Entwined

Chapter 27

The staff at San's Restaurant sat looking at the door on the opening day of the new restaurant. Not even a fly came in through the door. Astrid sighed loudly.

"It's okay. It's just the first day," Tariq said in general. "People will come eventually." But when he turned around he saw that Sanvika looked pretty gloomy. She was not looking happy for a few days. She was easily irritable and rarely smiled.

"Why don't you go home, San?" He asked. "We will be here. We have more staff now. The boss need not be around all the time. Go home and relax." He stopped talking as she shot him a stern look. She may be younger than him, but Sanvika always made sure to let him know who is the boss. That did not mean she was ever disrespectful to him. He was more or less treated like an older brother most of the time.

"Oww," Astrid said suddenly clutching her stomach.

"What happened?" Tariq snapped to attention and moved closer to his wife.

"Nothing. Just he kicked me pretty hard." She said, rubbing the spot.

"Really?" Tariq was just excited. He touched her stomach. He could not believe in the miracle that was his and Astrid's baby. He softly moved his hand over her stomach, touching the bulge that was his baby. And his smile vanished. He could not believe how much he loved the baby even when he or she has not been born yet.

Before the baby happened, he could never picture himself as a father. He thought he did not deserve to be one. He still thought he did not deserve to be a father. He was an ex-convict. He has literally killed someone, even if that was an accident. He did not want any child to be labelled as a murderer's child. He was not sure what the child will think of him after he or she grows up and knows about his past. All these thoughts tormented him lately.

Astrid placed a hand over Tariq's. He looked up into her eyes. And her eyes said that she understands. She smiled at him reassuringly. Squeezed his hand.

Sanvika sitting away from them was looking at them... She felt a tiny bit jealous. In the past few weeks, Vivaan did not even look at her much. He slept on the couch like usual and avoided her mostly. It was making her feel really sad and lonely.

"He is kicking again..." Tariq said excitedly. "Our son is pretty athletic, huh!"

"How do you know it is a son?" Sanvika asked.

"I want a daughter," Tariq said. "But Astrid wants a son. Astrid wins by default and so we refer to the baby as a son."

Sanvika smiled. "Have you thought of any name for him then?"

"Yes. But it is a secret." Astrid said. "Don't tell her yet," She added to Tariq.

"Hey, that is unfair." Sanvika scowled. "I am your best friend. Almost like a family. I am that baby's aunt."

"That is true..." Tariq said.

"But this is between us," Astrid told Sanvika. "If my mama were here, I would not have told her either."

Sanvika frowned playfully and gave up. "Speaking of your mama... Don't you wish she were here for you?" She asked. "I mean, every woman craves for her mother at the time of delivery, right?"

"Yeah..." Tariq said. "But Astrid's mother is dead... so.... It sucks that both of us are orphans."

"Eh..." Sanvika was confused. "Her mother is not dead," Sanvika said.

"She is dead," Tariq said. "She told me."

"You lied to him?" Sanvika looked at Astrid, astonished.

Astrid looked guilty. She sighed... "I did not want her to come to the wedding. So when Tariq asked me about my parents before the wedding, I lied to him that they are both dead."