Page 13 of Right Where I Belong
She arched her brow at the small dining table in their kitchen. Ahaan dropped onto the chair and poured himself a glass of milk from the jug she’d placed there. Most Saturday mornings were spent like this—baking cookies or a cake, followed by Ahaan’s favorite breakfast of pancakes.
“So, what’s the plan for today, baba?” she asked as she whisked the pancake batter. “Cricket at eleven and then you’re going to Sid’s birthday party, right?”
“Yes!” He quickly gulped down his milk. Very surreptitiously, he offered a biscuit to Maya—their four-month-old German Shepherd, who quickly lapped up the offered treat before flopping back on the ground.
“I saw that,” Sabrina mock scolded.
“Oh, come on, Mom,” Ahaan pleaded. “She loves Marie biscuit, and I give her only one every morning at breakfast.”
Smiling, Sabrina poured the pancake mixture into the pan. “So, do you want to watch a movie tonight? The new Mission Impossible has released.”
He stared at her for a short moment. “It’s Saturday night, and you work all the time. I know that tonight you don’t have an event, so why don’t you go out with your friends? In fact, why don’t you go on a holiday somewhere?”
Her hand stilled as she turned to stare at him. “Where is this coming from, sweetheart? You know I love spending time with you.”
“I love spending time with you too, but I also meet my friends. You’re either working or at home. Aish says that you need to go out a bit more. That, perhaps, you even need to go away somewhere by yourself. Doesn’t it help relax the mind?”
“Aisha has been talking to you about me?” Sabrina knew how close her son was to her late husband’s sister. Aisha had been there for Sabrina throughout her pregnancy and then for the birth of Ahaan. She adored Ahaan. Till date, despite having kids of her own, Aisha and Ahaan shared a very special relationship.
“Aish didn’t tell me anything,” Ahaan said. “But I heard her discussing all this with you when she was here last.”
Sabrina rolled her eyes. “Aisha talks too much, and you shouldn’t be eavesdropping on our conversations.”
“It’s fun listening to you, Aish, and Aunty Diya chat,” he chuckled. “You all gossip so much.”
Sabrina gasped. “We do not gossip.”
He laughed.
“They just give me information about what’s going on,” Sabrina explained. “That’s different.”
“Whatever you say, Mom…” He chuckled again before his face turned serious. “You know, I like how Uncle Rithwik has rubbed off on Aish. She’s always smiling and talking so much. I want to see you also smile and be happy like her.”
Sabrina’s heart melted. Her little boy was growing up too soon. He saw too much and heard even more; she wondered what all thoughts he held in his head and hadn’t voiced to her.
She went to him and kissed his cheek. “Youmake me happy.Youare the light in my world.”
“But I know you’re alone. You miss Dad, don’t you?”
She gave him a soft smile. “Yes, baby, I do miss your dad.”
She missed having a partner, someone to talk to, someone to share a life and the responsibilities that came with it. But she definitely did not miss her late husband’s womanizing ways, his poker addiction, and his rage, volatility, and drinking on days when he lost. She’d shielded her son from all that, and she’d continue letting him believe how perfect his father had been. Only Aisha and Diya knew the intimate details of her marriage and how much worse Ajay had become in the months prior to his passing.
Even after he’d died, he’d left a truckload of loans for her to pay, which would have been impossible had it not been for Aisha and then Rithwik. She owed them both so much.
She looked around her three-bedroom house. It was not too big, but it was located in a good neighborhood, right next to Ahaan’s school. She’d managed to rent this nice house a few years ago, after she’d persuaded her mother-in-law to sell theircafé to Raashi Sehgal, Rithwik’s friend, and cleared Ajay’s debts. Raashi owned multiple restaurants and had been kind enough to even offer Sabrina a job as a chef in one of her own restaurants. Sabrina had worked at Raashi’s restaurant, AquaKnox, for a few years before starting her own catering and event management business.
Thanks to Rithwik, Aisha, Raashi and their whole group of friends who supported her business, her life was finally on track. She was extremely proud of what she had built despite all her circumstances.
“Mom,” Ahaan said, his tone quiet. “Sid is going for the school program to London. Are you sure I can’t go?”
Sabrina gave him a soft smile. “Not this year, sweetheart. Perhaps we can think of it next year, when you’re older.”
Ahaan’s face fell, but he nodded solemnly. She felt so bad depriving him of this opportunity, but there was nothing she could do about it.
Ahaan’s school had selected him to go to London for a short program with a school there that specialized in cricket training, along with their usual curriculum. Ahaan was desperate to go, but the expense was too high. She’d have to dip into her savings for it, which was also okay, but she didn’t like the fact that he’d have to go and stay with strangers there. She felt he was too young for that. Not that his grandmother would even agree to it. She’d throw a gigantic fit if Sabrina even brought it up. And the last thing she needed was to deal with her mother-in-law’s prickly temper. She had enough on her plate as it is.
“Hey,” she nudged his shoulder. “I promise we’ll consider it next year. Now give me your sunshine smile, please.”
