Page 111 of Mrs. Pandey
I chuckled softly, heart melting. “Alright, little boss.” I quickly scooped him into my arms, and the moment his body rested against mine, he broke into the most innocent, heart-healing laugh.
“Ee…ee…” he squealed, delighted.
“So you do want to talk, huh?” I grinned, pressing kisses all over his soft, chubby cheeks. His laughter bubbled louder, like little bells ringing. God, he was so adorable.
I had never been particularly fond of children. They always seemed messy, loud, and unpredictable. But with Iraaj… it was different. He was mine. A piece of me and her. Every sound he made, every gesture, every stubborn little pout, it was impossible not to love him.
Iraaj flung his tiny hands toward my face, his small fingers brushing over my jaw as though inspecting me. Then, without warning, he pulled himself up with surprising determination and sank his mouth against my chin. I felt one sharp, new tooth scrape against my skin.
“Ouch...hey!” I burst out laughing as he gnawed at me like a hungry little vampire. Gently, I pulled him away before he left a mark. “What are you doing, little guy? Planning to turn your old man into dinner?”
He blinked at me with wide, innocent eyes, drool glistening at the corner of his lips.
“Ah, so that’s it. You’re hungry.” I wiped his chin, but he was already working himself into a pout. His lower lip trembled, his eyes grew glossy and I knew the storm was coming.
“Please don’t cry,” I murmured quickly, reaching for his bottle. The moment the nipple brushed his lips, he lunged forward greedily, sucking as if the world might run out of milk tomorrow. Relief loosened my chest, and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him.
“You’re just like her, you know,” I whispered, running a hand gently over his silky hair. “Your mother never liked the word ‘no’ either. Whenever I denied her something, her tantrums could have shaken the heavens. You’ve inherited that like mother, like son.”
As Iraaj continued drinking, I studied him, my mind wandering back. “You know, your mother is stubborn. Fierce. Feisty. Impressively smart too.” I smiled faintly, her face appearing in my mind with such clarity it hurt. “But when I met her again later… she had changed. That fire had dimmed. She let people walk over her, let them hurt her. Including me. And I couldn’t bear it. She wasn’t the woman I fell in love with. She had become someone she hated, the kind of person who smiles while bleeding inside.”
Iraaj paused just long enough to glare up at me, his hazel eyes narrowing while his lips still clung to the bottle.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I chuckled bitterly. “I know. She wasn’t a fool. I was. And maybe I was a coward too, because instead of fighting for her, I left. I thought I was saving her, but in truth, I broke her further.”
My thumb stroked his warm cheek as guilt tightened my chest. “Do you want to know a secret, little guy?”
As though he understood, Iraaj stilled. His eyes brightened with curiosity, and then...“Da…du…” he cooed in his sweet, sing-song tone.
A laugh escaped me, though it felt heavy. “Yeah, that’s right. Listen carefully.”
I drew in a breath, lowering my voice as if confessing to him and only him. “It started with a phone call from Kabir Rajput. Your mother’s abuser.” The name alone made my jaw clench, my pulse spike. “He thought he was clever. He thought by kidnapping my sister, he could break me. But the fool had no idea who he was dealing with.”
The memory burned vividly, my knuckles tightening, my veins alive with adrenaline. “He sent me a video. A threat. He didn’t realize the technology he used would give him away. Within hours, I had tracked his location. I found him. Freed my sister. But it wasn’t enough.”
Iraaj blinked at me, his bottle half-finished, but his eyes locked on mine as though absorbing every word.
“You should’ve seen his face,” I whispered, a dark smile tugging at my lips. “That terrified look when he realized who had come for him. I let him go, and pretended to show mercy. But the moment he returned to his apartment, death was already waiting inside. And trust me, I didn’t just kill him, Iraaj. I made him pay. He loved food so I made him choke on it, bite after bite until his breath ran out. That was the last meal of his pathetic life.”
The room fell silent, save for the soft sucking sounds of my son feeding. My voice grew lower. “But before he died, he spilled the name, Amish Patel.”
Iraaj whimpered softly, shifting, but I stroked his back gently. “It’s alright, little one. I’m here. You’re safe.”
My gaze darkened. “Amish tried to destroy your mother. He laid hands on her. He tried to take from her what was never his. Iwanted to kill him, Iraaj. God knows I wanted to end him right there. But instead I gave him something worse.”
I leaned back, eyes closing briefly. The memory was sharp, metallic in taste. “I rigged his car. One accident. One crash. Now he will spend the rest of his miserable life in a wheelchair, broken, suffering. He deserved worse, but at least this way, your mother will know he is powerless. That he can never hurt her again.”
When I opened my eyes, Iraaj had stopped drinking. The bottle slipped from his mouth as sleep stole over him, his tiny chest rising and falling steadily.
For a long moment, I just watched him. His lips parted slightly, his fists unclenched against my chest. So fragile. So innocent. Yet he carried the weight of all the choices, all the darkness I had invited into our lives.
Quietly, I lifted him, holding him against me a little longer before laying him down gently in his cradle. He let out a soft hum, turning his head as though seeking comfort even in dreams.
I knelt beside him, brushing my hand across his forehead. “Sleep well, my little warrior,” I whispered. “You don’t need to carry your father’s sins. That’s my burden, not yours.”
I lingered there in the quiet, my heart torn between the peace of watching him sleep and the storm of waiting for her to wake, to return, to make us whole again.
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