Chapter 5

Two days later ,Janani received the DNA test results that declared her nephew was indeed Armaan Verma's flesh and blood.

She couldn't believe that she wished that the tests would turn out negative!

How could she be so selfish!!

Armaan Verma had searched for ten months to find his child. He had missed the first ten months of Advi's life.

He wanted Advi. And he have every right to take Advi with him.

She had to stop being so selfish. She had to take a step back. And give way for the father and son to bond.

She had barely set the documents down when her phone rang.

"Armaan Verma" the caller said in a cold tone, which had a warning note too in it. She remained silent and waited for him to continue

"I would like to meet my son today" he added and Janani's heart skipped a beat.

His son. Not hers. Advi is not hers anymore.

He had never been hers to begin with, her conscience reminded brutally. She sucked in a deep breath and answered him

"Yes Mr Verma. What time suits you?" She asked as politely as she could.

They made polite arrangements for his security team to collect Advi in an hour.

******

"So do you mind if I have a lift with you upto the city??" Janani asked the nurse who had accompanied the security team cheerfully

"A lift is all what I want and my being in the car will make it easier for you to get to know Advi. I can let you know all about his routine" she added smiling brightly

"Er, I-" The nurse who had introduced herself as Lisa who hovered at the doorstep looked at the tall bulky bodyguard for permission.

The bodyguard inturn took out a cell phone from his trouser pockets and dialed in a number and Janani got the obvious message: nothing could be done because no plan would deviate in the smallest way without Armaan Verma's approval or permission.

And to think that she thought it would be such a brilliant idea to accompany Advi, without anybody knowing.

Was she trying to interfere between Armaan and Advim

No, right?

She simply wanted to be around in case of any necessity. Armaan is still new to Advi. It will take time for the little one to get used to his father.

What if Advi freaks out being in a totally unfamiliar environment, will so many strangers around him.

Definitely, Armaan Verma wouldn't want that? Would he?

"I just thought I could use the opportunity to do some shopping in the city." she said, chuckling nervously, as the bodyguard kept talking on the phone.

"Mr Verma makes all the arrangements, Ms Trivedi. I hope you understand" Lisa smiled apologetically

"Miss Rao?" The bodyguard handed the phone to the nurse

Janani watched the woman stiffen and straighten her shoulders and pale as she received her sets of instructions.

She then extended the phone to Janani.

Realising that it was now her turn to receive her orders, Janani laughed out loud, stunning her companions.

"I am very glad that you find everything entertaining" Armaan said sarcastically

"Oh, please don’t take it like that" Janani babbled in dismay. "I promise you that you won’t see or hear from me today. I just want to be in the city ...to...er...shop—"

"I can hear the lie in your voice—"

Her blood ran cold in her veins.

"You got a sixth sense or something?"

"Or something. Tell me the truth or I will not consider the idea" he told her coldly.

"I wanted to be within reach, you know, in case you needed me. That’s all." Janani admitted

Armaan clenched his teeth in annoyance.

Where the hell did she get the nerve to annoy him like this? He expelled his breath in a hiss of impatience.

"Why would I need you?" Armaan drawled lazily

"Not you, him. Advi " Janani stressed.

"And tone down your temper, Armaan. Advi can be very fussy and cranky. He remains his best when you are calm, quiet and soothing—"

Armaan was incredulous. He couldn’t believe that she was giving him a class on behavioural management.

"Let me get this straight. You are telling me how to behave?"

"I am not preaching or anything. I am just helping you by letting you know how Advi is" Janani emphasised.

"You are irritating me" Armaan growled soft and low.

"Same pinch" Janani groaned out loud, having forgotten her audience.

"Less of the growly stuff would be nice but not if you replace it with that 'scare them to hell' calm voice "

Scare them to hell?Armaan sat in silent disbelief. She was actually telling him that he irritated her..

How dared she? A thieving whore.

But the mother of his son. The adored mother of his son.

"You can travel to the city with them and accompany Advi back again at five today. Pass the phone back to Khanna"

*****

Janani was strolling through the city munching on some chips when she heard her phone ringing and she immediately snatched it.

"Advi is ill. Where the hell are you?? I will have you picked up" Armaan demanded.

Goodness!

A few hours away from her and the baby is ill.

Her frantic queries did not get any response beyond the reassurance that the baby is not in danger.

"I thought you were going to stay within reach!" Armaan roared at her as she came through the front door.

Janani was used to dealing with distraught and often angry parents whose child had become upset at school or had suffered injury and at one glance she recognised that Armaan fell into that category.

He was a powerful man who controlled everything around him but Advi's illness had made him feel powerless and that anger was the fallout.

She could hear Advi’s distressed choking wails echoing through the apartment and was not in the mood to waste time sparring with his anxious father.

"Where is he?" Janani asked

"The doctor’s with him" Armaan gritted, placing his hands on her lower back to usher her in the right direction.

"Not that he’s been of much use!" He added, with an edge to his voice.

Lisa was pacing the floor with a wailing Advi and looked as though she had been through the wars.

In the morning, she looked immaculate in her formal dressing. Now her long hair was falling down untidily and her dress was covered with food stains.

