Something we wish for her

Seher's POV

"Okay, that tickles," I said half giggling pulling my leg slightly away from his grip.

He passed me one of his million-dollar smile - the mischievous one and continued with applying lotion to my feet, in between the web spaces of my toes.

Still smiling looking at him, my gaze rested on his wristwatch it was 9:15 already and he was supposed to be at his office by around 9:30,

"Aditya, I think you are getting late. Its already 9:15."

"Few minutes late dont count, besides they know I need to take care of you more."
He replied, his fingers now massaging near my Achilles tendon.

A yawn escaped my mouth and I stretched out my upper limb above my head and then rubbing my eight months big belly.

He chuckled, "You are always sleepy when I massage your feet," ending in a half complaining tone.

"Because you are so good, I'm telling you to quit Tees Hazari, you'll earn more being a masseuse" and ending with another yawn.

"Hanji for sure," he said laughing, covering my body till my knees with the comforter, then capping the lotion bottle and moved to keep it back on to the dresser.

Slightly banging the back of my head with the headboard I pursed my lips debating to myself, whether to tell him now or later.

He walked up to me and kept a hand on my head, bending to kiss it,

"Dont give me that look, you can spill it"

Out of habit, my nose scrunched, blowing air out my mouth I pulled him down beside me, "I was thinking about, Manzar."

"Me too." He sighed

I smiled, always worried about me and my family.

Manzar is more important to him than she is to me, being blood-related to me she is my younger sister, but the girl lives in hearts of so many.

There are few people you met in your life or grow up with, they are extremely different from you, in personality and in aura, but you adore them till core.

Manzar is exactly like that, the girl with a spirit of a bird - likes to fly, always wandering to new places, lives up above the sky, likes adventure but never cut the drama short.

The talkative one in the family - a heart holder.

Her smile makes my day, her laughter makes me laugh and when she widens her eyes in excitement and that high voltage smile- she spread her bubbles everywhere.

But she is changed now.

She let the cowardice of an idiot to affect her so much, indirectly affecting the lives living with her.

She never asked him for any reason, let his runaway to affect her heart. And I wanted to scold her, give her some sense, but my love won.

I couldn't find the courage to do that that time, ended up hugging her and giving her her own time to understand it by herself. Believing Aditya's words - time will heal.

I trust the power of time and ability of growing mature. Now it's been five years and nothing has changed still, it's my time to play the cupid.

She was Papa's girl and Mumma's daughter and I was always the elder daughter of the family.

Aditya filled the void of a son, he is like a brother she never had. Aditya, don't have his parents, all he has is ours.
He uses to live in an orphanage until he decided to join my Dads law firm as a... leave it, I dont talk about it, everybody has a past, he had his and he is proud of it, so do I.

Long story short, after finding his interest in law, he went through few entrance examinations, earned the scholarship, worked part-time in Dads office and completed his education and now is a very successful criminal lawyer in Tees Hazari.

Yes, he left Dad's office. Idiot!

Saying he want to stand for himself.

Argh!

Well, I'm not complaining. This attitude won my Dad's heart. When he joined Dad's office he earned his trust, befriended with Manzar, became her long lost elder brother and my... Everything.

Earlier I was so jealous of him because he was filling that gap in our family which I never knew ever existed.
I was ignoring him like a plaque but he came barging in, like a need I never knew existed.

We became friends, best friends and then more.

I never said I loved him back then to him or to Dad, neither did he, but we knew. We never needed words.

I was afraid to confess my love to him, knowing Dad's not going to accept us, He was silent too, but Manzar was certain about us. She was changed by then but still played the cupid.

Dad was ecstatic knowing we have feelings for each other, he was already planning to arrange my marriage with him and knowing this everything fell into place.

I was always the silent one, she was always hyper-excited and he was balancing us. Still doing the same job dutifully.

"She's not home. Is she?"

I gave him a look, "Afraid. Are we?"

He narrowed his eyes at me and moved forward to punch my cheek when I moved back and showing my tongue teased him.

"I was thinking, we both can do something to bring her back to us. Why not talk to Dad?"

"But Dad doesn't know about him."

"He dont have to." I shrugged,

He looked at me wide eyes, knowing where I'm going, "What I mean is - You know his father, I happen to be best friends with his sister and the culprit himself and aunty knows everything too, so why not organize an arrange marriage for them" I said winking.

He chuckled, "Pregnancy doing good on you."

I grinned.

"You want me to talk to Dad?"

"And Manzar should not know anything about this," I warned, nodded grinning.

Dad listens to him more than me.

Yes, that's my Dad for you!

"Meanwhile I'll talk to Ruhani and Urvi, I have another plan too," I said crossing my hands over my chest above my protruding belly with a smirk plastered on my lips.

He is right, pregnancy is rubbing on me.

He laughed, pecking my lips then my belly left the house for his so-called Advocate life.
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Aditya's POV

I took another sip of my black coffee and once again that bitter taste washing off my nerves, calming me.
This was bad - very bad.

Faking it as an arranged marriage plan, this is terrible.
I have to act, the thing I'm really bad in, being a lawyer I always prefer to come straight to my point, yes, we lawyers twist out the answers from you but we never act.

I'm already sweating.

A voice in my head - the voice that very well belongs to the only woman ruling my life, my wife, was glaring at me for sweating this much, she was mocking me pursing her lips with that look, which result her nose to flare along with the action of her lips, causing anxiety in me to rise up and kiss her senseless.

I never knew a doctor can kill you with her looks only when she's supposed to do exactly otherwise.

This woman and her sister both are going to be the death of me one day.

"When is Col. Sinha coming, again?"

"Within half an hour, Dad," I replied and took another sip, with this speed I'll be needing one more cup soon.

