Seven Colors of Our Love

.30-

"Afsa, do you think he will come?", Manisha said shifting her gaze back from the wall clock to Afsa. Afsa was lying on the bed with a feeding bottle in her mouth.

"He must be busy Haina. Let it be, I'm not that special. It should not matter to him...and me", She mumbled and heaved a sigh. As much as she wanted to feel better, his absence was bothering her.

"It's okay Afsa, everyone else is here with us", She tried to convince herself.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in", She called out and was busy buckling up the chain of Afsa's silver glittery shoes. She moved her head back and froze.

"Abhishek", Her face brightened and her eyes lit up as her mouth broke into a smile.

"Ap aa gye..... Afsa was waiting for you". His arrival overwhelmed her to the point that she didn't know what to say.

"Sorry, I got late", Abhishek forwarded the bouquet towards her. Her eyes fluttered between the bouquet and his eyes in surprise.

"For me?", She gave him a quizzical look and hesitantly took the bouquet from his hands.

Afsa quickly sat up seeing her daddy. She threw the bottle and crawled towards the edge of the bed. Abhishek moved forward and picked her up in his hands.

"Nahi, I have brought it for the neighbor", He replied in a mischievous tone.

"No", She pouted. "Why would you give it to the neighbor".

"Happy birthday", He said. She held the bouquet up to her nose and sniffed. A smile crept across her face.

"Thank you", she looked into his eyes. "It's very beautiful". He smiled.

"Honestly speaking, I loved the flowers but still your presence was sufficient".

"You both are ready?", he asked.

"Yeah, I was just waiting for Afsa to finish her bottle", she said. She picked up the bottle from the bed again.

"Afsa finish it beta. Thanks to your daddy, we are already late. Everyone is waiting for us", she said looking at Afsa.

Abhishek took the bottle from her hand and rolled his eyes. "Afsa tell her that your daddy did not do such a thing". He sat down on the bed, placed Afsa on his lap, and fed her the formula milk.

"Afsa tell your daddy what he did",

Manisha went towards the dressing table. She combed her hair again and let them open. She opened a drawer, picked up a pair of silver jhumka. She examined herself, her organza lavender-colored mid-thigh length loose shirt, straight pants, silver shoe gave her an overall graceful look, exactly the way she imagined.

She moved her gaze at Abhishek's reflection in the mirror. He was wearing a cream-colored shirt with a black pant. He looked handsome. He always does, she reminded herself. She starred at his reflection for a few seconds and then brushed off her thoughts.

"I want to stay here for a few days. I've discussed it with mom as well", She tilted her head slightly at one side as she was wearing the jhumka in her ear. Abhishek looked at her, their eyes met through their reflection in the mirror.

"Papa needs my presence", she said but he was quietly looking at her. His silence was making her nervous.

She turned around maintaining their eye contact and she said: "Umm you can take Afsa with you for a night, and can drop her back when you go to work".

He thought for a few minutes and then finally nodded his head. That's what she expected as his answer but she didn't know why her heart sank.

"I called a few times why didn't you attend it?", he inquired.