49. Bas ek aur raat (one more night.)

A/N: I made another mistake in the previous chapter. The scene where Aditya says she will pay 25 percent while he arranges the rest, is actually switched. I was contemplating between 25 lacs and 75 percent and ended up mixing both the terms. In actuality, she'll be paying 25 lacs and he'll break his savings for the rest of the token amount. The reason why he was so hesitant about suggesting the idea.

•°•

"Their baby was so cute," Priya beamed on our way back home.

"Yeah, he was." I nodded in agreement, maneuvering slowly through the dense traffic.

"What do you think about the family?" She asked immediately, and before I had time to understand and respond, she continued incessantly, "Do you think the family is nice? I really liked his parents. They were so nice and sweet. And his Bhabhi, what was her name again?"

"Sonia," I answered.

"Yes, Sonia. She was so sweet. Do you know she is a psychologist? She told me so many different, interesting things and didn't get discouraged at my lack of response. I found her cool."

I looked at her in surprise, smiling at her face of admiration. It's a rare sight for her to utter words like cool. She sounded adorable.

"And what else do you like about his family?"

"Everything!" She exclaimed, taking me aback with her energy at this time of the day. I thought the social interaction will drain her out, but I guess not. I knew the reason was the house. Since the time we finalised the deal, she had been unstoppably excited. "Especially his grandparents! It reminded me of your grandmother. They were just as sweet and kind as her. Oh, now I miss her." She sighed. "Aditya, should we go meet her after we come back from our honeymoon?" She asked me hopefully.

I glanced at her in surprise, "oh, yeah, well, sounds like a plan." I nodded with a small smile.

"Great!" She chirped.

We fell in comfortable silence and I took the liberty to play some radio in the car. The breeze was unexpectedly cool tonight so she insisted we let the windows stay open. I didn't mind, the speed and winds felt nice.

"Aditya!" She gasped out of the blue.

I flinched, almost swerving the car to the side of the road but thankfully gaining control back. "Priya!" I snapped at her, my eyes narrowed in a look of disapproval. "We could have had an accident just now. I understand you're excited but calm down, meri jaan." I heaved through my receding panic, rubbing my chest to calm my racing heart as I focused on the road.

She bit her lower lip sheepishly. "Sorry,"

I shook my head softly. "What is it? What got you yelling my name as if you were mourning my death?"

She slapped my arm, not at all amused hearing my joke. Yeah, that's what you deserve after almost killing us both.

"I was worried about Tweety," she muttered softly.

"Huh?"

"I mean, once we move out, how will she cope without you?" She asked me worriedly. "No, how will you cope without her? And who will wake you up in the morning? She's well versed in tricks that can get you up. Aditya-"

I burst out laughing.

She fell quiet, looking at me disappointedly. "What's there to laugh?"

"I can't imagine you winning deals worth millions and then coming home to talk about how hard it will be for a bird to cope up without me." I glanced at her amused.

She rolled her eyes at me, crossing her arms on her chest as she turned her head to stare out of the window.

"How about we leave a map on my desk for her? She'll use it to reach our new house." I suggested playfully.

"Shut up."

"No, wait I have got a better idea. How about we buy a phone and sim card for her? You can give her a call and invite her to the housewarming party." I nodded.

She sighed aloud.

"Before that, get her aadhar card and residence certificate. Make sure it has the address and scientific name of the tree her nest is on. You know how government processes are. You've to consider the technicalities and all." I advised.

"Aditya, stop." She gritted out.

I pressed my lips together, barely controlling the urge to laugh out loud.

"I've another idea, a simple one. How about you send your car every morning to pick her up? That way she won't have to relocate and-"

"I said stop, you maggot!" She hit me with her purse. I raised my arm in instinct, shielding myself from the repetitive strokes of abuse while struggling to drive properly.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I'm driving the car!" I reminded her sharply.

She snatched the bag back to her side, clutching it to her chest as she stared outside the window, huffing through her mouth.

"By the way, you even have a censored version of swear words." I chuckled. "What's maggot supposed to mean? Is it an insect or something?"

She shrugged.

"C'mon tell me," I urged her curiously.

She looked at me, then down at my crotch area, before nonchalantly looking back out of the window.

I chuckled mirthlessly at her insinuation. "What's the maggot's size?" I asked her.

She poked the inside of her mouth. "It's a worm."

I clenched the wheel tightly, licking my lips as I barked out a laugh of disbelief. "You got to be kidding me!"

"No, I'm not. I'm very much serious." She looked at me with a poker face.

