Happiness is not getting all you want. It's about enjoying all you have...

                Vihani has started to enjoy the new phase of her life slowly.
She has accustomed to her new city life which was an enchanting place.
She was told to take proper care about her pregnancy, so she stayed home most of the day but sometimes when Avi came home early, they went out , to explore the city.

And that became the favourite time for her. Avi had been to Kochi a lot of time by then. So he knew the city well enough to take her out for nice food, music and fun. So she looked forward for their outings and their relaxed conversations. She felt like she has made a friend for a life time who didn't judge her and let her be herself.
     
           It was a mutual feeling for both of them, they shared an ease in their relationship with each other. They liked the time they spend with each other,  there was a mutual comfort zone for them even when they are silent, just like now.

        It was a beautiful evening  and they were having a quiet stroll at marine drive. It was a pleasant evening, with a picture perfect view of the sunset turning the sky into hues of lavender and pink.
The area was built facing the backwaters and it was one of the most happening place in the city. There were a lots of tourists and locals were hanging out, enjoying the evening with the scenic view and calm breeze from the lake.

They gradually settled down on a chair close to the rainbow bridge. The huge arch shaped structure was covered with beautiful lights which gave a marvelous visual at night.

It was a beautiful evening with city lights reflecting on the lake as the moon shined in the sky. Vinny took a deep breath enjoying each and every second of the evening.

She was feeling happy, the days which stressed her out was in the past. At this moment, she felt happy n grateful for whatever she had.
It was a feeling she came to love these days.
Contentment..that was it. She was satisfied the way her life was going with a great friend like Avi with her. Their fake marriage wasn't something she worried or regretted anymore. In a way, it worked for both of them.

They were kind of glued to each other and whenever they were together, the smile that was lost once ,was kind of lingered on her lips.

    The gentle wind that was blowing throughout the  evening was playing with her long hair and she tied it in a knot with an elastic tie. The whole area was crowded with people that included locals and tourists equally with street vendors roaming around with their goodies.

There were kids playing beside them with a bubble blowing gun. They shrieked in  excitement whenever there was a lot of bubbles. It was fun to watch the bunch of kids having fun and Vinny smiled looking at them.

'Vinny...are you scared about your baby?' Avi was studying her features, which were mellow and there was that million dollar worth smile on her lips.

' What do you mean Avi?'
She turned her attention towards him and her gaze lingered over his chocolate brown eyes, which she came to like a lot.

' I mean you are going to be a mom soon. I can't imagine myself having kids...you know...no offense, but I just can't imagine how it will work' he grinned sheepishly.

'Oh!!' she sighed.

'I am scared Avi..more than you could imagine. It still feels unreal that there's a life inside me.... you know.
I am scared that I won't be a good mom and without a dad to take care, it's going to be hard for me and the baby... .I know...but I hope and pray that I would love and care my kid unlike my own dad'

She paused for a second.
Vinny did not share a good relationship with her dad, she was close to her mom but still she could feel the emptiness that her dad left in her life which was always palpable. It's going to be the same with her baby too. She is going to play both mom and dad to her kid too and it scared her a lot.

'Hey... don't worry. You will be alright Vinny. It might not be easy, but you will make a great mom '

Avi said reassuringly as he noticed that her smile was fading away. He was feeling guilty for bringing up a sensitive topic but there was something else that he wanted to ask. Her sour relationship with her dad, it has been evident whenever Krishna Reddy  was mentioned but he stopped himself from asking her further but Vinny had some other plans.

The silence etched in between them for a long moment and it made Avi a tad bit nervous. 
Vinny was thinking about her dad and the grim expression he wore whenever they came face to face. It had hurt her always , the distance and difference between them, just like now.

' I want to be a better parent than my dad Avi. We don't share a bonding like normal family, me and dad...' there was a bitterness in her voice laced with regrets and pain. Avi sat in silence , totally obscure about the situation, but he decided to let her talk whatever was in her mind.

' Everything was perfect or  I believed so, for a long time. I was so happy to have a loving mom and dad even though he was busy , most of the time, I really loved him.

But one day, I  overheard something that was enough to break my heart and shatter my dreamlike life into peace's. 

My mom and dad was having a fight about my birthday party. I used to love those parties, you know. It was the day when my dad will shower his whole attention and love on me and I was too young and stupid to know that it was all a drama , a scam to show the world that how perfect a dad he was.'

Vinny choked on her own words. It was so difficult to tell yet she wanted to tell it to him.

'He never wanted me in the first place.
He always wanted another son, after Bhai, who will continue his legacy, run his empire.... not a girl.'

