Sapno Ka Shaher

49. The State of Inner Being

1st January 1997

Preeti dashed to the balcony to collect the dried clothes. She was ready before Shubham today. It was the time in Mumbai where nights and early mornings were turning cold. In Ahmedabad, she would have wrapped herself with woolen sweaters, shawls and mufflers. Here, she found a shawl to be sufficient.

Shubham joined her on the balcony, with a towel around his neck. When he woke up, Preeti was in the bathroom and he came here searching for her after freshening up. A warm smile took place on his lips after seeing her glowing face.

"Good morning!!" Preeti chirped, squeezing the clothes in her arms.

Shubham's smile widened, taking a step closer to her, he put her wet hairlocks behind her ear. She was looking beautiful with those partially wet hair dripping on the shawl she had taken.

"Happy Birthday!!" He voiced. "Tumhara janamdin aur yeh naya saal tumhare liye dher saari khushiyaan lekar aaye."

"Thank you," Preeti replied in exhilaration, trying to extend her arms to hug him, but then frowning at the bunch of fabric she was carrying, and making a small face.

Shubham giggled looking at her state and himself engulfed her in his arms, including the clothes. He chuckled at the fact that his hands could surround her perfectly even after a barrier between them. Something that would be unchanged even when Preeti would be carrying their baby inside her.

Their baby...

Living in the society where one is expected to expand their generation soon after the marriage, having seen his friends becoming fathers within one year of their marriage and with constant pestering of his mother to show her her 'pote ka muh', it wasn't easy for Shubham to not think about it at all. And he knew it wasn't easy for Preeti as well to avoid all the questioning gazes.

But he had kept things slow paced, where the love between them as well as the physical closeness grew slowly... gradually...

And amidst the process of realizing the difference between the husband's duties and wanting to become a lovable and supportive partner for Preeti, he had kept his wish of becoming a father hidden in the corner of his heart.

As he tried to gauge Preeti's opinion on this, not really having the courage to ask her directly. To be honest, he was afraid of her reply. He could figure that she was fascinated by her dream of becoming a hairstylist and was way too happy with her parlour course. So he let things happen as before, at their own pace.

"Aapko bhi naye saal ki shubhkaamnayein Shubham ji..."

Shubham was brought out of his reverie by Preeti's wish and they parted. His gaze turned adoring as she smiled. Those sharp features of her face, her long hair now reaching to her waist, her smooth skin without a blemish and her soft pink lips... everything just added to her sublime beauty. It wasn't that he hadn't found her beautiful before this. But there was something he had seen in her lately, and it was her sparkling eyes. She has been carrying a gleam in her eyes lately.

Maybe that's how a person appears to others who is happy inside out. It was the indication that Preeti was happy inside out. The way she had more confidence in her walk, in the way she spoke, the way she started taking his 'economics' seriously and would ask questions on finance and investments, the way she kept on doing skin and hair experiments on Tanvi and him, which by the way he absolutely loved. Everything pointed out that his wife was indeed happy with her life.

"Toh? Kya chahiye tumhe?" He asked while raising his brows.

"Kyon? Hamare anniversary ki tarah iss baar koi envelope ready nahi hai?" Preeti teased him.