The staff at San's Restaurant sat looking at the door on the opening day of the new restaurant. Not even a fly came in through the door. Astrid sighed loudly.

"It's okay. It's just the first day," Tariq said in general. "People will come eventually." But when he turned around he saw that Sanvika looked pretty gloomy. She was not looking happy for a few days. She was easily irritable and rarely smiled.

"Why don't you go home, San?" He asked. "We will be here. We have more staff now. The boss need not be around all the time. Go home and relax." He stopped talking as she shot him a stern look. She may be younger than him, but Sanvika always made sure to let him know who is the boss. That did not mean she was ever disrespectful to him. He was more or less treated like an older brother most of the time.

"Oww," Astrid said suddenly clutching her stomach.

"What happened?" Tariq snapped to attention and moved closer to his wife.

"Nothing. Just he kicked me pretty hard." She said, rubbing the spot.

"Really?" Tariq was just excited. He touched her stomach. He could not believe in the miracle that was his and Astrid's baby. He softly moved his hand over her stomach, touching the bulge that was his baby. And his smile vanished. He could not believe how much he loved the baby even when he or she has not been born yet.

Before the baby happened, he could never picture himself as a father. He thought he did not deserve to be one. He still thought he did not deserve to be a father. He was an ex-convict. He has literally killed someone, even if that was an accident. He did not want any child to be labelled as a murderer's child. He was not sure what the child will think of him after he or she grows up and knows about his past. All these thoughts tormented him lately.

Astrid placed a hand over Tariq's. He looked up into her eyes. And her eyes said that she understands. She smiled at him reassuringly. Squeezed his hand.

Sanvika sitting away from them was looking at them... She felt a tiny bit jealous. In the past few weeks, Vivaan did not even look at her much. He slept on the couch like usual and avoided her mostly. It was making her feel really sad and lonely.

"He is kicking again..." Tariq said excitedly. "Our son is pretty athletic, huh!"

"How do you know it is a son?" Sanvika asked.

"I want a daughter," Tariq said. "But Astrid wants a son. Astrid wins by default and so we refer to the baby as a son."

Sanvika smiled. "Have you thought of any name for him then?"

"Yes. But it is a secret." Astrid said. "Don't tell her yet," She added to Tariq.

"Hey, that is unfair." Sanvika scowled. "I am your best friend. Almost like a family. I am that baby's aunt."

"That is true..." Tariq said.

"But this is between us," Astrid told Sanvika. "If my mama were here, I would not have told her either."

Sanvika frowned playfully and gave up. "Speaking of your mama... Don't you wish she were here for you?" She asked. "I mean, every woman craves for her mother at the time of delivery, right?"

"Yeah..." Tariq said. "But Astrid's mother is dead... so.... It sucks that both of us are orphans."

"Eh..." Sanvika was confused. "Her mother is not dead," Sanvika said.

"She is dead," Tariq said. "She told me."

"You lied to him?" Sanvika looked at Astrid, astonished.

Astrid looked guilty. She sighed... "I did not want her to come to the wedding. So when Tariq asked me about my parents before the wedding, I lied to him that they are both dead."

"What?" Tariq jumped up.

"Don't overreact," Astrid said. "She is the same as being dead. She does not care about me." Tariq calmed down and sat down beside Astrid. "My papa died when I was about ten years old. A year later, mama got married again. The man, my step-father did not treat me very well. He lived with his mother and two daughters. I was an uninvited guest in that house. Nobody liked me. I was a liability to mama. She yelled at me, cursed at my existence... I was like a maid in that house. I worked in the kitchen mostly.

When I was thirteen, I met my mentor. We lived by a port. I accidentally ran into this old man at the port. He was the cook on a ship. He was Indian. Somehow I befriended him. He taught me about various cuisines. I took a passion for cooking. Began to study on my own. I had a dream now. To be a chef.

When I was sixteen, my step-father tried to rape me."

Tariq jumped up in anger.

"I told mama. She told me to leave the house. Go away... Said she did not want me in the house anymore. Said I will be a distraction to her husband. So I left... Forever. I went to my mentor and he took me on the ship with him. We travelled to many places, and I learned a lot. When I was 23. I came to India with my mentor. To Goa, his home town. He was old and weak now... He could not cook anymore. I stayed and took care of him. A year later he died. But I decided to keep staying here. That is all."

Astrid looked up at Tariq. "I do miss my mama. But I am sure she does not miss me. I am not even sure if she is still alive..." There were traces of tears in her eyes.

"No, jaan. I am sure she misses you too." Tariq hugged her. "And she will be alive. Why won't she be?" He stroked her hair. Astrid sobbed into Tariq's shirt. Sanvika looked at them in empathy.

"Let's contact her," Sanvika said.

Tariq and Astrid looked at her. "What?"

"Astrid's mom. I mean, at least Astrid can talk to her on the phone. I am sure she wants to know how her daughter is doing. She would want to hear from you, Astrid." Astrid looked unsure. But Tariq looked like he supported the idea.

"I don't have her phone number," Astrid said. "We had a landline phone back then. But I forgot the number in all these years."

