60. FUNCTION
VEERANSH:
It is 10:45 p.m. I check the time again.
10:47. And she is still downstairs. Laughing loudly enough for me to hear her all the way from the staircase landing.
Slowly, I walk downstairs and immediately find her sitting on the sofa beside Suhana.
Both of them are bent over a phone, laughing like children at something on the screen.
Her head falls back every time she laughs.
Carefree. Unbothered. As if the doctor did not hand us an entire schedule yesterday.
As if she is not supposed to sleep by ten o'clock.
I stand there quietly for a moment and simply watch her.
She looks happy. Glowing. Then finally, I clear my throat softly.
Both of them look up immediately. Suhana straightens first. "Bhai.
" Aarohi blinks at me innocently. "What?
" I keep my voice calm. "Let us go upstairs.
It is late." She frowns instantly. "It is only eleven.
" I raise one eyebrow. "It was ten thirty fifteen minutes ago.
" She rolls her eyes dramatically. "Wow. Time police."
"Your sleeping time is ten o'clock," I remind her calmly.
"The doctor literally wrote it down for you.
" She waves her hand dismissively. "The doctor also did not say laughing is forbidden.
" Suhana giggles beside her immediately.
I give Suhana one look and she instantly pretends to scroll her phone seriously.
"Aarohi," I repeat more firmly this time, "come upstairs.
" She folds her arms stubbornly. "No." My eyebrow lifts slowly.
"No?" She nods proudly. "No. Me and Suhana are going to watch a horror movie. "
"What?" I stare at her in disbelief. "Yes," she says confidently.
"Watching horror movies at night feels more fun.
" I shake my head immediately. "You are not watching any horror movie.
" She narrows her eyes at me. "Why?" "Because you need proper sleep.
" "It is only one movie." "No." Instantly, she folds her arms like an offended child.
"Then I am going to Suhana's room." I step slightly closer. "Quietly come upstairs."
She stands up immediately now. "No. I want to watch it.
" Before I can respond again, Maa's voice interrupts from behind us.
"You two started again?" She walks into the living room looking more amused than annoyed.
Aarohi immediately walks toward her dramatically.
"See, Maa? He is not even letting me watch one horror movie.
" I cut her off calmly. "Go to the room.
" That tone. The final one. She recognizes it instantly.
For a second, she opens her mouth as if she wants to argue again.
Then she closes it quietly. Without looking at me anymore, she simply walks toward the staircase silently.
Good. At least she understands limits sometimes.
Before following her upstairs, I turn toward Suhana seriously.
"And you." She already looks guilty before I even continue.
"Stop supporting Aarohi in every small thing. " She shrinks slightly into the sofa.
Then I look toward Maa too, my tone softer but still firm.
"And you too, Maa. Because both of you support her every time, she becomes more stubborn.
But now I will not allow that anymore." Maa sighs quietly.
"Veer." I shake my head. "It is not about ego.
It is about responsibility." Maa studies my face carefully for a few seconds.
She sees it then. The fear underneath everything.
The seriousness. Slowly, she nods in understanding.
When I return upstairs, Aarohi is already lying on her side of the bed with her back turned toward the door.
The lights are dim and she is acting deeply offended.
Quietly, I change clothes and lie down beside her.
Her breathing already sounds suspiciously steady.
Too steady. "Did she really fall asleep that quickly?
" I murmur quietly to myself. No response.
I move slightly closer. "Aarohi." Silence again.
I almost smile because she is obviously pretending.
But I decide not to push her further. Instead, I switch off the lamp completely and lie beside her quietly.
Within minutes though, she actually falls asleep for real.
Maybe she was genuinely tired after all.
I look at her face beneath the faint moonlight filtering through the curtains.
She pouts even while sleeping. Stubborn.
Childish. Precious. A quiet sigh leaves me.
These next nine months are going to be much harder than I thought.
The next morning, I wake up before the alarm at exactly seven.
The doctor said routine matters now. Sitting up slowly, I glance toward her sleeping form.
She is still deeply asleep, hair covering half her face while the blanket has somehow ended up kicked aside.
Shaking my head lightly, I pull the blanket back over her shoulder carefully.
"Aarohi," I say gently. "Wake up. It is seven.
" She groans dramatically without opening her eyes. "So early."
"Yes." Instantly, she pulls the blanket over her head completely.
"The doctor said," I remind her calmly. From underneath the blanket, her muffled voice appears.
"Now I will only listen to the doctor." "Exactly," I reply dryly.
"Now whatever the doctor says will happen.
" No movement follows afterward. "Aarohi.
" Silence again. Leaning slightly closer, I tug the blanket gently.
"Wake up. Morning routine matters." She simply turns the other way stubbornly.
"I am sleeping." I narrow my eyes slightly.
"If you do not wake up right now, I will carry you all the way to the washroom myself.