When my mom got pregnant with me, he convinced her to do a gender determination test.
If he had known that it's a girl , he wouldn't have let me born...you know. So mom lied that it's a boy.
And when I was born, he was disappointed, he always wanted a Vihan not a Vihani. I am just a disappointment, mere replacement which he loathed.'

Her voice cracked in the end. There were unshed tears in her eyes. It was a burden she carried around and it was something she hated to share and admit, yet here she was, reciting everything to him.

There are times when you want someone to listen to you and understand you and for her this felt liberating. To tell someone that she was a disappointment to her from the beginning and she wasn't good enough for him. She had accepted it in the past , but accepting it aloud was totally different.

'That's why you preferred Vinny over Vihani..' Avi mumbled as he deduced the new information.

'Because Vihani was the name of a disappointment,  a reminder that he never wanted me in the first place. When I realized all that I asked him not to celebrate my birthdays anymore. I had had enough of playing the trophy daughter of the family, only for the media, when he hated my existence.
Since then, it was never the same. '

There was another pause, Vinny was figuring out herself what she wanted in her life, and for the first time, she was clear about what she wanted even though it scared the hell out of her

' I don't want my kid to feel like an unwanted existence.

I want my kid to feel that he or she loved and cherished by me. That's all I want for my kid. '

The searing honesty in her voice, which was barely a whisper caught Avi of guard.

The thing about Vinny was that, she really didn't know how brave she is. That was her natural propensity which made his heart melt a little every time she put a brave front unknowingly.

It bemused him, surprised him, annoyed him and put him in trance, where he was sure he had feelings for her from the very beginning, from the night years ago.

It will be alright Vinny..you are nothing like your dad and trust me on this. You are already doing great and it will be alright.
As he gently squeezed her cold palm, she smiled in acknowledgement as if his words were so comforting and she was feeling grateful to have him in her life even it was for a very short time.

                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

       ' Hey Vinny.... I am so happy...' Varun was screaming into her ears as soon as she held her phone in between her shoulder blade and ear.
She was groggy with all the morning sickness and Avi had left to meet her brother for some business, early morning the same day.
Vinny was slowly realising that she was getting used to Avi's presence and she wasn't sure what to think of it and  the screaming voice of her Bhai annoyed her.

' Ohho Bhai...calm down. I need my eardrum for the rest of my life' she spatted as she walked to the kitchen.

' Don't be a crappy Ninja Vinny, you can't tell your brother not to jump in happiness when he gets to know that there's a baby ninja on its way...' he chimed in and Vinny let out a gasp.

'Err...yes Bhai' she winced thinking how they were lying again.
It was her fourth month and she has started showing and Avi and Vinny had discussed last night , to break the news to her Bhai. They can't hide it forever, so Avi had told Varun about the good news.
As expected , Varun was super excited and she could hear the smile in his voice and she tried not to break down into tears.
She hoped that he will forgive her when he gets to know about their lie.

' Stop dancing around like a mad man Bhai. I am sure you are doing that ' she scoffed as she grabbed an apple and took a bite.

'I am so happy Vinny.. there's someone who is going to call me mama n m going to spoil the kid. Wah... I can't wait anymore...'
She smiled , despite of all the lies, her Bhai is going to be a great uncle.

'Yeah yeah I am sure about it'

'Hey crappy ninja..you know what, I am so happy that my friend is not like you at all'
She furrowed her eyebrows
'What do you mean Bhai?'

'You are crappy but my friend turned out to be a real warrior here. It didn't took him long to make me an uncle you see.... I am super impressed...'
She could feel the smirk in his voice and she rolled her eyes.

'Bhai don't you think that you are being a pervert here. Stop being an ass to your sister!! ' she said through gritted teeth.

'Yeah I agree, but that doesn't change the fact that Avi is a winner here... I am feeling like a proud dad' he grinned and her cheeks burned for some unknown reason..

'Go to hell Bhai.. bye' she cut the call and let out a low chuckle.

'Wait till I get to see you Bhai...you are so dead ' she stomped out of the kitchen as her phone chimed again.

'What now Bhai??' she yelled into the phone just to greeted by an ice cold voice.

'It is your dad Vihani.'
Something in his voice said that this is not going to be a nice conversation. It never was.

'Yes dad..' she replied hesitantly.

'Now Vihani, we have some things to sort out. We need to talk...'
His voice trailed off and it made feel her sick to the stomach and she sat down on the couch making herself comfortable for this totally uncomfortable conversation.