"You-" I growled, only to get cut off by the ringing of my phone. Since it was connected to the media, I swiped right on the touch screen. "What is it?"

"Woah, what got your panties in a twist?" Vikram asked.

Priya giggled beneath her hand, laughing at the irony of his question.

"What did you call me for? I'm driving right now. Make it quick." I deadpanned ignoring his question.

"Where are you?"

"Andheri," I answered. "But I'm heading home now. Did I not tell you my plans about the dinner at Sameer's tonight?" I asked, my attention divided between the conversation and the road.

"Oh, yeah, right. How was it?"

"Good," I answered.

"No, it was amazing," Priya mumbled under her breath.

I chuckled hearing her. "Yeah, it was amazing."

"How are you Priya? How's my loser best friend treating you?" Vikram asked her.

I rolled my eyes.

"Not bad," she answered.

"Excuse me," I looked at her offended.

She stared back challengingly. "Do you want me to list out the times you've made me sad?"

I was tongue-tied. "I- I did not do that intentionally," I protested weakly. "And do you want me to list out the times I've made you happy?"

"Yes, please," she placed her hands on her lap, looking at me inquisitively.

I stole a glance at the road and quickly reached out to peck her on the lips. "Just now," I answered, resuming my concentration on the driving.

"Adi," Vikram said from the other side and I stiffened.

Shit, he is still on the call.

"You grew up my boy. I'm so proud of you." He sniffled.

"Shut up," I stated.

"Okay," his voice went back to normal. "Anyway, if you're free, why don't you guys come to our place? I'm sure it falls on your way home. Just stop by, huh?"

I looked at Priya for an answer. She shook her head, joining her hands and pretending them to be a pillow as she acted to sleep. I sighed. "I don't think so. We're already late. And we have an early morning flight tomorrow." I voiced.

"Just for a while. C'mon, we won't be able to see each other for two weeks. I will miss you."

Aw.

Looking at Priya, I narrowed my eyes at her in a plea. She gave in with a sigh, nodding with a small smile.

"Alright, wait up for us. Should I bring some ice cream on my way?" I asked him.

"Oh yeah, why not? Alright, I'm hanging up now. See you in a bit."

"Yeah sure, see you. Bye." I leaned in to hang up. "Thanks," I said to Priya, smiling gratefully at her. "I was planning to visit him but then you brought up the dinner plans at Sameer's and I was a little disheartened."

She nodded in understanding. "It's okay. I might not have a friend but I can understand what it means to have one."

I smiled. "Vikram is extremely humble, you know," I glanced at her for a split second. "It may not seem like it since he has an overpowering presence but for the people he loves, he will even bow down to his enemies if it means the well-being of his loved ones." I reminisced fondly.

"There seems to be a backstory," she speculated.

"There is," I nodded. "I don't have much bullying experience but when I was in my first year of engineering, adjusting to a new environment was extremely hard for me. Hostel life is no joke." I chuckled. "The seniors were awful to the juniors. When I was in my second year, the last year guys cornered me at the back of the building. They weren't violent or anything but they pestered me to try the packet of cigarettes they had with them. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't obviously. My asthma wasn't so in control back then. But I was late for my final practicals and if I didn't make it to the lab in five minutes, I knew was getting an F and I couldn't afford that. That's when Vikram stepped in,"

"Wow, he beat them up?" She asked in awe.

"No," I said flatly. "He inhaled the whole pack of cigarettes on my behalf."

Her face fell.

"He is traumatized after that incident." I sighed in pity. "He can't even stand the sight of someone smoking. He panics instantly."

"Oh," she sounded sympathetic.

"Yeah," I whispered, parking the car in front of an ice cream parlour. "Wait here, I'll be back in a minute."

She nodded and I left the car, pushing the glass door to enter the store. The man at the counter smiled at me, asking me what would I like. I looked through the available options, settling on two tubs of ice cream with Vanilla and Mango flavour. He billed them up and I used my card to pay.

"Thank you," I said to him.

He smiled back with a nod, shifting his attention to the new customer. I left the shop, placing the bags on Priya's lap as I slid inside the car. She hissed, probably because of the cold. Holding the bags in the air, she met my eyes accusingly. I couldn't help but smile.

Restarting the car, we drove towards Vikram's place.

The building was unsurprisingly quiet so it felt awkward for us to strike up a conversation for fear of disturbing the silence. Quietly, we made our way toward Vikram's apartment. I rang the doorbell while Priya waited patiently beside me. Vikram opened the door for us, his pet dog sitting beside him loyally. I smiled down at my friend and embraced him in a hug before being invited inside by his wife.

