Air Beneath My Wings(On Hold)

Issues

Babuji looked up from the newspaper as Khushi walked in, Arnav holding her by the waist. His eyebrows shot up.

"Khushi, are you alright?"

The genuine smile on Khushi's lips died, Arnav saw her twinkling eyes lose the fire. "Yes Babuji. What will happen to me?"

Her father seemed lost in thought. He shook his head and turned back to his newspaper, his mind still on the fact that Arnav was holding Khushi as if she was a porcelain doll.

"Let's get you freshened up." Arnav said and pulled her towards the stairs.

"I can manage on my own. Go sit with the family. I'll be back soon." Khushi extracted herself from her husband.

Arnav wanted to contest but her look said it all. Stay.

He trudged towards the living area and dropped on the couch opposite Babuji. Sighing to relax, he loosened his tie.

"Long day, Arnav?" Babuji asked.

Arnav smiled politely. This man had come a long way from being against his relationship with his daughter to supporting it unconditionally. He nodded.

"What I was afraid of." Babuji shook his head. "Talk to Khushi, won't you? She should be resting. She won't listen to us. But to you, she might."

He's just concerned. Arnav told himself. "I want to let her decide when she wants to stop, is all. Anyway, she's a board member now."

"That entails more responsibility than perks, Arnav. You, of all people, know that." Babuji pressed.

He did. But that didn't mean that Khushi should stay at home, getting bored by the hour. "I will make sure she takes the appropriate breaks. This project means the world to her, Babuji."

"What project?"

Uh-oh. "Di, where did you come from?"

Anjali Jha was holding Arsh in her arms, but she pointed to the kitchen.

Arnav stayed mum. If she knew, she'd eat his head.

"What project?"

"The Aspire one," Arnav covered up. It was a nice excuse, to blame the timeline on Aspire.

"I told her you can handle it. Let me talk to her again. If she's going to stress about it, I'm not going to allow that."

Arnav couldn't say anything. He was wired to listen to his big sister. To respect her. But this was Khushi. "I-"

"Di, let it be. Khushi is only sitting in the office all day." Payal joined them.

Sitting in the office? Arnav felt incensed.

Payal gave at him a let-me-handle-this look. "All she wants to do is travel to office to do her sketches. I used to do that, too when I had Piyush."

Arnav doubled up. Payal was agreeing with him?

"But why even-"

"She likes to do it, Di. We shouldn't stop her from enjoying her life just because she's pregnant."

Anjali looked shocked. She had, apparently, never thought it quite like that. For her, being pregnant was the sole joy. Nothing was above that. Now, she contemplated.

*****

Aman Mathur parked his car by the river, taking in the sight. The sun was down, the river flowed, ever calm, breaking only on jutted rocks. Beyond the depth, Aman could see the London skyline stretch towards to heavens.