Locke and Key

9

"No!"

Arjun jumped and dropped the stack of chairs he was carrying around the Whitestone Manor's backyard. He turned to see his wife storming towards him, a look of pure disgust on her face.

"You can't be doing chairs right now!" she chastised him. "You're supposed to be picking your family up at the airport."

"Neil called and said he just called a car," he replied. "Take a deep breath, sweety. We're already married. Even if everything goes to hell on Saturday, it changes nothing about us."

"But I want it to be perfect," she complained. "And I know everyone thinks I'm doing this all for me, but I'm not. This is your wedding, too."

He took her hands in his. "Shruti, I don't care about flower arrangements or a seating chart. I care about you being happy because I stole this day away from you five years ago by asking you to be married secretly in court. You did that for me, so I will do whatever I have to for you."

Shruti swiped at the tears in her eyes. "Bappa, If I cry at this, what will Saturday be like?"

He chuckled. "It doesn't matter. Come hell or high water, we'll be married just like we've been. For five years."

She swatted at his chest. "Okay, okay, you're right. Thank you for helping to set up the chairs. I'm just really stressed out because we have this, a brief honeymoon, and then we're back to Mumbai so you can go into the studio."

"Yes, but having the whole summer in Mumbai will mean we have plenty of time to try for a baby," he smirked, pulling her back to him. "You know we'll probably need a lot of practice."

"I do like the sound of that," she smiled, kissing him softly.

"Can you two stop that?" Shanaya called from the backroom, having just arrived with the rest of Arjun's family. "We have two days to finish everything and this area is still a disaster area."

"And just like that, my stress is back," Shruti grumbled. "I'll send Rishabh and Shivam down to help you. Neil is going with Arohi to pick up sherwanis and lehengas from the cleaner."

"What would you like me to do when we're finished down here?" he asked, trying to alleviate some of her anxiety.

"Call the DJ and make sure his list matches ours in terms of what songs have to be played at the reception," she requested.

"Done", he agreed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Tell Shanaya that this isn't her wedding, so she doesn't get to make demands and boss you around."

Shruti scoffed as she began backing away toward the house. "Yeah, as if that's ever worked with her before."

Two hours later, while the men were downstairs setting up tables in the hall for the reception, and while Shanaya was on the phone with the florist, Shruti sat in Navjot Verma's private bathroom with Arohi, staring at the box on the sink in front of her.

"I can't," she breathed. "There's no way."

"Shruti, you're pregnant," Arohi stated firmly. "Your breasts are bigger than mine now, and that doesn't just happen overnight without a reason. I can't believe Arjun hasn't noticed."

"He's more of an ass man," Shruti muttered. "I'm scared."

Arohi furrowed her brow. "Why? You two have been talking about this. You want to have kids now."

"I know, but we weren't trying yet," Shruti explained.

"Okay, but we're you actively not trying?" Arohi countered. "You guys are married, so surely protection is not a high priority for you anymore."