***part 16***
Two weeks later, Virat sleepily yawned and opened his eyes. Manvi was missing from the bed, he made a face and looked around, she wasn't there. He heard her voice from the bathroom, it sounded like she was throwing up again. He quickly marched to the door and knocked on it. She opened the door and walked out sulking without looking at him and sat on the bed.
Virat eyed her curiously and kneeled in front of her. "You okay baby?"
"I feel like crap." She said, still sulking.
"hmm..what are we going to do about that?" he smiled.
"I don't know. I am going back to sleep. I don't want to go to college today."
"Nahi Manvi, Utto, Let's get some fresh air, you will feel better." He made her get up on her feet.
"Nahi." She made a face.
"Chalo." He dragged her out.
~~~
They were strolling in the garden hand in hand, looking towards a beautiful sunrise
"Virat?"
"ummm.."
"Will you still want me when I am fat and pregnant?" She asked looking at the ground.
He looked at her shocked by her question. He smiled at her softly and looked straight ahead. "You are fat and pregnant." He said with a chuckle.
Manvi looked at him disappointed and stood still without moving. She looked like she was going to cry.
"Arey, ro mat, mazak kar raha tha yaar, your hormones are getting really worked up, aren't they." He tried to cup her face but she wasn't going to stay with him for another minute.
"I hate you Virat." She walked away.
"Arey, Manvi!...MANVI! ufff! Eh kya hogaya iss ladki ko." Virat looked at her walking away with an exasperated expression. She had been acting very emotional and needy since the last few days. He has been trying to be very patient with her, but somehow, he is not able to keep up with her changing moods. One minute she is funny, the next minute she is very emotional. One minute is utterly sweet and then the next minute utterly angry. God help me! he thought.
~~~
The whole family was sitting at the dining table. Virat was eating really fast, he had an important conference to attend that day. He was presenting his research at a national conference, in front of all the renowned surgeons in the country and outside the country. He finished eating and then looked at Manvi who staring at her food, playing with it.
"Manvi, eat up, we are getting late." He said, his voice a bit angry.
She looked at him with pleading eyes. "I don't like this Virat, I feel nauseated, this smells so bad." She spoke to him in a low voice so that only he could hear it.
"Baby, this is toast and butter and those are fruits. What exactly is smelling bad?" he asked.
" Everything." She whined.
"Ok. What do you want to eat then?" he gave up and asked her frustrated. His tone was a little cross, he was nervous about his presentation and Manvi wasn't eating well at all since the last few days. Everybody looked at him curiously and then at Manvi. Manvi felt embarrassed and excused herself from the table. He grabbed her untouched glass of juice and left the table apologizing.
~~~
"Virat, please roll down the windows, I need some fresh air." Virat had been driving her to college in a car ever since she got pregnant. He had almost stowed his bikes away.
He immediately rolled down the windows. "Finish your juice." He ordered. "Stop pouting Manvi, it is one glass of juice. Do you know how difficult you are being?"
She looked at him and felt sorry, her eyes started filling up immediately. "I am sorry Virat, I am not doing this intentionally, I just feel so different all the time. It is strange and uncomfortable."
"Its okay baby, I understand, I just want you to eat properly." He clasped her hand and squeezed it gently with an assuring smile.
She smiled back and finished her juice.
"You remember about the award banquet tonight right?"
"Yes, I got a nice dress, I will change in the evening before I come."
"Alright, here comes your college. Give me a kiss." He leaned and kissed her. She put her hands around his neck and hugged him.
"You are going to be great. Good luck!" she smiled proudly.
"I know. I will be waiting for you. Take care of yourself and you promised you would have an early lunch." He reminded her.
"Yes I will. Bye." She got off the car and waved to him sweetly. She then realized how much she was taxing him. He had such an important day and he had only been fussing about her morning sickness and her food since morning. What have I done to you Virat? She had dragged him into all this and he had been nothing but patient and supportive and she had been nothing but whiny and needy. She sighed and made a mental note to not trouble Virat so much. At the same time, she couldn't help notice that Virat hadn't complained at all, he was there by her side, whenever she needed him. She smiled like a school girl. He really loves me a lot.
~~~
Evening time, Manvi entered the big convention center in. It was really big occasion, all the important people in the field were in there, from and outside the country- all the big shot doctors, aspiring doctors, prodigies and researchers. It was a formal event and everyone was nicely dressed. Most guys in suits with a tie and women either in sarees or evening dresses. Her eyes searched for her husband in the huge crowd. He was there in the center, dressed in a black suit with a white dress shirt, looking extremely professional, accomplished and handsome. She smiled and walked upto him slowly. She was wearing a sleeveless red dress, split and nicely laid into sleek layers at her knee. She wrapped a black cashmere stole around her shoulders. She left her hair open and wore beautiful long earings to match the dress.
When Virat looked at her, he couldn't take his eyes off her. "So, Dr. Vadhera, we would love to have you working at our hospital, after you are done with your residency.." someone was talking to him. He smiled at him. "Could I join you in five minutes?" he excused himself and walked towards her, looking at her in awe."
