Past

Aditya just came back from taking tution class at 5 am. He looked around as he was removing his shoes. It was pitch black and no one was awake. Perfect. Like every year, he'll be the first to wake up his son Arjun in the morning at exactly 7 am when Arjun was born and wish him Happy Birthday. He began whistling the tune of a lullaby he used to sing to Arjun when he was a toddler when he reached their room and expecting to find Arjun sleeping like a cherub under the blanket, he carefully removed the blanket but no one was there. He woke Muskaan up.

"What happened? Why are you creating a ruckus?" Muskaan asked groggily.

"Where's Arjun, Muskaan? He's not beside you," Aditya's voice betrayed his fear.

"Chill, Adi," Muskan turned away from Aditya without opening her eyes, "Vikram has taken him on a Birthday special trip when you were out giving tution at 5 am."

"But why Vikram?" Aditya's voice was rarely loud but today was a rare day, "You know fully well every year I wish Arjun first on his birthday. Still, you let him go with Vikram. Listen Muskaan, Vikram is your boss but I'm Arjun's father."

"Fuck off, Aditya," Muskaan got up with a jerk, "Why are you overreacting? Arjun is growing up. He sees what his classmates get in their birthday gifts, where his classmates go for trip. Tell me honestly, can you afford any of those things for our son? Do you want me to say to Arjun on his sixth birthday that your father earns very less. So he cannot take you to amusement parks where ticket is very expensive. Arjun is a kid now, Adi. He already will have to become mature much earlier due to your financial condition. But for now, let him enjoy."

Saying all that, Muskaan lied down again on the bed and covered herself with blanket.

Aditya kept looking at Muskaan thinking she'd get up to console him but she didn't. Finally, Aditya started getting ready to take classes at the Computer centre.

On his way, he heard a familiar voice: "Aditya, stop! Mr. Aditya Deshmukh. Wait for me, you dumbo!"

Only one person called him Dumbo.

Aditya stopped, and answered back: "What happened?"

Medha came closer, and said, "Aditya. I've to talk about something very important."

"What? You again fought at office?" Aditya teased Medha.

"Why do you think I've no other work than quarreling with everyone?" Medha said, "Keep walking. Is Muskaan really your wife?"

"Why would I have a fake wife?" Aditya said, "Yes, Muskaan is really my wife."

"Can you please ask Muskaan to switch to another company?"

Aditya stopped in his tracks, "Why?"

Medha said, "Look, I want to be clear and blunt with you. Our boss Vikram, he doesn't have a good character and he doesn't view beautiful women in a chaste manner. And I fear Muskaan is giving into his advances."

"Stop!" Medha froze at just one word by Aditya. She knew it was very rare Aditya got angry, but when he was angry, Aditya was very intimidating and scary.

"Listen, Aditya," Medha softened her voice.

"I've told you thousand times that I'm sorry that your heart got broken due to your one sided feelings for me. And there's no other thing I want in the world more than to see you thriving and content in your life. But this... "

"Wait a second," Medha's nostrils were red now, "Do you think I'm that cheap that I'll use false accusations on someone's character?"

"I didn't mean that..."Aditya was on defence mode now. He knew whenever Medha gets angry, she starts having anxiety and panic attacks. Already Medha had been suffering a great deal due to him.

"Listen Mr. Aditya Deshmukh. I accept that I am despo and have thrown my self respect out of window when I kept returning to you and proposed you multiple times despite you rejecting me again and again. But I'm not so evil as to malign someone's character just because I have my eyes on a married man. I just told you all this because I know in what circumstances, your father had brought you up after your mother's death. And because I thought if Muskaan betrays you what'll happen to your five year old son. You don't even have money to pay Alimony if Muskaan decides to leave you. How will you then pay for your father's medicines? I've burnt my feelings for you the day you got married. And I hope that you too burn as I've burnt by loving you. I hope you get a painful death by being burnt alive. I hope you die, Aditya. I hope you get the worst death possible."

"I just hope that you stop destroying yourself in your spite for me and find contentment and joy in life. I have never wanted anyone else to be happy more than you. Not even me. Not even Muskaan. Not even Arjun."

There was nothing Medha wanted at that moment more than to slap Aditya. How could he be so patient, so kind, so understanding towards her when she was giving him worst curses possible? This was why Medha had fallen for him and this was why Medha could never move on from him.

"Tell your son happy birthday from my side," Medha walked away without looking back at Aditya.

In the evening, Aditya was busy in decorating the house for Arjun birthday.

"How tacky, Papa!" Arjun scrunched his face, "Ewww... "

Aditya's face fell.

"Aditya Beta," Aditya saw his father Tanhajirao Deshmukh coming slowly with a cup of tea in his hands, "Have a cup of tea, Aditya beta."

"Baba, why did you take the trouble despite having joint pain?" Aditya lovingly scolded his father, "You just could tell me and I'd have made for tea everyone."

"My son would've made tea for everyone except himself," Aditya helped his father to sit on chair, "You always keep yourself last, Baada. How could you survive like that in this world? How was your day?"

"It was fine, Baba," Aditya said, "Kashish has stopped coming to classes since last month so things are much peaceful."

"Everyone please stand up. Vikram Sir has arrived," The glee in Muskaan's voice was evident.

Aditya was going to stand up, but his father stopped him, saying, "Vikram may be Muskaan's boss at work, but this is our home. We don't owe anyone else to stand up in his welcome be it a billionaire or a CEO."

"Baba, Vikram is our guest and we must always honor our guest. You only taught me that," Aditya said and stood up to welcome Vikram.

Everyone from parents of Arjun's classmates to Aditya and Muskaan's acquaintances to the neighbors was eager to say just one Hi or Hello to Vikram as if he were a King or a rockstar. But Vikram came straight towards Arjun and lifted him in his arms.

"Happy Birthday again, my little man," Arjun was so happy in Vikram's arms that something twisted deep inside Aditya's heart. But as long as Arjun was happy, everything was fine for Aditya.

Vikram made Arjun cut the birthday cake, while Arjun was lifted in his arms. Aditya was standing in a corner thanking his tall height which made it possible to watch the cake cutting for his son's birthday from the corner above the heads of crowd.

When Vikram tried to feed Arjun the first bite, Arjun said, "No uncle. My Baba always feeds me the first cake bite on my birthday."

Muskaan resplendent in the sage green gown scolded, "Arjun, have some manners. Eat cake from Vikram Sir's hand like a good boy. Vikram Sir is so busy. Still he took you to the amusement park..."

"No Aai," Arjun got down from Vikram's hold and took the cake piece from Vikram and made his way towards Aditya, "Only my Baba would feed me first bite."

Whenever Arjun called him Baba instead of Papa, Aditya was reassured that Arjun was as much his son and not someone who'd forget his roots when he would grow up. And today, Aditya was beaming with pride at his son. Aditya, instead of lifting Arjun up in his arms, kneeled in front of Arjun making his height equal to his son's and let Arjun feed him and then spread his arms for Arjun to jump on him."

Suddenly a knock on the door. Muskaan opened the door and cops entered.

"Who's Aditya Deshmukh?" Cops demanded.

Arjun held Aditya's shirt tightly. Aditya patted his head and told the cops, "I am Aditya Deshmukh."

One of the cops told in a gruff voice, "Mr. Aditya Deshmukh, you are under arrest for **ping your student and human trafficking and homicide."