Timeline: Back to Aradhya's Baby Shower

Bhairav's POV

I had my hand pressed to Janu's ear as she slept soundly against my chest. Sanjana told me that our little girl was scared of crowds and loud music. So I agreed to take care of her while my wife mingled with the guests.

The men were present on the balcony that overlooked the inner courtyard. Most of them were drunk, and I too wished to have a glass, but Janu hated the smell. Besides, she was sleeping so peacefully while clutching a few jasmine flowers in her hand. She had kept one of them in my pocket too, and there was one behind my ear. She had yelled at me in baby gibberish when I tried to remove it, so I let it be.

Bhargav was leaning over the balcony beside me. Not too long ago, I remembered seeing him downstairs, drooling over his wife.

"Upar kyu aa gaye?" I asked him.

(Why did you come upstairs?)

"Maa ne waha se bhaga diya," he muttered before sitting beside me with a sigh, "Samajh nahi aa raha... Mere biwi ke paas hi toh khada tha. Itni badi baat kya hai?"

(Maa sent me away. I don't understand... I was only standing near my wife. What's the big deal?)

"Bacho ki tarah uska peecha karna chod do," I replied, "Tumse chutkara paane ke liye woh apni maayke jaa raha hai."

(Stop following her around like a child. She's going to her parents' home to escape from you.)

Bhargav glared at me before drowning an entire glass of alcohol. "Aap kuch mat boliye. Do saalo ke baad wapas aakar aapne pehle kya kiya? Aapke Maa, Bhai... Bacho ko bhi bhul gaye! aur seedha gaye biwi se gale milane."

(You don't have the right to lecture me. What was the first thing you did after coming back two years later? You forgot your mother, brothers, and even your kids! You went straight into your wife's arms.)

My lips twitched, "Yaha se neeche phek dunga... Janu so rahi hai, isliye zyada kuch nahi keh raha hoon."

(I'll throw you down the balcony... Janu is sleeping, so I'm not saying much.)

Bhargav grinned. At the same time, my daughter rubbed her eyes open and shifted on my lap.

"Janu beta... Abhi bhi neend aa rahi hai?" Bhargav pulled her chubby cheeks. She didn't react as she was still half asleep.

(Janu dear... Do you still feel sleepy?)

"Maa...?" She raised her head and looked around.

"Maa neeche hai, gudiya. Dekho," I leaned towards the railing and pointed at Sanjana through the iron bars. My daughter put her thumb in her mouth while watching her Maa dance. She was quiet for a while before suddenly wrapping her arms around my neck and clinging to me. It looked like she wanted to sleep again.

(Maa is downstairs, baby. Look,)

"Bhuk lagi hai?" I scratched her stomach. She said yes first and then no. I sighed, "Thodi der baad khaana khaane jayenge."

(Do you feel hungry?)

(I'll take you to eat after a while.)

It seemed like my words had given her renewed energy as she began rearranging the flowers in my pocket. Bhargav nudged me at that time, and I looked at where he was pointing. Keshav was standing not very far from us, sipping a glass of whiskey, while his eyes were fixed on something. I had never seen him focus like this in my life.

"Aap ise kab sheher bhejoge, Bhaiya? Itne saalo se akela hai... Shaadi ki taiyari bhi karni hogi," Bhargav smiled, "Ise bhi ek saal intezar karvao."

(When will you send him to the city, Bhaiya? He's been alone for years now... We need to prepare for his wedding as well. Make him wait a year too.)

I rolled my eyes, "Tumse zyada samajhdar hai... Panch saal tak intezar karne keliye bhi taiyar hoga, dekhna."

(He's better than you... He'll be willing to wait even five years.)

Bhargav glared at me before getting up, "Mai apne biwi se sabse zyada pyaar karta hu, pata hai kyu? Kyunki sirf woh hai jo hamesha mera saath deti hai. Bachpan se sabka dulhara Keshav hi hai... Aapka, Maa ka, Baba ka... Par sabse zyada mehnat mai karta hu. Aap kabhi nahi samjhenge."

(I love my wife more than anyone, you know why? Because she's the only one who's always on my side. Keshav is everyone's darling from childhood... Yours, Maa's, Baba's... but I'm the one who works the hardest. You'll never understand.)

It was hilarious to watch him lose his temper. He had been the same ever since he was a teenager. "Maa phirse upar bhaga degi," I smiled. Bhargav stormed off without another word.

(Maa will send you back upstairs soon.)

I followed Keshav's eyes and realised that he was closely watching Payal. She was dancing with Sanjana, but still looked quite shy. My wife was the loudest among all the women, and even Raghav was squealing with her. Come to think of it, by next year it would be our tenth anniversary. It was hard to believe that I had put up with the noisy madwoman for nearly ten years.

"Keshav?" I called him softly. He wasn't listening at all.

"Chachu ko bula sakti ho?" I asked my daughter. She threw the flowers at him while giggling, and he snapped out of his trance at that moment.

(Can you call your uncle?)

"Ah, chachu dar gaye!"

(Ah, Chachu got scared!)

He smiled and sat beside us, "Idhar aao, mere shaitan..."

(Come here, you little devil...)

Janu immediately leaned into his embrace, but the moment she smelled whiskey, she pushed his face away and locked my neck in a deathgrip. Sometimes I found it difficult to breathe because of her.

"Baba, chi! Chi!" She groaned and rubbed her face on my chest. "Daru se nafrat hai... Pakadne nahi degi," I sighed. Keshav kept the glass aside while continuing to tease and tickle her.

(She hates the smell of whiskey... She won't let you hold her.)

"Do din baad mai chahta hu ki tum Karim se jaakar milo aur saare dukan ki kaagazat lekar wapas aao. Bahut se badlav laane hai yaha..."

