Synthetic Love

Chapter 13

A week later.

Saanvi lay on her back on top of her bed, phone on speaker as she told her parents that she and Ravi had officially broken up, and that she was also infertile. Saanvi had started out by talking to her father, and then her mother eventually joined in. Aadesh, Saanvi's father, was very understanding and sympathetic of Saanvi, devastated that his daughter could not bear children, but more so concerned with her over all well being and happiness. Kavita, on the other hand, was furious, claiming that she and Aadesh had spent so much time searching for the perfect husband for Saanvi, and now Saanvi had ruined it - as if Saanvi being infertile was something she could control.

This then led to Aadesh and Kavita arguing with each other while Saanvi was still on the phone. So Saanvi simply lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to her parents shout at each other in a mix of Hindi and English. Her eyes quickly dart to her bedroom door though when Chris quietly walks in, a steaming mug of tea in hand. He quietly sets the mug down on Saanvi's night stand and Saanvi offers him a small smile.

"Thank you", she mouths.

Chris nods. He leans down and kisses Saanvi's forehead, then walks out to let her resume the conversation. Chris had known that Saanvi having this conversation with her parents was going to be incredibly difficult, so he did his best to try and offer her support as she simply tried to get it over with.

After another twenty minutes or so, things seemed to calm down. Chris could just vaguely hear Saanvi talking to her father in the other room in English.

"No, no, I'll be alright...I promise...Yes...Okay...I love you too."

A moment later, Saanvi walks out of her room with tears in her eyes.

"Well, my mother won't talk to me."

Chris sighs, "What?"

"I haven't even told them about you; that'll really get her to disown me."

Saanvi sits down next to Chris on the couch and lays her head on his shoulder, "Thanks for always being there for me."

"Of course, baby. You know I always will be. I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with your mom; it sounded like your dad was too."

"They've never really gotten along," Saanvi says, "Don't get me wrong - back home, I saw plenty of arranged marriages where the couple learned to love each other and have a wonderful life together. Unfortunately, that was not the case for my parents."

Chris nods and kisses the top of Saanvi's head, "Is everything okay with you and your dad?"

"Yes, thankfully. I've always had a great relationship with him."

"Good," Chris says, "So, where do you want to go from here?"

"That is a great question."

"How about I get you and Tara tickets to our show in New York next month?" Chris asks, "Make a weekend out of it. You need some fun."

Saanvi smiles, "That does sound like fun."

"Everything is gonna be okay."

Saanvi nods, "You're right. Things are finally starting to go my way..."

x

"Honey, you have got yourself a good ass man," Tara says to Saanvi at work the next day.

Saanvi gives a content sigh, "I can't believe everything he's done for me. When I first moved across the hall from him, I never would have seen this coming - I just saw him as my hot neighbor, but now...I can't imagine being with anyone else."