"Manvi?" he gasped. "You look mind-blowing. Are you trying to distract me in here?" he kissed on her cheek.
Manvi flushed and smiled coyly "You look very handsome yourself Dr. Vadhera, how did your talk ago?" she asked.
"It went very well. Did you eat?" he asked overcoming with his concerned husband look again.
Manvi half nodded and half looked away.
"Hmm..where is your tie?" she deflected the topic. This was his night, she was not going to let this be about her.
"Ah, you know I hate those things, I will wear it if I actually win, if I have to collect an award." He said showing her the tie hidden nicely folded in his breast pocket inside his blazer. She took it out and put it around his neck and started tying it to his much obvious annoyance.
"Everybody is wearing one Virat." she ignored his fits. "Perfect!" she tapped at the perfect knot lightly after she was done and smiled at him widely looking at his funny face. He was trying to loosen it. "Virat, leave it alone." She pushed his hand away gently.
Someone was watching them both with evil intentions from across the room.
~~~
It had been two hours and all the awards were given out. Virat had gotten two awards, one for the best presentation in research and one for the most promising outgoing student from his university. Manvi, an extremely proud wife was all smiles and Virat was obviously ecstatic. He was introducing Manvi to Dr. Mehra, his mentor, guide and professor.
"Nice to meet you finally Manvi, I heard you are a medical student too." Dr. Mehra asked genuinely interested.
"Yes. She is brilliant and could go to great heights, only if she applied herself more." Virat replied playfully, teasing and admonishing her recent i-don't-really-care-about-school-anymore attitude.
"Well, Manvi is pregnant, Isn't she?" Maya joined the conversation from nowhere. Virat eyed her seriously, he didn't like where she might go with this. "Well, I heard from an inside source that you might have gotten the fellowship Virat. So Manvi, can you really handle being away from Virat for so long." Maya asked her with the most vicious grin. Virat and Manvi looked at each other shocked at all this information and Maya's unwarranted intrusion.
"That's great Virat." Dr. Mehra interjected. "Congratulations for the professional and personal good news. I guess you guys have a major celebration coming up and also some major decisions to be taken." "Well, I am here if you need to talk about anything Virat. Good Luck and nice to meet you Manvi." Dr. Mehra left taking Maya with him, who was visibly drunk.
Manvi smiled at Virat and extended her hands to hug him. Virat hugged her with a grim expression. "Congratulations, I always knew you would get this, your dream and your ambition. It's all here. I am very happy for you Virat."
"Are you?" he moved away and examined her expressions; she looked down avoiding looking into his eyes. "Ofcourse, I am Virat, we will get through this, don't worry about anything." She said with a forced smile.
~~~
Manvi was sitting at a table, in deep thought. She looked at Virat, who was standing a bit away from her, he was talking to some professors from outside, very excited and very animated. She could see girls around, gaping at him with awe, admirations and lot more. She felt a pang of jealously hit her. She turned away and walked to Priya and Rahul, who were chatting at the bar. She sat beside Priya trying to clear her head of everything.
"Would you like to dance with me?" a guy came and asked her bringing her out of all her quandaries.
"No thank you. I am fine." She replied with a smile.
"Please, maybe my company will be a little better than sitting by yourself? ain't it?" the guy extended his hand.
"My company will probably be a lot better than yours to my wife Ankush" Virat came and put his hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "ain't it?" he added kissing her hair and smiling. "Do you want to dance sweetheart?" he extended his hand.
"Yes." Manvi turned deep crimson and gave him her hand. He lead her to the dance floor leaving an disappointed Ankush and a giggling Priya at the bar.
"I am really happy for you Virat." she said looking into his eyes this time.
"I know" he pulled her closer, both hands around her waist loosely; her hands on his shoulders. "Manvi, let's not think about this now, let's see how the next few months ago. I haven't been officially informed anyways. So let's not rack our brains about this. Can we talk about something else?"
"All the girls are drooling over you." Manvi stated without an expression.
Virat laughed loudly "What? Where is this coming from? How come you are paying attention to other girls instead of me." he asked genuinely curious.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Manvi, baby, you are insecure? You have quite a lot of admirers yourself. Exhibit number 1.." he said pointing towards the sullen faced Ankush who was watching them from the bar.
"What? Where is this coming from? How come you are paying attention to other guys instead of me?" Manvi asked with a chuckle.
"Hmm..." He moved her hands from his shoulder to around his neck and looked at her lovingly, his eyes changing color.
"Virat, stop looking at me with that look." she blushed red under his intense look and rested her head on his chest to hide it from him. He smiled and continued moving slowly, swaying to the light romantic music emanating from the band on the stage.
"I cannot even think of staying away from you for a day Manvi." he said. "...and let's get some food inside you after this." He added.
Manvi's eyes welled up and tears rolled down her cheek. Did she want him to go or did she want him to stay? Will she be able to live with herself if she becomes the reason for him to abandon his hopes and dreams??
~~~