Priya was crouched beside me to pet the grown labrador. I knelt beside her, meeting her eyes with a smile. "You seem to be fond of dogs," I said to her.

She hummed. "It was my dream to have one. A Siberian husky."

"I don't think he fits our climate conditions," I assumed.

She nodded. "He doesn't. Maybe a Golden retriever then? Or a German Shepherd? Or an Indie? He fits our climate since he is our breed." She looked at me expectantly. "He is low maintenance as well. And his life expectancy is also higher."

I swallowed, realising where this conversation was going.

"Dila de, baccha thodi na maang rahi hai. Kutta hi toh hai. (Get her one, it's not that she is asking for a kid. It's only a dog.)" Nisha bhabhi encouraged.

"Responsibility is a responsibility, Bhabhi. Whether it be of a child or a pet." I stated looking up at her. "And presently, we're not ready to take on such a big responsibility." I looked at Priya.

She sighed in defeat, nodding in agreement at my point. Her eyes went back to Sky longingly and she hugged him gently. He placed his chin on her shoulder, as though consoling her. Then Ashish came to take his friend away, declaring it was way past their bedtime. Sky followed obediently. Priya got up from her crouched position, looking at the duo until they disappeared inside a room.

"That's true," Nisha bhabhi mumbled, looking lost in her own thoughts. "Anyway, c'mon, I've dished out the ice cream. Let's settle down so we can enjoy it before it melts." She said, ushering us towards the living room.

We had ice cream with casual conversations. Then Nisha bhabhi suggested we take a stroll outside in the residence-provided garden. She dragged Priya ahead, excitedly chattering about something that had Priya flustered beyond imagination. I wonder what they were talking about.

"Yeh kya hua? Maine upar pucha but tune jhoota reason diya. (What happened? I asked you upstairs but you lied to me.)" Vikram pointed at my right hand.

I hid it on my back, embarrassed to the core.

"Let's sit down there," he dragged me to the bench beneath the tree. "Ab bol, (now speak.)"

"Promise me you won't laugh," I held out my good hand.

"Dekh Bhai, agar tune hasne waala kand kiya hai na, toh mein hasunga. Yeh aise jhoote vaage mein nahi kar sakta. (Look brother, if you committed an action worth laughing, then I'll laugh. I can't make fake promises.)" He swatted my hand away.

I glared at him.

"Bol jaldi! Mere pet mein gud gud ho rahi hai excitement se. (Speak up, now! My stomach is twisting with excitement.)" He grinned shamelessly.

"Ipunchedthewall," I said in one breath.

"Hain? Phir se bol. (What? Say it again.)" He demanded.

I placed my hand on my mouth. "I punched the wall." I blubbered incoherently.

"Abey kya chutiya samjha hai mujhe? Thik se bol varna mukka marunga iss baar. (Do you think I'm a blockhead? Say it properly or I'm punching you in the face.)" He threatened seriously.

I sighed in defeat. "I punched the wall."

He blinked. "What?"

"I punched the wall."

"What!?" His eyes widened in disbelief.

"I- behra hai kya bey? Do bar toh bola na. Wall ko punch mara maine. (I- are you deaf? I said it two times now. I punched the wall.)" I stated firmly.

"Kya soch ke? (Thinking what?)" He looked seconds away from hollering at my predicament. "Ki woh punch back karega? Kya WWE chal raha tha room mein? (That it'll punch back? Were you preparing for WWE in your room?)" The seconds were over, making us the center of attention of our wives as my friend laughed like a broken scooter. I forced the smile at the ladies, waving them off to resume their conversation. The two awkwardly went back to continue their slow walk.

Vikram sobered up a few seconds later, leaning on the bench as he dropped his head back, staring at the cloudy sky. "Was it because of an argument?"

"Sort of."

"That's so not like you." He stated.

"I know right." I sighed, looking down at my lap. "I realised how much she affects me. It set me off not having her on my condition. Wow, I sound like a jerk." I chuckled mirthlessly.

"At least you realise," he mumbled.

"What's the point if I keep repeating my mistakes?"

"Don't then," he said, making me look at him over my shoulder. "If you do it once, that's a mistake. If you do it again and again, that's being inconsiderate of your own actions."