An older bespectacled man, who could only be the doctor, overlooked the scene with an air of discomfort.

"What’s wrong with Advi?" Janani asked worriedly.

The doctor studied her anxiously. "A touch of tonsillitis. Nothing more—"

"My son would not be making such a fuss over so little" Armaan began wrathfully.

"Oh, yes, he would." Janani threw Armaan a wryly apologetic glance.

"He makes a real fuss when he’s sick. He’s had tonsillitis a couple of times already and I was up all night with him."

With a yell, Advi unglued his reddened eyes. Focusing joyously on Janani, he gave a frantic lurch in Lisa’s hold.

The other woman crossed the room in haste to settle him into Janani's arms.

"It’s obvious he wants his mum." Lisa said, finally relieved.

"Perhaps you could explain to, er, Advi’s father that this is not a serious condition. The baby has a mild fever and a sore throat and possibly some ear pain." The doctor said

Exhausted, Advi moaned against Janani's shoulder, his solid little body heavy against her as he slumped.

"Try to get him to drink some water to keep him hydrated" the doctor advised with a wary glance in Armaan's smouldering direction.

"Within a couple of days and with the medication he’ll soon be back to normal."

"Thank you" Janani said quietly as she sank down on a comfortable leather seat and accepted the baby bottle of water Lisa helpfully extended.

She studied Advi and glanced across the room at Armaan.

So, she finally had first-hand evidence of whose genes had dealt Advi the theatrics and the fireworks, she thought wryly.

Ignoring Advi when he twisted away his mouth from the bottle. "Do you want your bottle?" she asked.

Advi looked up at her, dark eyes angry and shimmering with tears.

Janani dug the baby bottle out of the bag and proceeded to pour some water into it while still cradling Advi.

"Seems that he is one little boy who knows what he wants" Lisa remarked.

"You’re spot on." Janani watched the baby moisten his lips and then try a tiny sip.

Forced to swallow, he grimaced and sobbed again while she praised him and told him what a brave, wonderful boy he was.

Armaan watched the scene in front of him with growing disbelief and frustration.

He knew when he was facing a fait accompli.

Janani handled Advi beautifully, clearly knew him inside out and responded smoothly to his needs.

He himself and the highly qualified doctor and nurse had failed utterly to provide the comfort his son had needed.

He wondered if little boys were programmed to want mothers over father figures.

He coped without a mother, didn’t he?

He wondered tensely how his son would cope without a mother, particularly when they are so damn attached to each other.

Or so Janani had planned!! He thought broodingly.

That must be it.

Bemused by that flood of concern and the sort of deep questions he normally suppressed, Armaan gritted his teeth together in frustration and called someone to show the doctor the way out.

"It is only a mild illness, relax" Janani remarked quietly.

"How the hell am I supposed to relax when my son is suffering?" Armaan shot back at her in a fierce attack.

"You can't fix everything, Mr Verma. And childhood illnesses is one such thing" Janani pointed out gently.

Armaan strode to the door, raking an impatient hand through his long glossy hair.

"The nurse will put my son in his cot for a nap now" Armaan announced. "We have to talk."

"What do you want to discuss?" she asked stiffly once Lisa had lifted a sleeping Advi from her and left the room

Armaan shot her a chilling appraisal.

"Oh, please. Don't act naive and innocent now. I know you. And I prefer honesty. You were absolutely clear ten months ago, that what you wanted was money. You has stooped low enough to kidnapping him" he pointed out with unconcealed contempt.

Janani froze listening to that angry tirade of words.

"But I simply want what makes my son happy and it is so obvious that in the short-term at least, Advaith will not be happy if you suddenly vanish from his life."

Janani studied him, surprised he was willing to admit that possibility.

"Although there is nothing I can like, respect or admire about you, Janani, my son is attached to you. He needs you" he said in a grim tone of finality.

"I do not want to damage him by separating you in a go. He deserves more than that from me. After all, he did not choose the unusual circumstances of his birth—I did."

He thought she was Saanvi and while she faked being Saanvi she had to own her sister’s mistakes and pay the price of them too. She acknowledged silently.

Armaan watched her porcelain-fair skin wash a guilty pink

Those eyes and that full, soft pillowy mouth were something that any man would zero in on, he told himself, his attention widening its scope to encompass the full swell of her breasts below the simple kurti she wore.

He wondered what colour her bra was and marvelled at the stray thought.

What was he? A randy schoolboy?

He had access to many sexual choices and almost any one of those women would be classier, safer and more beautiful than Janani Trivedi, he reminded himself impatiently.

Even so, it was his son’s mother who was making him hard and taut and needy where it mattered, when he was all too often indifferent to female fawning and flirtation.

But then possibly what annoyed him most about Janani was that he had yet to see any sign that she was making the smallest effort to sexually attract him.

She did not appear to be wearing make-up and her plain kurti was loose on her while she sat with her legs neatly and modestly folded to one side.

It was like a simulated virginal act, he reasoned in exasperation.

Possibly she had already worked out that hooker heels and too much exposed female flesh were not his style.

"I’ve decided that I want you to accompany us to Mumbai as a nanny for my son" he finally said into the silence leaving Janani speechless