(I want you to go meet Karim after two days and get the documents of all stores from him. We need to make a lot of changes here...)

He gulped, "Par... Kya woh manega, Bhaiya? Mujhe ab abhi vishwas nahi hota ki usne aapki madad ki hai."

(But... Will he agree, Bhaiya? I still can't believe that he helped you.)

"Zaroor manega. Tum sirf use achai dikhao... Agar yaha ke logon ko apne dukan par puri tarah se haq mil jaye, toh gaon aur bhi behtar ban jayega."

(Of course, he'll agree. Just show him your good side... If the people here get complete rights over their stores, then the village will become much better.)

Keshav ran a hand through his hair, "Aap bahut chaalak hai Bhaiya... Woh soch nahi raha hai ki uske baap ne in dukano se logon ki saari paise pee li hai. Aur aapko saari dukane bechne ke baad, aapke paas hi paiso ke liye aana padega."

(You're really clever, Bhaiya... He doesn't realise that his Father had used these stores to drain money from the people. And after selling all these stores to you, he'll be forced to come to you for money.)

I grinned, "Phir hum wahi karenge jo uska baap kar raha tha... Hum byaaj itna badha denge ke woh kabhi poora karz chuka hi nahi paayega. Aur dheere dheere karzon ke aise chakravyuh mein phans jaayega jahan se nikalna namumkin hoga. Dekho... chahe Gulzar kuch saalon baad qaidi-khaane se riha bhi ho jaaye, main bas itna chahta hoon ke woh dobara kabhi taaqat aur rutbe tak na pahunch sake."

(Then we'll do what his father was doing... We'll keep raising the interest until he can never repay the debt. Little by little, he'll be trapped in such a vicious cycle of debt that there'll be no way out. Look... even if Gulzar is released from prison after a few years, I will make sure he never regains the power and influence he once had)

Keshav tilted his head, "Kuch bhi kaho... Aap sach mein paison ke bhuke hai."

(Whatever you say... You're really hungry for money.)

I shrugged, "Yeh duniya paiso se chalti hai. Jitni jaldi tumhe woh samajh aayega, utni jaldi tum imaandari se jee paoge." He sighed without replying.

(This world runs on money. As soon as you understand it, you'll be able to live well.)

Later, after lunch, the guests had slowly started dispersing. Nandlal had set up his camera in the courtyard, and countless pictures were taken of everyone. Aradhya was the center of attention, of course. Bhargav made sure to take at least five individual photographs of her alone, from different angles. When it was time to pose together, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and smiled brightly.

"Inke paas itne daanth the?" Keshav snickered, and even Sanjana was struggling to hold back her laugh.

(He had this many teeth?)

Maa's photograph was taken as well. First, she sat alone, then with all three of her boys. Next, she sat with her grandkids, which was quite a struggle as Janaki was keeping her eyes closed the entire time. Sanjana became so tired of pleading and begging our daughter that her patience snapped, and she pinched Janu's arm.

For almost all the remaining photographs, my daughter puffed up her cheeks while glaring at the camera. She had her arms crossed and dried tears on her cheeks as well.

Raghav was another extreme, though. He was so excited because of the noise and the people that he never looked straight at the camera. He was always looking at a different spot in every picture. The women of the house took photographs together as well. They all looked gorgeous together without doubt. Only if Dadi were there as well.

"Ab hum saath mei lete hai," Sanjana smiled at me with twinkling eyes while holding my hand.

(Now let's take one together.)

"Jaakar baith jao. Tumhari akeli tasveer leni hai," I replied, pushing her away. She looked puzzled while smiling nervously at me, "M-meri akeli kyu le rahe hai... Bacho ke saath-"

(Go sit down. Your individual pictures need to be taken.)

(Why do you need m-my individual pictures...? It's better with the kids-)

"Sanjana," I glared at her. She was the one who loved to complain that I barely did romantic bullshit with her. But whenever I tried to spoil her a little, she'd try to run away. It always pissed me off.

"Baith jao, jaake. Kitni baar kehna padega?" I muttered irritably. She puffed her cheeks up the same way as Janaki while sitting back down in the chair. She wouldn't listen if I told her to smile, so I whispered in Raghav's ear.

(Go sit down. How many times should I repeat myself?)

"Maa aapke daanth nahi dikh rahe!" My little boy pointed at his own teeth. It made everyone smile, including my stubborn wife.

(Maa, we can't see your teeth!)

"Ache se lena..." I told Nandlal softly. He gave me a sly grin, "Zyada paise lagenge." I rolled my eyes.

(Take it well...)

(It will cost you more.)

"Saarang, ab jaakar Didi ke paas khade ho jao," I patted his back. He was overjoyed as he hugged his sister in the photograph, making her laugh. Finally, I joined them with the kids. Janaki stayed in my lap because she was still upset with her mother. Saarang stood beside me as well, his shoulder firm and back straight as he smiled at the camera like a big man.

(Saarang, go stand near your Didi now.)

"Muskurao, beta... Kitni achi tasveer hai," Sanjana caressed Janu's face, but she turned away. Raghu made the situation worse by pulling on her hair at the same time. Sanjana had to pinch his arm as well, and now both kids were yelling and on the verge of tears.

(Smile, dear... It's such a nice picture.)

"Suno, suno," Keshav clapped his hands before the camera, "Jo bhi sabse ache se muskurayega, use yeh laddoo dunga." He waved it right before the camera.

(Listen, listen... Whoever smiles the best will get this laddoo.)

The children's faces straightened immediately. They grinned with their innocent baby teeth, and Janu even had a bit of drool on her lips. Sanjana wiped it off with a chuckle, and in that moment, I was suddenly aware of how colorful my life had gotten.

I was exactly where I wanted to be.