The Best Match

The Hassle and Saved Pride

"I was given such a great gift. It's a miracle that never stops amazing me and reminding me to give thanks, every day. Having a wife gives me a lot more purpose. I was much more selfish before, but now I think about what kind of role model I'll be. I just want to be a better man."

Shree's Perspective

"Wow! Is it moving?" I asked, wondering, palming Vandana di's baby bump trying to feel the movements of baby. She giggled, heartily, "Yes. It seems to do this a lot, lately." She said with proud and I grinned, pressing my ear to her belly, "Let me hear it. Does it make any sounds?"
"Nah! It doesn't." She apprised me; all I could hear was gurgle of water in her stomach. I smiled, recalling a joke where a boy ask his father, where does the baby come from and his father made up a story but then, kid asks what's in his mother's swollen tummy and his father dismisses him, saying there's water and then the kid scoffs saying, if there's water in his mother's belly, the baby will drown inside.
I just thought the same and giggled earning curious looks, I just shrugged before launching another question at her, "Di, does it kicks?"
Vidhi bhabhi laughed, sitting beside me and teased me, "If you want to know so much, why don't you try to make one?"
Color rose up to my face and I looked down shyly, "Bhabhi...I was just asking."
"But I don't see what wrong did she say?" Vandana Di joined her in, "It's going to be one year of your marriage after three months, are you guys practicing family planning or is there already a bun in the oven?"
"Di..." I blushed scarlet red and got up to go, "I am going to take care of your kids now, but I can change my mind if you guys are going to tease me anymore."
They laughed heartily and I rolled my eyes, springing upstairs to my room, their kids were giving me company in Abhimanyu's absence. It had been one week since Abhimanyu was off to Udaipur and his nephew and niece had jumped on the opportunity to sleep by my side.
Though being almost 412km away from me, he was still irked about the arrangement of kids sleeping with me. He quoted, "What if they get used to you and then demand your attention. I don't want to grapple with kids now." I laughed at this and assured him, "It doesn't matter who seeks my attention, my world would always revolve around you."
"Aunt, see I made this." Pakhi passed me her drawing book, there was a flower drawn on the pink sheet, "how's it?" She looked at me expectationly. I smiled at her, pulling her on my lap and grabbing my red pen gave five stars on her drawing, "It is so beautiful."
"Thanks aunt." She hugged me, wrapping her little arms around my neck and the jealous Aditya, leapt on me to demand his attention.
ESV sobbed, rubbing her nose with Kleenex, 'So what am I now? A nanny. Kids all around. I am seeing my future, boney cheeks, bended spine and kids hung on my waist.'
I shooed her off but ESV's telepathic connection with my husband made me startle at times because Abhimanyu called me at the very moment.
Detangling myself from kids, I picked up his call, "Hello?"
"What are you doing? Ah! Let me guess, with kids. Right?" He asked and answered himself and I giggled, "Where are you now?"
"Have just reached the hotel. The day was too tiring; my limbs are aching in stress." He huffed and I suggested, softly "Why don't you rest for a while and we talk after that?"
"No. Talking with you is my stress buster. I am not going to sleep anyway, I don't get sleep easily without you."
"Me too!" I confessed and he scoffed, "What is it? The joke of millennium."
I made a face, getting up from the bed and padded to the balcony, "Why are you being so snappy today? What's wrong?"
"Why didn't you come with me? I am missing you." He whimpered and I smiled, "Don't whine. You're coming back in just three days, right? I am looking forward to meet you and I am missing you too."
"I've a surprise for you."
"And what's that?" I asked, biting my lip, aware that he wouldn't answer me at all but still.
"How will it remain surprise if I tell you, stupid?" He laughed, "I just have reached my room and now I am going to order some food."
"You better do that. Don't you dare to skip your meal today because if you do, I will cut the call right away?" I blackmailed him and heard as he rolled on the mattress probably, "Why would you blackmail me for food? This is not something a wife should do."
"Then what's that a wife should do?" I asked, hiding my smile. He never got me mad, and if I pretended to, he would just melt me in snaps.
"Something more like phone coi-"
"Kids are here. Don't you dare to?" I warned him and he sneered, "Relax! I was going to say some confessions on phone, like I love you. I am missing you."
"I do." I accepted and could sense his smile, "Then say again. It's revitalizing." Awkward silence seeped in between, I happened to hear his breaths, so calm, it often made me wonder that was it real! Were we real?
Had we really crossed all the hurdles? There was no place in this world today where I would be happy without him, I didn't know if I loved him more or he loved me more, it was all like a dream, an untouched reality, I shivered when I pushed my memories to jog through the prospects of our separation.
What if I hadn't given him a chance!
What if he hadn't given us a chance!
What if we both had really gone for divorce!
But I was thankful that we didn't. We behaved like adults and coped through the adversities of our marriage and emerged out as winners, as lovers, as soul mates.
"Shree... you there?" My reverie break as he called my name, as if my name was secure within his mouth, as if he had caressed every syllable before pronouncing.