Page 219 of The Circle of Exile
“Don’t laugh. You are not taking him. Bring him back.”
“Why me?”
She held her doughy hands up.
Atharva huffed.
“Atharva, we are indulging him because somewhere we both feel guilty of tearing him away from home. And it was fine for a few days. But every time he demands, we don’t have to fulfil. He needs to start learning the harsh realities of life in small things.”
“You are right. I’ll fetch him…” he turned his head and found his son already going around the car, patting at its body. That was one more thing his son had inherited. A love for cars. Even just looking at cars, like looking at nature, made him sit quietly.
“How did the call go?”
He kept his eyes on Yathaarth as he spoke — “They offered me to lead the charge for the next election, sweetened the deal with false hopes of returning by the end of next year.”
“You declined, of course.”
“No.”
“But you said you would. Adil told you to…”
“An outright decline would raise suspicion. And also, I want to remain close to Qureshi.”
“So you said you will think about it?”
Atharva smirked. “You know what I will do before I do, myani zuv.”
Noora came dancing up the slope and caught Yathaarth. Atharva breathed a sigh of relief. He wouldn’t have to tell his son ‘no’ this time.
“What reason did you give for not saying yes immediately?”
Atharva snapped his eyes back to his wife and snaked an arm around her waist, tugging her close.
“My wife says no.”
She tried to push him away with her elbows, doughy hands fisted up between them. He laughed, stealing a quick kiss before letting her go.
“You have become hard again,” she complained.
“Oh, you noticed,” his eyes darkened.
“Notthat. I meant your stomach,” she elbowed him.
“All the running is paying off.”
“And the crunches in the garden.”
His mouth pulled up on one side — “Why, myani zuv, still stalking my workouts?”
“It’s right there during my waking-up time,” she fought back.
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to bear the sore sight for long. I just joined a gym.”
Her eyes lit up.
“So happy to have me out of the house in the mornings?”
“No,” her voice softened. “It means you have accepted life here and are beginning to live.”
