You all know I specialise in writing in third person omniscient and third person limited and so almost all of my books are in either of the above two narratives. Recently I've started to feel that Kabir's character wasn't given much focus as I had concentrated more on Annie and her character development. So after much thinking, I've decided to compensate that by adding more details about different aspects of Kabir's life and write a couple of one shots from his viewpoint.

Here's the first one shot and hope you all like it! Do vote and comment! :)

And I'd like to ask is there anything you'd like to change in the original book except the plot and Kabir's past. Drop in your ideas and I'd look through them.

****************************

One Shot #7

Little Kitty's First Fast

I stretched my arms as I lazily yawned after reading the case file of my recently diagnosed patient. For last one hour I was busy reading this file, but now as I was done, I decided to go to my soft warm bed and sleep beside my lovely wife, who I guess must be asleep by now as it was around some minutes past midnight.

Not wanting to wake my wife who had to get up quite early at six everyday, an activity which I know she completely hated but never complained as she loved making breakfast for me and my family before leaving for her work, I walked real slowly making sure not to make any sort of noise which actually was useless because my wife wasn't really a light sleeper. Rather she slept like log and would sleep through even with the loudest noises playing.

I pushed the door of my room slowly and walked inside. But to my surprise my darling wife wasn't sleeping, instead she was wide awake, sitting on the bed, looking deep in thoughts.

Bemused, I went and sat down next to her but she didn't notice me. So to get her attention, I took her hand, which was covered in a beautiful pattern of henna that she had applied earlier in evening for God knows what occasion, and pressed my lips against her delicate warm skin.

She at once looked up at me, first with an expression, I assumed to be of startle and then of relief as she realised it was me, her awesome husband. I passed her an affectionate smile and she reciprocated it with one of her heartwarming smiles.

I raised my eyebrows at her, trying to fish out what was she thinking but she didn't say anything and remained quiet. So I decided to take the initiative and asked her myself what was troubling her as she looked quite tensed.

"What happened, Anaisha? Why are you so tensed and why are you still awake? You should be sleeping now, your shift starts at eight," I said with concern.

She looked at me with her lips pressed against each other as if trying to contemplate what she's suppose to tell me and what she's not. After a moment or two when she was sure of her answer, she finally spoke in a rather fearful voice.
"You know what's tomorrow?"

Her question amused me as I was expecting her to answer my question rather than putting up one. Smiling slightly, I stared at her and said amusedly, "Tomorrow's Tuesday, 22nd October 2013. You're worried because of this?"

She bit her lower lip and I knew the matter wasn't this, rather I reckon it was something much more serious and outrageous which she wasn't sure how to share with me. And it wasn't her fault either. Even though it'd been over a year since her accident and almost eight months of being married, I still stressed over petty issues whenever it concerned my wife and sometimes went overboard with worry.

But I couldn't help it. I had nearly lost her and it had pained like hell. She meant so much to me that I couldn't dare myself to imagine a life without her. I'm so much in love with her that it's insane. And because of this, the mere thought of seeing her in pain or worse losing her make me so scared which I can't explain in words. And she knew this, that's why she tried her best to not cause any distress to me.

She opened her mouth to speak in response but she shut it back and then after few seconds, with a sigh, said pleadingly, "Tomorrow's Karvachauth, Kabir and I want to fast for you. Please don't say no this time! Please!"

So my guess was absolutely right. She was thinking about this! Karvachauth!
"So you were worrying how to share it with me, right, Anaisha?" I asked and she nodded her head, still dully.

"No ways you're gonna fast tomorrow! You still have your meds going on and need to take food for that. There's no need for you to fast for me tomorrow. I'm anyway gonna have a long life as I have you," I said firmly. There's no way I would let her fast when she still hadn't completely recovered from her injuries and recent vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Though her external wounds had healed, her internal wounds still needed time to heal completely and she was still somewhat weak.

She frowned and I guessed she was in her Little Kitty mode now. "C'mon Kabir, it's just a matter of a day. It won't do any harm if I don't take my meds for one day. I take them everyday anyway so that'll be a change for me. Stop being so fussy now. I really want to fast for you, it's my first Karvachauth after our marriage. It'll be inauspicious if I won't fast for you tomorrow," she tried to justify her wish to fast tomorrow.