" No reaction. Either she is fully ignoring me or she has genuinely gone unconscious again.
"Aarohi." Still nothing. I am just about to pull the blanket away completely when a knock sounds at the door.
I glance toward it immediately. "Maa?" "Veer," Maa calls from outside.
"An invitation came yesterday. I forgot to tell you. "
I stand up and open the door slightly. "What is it?
" Maa hands me a card. "There is a function at Sharma ji's house tonight.
We all have to attend." Instinctively, I glance back toward the bed where Aarohi still sleeps peacefully.
Maa notices immediately. "Still sleeping?
" "Yes." Maa smiles softly. "Let her sleep a little more.
" I sigh quietly. "She already sleeps too much.
" Maa chuckles lightly. "You have completely become a father already. "
I do not answer that. Quietly, Maa leaves while I close the door again and turn back toward Aarohi.
She is still in the exact same position.
Peaceful. Entirely unbothered by the world.
Walking back to the bed, I sit beside her again.
"Aarohi." This time, she opens one eye slightly.
"What now?" "We have to go somewhere in the evening.
" "Hmm." "And you need to wake up now." She closes her eye again immediately. "Five more minutes."
"You already said that ten minutes ago." Suddenly, she grabs my wrist lightly and pulls.
I lose balance slightly before falling halfway over her.
Lazily, she wraps one arm around me. "Just stay for a little while," she murmurs sleepily.
For one small second, I forget everything.
Discipline. Schedules. Doctor instructions.
I simply stay there quietly, listening to her breathing and feeling her warmth against me.
But then responsibility returns immediately.
Carefully, I untangle myself from her arms. "Enough.
Wake up." She whines softly. "You have changed.
" "Yes." "Before, you used to let me sleep.
" I look directly at her. "Before, you were not carrying our child.
" That instantly silences her completely.
Her eyes open properly this time and she studies my face quietly.
There it is again. That understanding. That shift between us.
Finally, she sighs dramatically before sitting up slowly.
"Fine. I am getting up." "Good." She swings her legs off the bed and walks toward the washroom painfully slowly on purpose.
At the door, she turns and glares at me.
"I still wanted to watch the horror movie.
" A faint smirk touches my lips. "Not happening.
" She disappears inside while I sit back against the bed quietly and exhale.
This is truly going to be a very long nine months.
A stubborn wife. Emotional mood swings. Doctor schedules. Family functions. Cravings.
But underneath all of that, there is something steady forming quietly inside me.
A promise. No matter how much she argues or pouts, I will make sure she stays safe.
Even if she calls me strict for it. Honestly, I do not mind anymore.
Because now, I am not only responsible for her heart.
I am responsible for two hearts now. And I refuse to fail either one of them.
By evening, she is somehow ready before me.
The moment I step out from the dressing area and see her standing near the mirror adjusting her bangles, I pause automatically.
Light purple saree. Soft makeup. Open hair falling around her shoulders.
Her mangalsutra resting lightly against her collarbone.
She turns slightly and catches me staring.
"What?" she asks suspiciously. "Nothing," I answer immediately. But it is definitely not nothing.
She looks different lately. There is a glow around her now that did not exist before.
Or maybe I am simply noticing her more carefully now.
"Shall we go?" she asks softly. I nod quietly.
The function is being held inside a large hotel ballroom filled with bright lights, crystal chandeliers, soft music, and people greeting each other with polite smiles.
We sit at a round table near the stage. Maa sits beside Suhana while Aarohi sits beside me.
Within ten minutes, Aarohi and Suhana lean toward each other whispering and giggling over something on the phone again.
I glance sideways suspiciously. "What is happening?
" I ask quietly. "Nothing," Aarohi answers too quickly.
Suspicious. After some time, she leans toward me slightly.
"We will come back in a minute." I narrow my eyes.
"Where?" "Just there. We are looking at the decorations.
" I glance around the ballroom slowly. Decorations are literally everywhere.
"There is no need to inspect the decorations.
Sit quietly." She immediately makes a face.
"Why are you so controlling?" "Aarohi." That tone again.
She sighs dramatically but sits down again.
For exactly ten minutes. Then both of them begin whispering once more before quietly disappearing while I am distracted for a second.
I only realize when I turn to speak and her chair is empty.
"Suhana?" Gone too. Instantly, I scan the hall carefully.
Not near the buffet. Not near the stage either.
I stand up immediately. Before I can search further though, the event host and his wife approach our table warmly.
"Veer!" he greets happily. I shake his hand politely while his wife smiles.
"And this must be your wife. She is beautiful.
" I nod slightly. "Thank you." They continue speaking politely about business and family matters, but my attention keeps drifting elsewhere. Where did she go?
Finally, dinner announcements begin and people move toward the buffet.
Quietly excusing myself, I walk toward the balcony corridor nearby.