I nodded with a hum. "I understand that."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," he rubbed my shoulder comfortingly, immediately realising his words made me feel guilty about myself. "It's not that we learn how to be the perfect partner overnight. And in your case, you didn't even get the chance to know each other. It's inevitable to have differences, to not have the same opinion at some point, to have conflicts of interests. What matters is how you deal with them. And seeing that smile on your wife's face, I can say you're doing a good job at it." He jutted his chin in direction of our wives. I followed, smiling at the sight of my blushing wife. She looked beautiful under the glow of street lights.

"Trust me, I'm lucky she is not hard to please. Someone else in her place would have already regretted marrying me. She is so understanding."

"Adi," he called out softly and I looked at him. He looked hurt hearing my words. "You're an amazing guy, okay? Trust me, I know. I've heard such disgusting things from people around me, my colleagues, my friends, my acquaintances, the way they criticise their partners so openly as though only their place in the relationship matters, it's appalling."

"What I do is the bare minimum," I deadpanned.

"But in today's society, it's still a change that matters." He added.

I smiled. "Thanks."

He nodded, patting my back softly. "So, how was the dinner?"

"Good. We bought a house." I added casually.

"What!?" He jerked up to sit straight but forgot to uncross his legs and fell forward.

I didn't know whether to laugh or help him.

I settled on laughing.

Priya and Nisha bhabhi looked at us. My wife appeared worried while his wife looked done with everything. She nudged Priya's elbow, forcing her attention back on her.

"Dude, Nisha bhabhi looks so disappointed." I chuckled as he struggled to sit straight.

"Tell me something new." He clapped his hands to get rid of the dirt, brushing his knees and shin as well. "Where?"

"Where what?"

"The house. Where did you buy it?"

"Andheri,"

He gasped. "Are you crazy? The prices there will have you slaving for life and it still won't be enough!"

I nodded. "I know. Priya is buying it. I'm just helping with the token amount." I revealed, struggling to swallow the shame that crawled up my throat.

He stared at me speechlessly for a moment. "You- You agreed? Did she emotionally blackmail you or something?" He narrowed his eyes at Priya.

I slapped the back of his head. "She doesn't have a bad bone in her body. Don't suspect her of such actions."

"So you made the decision?"

I nodded.

"And you've no problem with it?" He asked hesitantly.

"Should I?"

"You don't. But knowing you, I know you do. Lots of them." He stated.

I shrugged.

"Adi, it's not an easy decision. Change doesn't happen overnight. I'm sorry, but I think you got too hasty. You don't look prepared to adjust to this new thought process of yours."

"It's in the same building as Preeti's in-law's house. And she loved it, Vikram. I could tell right away she was sold. Even I was. The house is beautiful."

"Yeah, because it is in crores!" He deadpanned. "Adi-"

"I forgot to tell her about my plan to pursue masters in a few years. She was not happy about it." I told him.

He groaned. "So what? This was a compensation for your forgetful nature?"

"No," I answered. "I was thinking ahead in time. There's a certainty we'll be in a long-distance relationship in four or five years, what then? Do I just leave her here, all alone, in our new house that will probably be in not so secure neighborhood? Do you know how scary the thought is? With both the sisters in the same building, I'll be assured. It's not just about the expensive apartment, Vikram, it's about how much she loved that place and her longing to be close to her remaining family when I won't be around to be there for her 24/7."

He sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I get your point. With her nature, it's not easy for her to make friends either." He looked at the two. "Tch, look at my wife trying so hard. It's pitiful." He shook his head.

I chuckled.

"Aur tu kya ulta paida hua tha, mere bhai? Har kaam ulta hai tu. Pehle propose karta hai phir number mangta hai. Pehle shaadi karta hai phir long distance ke baare mein batata hai? (And were you born upside down, my brother? You do everything opposite. First, you propose, then you ask for the number. First, you marry, then you tell your partner about the long distance.)" He said in disappointment.

I smiled sheepishly.

He rolled his eyes, probably fed up with me at this point. I don't blame him. But too bad, he is stuck with me for the rest of our lives.

"Tera bata na. London ke plan ka kya hua? (Tell me about what's happening in your life. What about the London trip?)"

He shrugged.

"What?" I mocked his attention.

"Nisha ne mujhe batane se mana kiya hai. (Nisha denied me from telling anyone.)" He shook his head.

"But I'm not anyone! I'm your friend!" I reminded him.

He still shook his head.

"Saale kamine, tujhe mein apni life ki har baat batata hoon. Aur tu mujhse baate chupayega? Bas yahi hai hamari dosti? (You rascal, I tell you about everything in my life and you hide things from me. Is this our friendship?)" I accused.

