Rent Free

8.A forever memory

"I know, di," Shubman reached for the box of chocolates and a fairly huge lavender elephant plush in the backseat, placed beside his kitbag. "I can't believe Y/n and I have been dating for over a month either, but I need to leave now."

Holding the plush in his hand, he got out of the car and locked it, making his way towards the elevator.

"Yeah, I showered after practice," he said, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder as he pressed the button to the elevator. "In the locker room."

He got inside once the doors opened, watching them close again as his sister talked about everything that came to her mind.

"I won't forget to check the tire pressure," he looked at his reflection in the mirror just before elevator doors opened again. "I'll tell you when I'll be home, okay? Bye."

Shubman got out and walked down the empty corridor, stopping in front of the very much familiar door now.

Once the call ended, he placed his phone back in his pocket, pressing the switch to the doorbell and fixing his hair in the small window he had.

He could barely control his smile as he waited, only letting it grow wider as the door opened.

"Happy first monthsary," he said as soon as you were in sight, holding up the box of chocolates.

Not expecting to be greeted with this, your lips parted slightly in surprise before they broke out into a full smile.

You moved forward and wrapped your arms around Shubman's neck, resting your head on his shoulder.

"Happy monthsary to you too, Shubi," you said back, not minding the plush that was in between the hug. "And Ferrero?"

"Our favorite," he added as you pulled away from the hug. "Is Nini back from the day care?"

"I picked her up after work," you replied, letting him walk inside.

The first thing his eyes did upon entering was search for your daughter, and once they did, he wasted no time in picking her and greeting her, forgetting all about you.

"Hello there," Shubman held her up as he nuzzled his face softly against her stomach, hearing her giggle before he kissed her forehead.

"It's only been two days but you miss each other like you're twins," you said as you watched the scene in front of you.

"Forty eight hours, sweetheart. Of course, I miss her," the nickname slipped casually as he let Nini grapple with his hair, and looked at her. "You missed me too, right? Tell mama."

She did her non-verbal talking for a while before you picked a paper from the coffee table.

"And we did this for you," you handed Shubman the messily colored drawing, and the box containing a shirt. "For the first monthsary."

"This looks so beautiful. I'm going to frame and hang this in our future room-"

"Mama," it was a no-brainer, but at the same time, such a positive shocker that you could do nothing but stare at your daughter for a few seconds.

"Did you hear that?" Shubman whispered and you blinked once. "So it's really true that babies mostly say 'mama' or 'papa' as first words."

"She said 'mama,'" you whisper-yelled as realization hit you. "Nini, can you say that again? Say 'mama.'"

You said the word carefully for her to grasp it.

She watched you repeat it, and the encouraging words of the person holding her, looking at him as she gave a gummy smile. "Papa."

-

Silence is fragile.

Similar to the one filling the kitchen as you made some coffee for yourself and Shubman.

Nini refused to speak after her first words thirty minutes back and you paused trying to make her speak again, knowing she'll do it when she's ready to.

"Did you choose this apartment for the balcony?" He was the first to break the silence. "It's the best I've seen."

You hummed in response, pouring the coffee in a mug before answering. "Not really."

He stood a couple of feet away from you, his eyes completely on you.

"Actually," you thought for another moment. "This is a relatively safer neighborhood."

You looked at Shubman who'd just returned from putting your daughter to her late-afternoon nap.

"The place we lived in a few months back, it was broken into," you started somberly. "They held a knife in front of us and-"

You gestured vaguely before pushing the coffee mug towards him.

"I lost most of what I saved that night but it was even scarier that they could've done anything to us, to hurt her," you leaned back against the kitchen island, holding another coffee mug in your own hand.

Shubman listened, sensing that you didn't want him to say anything more.

He nodded and a few more minutes of silence passed as you sipped the coffee.

"Was it okay with you?" He started again. "When she called me 'papa.'"

"There's only one kind of shock more intense than the totally unexpected," you answered.

"The expected for which one has refused to prepare," he quoted and you nodded.

"While I did see myself with a partner sometime in the future, I didn't expect Nini to so quickly connect with a person she saw as a stable in her life, emotionally that too," you continued as he leaned back on the space beside you. "I guess she sees you like that."

You turned your head towards Shubman, watching his serene expression until he looked back at you.

The spark in his eyes traveled into your own, and that is how you had your first kiss.

Not in a very emotional or grandeur moment. But in your apartment, as two people sharing a kiss, in all its simplicity.

And it was a memory that'd last forever.

Shubman pulled away first, looking at you for a long while.

"What?" You mumbled and he shook his head a little.

"Nothing," he said with a small smile, leaning forward again as he pecked your lips. "Shall I place another pillow beside Nini. She's not in the crib."

You nodded and he placed the coffee mug on the marble countertop, traces of a smile still on his face as he walked away.

She didn't usually sleep in the crib. Unless it was a time when you'd have to be away for a very long time.

You stayed, sipping the coffee when Shubman's phone rang.

"Shubi, it's Shahneel," you said loudly from the kitchen, and the call ended before you could decide on what to do.

"Can you call her back?" He asked, walking out of the bedroom, hearing the ringtone stop.

"Password," you said as you turned on the phone.

"Nini's birthday," he replied and you halted for a moment, your heart filling with warmth.

Well, it was partly filled with warmth.

You gave Shubman the phone instead of entering the password, making him slightly confused.

There's only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected.

"I have something important to tell you," you started and he was all ears.

He waited patiently for you to speak.

"About Nini's father," you went on and he didn't avert his eyes, letting you know that you had his entire attention.

The expected for which one has refused to prepare.

"I don't know who he is. It was a one night stand."