Chapter Twelve

Time went on and so did Khushi's pregnancy. The year ended and turned into another. Winter took over the town, covering it up with snow. Arnav had gotten way more protective, ever since the first day of winter to be exact, which was absurd to Khushi, as well as funny.

Khushi never brought up the conversation she had heard between Arnav and his Dadi and kept it to herself. She didn't tell anyone about it - not Payal nor Ammijan. She didn't think on it too much because she knew she'd be stressing over it and that was the last thing she needed right now.

Her pregnancy was going well, her visits to the doctor rather pleasurable. She'd obtained more images of her baby and she continued to work on her scrapbook. She didn't tell anyone about her scrapbook since she wanted to keep it for herself. Especially after what she heard from Dadi, she wanted these moments to be precious and remembered, so even if Dadi did kick her out, she'd leave with good memories.

Khushi was now 18 weeks pregnant, and she couldn't wait to see how much her baby had grown. Her bump was visible, no doubt. Thanks to her knit tops that she had bought for the winter, many people didn't notice since they were baggy.

"Excited to see your baby," Dr. Thomas asked.

Khushi nodded.

"Okay, but first, I have to ask you two something, which I told you about last time you came."

Arnav and Khushi knew very well about what she was going to ask.

"Do you want to find out the sex of the baby?"

When they were here three weeks back, Dr. Thomas had told them that at the next visit, they would be able to find out the gender of the baby. Khushi wasn't positive, but Arnav had decided in a snap that he didn't want to know. Khushi wondered why, but she never asked.

It took her a while and only recently had she come up with her decision.

"Arnav doesn't want to know the sex," Khushi replied.

"Do you want to know?"

Arnav looked at Khushi.

"No," Khushi replied. "No I don't. I'd rather be surprised."

"Are you sure," Arnav asked. "You weren't positive before."

"I'm positive. I gave it some thought and thought why not be surprised? So no, I don't wish to know the gender of the baby."

"Okay," Dr. Thomas smiled lightly.

As Dr. Thomas did her work, Arnav looked at Khushi.

"Khushi, are you sure," he asked.

"Yes Arnav, I am," she smiled softly.

"I hope it's not because of me."

"No Arnav, it's not because of you. But I do want to know why you don't want to know."

Arnav shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. It's still our child at the end of the day, and that's all that matters to me. I guess its because I also kinda want it as a surprise."

Khushi smiled softly. "Okay."

"Ready to see your baby," Dr. Thomas asked.

The two nodded.

Everyone looked at the screen and both Arnav and Khushi sighed. Their baby had gotten much bigger since the first time they'd seen it.

"You see that," Dr. Thomas said, pointing at the screen. "Your baby just yawned."

"Aww," Khushi gushed.

Suddenly, the baby moved and Khushi's eyes widened slightly.

"I felt that," Khushi gasped.

"It's normal to start feeling a few things here and there," Dr.Thomas smiled. "I'll just print out some still shots for you."

She printed out some out and handed it over to the duo. Dr. Thomas scheduled an appointment with her in three weeks, and then they left. In the car, Arnav was rather silent.

"Is something wrong, Arnav," Khushi asked.

"Hmm? Oh, no, I'm fine."

"You sure? You're very quiet."

"I'm fine."

Khushi looked forward to the cars in front. I wonder what's wrong.

Arriving back to the mansion, they were greeted by the warmth that filled up the whole house. As soon as Khushi entered the house, she could smell food in the air.

"Yum, what is that smell," Khushi wondered, biting her lip.

Arnav sniffed but couldn't really smell anything. "What smell?"

Khushi didn't bother answering and went towards the kitchen. Confused, Arnav followed behind and both saw caterers working in the kitchen.

"What the? What is going on," Arnav asked.

Dadi was there, checking up on things. "Not much, just a little dinner thing."

"Dadi, how many times do I have to tell you? No!"

"But Arnav-"

"But nothing!"

"Arnav, you haven't celebrated your birthday in years!"

Before Arnav could say anything, Khushi spoke.

"It's your birthday today?"

Arnav looked at Khushi. "Yeah."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"It's not important, not to me at least."

But Khushi didn't care. Her hormones were all over the place and she was upset that Arnav hadn't told her. Tears pooled in her eyes and before Arnav could say anything, Khushi stormed out.

"Khushi," Arnav called out after her, but she didn't turn back.

