5 Chapter 5

After three months ;

The first three months were completed, and Ava was now more relaxed and had adjusted to the changes in her body. I loved that time with her, planning for our baby and our future. She was feeling much better by then.

That night, I was sitting on my study table and writing something when Ava came with a glass of water, "hey Ash, what are you writing?"

"Nothing."

"You are writing something. Tell me what you are Up to?" She again questioned coming closer to check. I hid what I was doing with the register.

"You are hiding it from me! Please show me what you are writing." Seeing her angry frown, I decided to show her, though I had wanted it to become a surprise.

"Okay princess, I will tell you about this, but will not show you. Is that fine?"

Hearing me, she took a seat next to me on the bed carefully. I helped her place her feet up.

"I'm writing letters to our baby every month of the pregnancy. "

"What?"

I took a pause, turned towards her and explained, "I want my baby to know what I was feeling and what his or her mother had undergone during these nine months, so I am writing a letter every month."

"Oh my god! Ash, you are so cute."

She gave a beautiful smile and continued, "But I will read them for sure when you are not at home." She tried to be a little naughty, biting her lower lip.

"No one knows you better than me, my princess, and this is the reason I bought this today." I pulled open the drawer to show her a small Sandalwood box, which had a small lock inbuilt with a little key.

With brooding Eyes, she said, "You can't do this koo, I am your love so let me read them."

"I am doing this because I love you. Some Smiles Are meant for a surprise and a selfie with a surprised smile is the best one." I smiled and continued, "I will be placing the letters in this box, and will hand over its key to you when you arrive with our baby. So that you can read them to him or her."

Ava moved her head closer to me. She leaned in so that her forehead rested against mine. I close my eyes.

"Thank you, Ash," she said in barely more than a Whisper.

"For what?" I replied in a low and Husky voice.

"For being you."

Ava gently leaned and kissed my warm lips. Love is like a baby, which takes its own time to mature into the most beautiful fruit ever. Today, kissing my love seemed so simple, but it's me who knows what I have gone through to get my love in my arms.

"Oh! I'm feeling too tired, Ash," Ava tried to turn on the bed.

"Let me help you, bun." I stood out from my chair and helped her to lie down, adjusting her pillow. I switched off the lights and took my place next to her. The table lamp with yellow light was still switched on, giving the room a soft and warm glow. Her pregnancy was in the thirteenth week, and by this time, her appetite and bump had started to increase rapidly. She had said goodbye to the nausea of the first trimester and felt ravenous most of the time.

I started adjusting the fringe of her hair which always attracted me to her. I began to massage her forehead softly. She closed her eyes, feeling relaxed and I continued, unblinkingly looking at my love.

I kept looking at her and started thinking about our past again.

April 2008

It was Sunday when I heard the news that our 10th class results were out. My face suddenly turned dull and tense. I started biting my nails. Wearing my bathroom slippers, I rushed to the kitchen to mom, shouted, “mom, I am going to school now, my results are out. “

“Oh!Really. Your dad will take you to school. Stefan, Ash’s results are out!” My mom shouted to dad who was busy in our garden, hearing her, dad also rushed inside in his usual sunday pyjamas and white vest.

“Hey, Ash, let me take you to school in my car,” dad immediately started washing his hands.

“Thanks, dad. I am waiting for you outside, “I replied and rushed outside. Within no time my father was out with the car keys. My mother appeared along with him.

“Good luck son. “Mom said. Dad started the car, and I got in. My mom was still looking at me as dad started the car.

“Mom, let us go now. Bye, “I replied. Dad looked more tense than me. His wish to see me as an engineer was quite visible in his eyes. My heartbeat was increasing with every mile that brought us closer to school.

“You go inside and check, I will park the car and come, “dad told me as soon as we reached. I rushed to the noticeboard section in my school. I crossed the corridor. Some of my Batchmates were also walking rapidly with their friends and family. It was a big day for us – a day which would be declaring our future.

Soon I reached the notice board and found a bunch of students struggling to find their roll numbers. Without waiting for the crowd to clear, I pushed myself into it and started looking for my roll number, moving my finger on the glass cover noticeboard.

Everyone was shouting, hooting around me. Then I found my name and so 97% marked against it. I turned with a smile, with a confident expression and discovered my dad standing at some distance with a smile and tense eyes. I rushed to him and hugged him, “dad, it’s 97%. “

“Great, my son, so proud of you! “Dad patted my back. I could see the happiness on his face.

“Hey Ashley, how much did you score? And hello uncle!” I could hear Ava behind me. I turned and found her standing behind me, wearing a sky blue dress, her hair open, with a roll of paper in her hand. I took a step two words her, smiling, “I scored 97%. What about you? “

“Mine is 98%. I scored 1% more than you, “she replied with a glazed look.

“I was really worried till I saw my results. “

“Me too. My mom wanted to come along, but I rushed off with Mina’s father in her car.”

as we chatted, and knowing that my father had taken a few steps back, with a smile on his face and tears of happiness in his eyes. He was always a fun father. He loved me, and for him I was a small kid, but that day he knew I was growing up. I was growing in my life.

After waiting for a few minutes, he interrupted from behind, “I am going home, you stay with your friends. Hope you will manage to come home by yourself? “Hearing his voice, I turned, but before I could reply, Ava said, “Uncle, we will come walking. I too live nearby.” I could not respond to anything but just looked at her, while my father smiled and nodded before leaving.

After spending an hour in school, chatting and enjoying with friends, we both decided to walk back home. We both started working on the quiet Road of Busan. Tiny chunks of wood fell to the leaf litter below, the sound dissipating into the woodland around. A year back I was admiring her, days back was loving her, and that day, I was walking by her side.

“So which subject stream are you planning to opt for? “I questioned her while talking.

“I am clear about it. Arts. I am not at all interested in science or mathematics, nor do I want to be an engineer or doctor. I want to be a school teacher and a homemaker, “She replied with a smile and continued, “And what about you? “

I was sure that I was going to opt for mathematics and would be going to be an engineer, but I wanted to be with her forever, and something happened to my mind that day, and I replied, “still thinking, not sure about it yet. “

“Then you also take arts, we will enjoy it a lot. Same class. “She replied with a radiant smile on her face. I was smiling at her but my mind was fearful. My mind was confused. At that time of my life, love was more significant for me than my career, at the time of my life, my love was becoming bigger, then the expectations of my father.

After nine years, I regretted my decision when I saw the relationship with my father, but I felt happy looking at Ava beside me. I removed my hand from her forehead as she had fallen asleep. I started to complete my third letter to my baby. I had taken the next day off from office as she had an ultrasound schedule. The nine months of pregnancy were bringing back the past nine years spent with her, and I was loving those nostalgic moments.

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