Fighting!

Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Ananya's point of view:

Aayush and I went inside the room holding each others hands.

“I’ll give you a tour of the apartment in the morning” Aayush said, turning towards me. I was more than okay with that. I was dead tired. It was too many emotions for one day and I’ve been up since early morning.

“Okay” I nodded.

He pulled me closer, his eyes were on me. I wrapped my arms around his waist and placed my head on his shoulder. I’ve missed him. It’s been a month since we saw each other. We barely spent time talking since he had to work a lot. His company gave him 2 weeks' leave, that’s it. I asked him why he worked so much one day. His answer was “I might have studied computer science but my mind works like a businessman”. I understood that he didn’t want to make a living out of just his salary. He aims higher.

“I’ve missed you” were his words and I lazily smiled.

“Me too,” I whispered. Not sure if he heard it or not.

“Are you tired?” He asked, breaking the hug, and I nodded. I slightly pouted as I missed his warmth.

“Come on, let’s sleep”, he said, pointing towards the bed. I hopped on, not wanting to say another word. He went to the washroom and came out a few minutes later wearing a grey v-neck t-shirt and black pants. Why does he look sexy in nightwear?

He sat on the bed and got inside the bedsheets. It was fluffy and so snuggly, I was already so comfortable in it. But when he got in, that’s when my mind registered that both of us would be sleeping in the same bed. We haven’t even kissed yet. That’s another whole problem. I don’t know how to kiss. I have not kissed anyone before on the lips.

I shared a bed with my parents when I was a kid and with my friends in college during sleep overs or movie nights. Sharing a bed with a guy is whole another territory.

He set the alarm on his phone and placed it on the nightstand. He was so systematic, anyone could tell just by his body language. It makes him even more attractive.

He turned towards me and caught me staring at him.

“Like what you see” he said, winking, and I burst out laughing. Even though I’m so tired, his dialogue made me move my cheek muscles.

“What?” He asked, chuckling.

“Nothing” I said, shaking my head.

He placed his hand on my hand and intervened our fingers, I liked the fact that he’s giving me my space. We might be close, but we’re not too close. We still need to get to know each other more and figure out our life together. I just hope we find time to explore ourselves emotionally before we get stuck with responsibilities and work.

I seriously can’t remember when I fell asleep, but the last thing I remember was the abyss in his eyes.

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Next morning, when I woke up, the first thing I saw was the sky from the balcony. I turned around to see Aayush sleeping in his space, slowly opening his eyes. His alarm was shrilling, which disturbed my sleep. Aayush looked at me as soon as he opened his eyes and his lips pulled up into a smile and it automatically brought a smile to my face.

“Good morning” he said in his husky morning voice and I was swooning already.

“Good morning, could you please turn that thing off. I’m getting a headache” I said in one breath, and my energy was back.

He chuckled and turned his alarm off.

“What’s the time anyway?” I asked him as my phone was in the dining room itself. I was so tired yesterday that I didn’t even take it inside the room.

“7 am” he said, looking at me.

“Oh, what am I supposed to do getting up this early? Should I start breakfast? But I don’t know how to cook. Is aunty up? Is Diya up? I didn’t talk to her the whole day yesterday -“

“Woah, that’s too much talking for the morning. It’s fine, mom usually gets up at this time. I’ll help her in making breakfast. You sleep”, he said, getting up. At his words, my sleep was gone.

“No, no, I’m not sleepy. I’ll go help her” even I sat up. I had a good night's sleep and now my sleep is gone, I can’t go back to sleep even if I try.

“Okay, then I’ll hit the gym”, he said, getting out of bed.

“You go to the gym daily?” I asked him. I mean no surprise there. His body is lean but he has abs for sure.

“Yeah, in the morning. It’s a great way to start a day”, he said, stretching his body and, my oh my, he’s so fit. I had to hold my hand back to myself from touching him, that would be so awkward. I stood up and placed the bedsheets back to how they were. Neatly folded into two and tucked in the bed.

He went inside the washroom and I opened the balcony door and went outside. The view was so beautiful, but it was chilly. Early morning wind maybe, but I liked it. It was so peaceful. There were buildings at a distance and a few houses in the surroundings which were like bungalows. Mostly, greenery is covered among them.

There was not even a single person in sight, given that I’m on the 20th floor, but there are a few more floors than ours and apartments beside ours. Their balcony is similar to ours. I could get lost looking at the view all day long.

A sudden warmth surrounded me from behind which took me by surprise. Aayush’s arms were wrapped around me, while his head was at my side. His body warmth keeps my behind covered. I sighed, this is perfect.