Arnav turned to say something to Dadi, but in the blink of an eye, Khushi came storming back in. She walked over to the caterers and saw the chocolate covered strawberries on a plate and took them, along with a plate of chicken and shrimp quesadillas, and walked right back out. Arnav scrunched his eyebrows and followed behind Khushi, ignoring his dadi calling after him.

Khushi walked over to the TV room and sat on the huge leather sofa. She placed the food beside her, placed her legs on the table in front of her, and turned on the smart TV, finding something to watch on Netflix. Arnav entered the room and couldn't help himself but to smile as he saw Khushi gobble up a quesadilla, one after the other. He watched as she devoured the whole plate and then moved on to the chocolate covered strawberries.

"How much are you going to eat," Arnav asked.

Khushi looked up and saw him standing at the doorway. She twitched her lips and turned away. Arnav chuckled and went over to Khushi and sat beside her. Khushi picked up a chocolate covered strawberry and bit into it.

"Not gonna share," Arnav asked.

"I don't share unless you're the birthday boy. Oh wait! You are," she smiled sarcastically.

Arnav sighed and looked at the TV to see The Tudors playing.

He looked back at Khushi. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry," she asked, taking another bite of the strawberry.

"Because I didn't tell you it was my birthday."

"Hmm."

Khushi finished and got another one.

"May I have one?"

Khushi sighed and looked at Arnav. She placed the strawberry in her mouth and slowly bit off from it. "No,"she said slowly.

Arnav just blinked, his jaw slacking. What Khushi just did gave him a heady feeling. He watched as Khushi chewed and bit into the strawberry again. She licked her lips, and Arnav felt his body reacting.

"Arnav," she asked, biting into another strawberry.

"Yeah," he said, his eyes not coming off her mouth.

"Why don't you celebrate your birthday," she asked, facing him.

Arnav snapped out of his trance and looked at her. "I just don't."

"But why?"

"Because I don't like celebrating it."

"So there's a deeper meaning."

Arnav tilted his head and just looked at her. "What do you think?"

"I think that there's something... emotional to it," and she picked up another strawberry.

"And why is that," he asked, watching her bite into the strawberry.

"I just think that. And I think it has to do with your parents."

Arnav looked up at her eyes.

Khushi smirked lightly. "Your reaction tells me I'm right."

Khushi looked back at the TV and finished her strawberry.

"You're right."

Khushi looked at Arnav, who was looking down.

"It is because of parents."

Khushi lowered the volume and turned her body towards him. "Go on."

Arnav sighed sadly. "My parents aren't in this world, Khushi."

Khushi looked at him, her eyes softening. "I figured that much."

Arnav looked down at his hands.

"How long has it been?"

"They passed away during the winter of our freshman year."

"So it hasn't even been that long."

Arnav nodded and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. Khushi felt bad, so she offered him a chocolate-covered strawberry. Arnav smiled softly as he took it and bit into it, looking back at the ceiling. They both were quiet for a moment, when Arnav broke the silence.

"It changed my life."

Khushi looked at him.

"After they passed away, everything just changed for me. I began to stop caring about everything, got angry really fast, and I started to drink and smoke."

"And that's when you became the bad boy you once were," Khushi said softly.

Arnav nodded and looked down. "I just ended up doing it. I didn't have a care for the world - I partied, drank, smoked, did a whole bunch of crazy shit! No one ever stopped me and nothing could stop me."

Khushi scrunched her eyebrows. "But you did stop. You just suddenly stopped being the bad boy you were towards the end of sophomore year."

Arnav nodded. "All because of my dadi."

Khushi waited for Arnav to go on, but he remained silent. Assuming that it was something personal, she didn't ask him why. They were silent once more, but this time, Khushi broke the silence.

"What were your parents like?"

"They were... well, if anything, they were very much in love," he said, a soft smile spreading on his face. "As a kid, it was just annoying and gross to me..."

Khushi chuckled.

"... but as I got older, I understood how crazy they were for each other, even at their age. It made me wonder if it really was possible to love someone as much as they loved each other. But seeing them was all the proof I needed. I decided then that if I were to get married someday, then it would be to the person I love."

Khushi smiled softly, hearing Arnav's sweet words.

"It's what I've always wanted - to find someone that loved me as much as I loved them. To someday get married and to have a family together... but things didn't go as I wanted...."

Khushi looked to the side. She felt somewhat hurt, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she patted him on the shoulder and offered him a smile. He returned it, and the two just sat there, staring into space, as a sex scene on The Tudors played before them.

Too bad no one paid attention - otherwise who knows what it could've led to.