But this angered me! Inauspicious? When did she begin to care about all this? She wasn't well and she wanted to fast! What's wrong with her?

"Anaisha, I told you, you won't keep any fast tomorrow and that's final! There's no need for you to fast tomorrow! No more arguments!" I told her, in a rather loud and stern voice, which I realised I shouldn't have used with her but she was acting like a kid and wasn't ready to understand my point.

She took her hand out of my grip and without a word, went to lie on her side of bed. She didn't even spare me a second look and kept her mouth shut.

I sat where I was, regretting my tone with her when I heard the sound of soft sobs and I cursed myself for making her cry just before she was going to sleep.

Moron! Idiot! Fool! Dumbo! Great work you did! Making your wife cry is such a great thing na! Stupid! I cursed myself mentally.

I got up from bed and moved to her side and knelt down. I took her hand in mine and softly whispered, "I'm sorry, Anaisha! I shouldn't have used that tone with you. Stop crying please! You know I never like it when you cry because of me. Please stop crying!"

And this only increased her sobs and she turned her back to me, clearly upset with me for (a) refusing her to fast for me and (b) being rude with her.

I groaned mentally as I knew only one thing would make her turn her face to me again. So I took a deep breath and defiantly said, "Okay, you wanna fast tomorrow for me. So fine do, but I have two conditions. If you agree to them, then only I'll allow to keep the fast or else no."

And she did turn to me and I realised that she was fake crying again. I sighed as she again coaxed me into accepting her wish, but I didn't mind because somewhere I too wanted my wife to fast for me and feel special like all the other husbands.

She stared at me with a bright smile and chirped, "Really I can fast na tomorrow? Yess! And what are your conditions? I'll do anything to keep fast for you tomorrow."

A smile automatically came on my lips as I watched her smile. I cupped her face and softly mumbled, "You can fast tomorrow but promise me you'll stay home. I'll talk to Anuj about this and I'm sure he won't mind."

"You don't have to actually. I had already talked with Dr. Anuj and he doesn't have any problem with me taking off tomorrow. Infact he himself told me to take off day tomorrow," said my wife with twinkling eyes as she was very happy.

I shook my head and said, "Okay, so my one condition is accepted already. And now my second condition. You'll not fast alone tomorrow, I'll fast with you. If you'll keep fast for me, I'll also keep this Karvachauth fast for you for your long life. And I want no arguments over this!"

She pursed her lips as if preparing to argue but her lips soon curled into a big grin and she said happily, "Done! That's so sweet of you, Kabir to keep Karvachauth fast for me. But are you sure you'll manage? I mean I've fasted before as well but you haven't."

I quirked my eyebrows and she sheepishly grinned and added, "Wo I've been fasting for you since the time we got engaged two years back. But I didn't told you about it and even last year I had fasted for you and only Dodo knew about it."

"You had fasted last year despite your accident? You're nuts or what? Though I know you're really nuts but still! Anyway there's no use of talking about it now. And yes I can manage keeping fast for a day," I said determinedly, though I somewhere wondered how I'll manage without eating and my black coffee because I actually had never fasted before.

Anaisha seem to have guessed by my face what I was wondering and teasingly asked, "Are you sure, Kabir? I mean see you can't even drink water till the pooja completes. I have no problem but you? Pakka na?"

I smiled confidently as I understood she was trying to test my determination but I won't back out of it now and said, "Of course, Biwi I will manage! Don't worry about me!"

"Okay, then let's sleep. We have to get up at 4 tomorrow for sargi ritual. And I don't want you to be late because that'll be the last time for you to drink water and have something before the fast starts," Anaisha said smirkingly.

She got up and danced her way around to the bathroom. In her grey Mickey Mouse tee and blue polka dots pajamas, she looked more like a funky college girl rather than a married woman. Only her red and white Chuda and her mangalsutra, showed her marital status. Her funkiness was quite adorable as there wasn't a single scratch of her last year's horrible accident and even if there was any, she hadn't let it affect her. This was one of the major differences between us, she never allow anything to impact her even a bit while I completely let myself get affected by even the tiniest of things. And together we balance that out.
Maybe that's why we make a wonderful couple!

