The love of my life

34. Grow on me

The next morning, Daman got up to an alarm blaring loudly. She looked up, for her phone and saw a glass on the night stand.

She turned off the alarm and uncovered the glass, sniffing the water. It was lemonade, as she saw the aspirin kept aside. She wasn't that lightweight. But the thought of him in her bedroom, unsettled her insides.

She ignored the aspirin and downed the lemonade, before getting on with her day. She dropped her son, gave a lecture, attended to her research lab work and then went to her cabin for giving her feet some rest.

She heard a knock on the door, as she was completing the attendance register.

"Come in, Madhav." She said closing her eyes. "Keep the tea and get me that register from Doc..." She was interrupting.

"It's not Madhav." Ekansh spoke as she looked up.

"Oh, Dr. Sandhu. Please, I'm sorry. Have a seat." She said as he sat opposite her.

"Monday blues?" He asks as she nods.
"I got you this." He said as she looked up to see a dark chocolate bar with nuts in his hand.

"That's... That wasn't required and Thanks for the dinner last night. I had a good time, even though it ended with..." She says getting uncomfortable as he keeps the chocolate on the table.

"Anytime. I had a really good time as well. But honestly, I enjoyed my date with Tejas better." He says as she chuckles.

"Because I didn't sleep in your arms at the end?" She says and bites her inner cheek for waving a red cloth infront of the bull.

"Among other reasons, Yes..." He says and then pauses. "Even if... You don't want to give me a chance... And I completely understand that I deserve this disapproval... I'd still like to spend time with Tejas, if that's okay with you."

She thought for a moment. Tejas lacked a male influence in his life. She wanted him to grow up, as a strong yet sensitive male. She didn't want him to be put down because he was brought up by a woman. She wanted him to get flowers, open doors but also fight for what's right.

Fortunately, Ambar and Samayra will have their own child soon and her cousins were already too busy in their own lives.

"Sure, Tejas will love that." She said as Ekansh nodded and exchanged pleasantries before walking out.

She sat there confused for a minute, before shaking her head and putting her attention back to work.

She hated that he had given up on her so quickly. But isn't this better.

When she doesn't want him, why should he enforce him over her?

He was being acceptive of her decision. He respected her will, and she should be happy. But she felt something missing.

She got back to work, and was soon driving to pick up Tejas. They drove home, as she made him dinner.

That's when her phone rang, and she saw it was a video call from her mother-in-law.

She reminded herself to call her own mom, later in the night since it had been a while.

"Daman, how are you?" She says, as Daman smiles, trying to forget their last conversation.

"I'm fine, mummy ji. How are you?" She says as she waves her hand dismissing the question.

"I called to tell you, that I'm coming to India day after tomorrow. Pick me up from the airport. I'll message you the details. I'll stay with you for a week, ten days maximum." She says as Daman was perplexed for a minute.

"But mummy ji, I have to apply for a leave. I thought you were..."

"There's this wedding, on my parent's side. They were insisting so I decided to come early. Don't worry, if you don't get a leave. I'll be with Tejas. We'll play and learn and have so much fun. Make sure you tell his teacher that he won't go to school."

"But mummy ji, holidays for a week to ten days will destroy his schedule..." She was saying as she hanged up.

She took a deep breath and looked at Tejas. A photo of Tejas as a newborn in my arms, with Sangram by my side hung on the living room wall.

She looked at it, hoping Sangram knew how much she loved him, to tolerate this. She wanted to tell Samayra, but she will be like... Harmeet wants time with her grandson and it's natural. Or that she's imposing herself on her for such a long period because she doesn't want her to feel that after her son, this is not her house anymore...

But, Daman didn't feel so.

If Tejas doesn't go to school for ten days, it'll take him atleast 3 working days to accept that getting out of bed and their house to go to school is important. He'll cry like he did after christmas and new year vacations. She was late to work for 4 days, because he wouldn't stop crying as he didn't want to go to school.

And she should atleast ask Daman, if she was okay with her staying with them. No?

She was definitely overthinking this, she blamed herself.

Harmeet was a nice person. A bit overbearing as Sangram used to say but nice.

+++++++++

The day after tomorrow came sooner than she expected and she stood outside the airport waiting for the lady that had given birth to the most amazing man she had ever met in her life.

She had gotten leave for a half day and then decided to take leaves as need be. She couldn't sit at home for ten days with her mother-in-law and finish all her paid leaves.

She had to save for Tejas' future, she couldn't be taking unpaid leaves later when she's sick or actually needs a day off.

She regretted taking one and a half day off in her periods because she felt shitty, facing Ekansh.

"Daman..." She said as I came closer to touch her feet and she blessed me.
"You started wearing red again?" She says pointing to the small carrot red flowers on the border of my pastel blue suit and dupatta.

"How are you, mumma?" I asked as she smiled.

"I'm fine. Where's my grandson?"

"He's at the school. We'll pick him up on our way home." She says as the frown set on Harmeet's pristine botox treated face.

"I told you to not send him to school." She said a little too loudly for a public place as Daman picked up her bags.
"You really don't listen to me, do you? Now that my son is gone and you think you are the queen of everything, you can't throw me out of my grandsons life."

"Mumma, It's a long drive to the airport. He would've been restless. We'll pick him up on the way back." She said politely, walking to the car as Harmeet followed.

"Oh, Malika-e-maskan. I'm not going to your house. I'll book myself a room in a hotel and stay before I have to go to my parent's village." She says crossing her arms.

She wanted her to beg. She had done this so many times over the past few years. At that time, Daman did it for Sangram. She kept her happy and in good terms because she loved him and wanted him happy.

Today, she just didn't feel like it. She had opened the car trunk to keep her luggage, but she put the bag back on the parking pavement.

"Okay, mumma. Let me get you a taxi." She says, as her mouth falls open.

"How dare you? You little brat? You walk over my dead son's grave like this? I will disown you and your son to..."

"Everything okay?" Daman heard a familiar masculine voice shocked to have him here.

"Dr. Ekansh?" she says turning to look at him standing beside her, their shoulders almost touching.