Page 216 of The Redemption
Perhaps that is what mothers do.They don’t ask for permission before becoming one.
My gaze instinctively drifts towards the kitchen just as Siya walks out, disconnecting a call, happiness practically radiating from her. She’s wearing something completely different from her usual style today, a simple chikankari kurti set in a soft shade of pink. Her freshly washed hair falls loosely over her shoulders, still slightly damp.
Siya sees me, and her entire face lights up. She starts walking towards me, and for one absurd second, I actually think she’s going to run straight into my arms like a wife who’s been waiting for her husband to return home. I almost laugh at that unexpected thought.
She stops in front of me with a bright smile.
“You know what?” she blurts out. “Esha just called me. Haider met her this morning. They had breakfast together and did some talking too.”
Really?A smile tugs at my lips. Yesterday I’d told Siya about speaking to Haider. How he, too, had feelings for Esha but was stubbornly refusing to admit them because of his fears and insecurities.
“He didn’t exactly confess anything to Esha, but he didn’t deny his feelings either. And that alone has made her so happy. She said that now it feels like they’re finally walking in the same direction... towards each other. If they keep talking like this, I really think they’ll make it.”
Oh! So that’s why Haider had messaged me early this morning, asking if we could meet after my ride instead of before it. The idiot had been avoiding me so he could meet Esha.
“I’m so happy for them,” she sighs happily.
“So am I,” I nod.
The excitement on her face slowly fades as she steps closer and cups my face, as though her hands instinctively know where to go whenever she’s worried about me.
“Are you okay?” she asks quietly.
I lean into her touch and give her a small nod. “I’m okay.”
Her shoulders visibly relax. But then her gaze shifts to the open collar of my T-shirt and rests on the pendant against my chest. Her fingers brush against that piece of jewellery, and every muscle in my body stills.
What are you doing to me, Princess?
One innocent touch is all it takes, and every ounce of control slips through my fingers. Almost instinctively, I lift my hand and wrap it around her wrist. Not to stop her, but to simply keep her there.
She looks up at me, colour instantly rushing to her cheeks as my thumb slowly strokes the inside of her wrist. I could get used to seeing her like this.Forever.
A subtle clearing of someone’s throat breaks the moment. Both of us instinctively step apart. Siya turns first and sees hermother standing a few feet away. Her gaze briefly travels from Siya’s flushed face to the hand I’ve only just let go of... before finally settling on me.
“If the love birds are done,” she grins, pretending she hasn’t interrupted anything, “breakfast is waiting.”
“Mom!” Siya exclaims, looking adorably flustered. “I... I was just calling him for breakfast. I’ll go set the table.”
Avoiding my gaze, she disappears inside, leaving me behind with a smile I have absolutely no control over anymore. Rukmini Vardhaan watches her walk away. There’s a quiet contentment in her eyes that kind of relieves me. Perhaps she finally believes her daughter is happy…with me.
“I’ll just take a shower and come,” I tell her.
“No.” She immediately shakes her head. “Absolutely not.”
Before I can protest, she walks over, takes my hand with quiet authority, exactly as a mother would, and begins leading me towards the dining room.
“The breakfast will get cold. You can shower later. I’ve made aloo parathas.”
She did?
“Kailash Bhai Sahab told me you may count every calorie you eat, but you’ll never say no to aloo parathas.”
For once, I follow her without arguing. If Siya has slowly begun breaking down the walls around me as my wife, then her mother is giving me the ordinary moments I had always wished I could have shared with my own mother. Without even realising it, she’s filling a dark corner of my life with motherly love that been remained painfully absent for years. And I don’t want to walk away from that feeling. I want to hold on to it.
SIYA
Evening
