Could This Be Love

chapter 55❤

"My baby. My loveyy. My Jaan. The reason for my existence. The apple of my eyes..."

If you're wondering this is some creep talking to his lover then you're kind of wrong.

You're not totally wrong because yes, Aarav is a creep but this was him talking to his unborn baby's ultrasonography images.

Hritika slapped his arm while laughing "You're crazy!"

"Papa can't wait to meet you baby! Come out soon! Papa will love you more than anyone!" Aarav kissed the images.

"It's been only 5 months, Aarav. 4 more months to go!" Hritika huffed.

Getting sad like a kid whose candy has been snatched away, both of them walked lazily towards their car and sat by eachother's warmth.

"I don't think I can wait that long." Hritika said, her head on his shoulder.

Aarav caressed her cheeks "We will have to wait, my love. Our baby should be healthy, that's all I want."

"I wish so too. I think we— ARGH!!"

Panicked, Aarav shouted worriedly "What happened??? Are you okay?? Mr. Sukhrav, take us back to hospital! Now!! Fast!" Aarav instructed the chauffeur.

"No no I'm fine! The baby kicked!!" Hritika announced with a huge smile.

The world stopped for Aarav.

"What?"

"The baby kicked!"

A bright smile took over Aarav's worried face, keeping both of his palms on her stomach he eagerly waited to feel it.

"Kick baby please. Let papa feel it. Please, baby."

"Aarav, probably our baby is tired now and will kick later.." Hritika said.

"Really? But I couldn't feel my baby's first kick.." his face grimaced.

Kissing his cheek, she said "So what? You'll feel thousands of them in the coming months! Don't be sooo sad Aarav! Get me some ice cream now!"

"These days I feel like you love ice cream more than you love me."

Hritika narrowed her eyes at him in response.

"Alright! Alright! Take a turn to the ice cream parlour, please."

Getting home, Aarav, like everyday helped her freshen up and made her a good cup of chocolate milk.

Starting a comedy show, he put his head on her lap, letting loose.

Amidst small laughs, Aarav made sure to check her stomach so that he doesn't miss the next kick. But it only added to his disappointment because the baby was adamant that it won't kick when Aarav's around.

Noticing so, Hritika asked "Stop stressing on that, Aarav. It'll kick soon and I'll tell you then."

"As you say.."

After some time, watching the show seemed boring and Hritika's soft snores could be heard. Aarav, switching off the television, walked towards the kitchen to have water.

Everything seemed so different these days, everything so full of joy and yet with so much worry. He thought of how Hritika can't work much now and how she misses that. Even though Siddharth's wife Namrata visits her almost everyday, still Hritika finds her life in home very boring. Noticing so, Aarav always tries to get home as fast as he can, and other than freshening up, he spends every second with her to make her feel that they are in this together, and that he's with her forever.

"Aarav?" Hritika called drowsily.

Aarav, snapping out of his trans, responded "Yes? Why did you wake up?"

"I think I'm hungry..." Hritika said timidly walking towards the kitchen.

"What's being shy for that? You're pregnant, so it's common. Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone lead to increased appetite, as the book said. So tell me, ma'am, what you're craving?"

Hritika laughed a little "wow, sometimes you impress me."

"Well, I was born for that." Aarav joined in.

"Make me salad? Or... probably ice cream?"

"Uh oh, no more ice cream for you today. It's either salad if you want....or.. probably I can make you some healthy homemade pasta?"

Hritika's smile widened showing her perfect set of teeth "I love you. So damn much"

"So..I think the answer is pasta." Aarav laughed.

Hritika sat on the nearby chair while she ate the vegetables which Aarav had diced for the pasta and meanwhile Aarav cooked for her.

"Do you think I'm going to look like a balloon if I keep eating this way?" Hritika asked.

"Balloons are cute. Our child is going to love a balloon as a mother."

"Be serious! Am I going to look ugly?"

"Excuse me miss? Are you anyhow associating being plump with being ugly?"

"Uh oh, please don't start another lecture Aarav!"

"No, you ladies are running circles everyday to please people! To fulfill their criteria of being beautiful, and not even trying to make yourselves happy! I mean how dumb is that!?

Siddharth has a wife waiting for him at home while he spends hours in gym. To get in shape, like for who? She loves you no matter what!"

Dramatically sauté-ing the vegetables he continued "And for you, I am going to love you no matter what. You sweep me off my feet every morning, your persona, your bad-ass self makes me fall in love with you a little more every time I look into your eyes.

So do not ever feel insecure about you. Because you're beautiful, just the way you are." Aarav walked towards her for a brisk kiss.

"Stop Aarav! You know these hormones make me wanna cry after these emotional speeches!"

"Oh don't worry, that's a speech I just saw on internet.. just copied the sentences." Aarav joked.

Hritika kept laughing to Aarav's funny comments while eating her vegetables.

When Aarav was done cooking, he brought it to Hritika's mouth with a spoon while blowing air to cool it down "Taste it if it's okay."

Tasting the spoonful pasta, Hritika moaned in pleasure "c'est tellement délicieux"

Aarav winked at her in response while serving her a bowl of pasta.

"Do you wanna eat here, or in the dining area?" Aarav questioned nonchalantly.

"Um.. anywhere..but feed me please."

"There's already a baby in the house."