Page 10 of The Unwanted Husband
For her, she could not think of spending any time with the twins. As adorable as they seemed while they were asleep, she didn’t see any value in spending time with them when she would head back to America soon.
Thankfully, as she had hoped, she heard the back door open as she sat at the table in the kitchen, sipping her coffee. Even without turning to look at him, she sensed the hesitation when he saw her at the table.
“Good morning,” he said like they didn’t have a face off the previous morning.
She turned to face him, holding her coffee mug in her hand. “Would you like a coffee?”
“I got it. I’ll be right back.”
She sipped her coffee, somewhat rehearsing the conversation she was about to have with him that morning. She didn’t need to argue with him or get emotional. She had to do what it took to fulfill her brother’s wish for his children.
Shortly after, he came back and set the coffee machine in motion. He walked over to where she sat and before she could say anything, he asked, “What have you decided to do?”
Why did he have to always rub her the wrong way?
She swallowed her anger that shot up quickly. “I was hoping to discuss that with you.” She tried to sound like him from the previous morning. “Is now a good time?”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he walked over to grab his coffee before taking a seat across from her at the small kitchen table. He looked unfazed but she knew there was more to that composed look of his.
“After taking into account your feedback and after discussing with my family, I have decided to extend my stay until we figure out the best thing for the kids.” She paused but he didn’t move a muscle.
What did she expect? An applause?
She lowered her eyes and continued. “It was a bit selfish on my part to want to run away from all of this but I will be a part of what my brother wanted for his kids.”
Isha looked up into his somewhat narrowed eyes, when her words were met with further silence. “I need you to tell me what is going on and where I can help. And my intention is to eventually get back to my life in San Francisco.”
She had already sent an email to her boss stating that she would need to take an indefinite family leave and that all her cases were to be transferred to the other partners at the law firm. It was hard for her to send such an email as she had never handed off her clients and the cases to anyone else, even when she went on a vacation. She stayed on top of her work and in constant contact with her clients.
She didn’t expect the guy to understand. He had no idea how hard she worked to be the youngest partner at one of San Francisco’s top corporate law firms. She knew her decision would shock Aman but was also confident he would support her no matter what.
“Monisha, I never said you had to stay back here.” She hated the sound of him saying her name. No one ever addressed her by her full name and what was worse, he was right. He never said she had to stay back to take care of the kids.
“Yes,” she hissed, fighting the urge to tell him not to address her by a name she didn’t have any association with, not anymore. But before she could refrain, she blurted, “And don’t call me Monisha, I…I don’t like it. I prefer, Isha.”
“Ok.”
Finally, a response from him and she swore she saw genuine surprise in his eyes.
“Good. Thanks. What is it that you need me to do while I am here?” She didn’t see any reason to beat around the bush. It was best to put all expectations out in the open.
She had barely asked the question before he responded. “I need you to be with the kids. Be around them, spend some time.”
She cringed on the inside at the thought of being with the kids. They were loud and messy and even with two care takers they were a handful. She remembered the time she was scrunched between two car seats in the middle row of her brother’s eight-seater SUV. The kids were asleep but Isha could not get herself to even look at them. She felt claustrophobic and had been avoiding them since.
“Okay,” she said, reminding herself that she had to do what it took and it would be for a short time.
*****
Literally a day after that conversation Ashok knocked on the glass door of the office. She was surprised to see him back so early and unlike other times he didn’t appear to be his calm self.
She gestured to him to come in and he stepped in, only to stand by the door in silence.
“What’s wrong?” She knew it just from the way he showed up.
“I cannot adopt the kids.”
His words hit her like cold water. “What do you mean?”
