𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

𝟑𝟐. 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 (𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏)

I was utterly exhausted, having spent the entire day making preparations for the big day.

I had baked a cake, sent out invitations to our guests, and organized a lovely lunch date - all thanks to Rudra and Adi's help.

I had also commissioned Kriti to design a custom suit for him to wear, which I knew he'd love.

Meanwhile, Arhaan had lent a hand in preparing the cake, showcasing his impressive cooking skills.

Luckily, Ansh was tied up in an important meeting at the office, so I didn't have to worry about him getting in the way of our plans.

With everything falling into place, I felt a sense of satisfaction and excitement for the surprise party ahead.

The cake was finally done, and we were waiting for it to cool before frosting it. I glanced at the clock, feeling a sense of relief that we still had some time before Ansh's return.

Just then, my phone rang, and I frowned as I saw Ansh's name on the caller ID. wasn't he supposed to be in a meeting?

I answered the call, my tone a bit curt. "Hello..."

"Aren't you in a meeting?" I asked, not giving him a chance to speak.

Ansh retorted in the same tone, "Aren't you happy that I called you?"

I snapped back, "No." The conversation was already heading into familiar territory - a playful yet argumentative exchange.

I caught Shalini maa stifling a giggle out of the corner of my eye, and I felt my frustration grow. I was blabbering, and I knew it.

"I mean, I was in the middle of something important, so..." I trailed off, wincing internally as I imagined Ansh's raised eyebrows on the other end of the call.

"I wasn't busy, so I thought I'd call my wife, who's apparently too busy with her VERY IMPORTANT WORK," Ansh said, his tone laced with sarcasm. "And about that meeting, it's been rescheduled for half an hour from now due to some technical issues." He emphasized the word "important meeting".

"Ansh," I said, trying to sound stern.

He responded with a nonchalant hum.

"Are you taking a leave tomorrow?" I asked again, receiving another hum in response.

"What's with the humming?" I asked, trying to keep a straight face.

"Meri biwi kaam kar rahi hai na, husband se important toh kaam hai. Why will I disturb her?" Ansh whined, sounding like a petulant child.
(My wife is doing an important work, and it's more important than her husband)

I couldn't help but giggle as I made my way to our room. "Aww, my baby," I cooed, trying to tease him.

"I'm not a baby!" he complained again, his tone playful and mock-offended.