CHAPTER 24 #2
Abhimanyu came down, dressed and ready to leave for work, his usual energy intact. Mishti turned toward him immediately. Her face lit up.
“Congratulations, Abhimanyu,” she said, her voice bright with happiness. “Your Karan Bhai has given his approval for your marriage with Komal.”
Abhimanyu stopped short, stunned. He looked from Mishti to Karan, disbelief flashing across his face. Then joy burst free. He almost jumped, wrapping Mishti in a spontaneous hug.
“Really?” he exclaimed. “Did he say that?”
Mishti nodded happily.
Without waiting another second, he rushed to Karan and hugged him tightly. Karan, slightly taken aback, placed a firm hand on his back and patted it, controlling his own emotions.
“You are the best brother in the world,” Abhimanyu said fervently, pulling back only to hug him again. “Thank you, Bro. I love you.”
Then, already reaching for his phone, he added excitedly, “I have to tell Komal. She will be so happy.”
He walked away hurriedly, already speaking into the phone, his happiness filling the house.
As Karan watched him go, a rare smile touched his lips. Seeing his brother so happy brought a satisfaction that no victory or deal ever had.
But the moment he turned around, he found Mishti admiring him. His heartbeat quickened, loud enough that he was sure she could hear it.
Not wanting to give her any wrong signals that he had started to develop feelings for her, he turned away and marched toward the door.
Heading to work was once again his safest escape.
***************
Two weeks later
Two weeks slipped by quietly. Somewhere between shared breakfasts, fleeting glances and soft concerns, Mishti’s feelings for Karan had grown roots.
She thought of him at odd hours, imagining words she had never planned to speak to any man.
But confessing to Karan her feelings now had started feeling necessary.
Lately, she had sensed a shift in him and in his behaviour towards her.
And that gave her the push she needed to take this forward on her own.
She knew that even if he did not accept her feelings immediately, he might at least not crush them.
She was hopeful that her confession of her feelings for him, of her growing love for him, might help bridge the distance between the two, if not now, then sooner.
This morning, in the kitchen, she shared this thought with Maria, who agreed happily and told Mishti to follow her heart. Sometimes that was all the encouragement a woman needed.
It was then that her phone rang. Divya’s name flashed on the screen. Mishti frowned slightly, surprised at the hour. Divya usually called in the evenings. She asked Maria to continue with the breakfast and stepped out of the kitchen into the living room, answering the call.
“Bhabhi, you called so early,” she said. “Is everything alright there? Is Daksh bhai okay?”
At that exact moment, Karan was descending the stairs. He slowed without realising it when the name Daksh reached him. And his attention sharpened instinctively, as he continued downward, listening to her speak to probably to Daksh’s wife, Divya, he thought.
Suddenly, Mishti’s reaction changed. Her voice broke into laughter, almost like disbelief woven into joy. She clutched the phone tighter. Her face lit up in a way Karan had never seen before.
“I cannot believe this,” Mishti exclaimed into the phone, “This is such wonderful news. I am so happy. Congratulations, Bhabhi.” She paused, listening, her smile widening further.
“I am coming to meet you this evening, after work. I cannot wait to see you. Please pass my love and wishes to Bhai too. I am really so happy.”
She ended the call with a breathless laugh and turned around, only to find Karan standing there. She did not hesitate even for a second and rushed toward him, excitement spilling out of her.
“You know what?” she said, her eyes shining. “Divya Bhabhi is pregnant. She and Daksh bhai are expecting their first baby.”
For a few seconds, Karan said nothing as the words registered slowly. He just looked at her, taking in her joy, her openness, the way happiness sat on her so naturally.
Mishti’s smile faltered when he gave her no reaction at all. She tilted her head, still glowing with happiness, and nudged him softly with her words. “Say something,” she urged.
Karan then exhaled. “So?” he finally said. “What is there to be so overexcited about? Divya is pregnant, not you.”
The words were barely out before he regretted them. Why had that thought even crossed his mind? Why suddenly did Mishti’s pregnancy surface in his head?
Even Mishti stared at him for a second, clearly taken aback. The comment had caught her off guard, too, yet even then she did not stop smiling. This time, the smile had nothing to do with Divya’s news, though.
“If I were pregnant, Mr Karan Wadhwa,” she said in a playful tone, “I would keep you on your toes all the time with my constant mood swings. You would not get a moment of peace.”
