then <3