Page 122 of The Circle of Exile
“Haww! He took you to the shower!”
Atharva grinned, turning around and kissing her mouth — “Does he ever remember?”
“Stop kissing me, he is learning to talk!” She pushed at his chest. Atharva’s free hand wrapped around her waist — “I have a few more months before he starts properly.” He kissed her deeper, their son’s head turned away to preen at himself in the mirror. “And even then, it will take him a long time to string sentences. And know what K-I-S-S means.”
Iram kissed his stubbled chin — “Janab. Get ready.”
“What’s for breakfast?”
“Apple puree.”
“The joys of life!” Atharva threw Yathaarth up and around, bringing forth his most thrilling laugh. “From green gravy to apple puree.”
“Ok, enough,” she reached for their son. “It’s going to be 8 and if we cross that, you know what’s coming.”
Atharva’s eyes widened at their son — “Your hunger pangs are a thing of legends now, isn’t it?”
“Guess where he got it from?”
“His Mama. Baba has survived weeks on peanuts.”
“Show off. Baba is a show-off. Come on, apple puree mum-mum!”
“Myani zuv?”
Iram turned.
“Pack me a box. I’ll be leaving right away.”
She frowned.
“I have a meeting with Amaal.”
“It’s Amaal, she will be ok until you eat…”
“It’s not logged.”
Iram stilled. “Oh.”
He turned, reaching for his trimmer.
“Atharva?” She met his eyes in the mirror.
“Yes?”
“There are a lot of meetings that are not logged nowadays. Is everything ok?”
She had seen this even before they had moved to Jammu. Pops and Grandma had been home, and she had been the one taking them out and showing them around. In those last few days in Srinagar, he had been suddenly very busy. He had kept Captain Husain and Mirza close all through the last year but after she had returned, he hadn’t held them so tight. Now, he was holding covert meetings with Amaal.
“Atharva?”
“I know what you are thinking,” he straightened from his hunch to work around his stubble. Grey eyes sharpened and his scar stretched — “Iram, it is not about anything like last time, and I am not working to hide anything from you.”
“Then this?”
His mouth opened, ready to speak, when his eyes fell on Yathaarth.
“Let’s talk tonight.”
