You Feel Like Home

Chapter 17: Moving Out

~Arushi~

Morning went okay till breakfast but after that as every moment passed, the sadness of leaving Mom was crawling deeper within me. I didn't cry when I had left Shekhawat Villa but the thought that I'm leaving Malhotra Mansion is urging me to cry so hard. It had become my house in such a less span of time. I guess it's because house is built with people and I've my people, Mom and Ansh here.

Ansh was shifting our luggage to the car and I was standing with Mom. She was coming with us to drop us off to the airport then she'll go hospital from there only. “Bags are shifted we should leave now I guess”, Ansh suggested looking at the time. Mom and I were sitting back seat while Ansh took the passenger seat. For some reason I wasn't leaving Mom's side for even a moment since we got up this morning. And Ansh knew why I was doing it so he too didn't resist.

The whole way to the airport Mom was instructing us something or other. “Arushi if Avi troubles you, even a little bit you can always come back leaving him alone there”, she threatened and I couldn't do that. Leaving him for even a day wasn't possible for me. And maybe for Ansh as well. “Mom I don't trouble Orchid, please don't teach her all these”

“Areh why shouldn't I? She's going with you doesn't mean she has to handle all your orders and everything. She needs to learn how to keep you in line”, she said more likely warned him. “Mom it isn't like that, he doesn't order me around”, I said in a small tone earning a glance from Ansh and a teasing look from Mom. “Accha? Taking sides already?”

[Really?]

I blushed, fumbling to form an answer but Ansh beat me at it, “Mom she's been on my side since day one” He said deepening the shade of blush coating my cheeks and of course the teasing look I was getting from Mom wasn't helping at all. “Aa… ba… Mom, I…”

“Okay okay no need to fumble now. I'm just giving you the liberty. He's your husband so you can do the needed if he ever does something wrong or troubles you”, Mom elucidated normally then lowered her voice, whispering to me, “You can even pull his ear if you want, I definitely won't mind”

My eyes widened in shock listening to her suggestion, “Mom… I… how can… I… do some… something like that” But she just shrugged, “If you can support him when he's right, you've all your rights to correct him if he's wrong, in whichever way”

“Still I… I can't do that… that”, I fumble. Ansh was looking confused on what we are talking about but he knew it must be some of Mom’s ways to ‘keep him in line’. “Okay, I have another idea, an easier one. Just don't talk to him for like an hour, he'll trail behind you asking for forgiveness and do whatever you say, try that”, she winked at the end of the line and I looked at her baffled. But soon the scene from a few days ago when I wasn't talking to him flashed in front of me and he indeed was trailing behind the whole day just to ask for forgiveness. He'll do that if I get angry but I can't do that either. He looks too cute with that puppy face to be ignored.

“Mom! Please don't teach her all these, I won't trouble her, I promise”, he promised and Mom gave him a ‘we'll see’ look. “You better not or she'll come back to Mumbai, leaving you there”

Ansh made a pout but nodded anyway. I know we both have this same thing that we can't stay without each other. We had some more talks which wasn't exactly Mom teaching me tricks to handle him.

“And yes Avi, make sure Arushi eats her meals on time. She's really bad with her eating habits”, Mom instructed Ansh and I bit my tongue. I used to mostly skip my lunch when I'm in hospital as earlier no one cared but I didn't do it since I got caught by her. “I won't let her do that from now on”, he reassured Mom and she too nodded then said the same thing to me. “And even Avi has this habit so that's your responsibility from now on”