She came back from the bathroom and kissed my cheek before going to lie down on bed and sleep. I smiled and went to lie next to her. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pecking her forehead, said, "Good night, Dr. Thapar!"

"Good night, Dr. Thapar!" she wished back.

And soon we both slipped into deep slumber with peaceful and contented smiles adorning our faces.

"Kabir, baby wake up! Kabir! Get up now! It's 3:45 already! We need to get down by 4! Get up Kabir! KABIR!" I heard faint murmuring of my wife as if calling out to me. Thinking it to be my unconscious mind's work, I tried to sleep again. But realised that my wife was actually telling to me get as she blew air in ears, a way of waking me up she had discovered two weeks after our marriage.

I immediately sat up and raising my hands up in air, I said sleepily, "I'm up! I'm up!"

I heard her giggle and opened my eyes to find her sitting infront of me, still in her polka dots pajamas and Mickey Mouse tee. I smiled and leaned in to kiss her but she backed away and said, "No no, Kabir! No kissing today! You won't get any of this till our fast is not over. Now c'mon freshen up and then we'll go downstairs. GM had already called me twice and I told her the same thing both of them the time. 'I'm waiting for my pati parmeshwar to wake up.' Now hurry up please!"

I grimaced as my wife refused to give me my morning kiss but then it was of no use to argue with her as I knew she won't listen to me now. So I got up from bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

By the time I came out of the bathroom, my wife had already made our made and was now tying her hairs in a loose braid.

"I've kept the towel on the bed. Quickly wipe your face and hands. GM came to call us for the THIRD TIME!" informed my wife.

I shook my head and walked to my bed to pick the towel, finally understanding that the fuss and commotion which was happening in my house was for my wife's first Karvachauth, and not some crazy ladies thing.

Five minutes later, we both walked downstairs and my eyes popped out as I saw what all arrangements my mother and GM had made for Annie. There were millions of delicious dishes, thousands species of fruits, hundreds of sweets and yes I'm definitely exaggerating it!

My GM, who had seen us walking down, lovingly complimented my wife, "Arre wah how cute my granddaughter-in-law looks even this early in morning."

"Of course, she does! After all our daughter-in-law is the most beautiful girl of Delhi!" added my mother with pride.

Before my marriage I used to believe that only my wife was capable of being the craziest and most ecstatic person. But I was proved hell wrong because my GM (who broke her own record in being dramatic and crazy) and my mother (whom I believed to be the most sensible lady of my house) were giving equal competition to my wife in madness. And astonishingly none of these women were in mood to compete with each other, rather they decided to form their own gang. Now unfortunately, these quirky ladies, who thought of themselves to be the coolest (and craziest) were doing every bits possible to turn me and my father into one of them, a lunatic. But poor them, they didn't know me and my father had already taken our antidotes and had applied madness repellents as well!

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the sofa, next to my dad who was shaking his head seeing the two older Thapar women usher around the youngest Thapar and shower all the compliments possible in the world on her.

"I really don't understand the concepts of women. They are the most ecstatic species and the only group whose operating even God doesn't understand," my father whispered to me, making sure none of the three ladies heard us.

"You're saying this after 35 years of marriage? I already understood it after just 8 months of marriage," I said with a straight face.

My father laughed slightly and I stared at my wife, who looked extremely rejoiced. This festival surely held a great meaning for her and I understood why she so wanted to keep it. It was just another way of her expressing her unconditional love for me. But still her health mattered more to me.

Anyway as my dad felt these women won't end their daily soap anytime soon, he spoke up, rather annoyedly, in a sugar-coated voice, "Maa, Shilpa, I think you both didn't wake Annie up to continue your usual 'complimenting-her-till-you-can't-find-more-compliments' programme? Right? So please start the sargi ceremony or else the sun would rise and she won't be able to eat anything until the completion of her fast."

Both my GM and mother were flustered by my dad's remark as they realised they had completely forgotten about the sargi thing. They both sheepishly grinned and my wife was giving me a really goofy grin, the one she wore on her face when she was too excited about something.