He had no intention of indulging that thought, yet it rose vividly in his mind before he could stop it.
Mishti, waking him up at midnight with cravings, insisting he drive her out just for ice cream.
Mishti, eating all her favourite cuisines without guilt, laughing when he pretended to scold her.
Mishti, dragging him through stores, holding up tiny clothes for their unborn child, asking his opinion as if it mattered more than anyone else’s.
And later, in her third trimester, her feet swollen and aching, and he sitting at her feet despite himself, easing the soreness with careful hands just so she could sleep better.
The images struck too close, and he didn’t even know why.
Karan snapped himself out of it, his jaw tightening as if to physically lock those thoughts away. None of it made him feel good, and that was precisely the problem. He cannot, or rather would not want to have a future with Mishti like that.
He turned to walk away when her fingers closed around his hand. It should have startled him, but it did not. Lately, Mishti had begun to touch him without hesitation, as though she believed she had a right to him. And disturbingly, he had not stopped her.
“I am going to meet Bhai and Bhabhi after work,” she said quietly, holding his hand just long enough to make the point. “I just wanted you to know. So you do not scold me later for not informing you.”
Karan did not respond but didn’t deny her either. He withdrew his hand and looked past her, shifting his attention to Maria, who had just stepped out of the kitchen.
“I’m not having breakfast,” he said. “When Abhimanyu is down, tell him I’ve left for the meeting already.”
Maria nodded and quietly moved away, but Mishti did not stop there. She followed Karan through the corridor.
“Oh yes,” she said, catching up with him just as he reached the porch. “You and Rajat have that meeting with the Lexi Group today, right? I hope you are home for dinner.”
Karan did not slow down. He did not turn. His mind was already trying to detach itself from her voice, from the ease with which she spoke of dinners and evenings together, as if they were normal.
But Mishti followed him right up to the car. “And do not skip lunch either,” she added lightly. “You tend to forget food when you are busy. And then you don’t even like me reminding you at the office.”
That was enough.
Karan stopped abruptly, then turned around, and before she could register what was happening, he pulled her toward him, steering her back until she was pressed against the closed door of his car.
“What is wrong with you today?” he demanded. “Why are you talking so much?”
Mishti looked up at him, unafraid. When she pouted slightly, his grip tightened for a fraction of a second before he willed it to loosen.
“I don’t know,” she replied honestly. “Ever since I heard Bhabhi’s news, I…” She stopped, her gaze dropping to his chest, as though she was gathering courage. Then she looked back up at him. “It really hit home, you know.”
“Hit home?” he repeated, wondering if she really said that. “I hope you are not so innocent as to believe that a couple living in two separate rooms can get pregnant.”
Her cheeks burned instantly, the colour spreading fast. But Karan was not done.
“If you don’t know that,” he added coolly, “you should ask your doctor friend Komal. She will explain everything to you and clear your misunderstandings.”
Mishti frowned now. The embarrassment faded, replaced by mild irritation. She did not entirely dislike the way he spoke, even now. There was a strange familiarity in his irritation, a teasing undertone disguised as annoyance.
“I know that much,” she replied. “But—”
He cut her off by pressing his finger gently against her lips. The contact was brief, but enough to send a quiet jolt through both of them.
“One more word on this topic,” he warned, his voice dropping further, “and I am not letting you meet the Goels tonight.”
That did it. Mishti’s brows knitted together. “Stop blackmailing me,” she said, pushing his finger aside.
Karan stepped back, releasing her completely and moved her aside. Without another word, he opened the car door, got in, and drove away.
Mishti stood there, watching the car disappear through the gates. Slowly, a smile curved her lips.
Today was a good day. She had received the good news from Divya, plus Karan’s mood will be even better once he signs off the deal with Lexi group. What better time to confess her feelings than tonight? She knew Karan would not come around easily, not without a push.
But he was surely melting. She could see it already in his concern, in his irritation, in the way he was already drifting, unknowingly, toward their marriage instead of away from it.
Her confession would only hasten that process.
She had something in mind on how to do this, and Maria would be the best person to help.
She quickly rushed back inside to share her full proof plans with Maria and make her do the rest of the arrangements so that when she and Karan return home from work, she would surprise him.
For the first time, she could hardly wait for the night to arrive.