CHAPTER 35 #2
Everybody laughs, including me. Kids. There were hardly any children around me while growing up.
With all the guns and guards, children never really belonged in our world.
But these two... God, they are adorable.
Soon, I’m talking to both of them while everyone continues eating around us.
Avika proudly shows me her spoon, while Veer babbles something in his own language, and I can’t stop laughing.
“See, he likes you already,” Simran says.
A few minutes later, while Simran is trying to feed Veer, the little troublemaker turns away from her spoon and stretches his tiny hand towards me instead.
“Traitor!” Simran gasps.
Laughing, I take the spoon from her. “Come here, Veer.”
The little boy happily opens his mouth and lets me feed him. Then, after finishing the bite, he suddenly catches my finger and licks it.
“Oh, God!” Simran laughs. “You’ve officially stolen my son.”
I burst out laughing while Veer giggles proudly at his own achievement.
That’s when I notice it… Raghav’s gaze from across the table.
He’s sitting directly opposite me, next to Mom, his eyes fixed on me yet again.
Not on the food. Not on anyone else. Just me.
It feels as though the entire table has disappeared.
As if all he sees is me and the little boy sitting beside me.
Simran notices his gaze, and so does Ayaan.
“Don’t tell me…” Ayaan murmurs to Meher, trying hard not to laugh. “He’s jealous of a two-year-old because his wife is feeding him.”
Meher instantly pats his arm.
“Stop it,” she scolds under her breath. “It’s actually cute.”
I overhear them and immediately look at Raghav again. He isn’t jealous. He’s just watching me as if he himself doesn’t understand what he’s seeing… me, fitting so naturally into this family.
“Siya, do you love kids?” Simran asks.
“I do. I never really got an opportunity to spend time around them. There were hardly any children in my family. But I love them. They are such bundles of joy.”
I mean every word. Looking at Veer and Avika right now… my heart feels strangely full.
“Thank goodness.” Meher smiles, rubbing her stomach lovingly. “Looks like my twins are getting another aunt who’s going to spoil them. Raghav is going to pamper them so much anyway, and now they’ll have double the pampering.”
One of Meher’s aunts suddenly turns to me.
“It’s good that you love kids, beta,” she says, her eyes already twinkling with mischief. “Mark my words… Ayaan and Raghav are twins. Meher is carrying twins too. So, I think twins run in their blood.”
My cheeks instantly warm. And then comes the real missile.
“Who knows? Maybe someday we’ll see Siya carrying Raghav’s twins too.”
There is complete silence because everyone in the family knows exactly how Raghav and I got married, but the poor aunt doesn’t. So, to keep up the pretence that everything is fine between us, they all smile and get back to their stuff, while Mom watches me.
Through it all, the only person I see is Raghav, and the only person he sees is me. Neither of us says a word or looks away. It’s ridiculous. While everybody around us is trying to diffuse the tension, all we do is stare at each other.
A moment later, the same aunt turns to Mom.
“What do you say, Rukmini ji?” she asks with a smile. “I’m sure you’re also waiting for the day to hold your grandchildren.”
Mom slowly looks at me, then at Raghav, and her eyes soften. “Of course,” she says softly. “What mother doesn’t dream of that happiness? Even I’m waiting to see my future grandchildren someday.”
Pratap Uncle chimes in. “Let me tell you, Rukmini ji, I’m the luckiest grandfather alive. I already have Avika and Veer, and now Meher’s twins are on the way. Trust me, becoming a grandparent changes your life in the most beautiful way.”
Everyone at the table agrees.
“And when Raghav and Siya have children...” he says, looking at both of us. “You’ll get to live the best phase of your life.”
Huh! The entire table seems to have collectively decided Raghav’s and my future.
It’s as if everyone here is silently manifesting it.
Neither Raghav nor I can take our eyes off each other.
I’m too aware of everything. His gaze, the fact that I’m blushing, and the stupid butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
I quickly lower my gaze and take another bite.
Big mistake. In my haste to avoid Raghav’s gaze and this topic, I choke on my food and start to cough. Before I can even think, Raghav’s hand reaches across the table, sliding a glass of water towards me.
Without thinking, I grab the glass and take a hurried sip, then another. Only after my breathing settles do I realise this isn’t my glass. It’s his. He’d already been drinking from it, and now I’ve finished the remaining water.
The entire family at the table falls suspiciously silent, witnessing the kind of looks we are giving to each other. But Raghav seems unbothered. He simply sits there, his eyes still locked on me, as if sharing a glass with his wife is the most natural thing in the world.
And somehow... it feels perfectly natural to me too.
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Few Hours Later
The day finally comes to an end. Most of the guests have already left, and only the close family remains. Everyone looks exhausted but happy. We are getting ready to leave for Shergill Mansion when it happens.
I’m hurrying towards Mom, one hand trying to keep the pallu of my sari in place as I walk, when my sandal slips off my foot.
Honestly, I’m not even surprised. I’ve always preferred comfort over fashion.
So I’m particular about my footwear. Soft straps, the perfect fit, and nothing too tight or restrictive.
But with a saree and a hurried step… even the most well-fitted sandal can betray you. I stop at once, slightly flustered. It’s a struggle to fix the sandal with one hand while adjusting my pallu with the other. That’s when I see him. Without a word, Raghav kneels in front of me.
I literally freeze as he picks up my sandal and holds it for me to slip my foot in. But how can I… when he’s doing something so intimate, that too in front of the entire family?
Realising I’m making no move to take his help, he finally lifts his head. His gaze meets mine… waiting. As if he’s asking me to place my foot into the sandal.
Almost instinctively, my hand rests lightly on his shoulder for balance as I slip my foot into the sandal he’s holding. Raghav adjusts it, making sure it fits perfectly before securing it to my foot.