Part Time Lovers!

3. Dilemma

It had been a week since the doctor's appointment And Prerna was trying her best to smile and not stress herself. The fact that Anurag had been busy with some office chore had been a boon, because she didn't have to face him, and his complaining eyes that always made her resolve weak.

Right now Prerna watched Kuki as she did her homework, with a small smile dancing on her face. Kuki would look up every few minutes, checking on her and then would resume her work. Prerna laughed at her and ruffled her hairs, earning a huge smile.

"Kuki?", Prerna called, and Kuki looked up raising her eyebrows.

"Why are you looking up again and again?", Prerna questioned, and Kuki giggled, signaling the smile on her face.

"You are making sure I am smiling?", Prerna read her actions and Kuki smiled wider nodding her head, and jumped up to kiss Prerna's cheek.

Prerna pulled the little girl in her lap, and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you for taking care of my smile sweetheart", she whispered in her ears and cuddled her tight, to which Kuki smiled again and turned her face to loop her hands around her neck. Once settled, she pointed her finger at her father's picture, lying on the bedside table.

"Papa asked you to take care of me?", Prerna guessed, astonished and Kuki nodded, dutifully, before signalling some more.

"Both me and Papa love your smile", Prerna was more surprised to read her actions this time, and found no words to respond. Forcing a smile on her face, she patted Kuki's head, who went back to her homework.

A knock on her door broke her chain of thoughts.

"Boudi, juice!", the servant enteted with a glass of juice and Prerna looked up, frowning.

"But Kuki just had her breakfast", She spoke, wanting to dismiss him when the servant shook his head and forwarded it to her.

"It is for you. Rishabh baba had requested us to follow a diet for you, that he gave us, and you need to have this juice twice in a day. Now have it soon, I will bring fruits in a while", he informed her and smiled at Kuki, before leaving. He was one of Mr. Bajaj's most trusted servants, Maasi had already told Prerna that. That was why he had also come with them to Basu Badi.

Prerna sipped the juice, lost deep in her thoughts. The last week ran through her mind, she had not even noticed all the healthy food she had been eating. The occasional juices, dry fruits, the heavy lunches, all made sense now.

Prerna sighed as the thought of thanking Mr. Bajaj crossed her mind. He had been taking care of her so well, and she would not even look his way properly. She realised it wasn't her fault per se, because looking at him made her feel guilty about hurting Anurag.

Anurag was supposed to be her husband, not him.

Anurag was supposed to be the father of her child, he was supposed to pamper her, take care of her, not him.

It made her yearn for her happily ever after she had imagined with Anurag, the man she fell hopelessly in love with.

It also made her angry, for turning Anurag into someone he wasn't. She never could imagine in her worst nightmares that Anurag would become someone so short tempered, and would plan and plot against someone, or would turn a blind eye to the pain he was causing to his family. Prerna felt rage at these thoughts, because she somehow understood that it was her love, or the lack of it which was changing him into the Anurag she didn't recognise anymore.

Sighing, she stood up, wanting to go lay down for a while and rest. Kissing Kuki's forehead and letting her know where she was going, Prerna walked out of her room and was about to enter her bedroom when she collided with Anurag outside her room, and all the books he was carrying fell down on the ground.