I Found You

55.

• Vikram •

Letting go of Adhira's hand, Yuvaan darted toward Choti Maa, wrapping his tiny arms around her as soon as he entered the dining room with Adhira.

It amazed me how effortlessly this little bundle of energy had managed to wrap everyone around his finger in a short time.

Last night, the entire family had huddled together into the living room to watch a cartoon movie of Yuvaan's choice.

Choti Maa had made popcorn while Chote Papa had paused the movie every five minutes to listen whenever Yuvaan had something to narrate or explain.

"Who's your favourite person, Yuvaan?" Mukti asked, grinning as she sparred with Kabir.

Yuvaan hesitated for a moment before shyly pointing to Chote Papa and Choti Maa, his chubby cheeks flushing pink as everyone cooed him.

"Haww," I teased Adhira, leaning closer to her with a grin.

The room erupted in laughter as she glared at me, but still a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as I served her.

Chote Papa scooped Yuvaan into his lap, engaging him in talks while Choti Maa sliced an apple for him.

"Wow!" Yuvaan exclaimed with wide eyes as Adhira slid a plate of pancakes toward him after cutting it into small bites for him.

"Thank you, Bua." He sang in his sweet, high- pitched voice, tilting his head.

"Bua ke chamche, I made those." I said, feigning annoyance.

Yuvaan giggled, flashing his tiny teeth and stuck out his tongue at me before happily munching on the pancakes.

After breakfast, Adhira and I left to drop Yuvaan back. The road ahead was packed with traffic giving into the office time, but I couldn't help notice Adhira pressing her hand against her abdomen now and then.

From the rearview mirror, I glanced at Yuvaan in the back seat, focused on the game he was playing on Adhira's phone.

My gaze shifted back to her, her discomfort evident on her face. She has been feeling low since the morning.

"Are you down?" I asked, focusing ahead on the road.

"Not yet," She replied, her lips twitching slightly. "But I think it's about to start."

"Did you carry your essentials with you?" I asked, glancing at her briefly.

She nodded, her head falling back against the seat as her eyes closed for a moment.

The silence settled again, broken only by the faint sound of Yuvaan's game. I reached over, my hand caressing her knee before resting there.

"You should've stayed home." I said after a while, not looking at her.

"I'm fine." She countered quickly, brushing her hair back from her face. She hated being told what to do repeatedly.

My grip on the steering wheel tightened as my gaze drifted to her again. She was lost in her thoughts, staring out of the window.