Chapter 10: Speechless

Khushi rocked Shiv back and forth with the steady rhythm of her breathing. Instead of sleeping, Shiv settled to nibbling on Khushi's Mangalsutra. His delicate fingers wrapped and unwrapped around the chain as his mouth curiously tasted the piece of jewelry on his mother's neck. Khushi ruffled his hair with a smile as she tried to free the chain from his grasp.

Khushi let out a chuckle. Her son wasn't letting go. "Shiv..." Khushi started laughing and then froze.
---
Arnav Singh Raizada had walked out to the most beautiful scene he had laid his eyes on in a year. Looking like a goddess, his wife was smiling at his son's attempt in devouring her Mangalsutra. Her voice reached an unheard softness and motherly warmth as she chastised her son with a smile. "Shiv..." She had said, as a smile Arnav Singh Raizada thought was lost slowly crept about her lips. Suddenly her laugh cause Arnav breath to catch and his eyes widen. It had been a year since he had heard the musical notes of something so elegant. She froze as she caught him watching her, the laughing stopped.

Arnav knew he had to move. He had to say something. He had to hold his son. Instead, he stood there as his eyes were trapped in the beautiful pools of hazel that stood across from him. She didn't move, yet her breathing increased speed. Shiv reached and pulled on a strand of her hair which caused her to break out of the trance she was immersed in. Khushi dropped her gaze and turned her body slightly, angling away from Arnav as her cheeks colored in a deep red.
---
Khushi had forgotten how it felt to be admired by Arnav Singh Raizada. She felt the her cheeks grow warm as the blood rushed to color them behind her skin.

Arnav watched as his wife's complexion took on an enticing color. The moonlight that shined above them enhanced her beauty and she began fretting, noticing that Arnav was still frozen where he stood.

He broke out the trance he was in and made himself focus on what had to be done.

"K-K- Khu..." He struggled to speak. She didn't even look up at his attempts. Arnav took a step closer which Khushi acknowledged with a slight head turn. This boosted his confidence and he strode over to where Khushi stood.

She looked up slowly trying to decipher thoughts hid in his chocolate eyes. There was confidence, an Arnav Singh Raizada size confidence. There something else that kept flashing through his eyes though. A sort of uncertainty... or was it regret? Khushi furrowed her brows as she tried to read his mind.

Arnav lost his train of thought as his wife looked up to gaze into his eyes. She was trying to read them and furrowed her brows in concentration.

"K-Khushi..." Arnav spoke.

It was as if an eerie silence fell around everything surrounding them as Khushi only heard Arnav. She only heard his breathing, his heartbeat, and she felt only his eyes that were boring into her own. And vice versa, Arnav stiffened with anxiety as Khushi's eyes softened at his speaking. He only heard her, his ears seeked only her voice.

Like a lost man in a desert finding an oasis of water, Arnav's heart felt as if it had found a reason to keep beating when Khushi replied, "Ji?"

"Meh- meh-" Arnav stopped. Never had he felt such a feeling of unsureness as he struggled to to find words.

Shiv twisted in Khushi's arms and looked curiously at the stranger in front of him. Arnav found another set of hazel scanning him.

"Khushi, I uh... I mean... Um... Maatlab meh..." Arnav shook his head internally at his nervousness. He was Arnav Singh Raizada for crying out loud. Arnav Singh Raizada and nervous were never supposed to be in the same sentence together. Khushi had tilted her head slightly, still trying to read his eyes and make sense of his words at the same time.

Arnav took a deep breathe, shut his eyes, and then opened them again to start new. "I mean... M- May I?" He finally said as he held out his arms and motioned to Shiv with his eyes.

Khushi's initial reaction to Arnav's request was fear. Her maternal instincts made her hands clutch Shiv tighter as she blinked with surprise at Arnav's request. No, Khushi, stop being so apprehensive. She started warning herself. This is what you wanted. Shiv needs his father too. Let him go. You can't hold on to him forever, afterall. Khushi loosened her grip on Shiv and took a small step forward extending Shiv slightly forward.

Arnav felt himself relax at Khushi's readiness. She had seemed scared at first, but her face took on an expression of reassurance as she stepped forward to him extending Shiv. Arnav slid his hands under Shiv's armpits and lifted the child out of his mother's grasp. Slowly Arnav rested the infant onto his chest feeling a sort of completeness. Arnav felt a small smile pull at the corners of his lips as Shiv looked up with Khushi's eyes and scanned the man that had intruded his Mangalsutra eating session.

Shiv reached a curled fist up to Arnav's cheek, slightly stroking it. Then with lightening speed he went for Arnav's nose, pulling it with all his infant strength. Arnav chuckled at his attempt.

"Hello to you too." Arnav reached down and placed a kiss on top of the child's forehead. Khushi dropped her eyes as tears sprang into her eyes. She quickly blinked them away and looked up to see Arnav settling down into a chair beside the pool.

"My name is Daddy." Arnav continued. "It's nice to meet you beta." Khushi was taken back with the tenderness Arnav spoke with. It seemed impossible coming from the same man she knew. She had never thought about what his paternal side would be like, yet there it was on display for her as Arnav stroked and murmured to his son.

Arnav couldn't put into the words the feeling that overtook him as Shiv stared into his eyes and flashed a tiny smile. He continued with his nose pulling escapades, completely oblivious to his father who was chocking on emotions. A thousand things Arnav had kept locked up inside him came crashing through. A small tear escaped the corner of his eye which he quickly wiped off. He turned to Khushi.

"Khushi, I'm... I'm sorry for earlier when... When you were talking. I, uh, I was... just... I'm sorry." This sorry was nothing in comparison to the list of things he had to apologize for, but Arnav felt it was a start.

Khushi was surprised. Arnav Singh Raizada had said sorry two times in the same sentence. She looked on before she realized that she was staring with her mouth wide open. She quickly snapped it shut. As shocking as it was, Khushi realized that this sorry was a genuine one.

She opened her mouth to speak again. "It's okay. I kind of- I don't know, I kind of expected a reaction." She slowly smiled. It wasn't a big, pleasing smile, but it was a forgiving one. "It's understandable." Khushi reassured.

She slowly made her way towards Arnav and Shiv, and she took a seat next to Arnav on the chair. Arnav was glad he had been forgiven for his outburst earlier. If anything, it decreased his list by a one.

"Khushi..." Arnav began. "You know I'm not usually fond of your taste, but I'm pleasantly surprised." He found Khushi looking at him confused. "Shiv is a good name." He said.

Khushi watched in awe as the signature smirk of Arnav Singh Raizada formed on his face. Teasing her was something he'd never put behind him she realized and let a small of her own form on her lips.

And as Arnav's smirk widened on his face, Khushi saw the first hint of the man she had fallen in love with a long time ago.