“Penny for your thoughts?” He asked, holding me closer. I like how he initiates physical intimacy but keeps it minimal as not to overbear me or make me uncomfortable. I placed my arms on his and leaned back onto his body.

“I’m just enjoying the view” I said in simple words.

“Yeah, it’s beautiful. I remember when I first took this apartment, I spent most of my time on this balcony staring at the view”, He said, placing his chin on my head. I smiled.

“When did you buy it?” I asked him.

“It’s been a year. I couldn’t stay in my old apartment after what happened. I needed a fresh start so I moved here. Anyway, my parents brought that old apartment but this is mine”, He said, pressing his lips on my temple. I could see a sense of pride in his voice. Getting this kind of an apartment at this young age, I’m sure he’s either a tech genius or a mastermind investor. He knows what to do with his salary.

“It’s amazing. The view from the living room is also beautiful. I really loved it” I whispered.

“Yeah?” He asked for confirmation.

I nodded my head, giving him his answer.

He turned me around and I saw him smiling at me. He pressed his lips on my forehead.

“Go freshen up, we need to start our first day as husband and wife”, he said, pressing his forehead on mine.

His words brought out so many emotions in me, one among them was excitement.

Suddenly, I remembered. s**t! I forgot to call my mom yesterday.

I’m a dead meat.

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When I went outside after taking a shower and dressing in Kurtha and leggings, Aunty was already in the kitchen. At least until aunty and uncle are here, I’ll wear these attires and once they go back I can wear my old night wears. I know Aayush will be okay with them.

“Good morning aunty”, I greeted her and took her by surprise.

“Oh! Good morning Anu, I didn’t know you were up” she said, turning towards me.

“What are you doing? Can I help?” I said, standing beside her.

“I’m making Poori and Channa masala. I’ll do this, you sit and relax. Half of it is already done” she said, frying poori.

An idea came to me. Maybe this is the time I can bond with Diya.

“Aunty is Diya up?” I asked her just to be sure, I didn’t want to go to her room and disturb her sleep.

“She’s not but it’s her time to get up”, She said, looking at the clock.

“Then I’ll go wake her up” I said, getting excited. She looked at me with a huge smile and nodded.

I went out and saw Danish uncle walking inside the apartment from the main door.

“Good morning uncle”, I wished him.

“Good morning Ananya. Had a good sleep?” He asked, removing his walking shoes.

“I did, uncle. It’s so peaceful over here” I said, smiling at him.

“Yeah, the view is spectacular” he said, pointing at the living room window. I nodded.

“I’ll go wake Diya up” I said, pointing towards the hallway where rooms are present.

“Go on Beta(daughter)” I smiled at his words. He’s so sweet. He doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he’s really sweet.

I went into the hallway, there were 4 rooms there. One was Aayush’s room. Not Aayush, our room! Our room! I keep forgetting that.

And the other three I need to explore. I know Aayush said he'd give me a tour, but if I don’t find which Diya's room is, then I’ll have to look into all three.

I opened the door of the room across from our room. And it was Diya’s room. She was sleeping on a bassinet. It was large enough for her. Her room was dark but there were star stickers on the ceiling giving the whole room a night in a meadow vibe. I would have loved to have them when I was a kid. There were so many pastel pink decorations, but the room is very big. She won’t have a problem even when she’s older, she can stay in this room itself.

I moved towards the bassinet and removed the mosquito net to see her sleeping peacefully sucking her thumb. My heart soared at the sight. She’s like an angel, so cute and innocent. I suddenly got a plan of making her wear an angel costume and do a photoshoot. Maybe on her birthday.

I didn’t have the heart to disturb her sleep, but mom once said if they sleep for a long time, exceeding their sleep time, then they’ll get cranky and will be in a bad mood the whole day. s**t! I need to call her. I’ll call after breakfast.

I leaned in and whispered.

“Diya” I said, patting her cheeks softly. She didn’t even stir.

“Baby, get up. It’s morning” I said as if she'd understand, I patted her arm but she didn’t move.

So I slowly removed her thumb from her mouth, her forehead wrinkled and she slowly opened her eyes.

“Hi baby”. I couldn’t stop myself. She’s so freaking cute. She’s like those i********: babies, who have a page created for them and have like a million followers.

She looked at me confused. Obviously she will be. I’m talking to her for the first time.

“Ni-ni” were her confused words.

I picked her up and held her in my arms. I used my other hand for support. I need some time to get used to it.

“Your ni-ni is making breakfast. You want to meet her?” I asked her. She looked at me with a blank expression on her face and slowly placed her head on my shoulder blade and slept off with her hands around my neck. Awww, my heart hurts. It is so cute. I never interacted with kids her age. I would just touch their cheek and say how cute they are, even if they are or not, and skedaddle.