Soon the sargi ceremony started and my mother passed Annie a bowl of sweet vermicelli as it was the custom for the women who were keeping Karvachauth fast to eat sweet vermicelli made by their mother-in-law in early morning before sunrise. My GM passed my mother her sargi and they continued with it, completely unknown to the fact that I was fasting, too!

But how could my wife stay mum about such a great thing. So she informed my GM and mother about my fast and my mother proudly said, "Great, Kabir! You're following our family tradition! You're taking our legacy ahead!"

"What?" I asked as I didn't understand how my keeping fast was equivalent to taking our family legacy ahead. I mean c'mon taking family legacy ahead and following tradition doesn't actually has anything to do with Karvachauth. But my GM quickly cleared my confusion by answering my question.

"Arre see, Bir, on my first Karvachauth after my marriage to your grandfather, he also fasted with me. And your father and my son, didn't let your mother fast alone. And now you! Family tradition is being followed so amazingly," said my now gleeful GM.

I looked at my father, who was looking everywhere but in my direction as just a while back he had made fun of me for keeping Karvachauth fast when I had informed him.

"You should've told us beta you're keeping Karvachauth, then we would've gotten your sargi from Arnav," my mother said with her best attempts to not laugh.

I rolled my eyes and stayed mum while my wife and father laughed hysterically as if it was the best joke in the world. My GM and mother joined them as well and after few seconds, I joined them too, as my wife's laugh was extremely contagious.

Once the laughter had died down, my mother told me eat some food but I only took a glass of juice as c'mon who feel hungry at 4 in morning? Definitely not me!

My wife looked at me with concern, worried how will I manage through the day without food and water. But I assured her by blinking my eyes twice that I will. Although last night she was pulling my leg over keeping this fast, but today she was very worried for me, after all she loved me a lot and never wanted me to go through any sort of trouble.

Once the sargi was over, I alongwith my wife, climbed back to our room and I decided to catch a couple of hours of more sleep before leaving for my work. My wife followed me and lied down, keeping her head on my chest and slowly went back to sleep. I too went back to sleep, feeling completely blissful.

It wasn't actually that hard that I thought it to be. Only I missed my black coffee, rest everything was cool. My intern Ryan, who recently started working under me, was quite amused when I explained him the reason for not wanting any coffee today. This news of me keeping fast spread like a wildfire in the entire hospital and I'm pretty sure Ryan was the one to be rewarded for this.

Throughout the day wherever I went, everyone stared at me with either awed expressions or with disgust as I spoilt the manly honour by keeping this fast which supposedly was only a woman's job to keep. But like seriously, why can't a husband fast for his wife for her long life? And that's quite beneficial for the husband only as I really believe a high fraction of husbands depends highly on their wives. What use will a long life be without a companion, especially for men who, I believe, God purposely has made pathetic in household chores and cooking so that they cherish the women in their lives and pamper her, which I knew a majority sadly doesn't do.

Luckily I wasn't the only one who had dared to breach this unspoken rule of the male species as my best friend and now brother-in-law Aarav and internship time friend Anuj were in the same boat as me.

"It's not that bad you know guys except I can feel the taste of all the dishes I've eaten in last three years exploding in my mouth," said Anuj, a little dully and more dramatically. He was just as dramatic as Aarav and I guess that's why he and Annie made such a good team.

"It's not that hard for me now. I've been keeping this fast for last five years, rather it's very easy and peaceful now. So its all cool for me," said my cocky brother-in-law with an air of sophistication as if he had been keeping this fast pretty much since the time he was born.

I shot him a glare and he just smirked at me and asked how I was feeling. So I answered with honesty, "I'm cool! Just missing my black coffee. That's it apart from that it's all fine with me."

The rest of day went quite normally and I reached home earlier than usual as my wife and mother had ordered me to. They actually wanted me to stay at home because I was keeping a waterless fast, but I argued with them that I'll be fine and surprisingly I won the argument. I reckon I'm the only the man in this whole wide world who won an argument from two stubborn women.

When I entered my room, I saw my wife taking out the bridal dress and jewellery, my mother had given her in her sargi. She smiled at me and went to wash her face.

She came back and started changing her clothes, though she was blushing throughout it as I was present there, having refused to leave the room because I really didn't understand the need for shying now. Now when we did everything that married couples or the ones in live-in do? That's just too.... filmy!

