33
Chapter 33
The Little Matchmaker
The following Sunday morning, Anaya woke up to unusual silence.
Which was suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Kabir was never this quiet.
She walked out of her room.
The apartment looked empty.
"Kabir?"
No answer.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Kabir!"
Just as she was about to panic, the front door opened.
Aarav walked in.
Holding a very proud-looking Kabir.
Anaya placed a hand on her chest.
"Oh my God!"
Kabir blinked.
"What?"
"You scared me!"
The little boy looked guilty for exactly two seconds.
Then he smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry."
Aarav looked equally apologetic.
"He knocked on my door at seven in the morning."
Anaya frowned.
"You went to Dad's apartment?"
Kabir nodded.
"I wanted pancakes."
"...Pancakes?"
"He makes fluffy ones."
Aarav coughed awkwardly.
"I may have taught him where I live."
"You definitely shouldn't have."
"I've realized that."
Kabir interrupted.
"They were worth it."
Neither adult could argue with that.
---
After breakfast, Aarav volunteered to wash the dishes.
Anaya looked surprised.
"You don't have to."
"I know."
He rolled up his sleeves.
"But you cooked."
She watched him for a moment.
"You do know how to wash dishes, right?"
He looked offended.
"I'm a businessman, not helpless."
She laughed.
"I had to check."
A few minutes later, Kabir wandered into the kitchen.
He watched quietly.
Then whispered dramatically,
"Dad."
"Hmm?"
"You're doing husband things."
The plate in Aarav's hand almost slipped.
Anaya nearly choked on her tea.
Kabir looked genuinely confused.
"What?"
---
Later that afternoon, the three of them visited a bookstore.
Kabir insisted he needed "serious dinosaur research."
Half an hour later, he was sitting on the floor surrounded by books.
Aarav crouched beside him.
"You only need one."
Kabir shook his head.
"They're all important."
Anaya smiled.
"He gets that from me."
Aarav looked at her.
"No."
She raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"He gets it from both of us."
The words were simple.
Yet hearing "both of us" made something warm settle in Anaya's heart.
---
As they walked through the shopping mall afterward, Kabir suddenly stopped.
"There!"
He pointed excitedly toward a photo booth.
"I want pictures."
Before either adult could object, he dragged them inside.
The booth was tiny.
Far too tiny.
Anaya and Aarav accidentally bumped shoulders.
Both immediately moved apart.
Kabir sighed dramatically.
"Come closer."
Neither moved.
"You won't fit."
Still nothing.
The machine beeped.
"Three..."
Kabir looked at both of them.
"Please?"
Aarav glanced at Anaya.
Only after she gave a tiny nod did he move a little closer.
Not enough to make her uncomfortable.
Just enough for the camera.
The first picture printed.
Kabir grinned.
"We look nice."
The second picture was taken while Kabir made a funny face.
The third captured all three of them laughing.
The last one...
Happened because Kabir suddenly hugged both of them.
The camera flashed.
Freezing the moment forever.
---
That evening, while dropping them home, Aarav handed Anaya the strip of photos.
"You keep it."
She looked at them carefully.
The last picture caught her attention.
Kabir in the middle.
Her on one side.
Aarav on the other.
All three smiling naturally.
Not posing.
Just... happy.
"I'll frame this."
Kabir announced proudly.
Aarav smiled.
"I think that's a good idea."
---
After Kabir went to bed, Anaya stepped onto the balcony.
She found Aarav waiting near the door.
"You don't have to leave so quickly."
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Aarav looked at her.
"You want me to stay a little longer?"
She smiled shyly.
"For tea."
His smile widened.
"I'd like that."
They sat together on the balcony with two cups of chai.
The conversation flowed easily.
Work.
Books.
Childhood memories.
Dreams they had forgotten.
At one point, Anaya laughed so hard at one of Aarav's stories that she had to wipe tears from her eyes.
Aarav simply watched her.
"What?"
"I missed that laugh."
She looked away, suddenly shy.
"It took me a long time to laugh like this again."
His smile faded.
"I'm sorry for every reason you couldn't."
Anaya looked at him.
There was no self-pity in his voice.
No attempt to take all the blame.
Just quiet regret.
She gently placed her cup down.
Then, without thinking too much, she reached out and rested her hand over his.
This time...
Neither of them pulled away.
They simply sat there.
Watching the city lights.
Not speaking.
Because some moments didn't need words.
Inside the apartment, however...
A pair of little eyes peeked through the slightly open curtain.
Kabir quickly grabbed his notebook and wrote:
Mission Mumma + Dad: 40% Complete.
Then he drew a big tick mark beside it.
He smiled proudly.
Everything was going according to plan.
To be continued...