I carried her outside and in the living room Aayush was sitting on the couch and removing his gym shoes. His shirt was drenched and his hair was wet. He never looked more handsome.

“Hey”, he greeted me as soon as he saw me.

“Hi, look who's still sleeping” I said, eyeing Diya. He smiled at me and moved behind us to talk to her.

“Diya”, he said, tapping her cheek, but she didn’t budge.

“She must be very tired from yesterday's events” he said, kissing her head.

“Yeah, she must be more tired than us. Everyone there was pulling her cheeks and trying to talk to her”, I said, chuckling, and I didn’t get any response. Before I could turn and see him, I felt a peck on my cheek. I turned abruptly with a blush spreading my cheeks. I raised my eyebrows at him, controlling my smile. He just winked and walked towards our room.

Shaking my head, I went to the kitchen. Aunty was already done with breakfast.

“Aunty, she’s very sleepy. Shall I let her sleep or wake her up?” I was completely confused about what to do.

“Here, I’ll take her”, she said, wiping her hands.

“I’ll take all of this to the dining table” I said, pointing towards the food she had prepared.

She smiled and nodded before taking Diya from me. Diya whined but nestled in her arms for seconds.

I started arranging the table. I suddenly remembered there are at least 3 apartments on this floor. I met all my neighbours in Pune. I was close to a few of them and I wonder what kind of people these are.

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I called my mom after breakfast and was nearly in tears after the call ended. She told me to visit them tomorrow. She’s making lunch for all of us, including uncle and aunty. I said okay and gave the phone to aunty so that those two ladies could talk. I picked Diya up and a few of her toys and went to the living room. I sat on the sofa with her on my lap. Aayush was helping aunty keep all the dishes inside.

“Hi Diya” I said, touching her chubby cheeks. She clapped her hands and grasped my shirt and leaned forward to put it in her mouth. I laughed out loud at her antics.

“Which toy do you want? This bear? Elephant? Or this lion?” I asked, showing her toys, but she grabbed her bunny.

“Bun” she screeched, shaking the bunny in her hands. I laughed out loud at her excitement. She’s a treasure. Kids at this age are the cutest. Below one year are too sensitive and kids in their teenage years are too much to handle. Thank god, Diya is at an age where she’s not too sensitive and also doesn’t remember her parents falling out.

Aayush came out of the kitchen and saw us lying on the sofa playing and smiled.

I nodded my head, calling him to join us. He came and sat beside me.

“Da-da” she got excited to see her father, whom she had seen just a few minutes ago. Kids!

“Hey baby, what are you doing?” He asked, picking her up. She showed him her bunny.

“Oh you’re playing with a bun” as soon as he said that, she screeched “bun” out loud. I couldn’t hold my laugh in. She’s so cheerful, but when she came to our home, she was so silent. I guess she’s silent when strangers are around.

Aayush blew raspberries on her stomach and her screeches filled the apartment. I saw her laughing along with her. Remember when I said Aayush’s smile and laugh were contagious, Diya’s laugh surpasses it.

I hid myself in Aayush’s biceps and played peek-a-boo with her and her laughs were loud. Aayush was also chuckling after he saw her reaction. We were so involved with Diya that we didn’t see uncle and aunty standing near the hallway outside the kitchen looking at us. My eyes drifted to them and saw aunty wiping her tears. Suddenly I got conscious.

They never got to see Aayush and Diya enjoying themselves like this with Diya’s mother. They never got to see them like a family, laughing and enjoying themselves. My eyes also got misty imagining their pain. I turned towards Aayush who was smiling, looking at Diya. Diya might not remember this past year, but Aayush does and how painful it must have been for him.

I pressed my lips on her biceps, which would look like I was hiding myself from playing with Diya, but I wanted to touch him and assure him that I was there and I'd be there with him for a long time.

Uncle and aunty made their presence known by talking to Diya in baby language. Her happiness knew no bounds seeing them.

“We’ll take her to Marie’s apartment. Blake and Diya have a playdate” Aunty said, cooing at Diya, who reached to touch aunty’s cheeks.

“Okay and take that gift to her. She couldn’t attend the wedding”, Aayush said, reminding her of the small gifts they gave to the people who attended the wedding.

“Thank god you reminded me of it or I would have forgotten about it. Danish grab Diya, I’ll go get it”. She instructed her husband, who nodded. Their relationship is cute. They respect each other and, as far as I’ve seen, there’s not much toxicity in their relationship.