We are settled in my cabin, here in Tees Hazari main office. After discussing the plan a few days back once again with Seher, we came up with the idea of meeting Dad and Col.Sinha for the interest of arranging the marriage of their kids, Rudra and Manzar.

Only one thing was left, the place where this meeting could be held. Seher came up with the idea of My office, saying nothing could be more secretive than this - because Manzar never enters into my cabin without informing and here I have staff warning me about her movements.

Silly? I know.

If you have the guts, then explain this to the pregnant woman living in my house.

"You seem stressed today. Seher's giving you hard time?"

Maybe or maybe Manzar?

"Not at all Dad, the midnight cravings are the best part."

Dad laughed. I smiled.

"Aloo-Tikki! At 12:45, really?"

He laughed louder this time, "Well, it's better than Roasted corn in winters."

This time I laughed.

"It's very sweet of you to think about Manzar's future, I and your mom are very worried about her these days, she's been too quite from the last few years. And her Mom is blaming me for this." He said now sipping his black coffee.

He sat straight on his chair in front of me, one hand looping over the grip of his mug and other rubbing his chin, a habit of Dad when he is thinking.

I too sit up straight and held the cup just like him.

Since the day I started learning about the lessons of life, he's been my role model. The man is a god on earth for me. My life after graduating school would have been a mess if it wasn't for him to hire me in his office and discussing his cases with me.

In his eyes he was sharing a story, a most possible happening during the murder or robbery or accident but for me, it was a new phase. A step towards my success.

He helped me in enrolling into a law college, I did my internships under him, he gave my reference to his colleagues and friends. He helped me to settle down.

And then a day came, when I got an appointment letter from Tees Hazari, just after the day I told him I want to quit his office to know whether I can stand on my own or not.

Believe it or not, I'm certain he is behind all the success I've earned till now.

He married me with his daughter, knowing I'm an orphan, don't have a background or a self-known surname, the name I'm being called with is also given by the Sisters of my orphanage.

I was in love with his elder daughter the day I laid my eyes on her, she was just 18 at that time and I was already 21.

She hated my guts, and I know why, she was jealous of me that I'm an outsider and his parents and sister are trusting me more than necessary, I did everything to earn her trust too and finally succeeded.

She is the silent one and the wiser, the one who thinks before stepping on, the one who thinks from the brain before letting her heart to act upon.
The exact opposite from her sister, the trait that let me to her, I was determined to break her walls and see her wild and adventurous side, the little girl inside her - which she let me.

Manzar wears her heart on her sleeves which is why the brother inside me came out for her, her bubble is cheeky- sweet-naughty-grumpy-anxiety. The one who never learns to sit quite. And its all gone.

Rudra had his reason and yes, that was wrong of him, it was never his choice to make, it was Manzar's. He acted instantly, he let his insecurities win.

I never said anything because Manzar was young, too young. I wanted her to learn few more things but she took it far too long. Its our responsibility now.

"Why Mom is blaming you?" I said and moved to take another sip when I realized my mug is empty, I sighed.

"She thinks I'm responsible for introducing her to law. Becoming a solicitor made her this quite; she is searching her world in the corporate world now." Dad said interlacing his fingers on the tabletop with resting position of his elbows and still with the straight back.

I wish I could tell you otherwise, dad.

I looked at the screen of my phone, the screen shows its almost 1:00 p.m.

"Col. Sinha will be here any minute."

"Oh! Of course, the Indian army is al..." Dad was cut short by my Assistant Mahima.

"Sir, Col.Sinha is here."

"Escort him in please, Miss.Nair."

"Sure Sir."

I looked at Dad, he smiled,
"like I was saying Indian Army is always on time."

"Absolutely" came a mature sound from near the door, belonging to none other than, Colonel Samar Sinha himself.

I took a deep breath - here goes nothing.

Wearing a dark grey coloured prince collar suit, polished black leather shoes, a hat over his head with 2-3 purple and grey feathers at the right corner.

Physique representing his Indian Army strength, too perfect body for his age, face reflecting all his confidence as always and a moustache where he carries all his pride and wisdom.

"Colonel." I greeted moved to shake hands with him, he smiled at me,
"How are you doing Gentleman?"

"Very Fine, Sir. How are you and Aunty?"

"She is fine, just yesterday she was talking about you and your wife before I talked to her about your proposal."

Before I could reply or say anything within seconds his eyes darted towards Dad,

"We've met!" he announced.

"Umm... former Lok Sabha speakers birthday?" Dad guessed,

A laugh escaped from him before he nodded,
"The Barrister Umesh Saini," he extended his hand to Dad,

"Please just Umesh Saini, Colonel, Verma ji always talk so highly of me. I'm just a simple man."

Colonel beamed once again, "Well, that's so modest of you, I've heard a lot about of you and that too not only from Minister Verma only."

"Please have a seat," I said and beckoned them towards the sitting area of my cabin, meanwhile they were chatting I asked Miss. Nair to bring coffee and light snacks.

"Tell me, Aditya, when do you want the wedding then?" Colonel asked looking at me, once I settle down with them.

My eyes widened but I masked my expression, the habit I happen to have my masters on, and I looked at Dad, his face was neutral but I know he was shocked too.

"My wife really liked Manzar, my daughter too and I don't need to say anything about myself, I believe my smile is already talking more than me... about Rudra," he sighed, "I've already sent him the picture, he is also ready." He looked kind of suspicious by now.

Of course, he is!

Dad gave me a small smile and was looking at me with proud eyes - I couldn't ask for more.

"Well then..." I said beaming

You better treat me tonight Seher!!!

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'I promise to cherish the love you give'

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