He looked at me blankly.

"Tell me!" I demanded.

He swallowed visibly.

"What happened? Is it serious?"

He nodded.

I gasped. "Don't tell me you have a life-threatening disease!?" My voice got heavy.

He started to nod but then snapped his head at me, looking at me in disbelief. "What!?"

"What?"

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"You said what," I told him.

"What?"

"What, what!?" I asked in frustration.

"Tum dono pagal ho kya? (Are you both crazy?)" Nisha bhabhi and Priya walked up to us.

"Turn around and march back," Vikram commanded.

"Shut up," she snapped while Priya spun around immediately.

I laughed. "Oh biwi, war zone mein nahi hai hum. (Miss. Wife, we're not in any war zone right now.)"

She turned back around with a sheepish smile.

"Jao na please, hum thoda important baat discuss kar rahe hai. (Go na, please. We're discussing something important right now.)" Vikram requested his wife.

"What's so important you can't talk in front of us?" She demanded.

"Mardo waali. (Men talk.)" He answered without missing a beat.

She rolled his eyes but thankfully yielded, dragging Priya away as well.

"Now tell me,"

"Woh jo abhi gayi na, (the one that just left)" he referred to his wife. "She is carrying my child again. Don't react."

I clenched my left hand in a fist, looking at him wide-eyed.

"Wow," I coughed out. "Congratulations, dude." I hugged him tightly.

He sighed, nodding over my shoulder. "We're still not sure."

I pulled away perplexed. "What do you mean?"

"We're both working individuals, Aditya. And Nisha recently got a promotion. She can't afford to get pregnant right now. It'll stunt her career growth."

"So what? Are you getting an abortion?" I asked softly.

"Frankly, we don't know. I'm waiting for her to make a decision but she isn't speaking up much lately. Sometimes I see her looking at herself in the mirror, stroking her stomach, probably reminiscing the time when she was pregnant with Ashish. She was so young back then." He sighed. "It's not an easy decision. I understand she needs time."

I smiled at him, rubbing his back gently. "That's good enough. Just be at her side."

He hummed, looking down at his shoes.

"You want to keep it," it wasn't a question.

He inhaled a deep breath, looking up at me with a sad smile. "It's unfair na, we men don't have much say since it's their bodies? We were equally involved in creating it, then why does she get to decide what to do with it? I mean, I want to be supportive of her decision, but God, that's my child, dude. I can't just give up." He whispered, brushing away the tear that fell.

"That's not true. Your opinion matters."

"But not as much as hers," he stated.

"You should talk to her."

"And say what?" He asked me. "Nisha, please don't abort, let's keep the baby. I know you'll suffer, both emotionally and physically. I know your career will take the brunt of it while mine won't be affected in any way. I know the work culture isn't considerate of women and their natural predicament, but it's okay, na, you've me by your side. Is that not enough?" He mocked. "Do you know how selfish that sounds?"

I nodded in understanding.

"It's okay," he muttered. "I'll just have to toughen up."

"I'm proud of you." I patted his shoulder.

He smiled up at me. We got distracted when the ladies walked up to us once again.

"Chaley? Bahut late ho gaya hai. (Shall we leave? It's late now.)" Priya requested softly.

I nodded, getting up from the bench. Vikram followed, walking by his wife's side as we headed to the parking lot.

"Alright, see you two weeks later," he grinned at me. "Have fun." He winked.

I blushed. "Bye. Take care. And let me know if you need me." I added.

He nodded, stepping back as Priya and I settled inside the car. We waved at the other couple and they reciprocated, waiting until we drove out of the building.

"What time is it?"

She glanced at her watch. "Two am."

"Oh fuck, we have a flight at six. I don't think we'll have time to sleep."

She hummed. "I don't want to sleep though."

I looked at her teasingly. "What do you want to do then?"

She chuckled, rolling her eyes at me. "I meant, I'm so excited I can't sleep anyway."

"So we have a maximum of two hours to ourselves," I told her.

She looked at me with a barely restrained smile.

"Ready for the pre-honeymoon trailer, Mrs. Shrivastava?"

She blushed. "Worry about your fingers first," she taunted.

I scoffed. "You wait until we get home. I still haven't forgotten about your maggot comment."

She giggled, and I couldn't help but steal glances at her, for she looked beautiful and all mine.

I don't think we'll need ten chapters to wrap up this journey. We'll probably be done sooner.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to vote and comment. Makes my day.