I kissed Diya’s palm and Aayush kissed her forehead before handing her over to uncle. Both of them went out after gathering the gift.

I turned towards Aayush, who was already looking at me. Don’t blush, I reminded myself and failed epically. So, to save myself from further embarrassment, I hugged her arm, placing my head on his shoulder. He placed his hand on my hand which was on his arm.

“Who is Marie?” I started the conversation. I wonder if she’s one of the neighbours.

“She lives in the apartment opposite to ours, on the other end. She’s a sweet lady. Her husband is in the army and her son Blake is of Diya’s age”, he explained, removing his arm from my hold. I looked at him confused. Was he uncomfortable? I wondered.

Instead, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. I tried so hard to control my smile, but no use. Internally lecturing to get hold of myself, I bravely wrapped my arm around his waist and looked up to see him already staring at me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked softly, placing my chin on his chest.

He took a deep breath and shook his head.

“Oh come on, tell me” I said, pinching my eyebrows together.

“This feels like a dream”, he said, pressing his lips on my forehead. I melted into a puddle.

And obviously, my mind doesn’t work like a normal person, so I did what it instructed.

I pinched him in his arm. He yelped.

“What the hell?” He asked in amusement.

“What? You said this feels like a dream and I wanted to show you that it’s not.” I justified my action as stupid. He chuckled at my answer.

“God!! You do know you could have done that in another way”, he said, wiggling his eyebrows. I love seeing this childish side of his.

“And what is that?” I asked, confused. Suddenly he leaned in. Like a reflex, I backed slowly.

Is he going to kiss me?

Am I ready?

How do you even kiss?

What if our nose comes in the middle?

Does my breath stink?

I was in a state of shock when he pressed his lips on my cheek and backed off. I sat there blinking like a puppy.

He smiled seeing my reaction.

“What happened?” He asked innocently.

“You- you” as soon as I came out of my daze, I picked up a square couch pillow and started hitting him.

His laughter filled the apartment. He pulled the pillow out of my hand and tossed it aside before pulling me into his arms. I returned the hug with a huge smile on my face.

He’s an i***t.

But he’s my i***t.

And that thought made me feel giddy!!

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We sat there enjoying each other’s company when I thought we are alone and we can get to know each other.

“Were you a nerd in school?” I asked him suddenly. He looked at me squinting his eyes.

“I was not a nerd but I was not bad at studies either” He said tapping my nose.

“Then what kind of a student were you?” I asked him suddenly getting intrigued about his personality when he was a kid.

“I kept to myself but my friends were a bit popular. I don’t want to brag but there were girls trying really hard to get my attention which pushed me towards studies more” He said smirking and I looked at him like guys do when a hot girl walks in-front of them.

“How many girls did you date in school?” I’m not jealous. I wanted to know his past if he wants to share.

“None” He said and I didn’t believe him one bit.

“Don’t lie” I said poking his chest.

“I’m not. I really didn’t date any girls. I hung out with my friends, partied but was more focused on studies” He said playing with my fingers.

“Oh you were that kind of a guy” I said nodding my head.

“What kind of a guy?” He asked in confusion.

“You know in Korean series, there will be a guy who minds his own business” I said and his face was like ‘O’.

“And I was always intrigued about him. What kind of girl would suit him!” I really did. I always wondered who will that guy date or marry.

“I know. He’ll marry a beautiful girl, who is sassy and with a great sense of humour. A girl who is quirky, a prankster but a sweet and thoughtful girl” He uttered all those words looking straight into my eyes. I know those were the words of flattery but my stomach was filled with all kinds of jungle animals playing football.

“You missed devious and queen of the world” I said beaming.

He smiled with his eyes.

He whispered something under his breath. I couldn’t hear at all.

“What did you say?” I asked him but he just shook his head.

“Tell me” I insisted but he didn’t budge. So I let him be.

“What about you? What kind a teenager were you?” He asked.

“A mess” I honestly answered and he laughed out loud.

“I’m telling the truth. My dad was so sick of me. He was always confused whether he should laugh at my pranks or get mad about them. I just hated bullies and my school was filled with them. I was like a hero to the nerds” I said proudly.

“I can imagine that. You were always a rebel”, He said, pressing his lips on my forehead.

I like this. Casually sitting and talking about our childhood days and with a mix of physical touch here and there. It was all innocent nothing s****l. I like this kind of intimacy. It calms my nerves and keeps me at ease. This actually helps me in the future, when we reach that phase I’ll be more comfortable.

We spent the next hour talking about our close family members, our childhood friends and sharing some bizarre stories which made us cringe, remembering those days thinking about how stupid we were.

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