24. Upset With Him #3
"Okay, okay… shhh. Everything is fine. I am not upset," Shivika said, rubbing his back gently.
After a minute, he slowly broke the hug. He rubbed his face with his palm and let out a deep sigh, trying to compose himself.
She cupped his face again and kissed his forehead.
He opened his eyes only to find her smiling softly at him.
"I know and sorry… I just said that to make the situation serious," she said sheepishly.
He shook his head lightly, half helpless, half amused.
Then, without saying anything, he adjusted himself and sat properly on the floor, resting his head in her lap.
His hands gently moved over her stomach, rubbing slowly in a comforting rhythm.
"Look, baby… how your mumma is torturing your papa. She even made me cry," he complained softly.
Just then--
A kick.
Then another.
Then another.
Rakshit's eyes widened.
"See? In your team only." Shivika said with a small laugh.
Rakshit chuckled, the heaviness finally lifting.
He pressed a light kiss on her stomach, then looked up at her and smiled.
She gently stroked his hair, her fingers moving slowly, lovingly.
"I lo--"
Before he could complete the word, he immediately pressed his palm over his mouth.
Her eyes widened.
"What happened?" Shivika asked, frowning once he removed his hand.
Rakshit immediately stood up and walked toward the kitchen, almost too quickly.
"Nothing… just ate my tongue in between words," he said, grabbing a glass of water and drinking it in one go.
His heart was racing.
He had almost said it.
The words were right there.
On his lips.
Ready.
I love you.
He stood there for a second, staring at nothing.
Rakshit, what the hell were you going to say?
Rakshit went back to her quietly and sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders in that protective yet effortless way that always made her feel safe. He pulled her just a little closer, his thumb absentmindedly brushing against her arm.
"So… you really want to go to the wedding?" he asked softly, studying her face.
She didn't even try to hide it this time. Her entire expression lit up.
"Not only the wedding," she said, turning toward him with growing excitement.
"I want to attend every function. Mehendi, haldi, sangeet, everything. You know I love weddings. There's so much fun, so much noise, so many colours. Everyone dressed up, dancing, laughing… it feels alive."
The way her eyes sparkled while saying it did something to him. That spark-- that childlike joy, that was what he could never deny her.
He smiled slowly.
"Okay. We'll go."
She froze for a second, clearly not expecting it to be that easy.
"Really? No rules? No long discussion? No 'don't do this, don't do that'?"
He shook his head lightly.
"No. I'll look after you… and you just enjoy."
She narrowed her eyes at him playfully.
"I am not a baby to look after," she said, her voice carrying that cute stubbornness he secretly adored.
He raised one eyebrow, mischief dancing in his eyes.
"But you are carrying the baby."
She let out an exaggerated whining sound and lightly hit his chest. "Aksh!"
He laughed, pulling her closer before she could move away.
"And not to forget," he added, leaning closer to her ear, "you are my baby too."
Her cheeks turned red almost instantly. She tried to look offended but failed miserably because her lips betrayed her with a shy smile.
"You are impossible," she muttered, resting her forehead briefly against his shoulder as if hiding.
He chuckled, loving how easily he could fluster her.
"Okay, Madam Excited," he continued teasingly, "now tell me what's going on in that overactive brain of yours."
She straightened up immediately, energy returning at full force.
"We have very less time and we have to prepare so many things, your clothes, my clothes, jewellery, matching footwear, gifts… everything! We need to go shopping too. And I don't want last-minute chaos. And--"
"Ika," he interrupted gently, placing a finger under her chin, "take a deep breath."
She inhaled dramatically just to make a point.
"Everything will be done," he said calmly. "And we're not going to run around in crowded markets. I'll call the designer home. You can sit comfortably and choose outfits for both of us. That way you won't get tired."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"I will choose your outfits too?"
There was something more in that question than just surprise. It was a quiet wish she had never voiced out loud. She had always imagined picking out clothes for her husband, adjusting his collar, matching his pocket square to her dupatta. It was such a small thing… but it meant something.
He noticed that softness in her expression.
"Yes," he said without hesitation.
He tapped her nose lightly, smiling.
"I am so excited," she whispered, finally resting her head against his shoulder, her voice softer now but filled with genuine happiness.
"It will be so much fun."
"It will be," he replied, placing his head gently above hers, his cheek brushing against her hair.
They just sat like that-- planning, imagining, smiling.