"You remember where you used to live, right?" Sanvika asked.

"Yes," Astrid said.

"That's enough." Sanvika smiled.

"Someone is coming," Yashwanth yelled out from the entrance. He was standing outside looking at the elevators for hours. But then he said. "Oh..."

Sanvika and the other two looked at the door to see Vivaan walking in. "hey..." He said.

"What are you doing here?" Sanvika asked, a bit too surprised.

"Obviously he should be here," Astrid said. "It's the opening day of his wife's restaurant. The husband should be here by default."

"Yeah," Vivaan said. "It's the opening day. So I thought I should drop by. How are things going?"

"You are the first person to walk through those doors since the morning," Yashwanth said walking in. "Not even a fly flew by..."

"That bad, huh?" Vivaan looked at Sanvika. She avoided his eyes. It was after so many days that he was looking at her properly.

"Yeah. But I am sure it will get better," Tariq answered for Sanvika. "It is because it is Corona times. Nobody goes anywhere nowadays. And people are sceptical to eat outside."

Vivaan nodded. "What about the food delivery system?"

"I am planning to get us added to Swiggy and Zomato," Sanvika said, not looking at Vivaan. "Astrid do give me your old address. I will try to see if I have any friends in France. They may be able to help."

That night Sanvika was on the phone with one of her old friends from Harward. "Oh... Okay. So Diana is no longer in Paris?" She asked Genevieve. Vivaan looked up from his desk. He had heard about the plan of finding Astrid's mother.

"Okay, Thanks, Ginny," Sanvika hung up looking disappointed.

"Hm..." Vivaan cleared his throat, hesitating.

Sanvika looked at him.

"You want help from someone in France?" He asked.

"Yeah," Sanvika said. "Do you know anyone? Is any of your friends in France?"

"Yes," He said.

"Great," Sanvika beamed. "Can he help?"

"It's a 'she'," Vivaan said, again hesitating. "Jaime is in France."

Sanvika's smile faded. "Jaime?" She asked. "Your Jaime?"

"Yeah...." He said.

Sanvika tried to act as if this information does not bother her. "How do you know? You are in contact with her?"

"Well not really. But we are friends on Facebook and Instagram. So... I can call her if you want to."

Sanvika was feeling uneasy inside. And possessive and jealous. She bit her lips. "No that is okay. I am sure there maybe someone else who can help." She turned around. She felt annoyed at the thought of Vivaan talking to Jaime. Among all the girls Vivaan dated before Sanvika, Jaime was the one who had the potential to actually steal Vivaan away from her forever. Jaime was very special to Vivaan. She knew that Vivaan even loved Jaime in one way or another.

"I can call her, you know. No big deal," Vivaan said behind her.

"No. I will find someone else." She insisted.

"Why bother that when we already have Jaime there."

Sanvika snapped and turned back, "because I am not letting you call her."

Vivaan blinked at Sanvika. "Hm... are you jealous?" Sanvika looked around the room, avoiding Vivaan's eyes in embarrassment. Vivaan chuckled. "Em... I don't have any feelings for her anymore." He told Sanvika, honestly. "She is just a friend."

"Yeah, just a friend with whom you have slept with a hundred times." She scowled, turning around. Vivaan got up and walked to her. "But I am married to you now, Sweets." He said placing his hands on her shoulder from behind. "Do you seriously think I will have eyes for anybody else anymore?"

She turned to him. "I know..." she said. "But it's Jaime. And... you... We...." She looked down, as tears threatened to line her eyes. "You don't even touch me." She stepped closer to him, unconsciously... wanting intimacy.

Vivaan took her into a hug. "I know." He said. "But I am sorry. Give me a bit more time...."

Sanvika looked up and fidgeted with his t-shirt's collar. "How much more time?"

"Why? Are you getting desperate?" Vivaan teased her with a chuckle.

She frowned. Vivaan laughed and moved his fingers through her hair. "Kiss me," Sanvika mumbled. Vivaan kissed her forehead. "Not there." She said. She edged up and pouted her lips to him. Vivaan hesitated, but then kissed her. Sanvika deepened the kiss and clung to Vivaan. She was losing control. She wanted his hands all over her. She wanted him so badly. She felt this was unfair that her husband would not have sex with her. But she did not want to force him either. But she was running out of patience. Having him near her so much, to be sleeping in one room and yet him being so distant was torture for her.

"I am yours," Vivaan whispered in her ears. "Always had been."

"But she has had you," She spoke against his t-shirt, softly. "I haven't."

"Well, who stopped me the first time we were about to do it," He teased.

She playfully punched his chest, he caught her hand. "You want my touch?" He asked. Feeling shy, Sanvika just nodded against his chest. Vivaan's hands slid down tracing a line against her arm. Sanvika pressed herself closer to him. The space between her legs throbbed.

She looked up into his gentle black eyes. Vivaan was looking at her so tenderly. She was looking really at the breaking point. Vivaan could read that plainly in her eyes. That she wanted him to touch her. In ways, he has never touched her before. In places, his fingers have never gone before...

And he could not deny her need anymore.