And there I finally see her. Aarohi stands near the open balcony doors beside Suhana.
And another man. A boy around her age. They are laughing together while talking comfortably.
My jaw tightens slightly. I do not recognize him.
Slowly, I walk toward them. Aarohi notices me only when I say her name.
"Aarohi." She immediately turns toward me.
"Yes?" Her expression changes instantly from carefree to alert.
"What were you doing here?" Suhana suddenly becomes very interested in the floor.
Aarohi answers smoothly though. "I met my classmate here, so we were talking.
" She gestures toward him politely. "This is Rohan.
We studied together in college." He smiles politely before extending his hand toward me. I shake it briefly. Firmly. Carefully.
"Oh, so you are Veeransh," he says casually.
"She used to talk about you." Used to. Something tightens unexpectedly inside my chest at those words.
"Oh?" I respond calmly. Aarohi immediately rushes to explain.
"He means after marriage." I do not react outwardly, but something inside me definitely shifts.
Jealousy maybe. More than maybe. I look at her carefully.
She looks comfortable around him. Too comfortable. "Shall we go?" I say calmly.
She nods immediately. "Yes." Without thinking much, I place my hand lightly against her waist while leading her away.
Possessive. Protective. Maybe both. During dinner, I notice she barely eats anything.
"Eat properly," I whisper beside her. "I am eating.
" "You barely touched anything." She sighs quietly but forces herself to take a few more bites afterward.
The rest of dinner passes in polite conversations, but I remain quieter than before.
Twice, she glances toward me carefully, clearly sensing the shift in my mood.
The drive home remains calm and quiet. She leans back against the seat tiredly.
"I am tired," she murmurs softly. "Hmm." After a few moments, I speak casually.
"You seemed very busy talking to your classmate.
" She immediately looks toward me. "We met after many years.
" "I see." Silence settles again. Then suddenly, she studies my face carefully.
"You are jealous." "I am not." A smile slowly appears on her lips. "You are."
I do not answer. She walks toward the wardrobe and begins unpinning her saree.
A few seconds later, I follow her inside the room too.
The moment she notices me standing there, she quickly grabs her pallu across herself.
"What are you doing?" she asks suspiciously.
"Watching you." Her cheeks turn slightly pink immediately.
"Turn around." "Why?" She narrows her eyes stubbornly.
"Turn around." Instead, I deliberately step closer.
"Why are you shy? There is nothing here that I have not already seen before. "
Her cheeks become even redder instantly.
"Go away." A quiet laugh escapes me finally.
"Fine, fine." I step outside the room afterward.
A minute later, she comes out wearing her night suit with her hair loosely tied.
She sits down on the bed while I sit beside her.
"Now what?" she asks tiredly. "I want ice cream.
" I stare at her in disbelief. "Ice cream?
At this hour?" She nods seriously. Before I can even refuse, a servant knocks and enters carrying a small bowl.
"Ice cream, sir." I stare directly at him while he immediately looks terrified.
"Madam ordered it earlier," he explains nervously.
Slowly, I turn toward Aarohi while she grins sheepishly.
"You planned this?" "Maybe." She starts eating far too quickly.
"Slowly," I warn her. She completely ignores me.
Half the bowl disappears within seconds.
Finally, I take it away from her. "Enough.
" She immediately frowns. "A little more. " "No."
She leans back dramatically against the pillow afterward.
"I cannot sleep." "You will." Quietly, I adjust the pillows before lying beside her.
Almost automatically, she moves closer and rests her head against my chest like it is her default position now.
Slowly, I begin tapping her hair gently in a soft rhythm.
After a few moments, I speak casually again.
"You were smiling a lot with your classmate.
" She looks up immediately. "You really are jealous. "
"I am not." She giggles softly. "Relax. He is only a friend.
" I stay silent. Then she shifts slightly closer against me.
"My husband is much more handsome." A soft snort escapes me.
"Flattery will not work." "It is not flattery.
" She yawns halfway through the sentence while sleep slowly takes over her face again.
Before she fully drifts off, I remind her quietly, "We have a hospital checkup tomorrow.
" "Hmm," she murmurs sleepily. "On time. "
"No green vegetables tomorrow," she mumbles weakly before falling asleep completely within seconds.
I almost laugh quietly. Slowly, I continue stroking her hair while the jealousy fades away, replaced by something steadier.
She chose to walk back with me immediately.
She did not argue. She did not hide anything.
Maybe I overreacted. Or maybe I simply do not like another man smiling at her the way I smile at her now.
I look down at her peaceful sleeping face quietly.
Possessiveness is not always insecurity.
Sometimes, it is simply knowing what you have and refusing to lose it.
Carefully, I pull the blanket over her before whispering softly near her forehead, "Sleep.
From tomorrow onward, an even stricter routine starts.
" She does not hear me. But somehow, a faint smile still appears on her lips even in sleep.