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Oh, I am glad. Aman and Jaya will make wonderful parents too. I’m sure.

“What about you?” she asks, biting a poppadom from the plate.

“What about me?” I repeat.

“You and Aarav not planning for a second child?”

I bite my lip, and for sure Jaya can see my cheeks burning.

“Well.” I grin. “We haven’t thought yet. Aarvi is too small.”

“She is three. Give her a sibling before she bugs you with her demands.”

That’s true. I think I would like to have one more child with Aarav. A boy this time, who’s as cute and adorable as my husband. In fact, the way Aarav and I spend the nights consuming each other to our fullest desire, we might end up making a dozen babies in the coming year.

“Jaan,” Aarav is in the kitchen and it surely makes me blush harder. Jaya understands and quickly leaves the room with an excuse to speak to Mohit and Sofia, who are out.

It takes just three seconds for him to reach me and brush his nose with mine before settling a kiss on the tip of my nose. His fingers caressed my waist gently, playing with the pleats of my Saree. I don’t understand what to process first? His fingers dipping in my belly button again, or his hot breath on my face, his lips brushing with mine briskly, or our noses rubbing against each other. It’s like Aarav is everywhere I am, and vice versa.

“Can’t wait to get you alone again.”

Need laces in his tone, bringing shivers in my spine. How can we still have such mad chemistry after five years of marriage? Fixing his gaze on mine, Aarav cups my face.

“Good, we didn’t invite more people. At least if we go missing in the middle of the dinner, the ones here won’t mind.”

I chuckle at his desperate thoughts, shrugging his hands away from my face.

“Aarav Raichand, where is your control?”

He pulls me back to him in one swift move.

“It’s never there when you are around.”

Smart reply, but true.

“They must be waiting for us. Let’s go.”

I try to drag him out, but he pins me to the kitchen counter and captures my mouth. God!! I don’t want to leave anywhere if he does this thing to me again. I kiss him back, it’s a quick kiss though. He groans when I don’t participate the way he desires.

“If you want to have me alone soon, we need to end this dinner soon.”

He gets my point, and my heart skips a beat as he smiles. It’s rare to see my husband smiling and whenever he does, I swear I have missed a beat.

Dinner is served. Mohit helps Daadi to get seated at our 12-seater dining table. He takes the chair next to hers in between Daadi and Sofia. I am right at the opposite side with Aman and Jaya next to me and Aarav at the center of the table, not very far from my reach though. Our knees brush as he moves forward, then grins at me, confirming he did that purposely. Aarvi is on her high chair between me and Aarav. We finish the dinner, discussing each other’s lives and we get more good news. Mohit and Sofia have decided to marry somewhere this year-end, and they don’t want to have a grand wedding. We are all happy for them. Very happy. Aarav and Mohit have recently started behaving like brothers. They discuss business and I have heard they are working on a project which will be a joint venture between the AR Group and DG Group. Nice. Aman and Jaya are flying to London next week for work and so is Mohit and Sofia to speak to Sofia’s parents about their marriage decision.

“You’ll be alone then?” Aarav suddenly asks Daadi. His worry is evident in his tone.

Whenever we have met Daadi, Aarav hasn’t spoken more than three to four dialogues and definitely never initiated the conversation. So today when he does so, we are all surprised.

“I’ll be fine,” Daadi replies, but I know she is happy that Aarav sounded worried.

“Stay with us until he is back.”

His instant command shocks everyone. Daadi gapes at him with profound emotions.

“I am serious,” he adds. “Staying alone is risky at this age.”

“Aarav is right,” Mohit backs him up. Sure, he wants Aarav and Daadi to patch up soon. “It’s hardly a matter of two weeks. And Daadi, you always keep saying that you don’t get much time with Aarvi. This is your best chance.”

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