Page 196 of The Circle of Exile
“Look at his face,” Amaal caressed his cheeks. “Oooh, baby, what happened to you?”
“Tearless sobs,” Atharva spelled out.
“Is that even a thing?” Samar inquired.
“You are a doctor, how come you don’t know that?”
“I’m sorry, I did not treat toddlers on the front.”
“Nothing is wrong with him. He will be smiling in a moment now.”
Iram ferried him into the kitchen, pulled out one of his frozen ice pacifiers and popped it into his mouth. All sobs became smiles when she came out. The party had already settled in the hall by then.
“See, good as new.” She showed him to Amaal, who opened her arms. Iram deposited Yathaarth there but he slid down and made a dash for Atharva.
“When did he become a Papa’s boy?” Amaal gaped.
“He was always a Baba’s boy,” Atharva sat him up on his lap and he pushed his body into that groove between Atharva’s arm and armpit, sucking on the ice in his mouth.
“It’s surreal to see you like this,” Amaal’s voice softened. “I mean, I saw you become a father and all. But to see youas afather after this long gap is like seeing it for the first time.”
Atharva smiled noncommittally. His no-comment smile. Those had also multiplied lately.
“How is everything there?” Iram asked, changing the topic yet again. It was like she was perpetually walking on eggshells and helping others navigate that route around Atharva to keep him as pain-free as possible.
“Life-wise, all is good. Work-wise,” she glanced surreptitiously at Atharva. “Things could be better. But this government is hardly five months old. Law and order is one thing, but it takes time to bring things back to status quo too. The Dal Film Festival was a success last month. Did you see the photos and videos I sent you,” she asked Atharva. “You worked very hard on it and I wanted you to be the first to know that we managed to get Cannes Film Festival to cover it. Fifty-five old Indian classics were screened over three weeks. And we got more locals than tourists, which was a feat in the month of September.”
Atharva smiled again. Non-committal, no-comment smile. Silence settled.
“And how is the house?” Iram kept the stream going. “Begumjaan told me you oversaw the last cleanup.”
“It is in top condition. There was a short circuit in the downstairs bathroom but it’s been taken care of. Ada came to collect her certificates from your father’s house…”
“Yes. She wants to apply for an internship.”
“Isn’t she coming here after her course?”
“She is still thinking. She came to us during her Navratri break. Now for Diwali, they are going on a trip to Hampi.”
Amaal glanced at Atharva. “She does not have security anymore.”
“I am aware.”
Amaal frowned. “She is no more in the scope of threat but…”
“Mirza takes care of it,” Atharva stated.
“But he is in Srinagar.”
“It’s a need-basis thing.”
Amaal sat back. Silence stretched again.
“Qureshi wants to talk to you,” Samar broke it.
“Hmm?” Atharva observed. “He has my number.”
“He wants to talk face-to-face.”
