Afterglow

8 | I can do it with a Broken Heart

October 23

Tanisha leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples after the intense meeting. She glanced at the clock and realized it was time to feed Vivaan. She walked over to the nursery corner of her office, where her son was yapping for food. Smiling, she picked him up and settled into the cozy chair.

"Kitni bhuk lagti hai terko? Gabbu!" she cooed as she began to feed him.

She instructed her assistant, "Meera, Please let anyone who wants to visit know that I'll be busy for a while."

As she fed Vivaan, she hummed softly, cherishing these peaceful moments amidst her hectic schedule. Suddenly, a loud thud on the door made her jump. Sara burst into the room, with Krisha hot on her heels.

"Tanisha, we need to talk," Sara demanded, her eyes blazing.

Krisha looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Tani. She just barged in."

Tanisha's protective instincts flared. "Sara, you can't just barge in here like this!" she snapped, hastily adjusting her clothing as Vivaan started to cry from the commotion.

"Krisha, please take Vivaan to the nursery," she said, handing her son over gently. "Thoda feed karke burp kar dena."

Krisha nodded and took Vivaan, trying to soothe his cries as she left the room.

Sara crossed her arms and huffed. "Shubman has stopped talking to me for hours. All he wants to do is talk to his child and not his girlfriend. This is ridiculous!"

Tanisha, her patience wearing thin, replied, "Sara, that's something you and Shubman need to deal with. It's none of my or Vivaan's problem."

Sara's eyes narrowed. "Oh, please! Don't act innocent. You want Shubman because of his popularity and good PR! That baby is just a bait."

Tanisha's jaw tightened. "Excuse me?"

"You're a terrible mother, Tanisha. You can't even take care of your baby full time or hire a nanny for him. All you care about is yourself, you're so selfish. One day, Vivaan will leave you for me," Sara spat venomously.

Tanisha felt a surge of anger. "Sara, get out of my office. Now."

Sara smirked. "The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

Tanisha stood her ground. "Meera, please escort Sara out and blacklist her. I don't want her near my office or my son again. And get security in here."

Sara scoffed but didn't resist as Meera guided her out of the room. Tanisha turned to the security guards who arrived moments later.

"I want to know how Sara was able to get in here without an appointment. This is unacceptable. She's now blacklisted, and I expect tighter security measures to ensure this doesn't happen again," Tanisha said firmly.

The guards nodded, looking apologetic. "We'll make sure it doesn't happen again, ma'am."

Tanisha took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She walked over to the nursery where Krisha was holding Vivaan, who had finally stopped crying.

"Thank you, Kri," Tanisha said, her voice softening as she took her son back into her arms.

Krisha looked concerned. "Are you okay, Tani?"

"I will be," Tanisha replied, rocking Vivaan gently. "I just need a moment."

Krisha placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Take your time." She moved away to attend  other babies while Tanisha took Vivaan back at the office

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A few weeks went by, and all Tanisha was hearing from people was that she needed to stop working and be with her child all day. They warned her that she might become a bad mother if she didn't take proper care of Vivaan. This constant criticism gnawed at her, making her anxious. She began to believe she was a bad mother who couldn't provide enough love for her baby.