She quickly finished changing her clothes and was now doing her makeup, of which I strongly believe she didn't need even a bit as she was just an eternal beauty for me.

When she was done, she looked at me and shyly asked, "How do I look, Kabir?"

For a moment, I felt the air knocked out of me as she looked really beautiful in her dark blue choli and baby pink lehenga. There were millions of words to describe her beauty yet I didn't find any of them worthy enough to praise her.

So instead, I made my way to her and she blushed as my eyes didn't leave her for a minute. I stopped near her and picked up a small box. I opened it and took a pinch of vermillion and put it in her hair partition as my wife, because feeling self conscious, had forgotten to apply it. Then I veiled her face and couldn't stop complimenting her now, "Now you're looking perfect, Mrs. Kabir Thapar!"

She pecked my cheek in response and said sweetly, "Thank you, Dr. Thapar but I'd like you more if too get ready now."

I smiled and left to get dressed in the dark blue sherwani my mother bought for me which colour coordinated my wife's dress. After changing, I came out and wore the watch that Annie gifted me, this was my special occasion watch, well actually 'Anaisha occasion' watch!

We both then went to the terrace of our house where my mother had made the arrangements for the Karvachauth pooja. As it was my wife's first Karvachauth, mom didn't leave a single chance to make it really grand and memorable. Infact Anaisha's family and some other relatives and close family friends were coming here too for the Karvachauth pooja.

Anaisha was all smiles as she looked around the arrangements. My mother hadn't allowed her to see the arrangements earlier as she wanted it to be a surprise for her. She glanced at me with her biggest smile and I smiled back.

Soon all the guessed arrived and now only one person was yet to arrive, Mr. Moon! All the women gathered in the middle of the terrace to complete the other customs as Mr. Moon didn't arrive yet. Well the younger lot was actually having fun as they got enough time to click selfies and talk about their experience of Karvachauth fast.

After much wait Mr. Moon finally decided it was time and came out of his hiding, into the dark sky. Anaisha was ecstatic now as the pooja was about to start. All the women and their husbands took their places.

Anaisha happily did the pooja as my grandmother instructed her. And now it was time for me to break her fast. As my GM told me to, I first fed her eat something sweet and then made her drink her water. She then broke my fast and said smilingly, "Happy Karvachauth, Kabir!"

"Happy Karvachauth to you to my gorgeous wife!" I wished her.

We had our dinner and now were in our bedroom, getting to bed now. My wife came and settled down beside me and forwarding her hand, said, "Where's my gift hubby? You didn't give me my gift yet."

I involuntarily chuckled as my wife looked really cute with that pout on her face. She slapped my arm and I went to get her gift out of the cupboard.

I came back and passed her the gift I had ordered some time back but bought earlier this evening as I didn't get any appropriate opportunity to give it to her before.

She took it and merrily unwrapped it. It was a platinum Deadly Hallows (obviously from Harry Potter series) pendant with a platinum chain. She squealed like a child and hugged me.

"This is so cool, Kabir! Thank you so much!" said my wife as she kept the pendant inside her cupboard drawer after adoring it for good ten minutes.

She came back to the bed and sat beside me. I took her hand in mine and softly caressed it. Then something clicked in my mind as I suddenly realised it was my Karvachauth as well and she was supposed gift me something too.

"Annie where's my gift? It's my first Karvachauth as well so you're supposed to give me a gift as well," I mumbled.

Anaisha wrapped her arms around my neck and said cheesily, "Baby, am I not a gift to you? What else do you need apart from this 5'7 tall girl?"

"Well I love to have you. But right now I need something more like a kiss but I would be okay with a gift," I said innocently.

She smiled and opened the drawer of her bed side table and took out a wrapped gift from it. She passed it to me and I unwrapped it. It was the latest book on cardiac surgery and I really appreciated it.

As I kept it aside, Anaisha wrapped her arms around me and asked cheesily, "So you don't want a kiss, even now?"

"Well I certainly want a kiss and maybe something more than it too," I winked at my wife as I said this.

She blushingly smiled and I placed my lips on hers. And I knew this night was going to be really long and romantically passionate!