35. Arsalan Virk
People who hold grudge turn into crows in their next birth.

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The following morning I woke up before Ashar. For the first ten minutes, I was tempted to kick the blanket off me. The blanket that had refused to warm up without Ashar turned into a sauna by morning. My feet were sweating. I didn't care. Ashar never released my hands during the night.

I wanted to enjoy a few more waking moments until someone became the evil villain of my life, banging on the door.

Ashar jerked awake releasing my hands immediately. I pretended to blink and yawn as if I had woken up at the same time.

As someone attempted to break down the door, I shuffled to the door with groan. Jhanvi stood with her hands on her hips. Her makeup was spot on and she was dressed in the same dress she had wore at the airport. This time, she wore a cream colored leather blazer on top. She must've been awake for a long time.

"What's up?" I yawned.

She stepped past me into the room with a death glare shot at Ashar.

"Good morning," Ashar said to her looking between me and my cousin in confusion. His bed hair and sleepy eyes sent my nerves in spirals.

"Why didn't you tell us?" she shot back viciously. Her glassy eyes were fighting back tears.

"Tell you what?" Ashar asked looking at me for help. I had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"Arsalan Virk," she said. "Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Jhanvi, what happened?" I asked, seeing Ashar freeze at his brother's name.

"I'll show you," she said to me, but she was staring down at Ashar. "Your brother is waiting downstairs. Come, Annie. You should meet your brother-in-law."

Her jaw clenched as she took my hand and dragged me downstairs with her. Ashar followed behind us in a panic.

We entered the living room where once again, Ashar's baba was gleefully arm in arm with his elder son. When I realized the familiar handsome face staring back at me with a wide smile, I turned to Jhanvi. Ashar stood by my side with his jaw set similar to Jhanvi's.

"Sunny is Arsalan?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Ashar," Sunny said beaming.

He stepped forward and gave his younger brother a hug who didn't return it.

"Hello hello," Sunny said to me. "Why didn't you tell me that you and Jhanvi were coming to meet your in-laws with Ashar? I had to find out from my Aara."

The audacity of this man! I should've never answered his call at the airport that day. He must've dug around.

"Why didn't you tell us Jhanvi is our elder daughter-in-law?" Ashar's baba asked us three. "I understand you're upset with us. Does that mean you won't tell your wives about us and vice versa?"

My marriage was paper-based, so it made sense I didn't know about Ashar's baba and stepmom. Jhanvi had been married to Sunny for four years. For her to only find out right now was too much to handle. No wonder she was livid when she knocked on my door.

I couldn't believe two things. First, Sunny and Arsalan were the same people. All along, Sunny and Ashar had led us to believe they were "old friends." Second, Sunny told his baba Jhanvi was his wife even though they were in process for getting divorced.

"Let them get ready for breakfast," said Ashar's stepmom to her husband. "We'll chat leisurely then. Jhanvi dear, why don't you show Arsalan to your room?"

Jhanvi stalked away towards her room. Sunny's smile dropped and he hurried behind her with a suitcase that had been hiding in a corner.

Ashar and I went upstairs wide awake now.

I quietly took a shower, changed into warm clothes, and headed downstairs. Ashar tried to say something, but I didn't meet his eyes even once.

Jhanvi was my priority right now.

She was waiting on the dining table smiling as if nothing had happened. Ashar and Sunny joined us in the next fifteen minutes. Breakfast was mostly Ashar's baba and stepmom making small talk while eating paranthas.

Though the oily food wasn't inviting, I ate one parantha out of politeness. It was delicious but I could imagine the mountain of butter entering the veins of my heart. No wonder Ashar's baba had two heart attacks.

Jhanvi barely finished her food before excusing herself. She rushed back to her room with a hand on her mouth.

"I'll see if she's okay," I said rising from my seat.

I hurried after my cousin. I heard the sounds of her throwing up her breakfast in the bathroom attached to her room. I waited outside the bathroom door, leaning against the wall. She stepped out after ten minutes looking pale. Her reddish eyed teared up when she saw me.

