Pendulum

Six

Avi

Firdaus had seemed so disturbed by the news that her best friend was now pregnant. Was she afraid that he would actually try and impose something like that on her? He wasn't even sure if he was ready for children, and he wanted her to understand that he would never do anything to hurt her. He waited in the room while she sent Maia off – and she walked in looking extremely uncomfortable. 

He stood up and closed the distance between them in a few steps, placing his hands on either side of her face so that she couldn't look at anything else but him. She was clearly taken by surprise, and he decided to take advantage of the situation.

"I want you to know that I'm not going to force you to get pregnant anytime soon, because, call me selfish or whatever you want to, but I want to spend time with you. I want to know every single detail about you, from you. I want you to realise that I'm not going anywhere because now – you're my family, and I want nothing but the best for you."

Firdaus said nothing, but there was a slight change in her eyes, as he spoke, but that vulnerability disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. He pulled away from her, but she still stood there, frozen in place. Neither of them said anything. The silence was broken when she stepped forward, towards him. Then, he felt her wrap her arms around him.

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Firdaus

Maia had left after breakfast, walking with me to the entrance of Avi's haveli in silence.

"Please give Avi a chance to show you how much he cares for you," she begged.

I frowned at her. "It's not possible to care for someone you've just met a day ago."

"Love is magical, Firdaus. Anything can happen when you meet that person you want to spend your life with. Remember what your dadi used to say?" she said with a sad smile.

"Give him a chance, please."

I nodded and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Love you," she called out as she got into the car.

"Love you too."

When I got back to the room, Avi was sitting on the edge of the bed – but he got up the moment he saw me walking in. He was right in front of me in a matter of seconds, before he took my face in his hands. I could not look anywhere else, there was no excuse not to look him in the eye.

As soon as he had finished speaking, Maia's words were on replay in my mind. I had to give him a chance to understand me. He had moved away after he had said what he wanted to, so I had to walk up to him. Without a word, I wrapped my arms around him. I rested my cheek on his chest, right where his heart was – and it was beating really hard. I think it took him two seconds to register the fact that I was hugging him – before he wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my hair. His heart wasn't the only one that was beating too fast.

"Firdaus?" he whispered.

"Hmmm?"

"Thank you."

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My mother was at the door, waiting to receive the both of us. She placed her hand on both of our cheeks, beaming.

"How are the both of you?"