"It's not food poisoning, is it?" I asked.

Those tools that looked like thermometers in her trash can that day in her house suddenly started to make sense. The bravado she had in the US in front of Sunny seemed to have collapsed.

"I'm pregnant," she sobbed. "Don't tell anyone. I can't deal with him right now."

"How far along?"

"Three months," she answered sniffling. "I thought it was food poisoning. But then I took some tests and they came positive. When I went to the doctor, she confirmed it. I was going to tell you, but then you wouldn't have let me come on this trip."

I held her close to me. Though it hurt that I found out a little late, she needed me now the most.

"My jaan (dear), let's pack our bags," I said. "I'm going to book the next flight home."

"No, you and Ashar—"

"He's not planning on staying here," I informed her. "He said he'll move to a hotel. Once his paperwork is done, he'll come back to the US. I'll live. If I had known you were pregnant . . . "

"That's why I didn't tell you." She pulled away from me and wiped her cheeks.

"Okay, gather your belongings," I said sternly. "We'll tell them we have a family emergency. We'll vacation somewhere you're comfortable."

"Wait, I wanted to visit the Golden Temple," she said with glassy eyes. The color was slowly returning to her face. "My mama always said she'd bring me there one day. We might never come back to India."

"Alright," I said smiling. "We'll stop by the Golden Temple since we are in Amritsar. Delhi airport after that."

She nodded and finally smiled back at me.

I allowed her to pack while I returned to my room. The bed sheets were all over the place, making me remember last night's events. Despite all that had happened between us in America in the last week, Ashar had still jumped into the bed and warmed me up.

The memory was enough for me to return home satisfied. I fixed the bed and brought my suitcase out. Like Jhanvi, I only had a few things I had taken out that I packed back.

Ashar entered the room startling me.

"Didn't like the surprise?" he asked, taking a seat next to my suitcase. "There are things you and Jhanvi don't know about us. My brother and I . . . have too many issues I don't want to discuss. That's why neither one of us told you we were related."

"I won't ask, don't worry," I assured. "Jhanvi and I are going back."

"Going back where?" A different voice asked from the doorway. Ashar stood up from his seat looking at his father's grim voice. I halted. His baba came up to me. "Are you leaving?"

"Baba, you met us," Ashar answered for me. "That's all you wanted. You can enjoy your time with your Arsalan."

"Stay a few days," his dad said crestfallen. I found Jhanvi standing in the doorway looking confused. Ashar's baba turned to me and joined his hands together. His eyes welled up. "Please beta (dear), please don't go. Don't leave."

"No, no, please, uncle," I said grasping his frail hands.

Even Ashar appeared struck at his father's begging. My heart sank seeing the elder man's torn face at my words. I looked at Jhanvi desperately who was just as broken.

"Don't leave me." Ashar's baba cried, his shoulders slumping. Ashar and I immediately steadied him. Even Jhanvi ran to give him a hand as he sobbed hard. "Don't g-g-go."

"We won't," I said, unable to hold back. The pain in his voice hit me in the heart as if my own papa was telling me not to leave.

"Don't worry," Jhanvi said putting a hand on his shoulder. "We're not going anywhere."

Ashar let out a heavy sigh looking up as if holding back his tears. I pretended to not see it. Was he remembering his promises to his mother? Was he holding back the years of resentment he needed to release?

His father's body relaxed after hearing our reassurances. Perhaps, having close relationships with our own fathers made us empathize with this man despite knowing what he had done to our husbands.

Maybe losing my papa made me more sensitive to this man's pleas.

I turned to Ashar and lightly touched his arm.

"We're staying," I told him in a lowered voice. He started to shake his head defiantly, but then one look at his father's weeping state made him stop and reconsider. I lightly touched the side of his hand and repeated firmly, "We're all staying."

He glanced at my hand then at me and then turning to his baba in a defeated manner, he said, "We're staying."

The old man put his hand on my head and then Jhanvi's giving us his blessings. His baba embraced at him as if that was his last wish.

Jhanvi backed out of the room slowly, leaving the father and son to bond.

I thought it'd be best to give the father and son some space, but Ashar tightened his grip on my hand when I tried to retract. His forlorn eyes and expressionless face put me in a conundrum. I remained by his side as his baba swept away the tears with his fingers before holding Ashar's shoulders.

"I'm going to throw a party," said baba. "My sons are here with their wives. I want to share this news with everyone. We'll celebrate Lohri with the whole village!"

His baba's depressed state evaporated into thin air and he left the room mumbling about needing arrangements.

I side eyed Ashar unsure of his reaction at my plea to stay. He released my hand putting an awkward silence between us. Both of us pretended the hand holding didn't happen.

"Don't fall for his crocodile tears," he said finally. "My father isn't a good man."

"Then why did you agree to stay?" I inquired.

His eyes studied my face as if I should've known the answer. "I couldn't risk you and your cousin start crying along with baba."

"Have a little more empathy for your father," I insisted.

"You don't know him," he repeated for the millionth time. "Your father would die for you while my father would remember us only after his second heart attack."

"My papa's gone, Ashar," I told him. It was frustrating that I had to keep reminding him of this painful memory. "You still have yours. Forgiveness is the first step towards salvation, Papa used to say."

He scoffed. "You got me stuck here for your salvation."

"Hey, I'm helping you patch up," I said lightheartedly.

"Ah, I see," he said as if realizing something. "Are you trying to get your forgiveness for what you did to Aara and me?"

"I didn't do anything," I said flatly. "You're blaming me after I told you the truth and I apologized—I don't do that often. Now, if you want to hold a grudge, it'll be on you."

"Anmol—" His face had relaxed.

"People who hold grudge turn into crows in their next birth," I continued. "That's what my grandpa used to say. Do you want to be a crow, Ashar?"

He pressed his lips thoughtfully before replying, "I'd make a handsome crow, don't you think?"

I pouted and shook my head.

"No? Then, let's not hold grudges," he concluded. "I'm taking your word as truth."

"Seriously?" I couldn't hide my surprise. "I promise I was telling the truth."

"And I'm telling you I'm trusting you."

I raised my eyebrows and he nodded.

He smiled freely for the first time in the last week. I beamed back at him. It was only the second day in India and we were back on good terms. I wanted to jump in joy, clap my hands, and kiss him. All I managed to do was grasp his arm in my hands.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Ashar."

His eyebrows furrowed in the middle half in surprise half in amusement.

I released him and calmed down, slightly embarrassed by my action. The amount of liberty I was taking was definitely going to come back and bite me.

"I'm gonna check on Jhanvi," I said.

His charming smile lasted a few more seconds as I turned away.

For the first time in years, I felt like skipping. All because Ashar said he had trust in me. Something was definitely wrong with my brain. What was I even hoping to achieve here in India with Ashar?

I needed a chat with Jhanvi on this topic.

As I hurried out of the room lost in my thoughts, I ran into the one person I wanted to avoid the most in my stay here.

Sunny stretched his arms along with his smile.

"Hello, hello, Annie."

For some reason, I had a feeling this man was going to make all of our lives difficult.

* * *

A/N

Another update. I'm on a roll. Haha it's not going to be this sappy and melodramatic hereafter. We are going to enjoy India and Lohri.

How was the chapter?

How are things cooking between our leads?

Did anyone guess Arsalan is Sunny? His story will be revealed further.

What about Jhanvi's pregnancy?

How are your love lives going? I'm finally at the shaadi.com profile age lol.

Thank you so much for the votes and comments! I really appreciate it a lot. I had lost hope that anyone would read it again after my long hiatus. But you guys are here supporting my writing. I can't express my gratitude in words.

You're all awesome!

—K-K-Kiran