The Definition of Beautiful

Chapter Eighteen

Nidhi's POV

The next morning, Aashna di called me into her room.

"I want you to name the child." she said.

"Di, I have just known you for 4 days, how can I name your child?" I asked in shock.

"Don't say that. Even though it has only been four days, I feel like you have been a part of this family for longer. Tell me the name by today evening, we are having the naming ceremony." Aashna di said.

"Ok di." I said. I went back to the room and told Meera the good news.

"OMG! Naming a baby! What are you going to call her?" she asked.

"I have already decided." I said.

"Tell me!" Meera insisted.

"You will come to know in the evening." I said with a smirk.

The entire day was in a flurry of excitement in preparing for the naming ceremony. The priest came, set up for all the prayers and did the naming ceremony the Tamilian way.

"What is the name of the baby?" the priest asked at the end of the puja. I whispered the name in Aashna di's ear and she beamed at me. She whispered it in the priests ear.

"What is this yaar! Tell the name already!" Randhir protested.

"I agree." Meera said.

"Patience, Patience, all will be known in time." I said, smiling. The priest whispered the name in the baby's ear three times. Then he called it out.

"Adithi Shekhawat." he said.

"Beautiful name!" Meera said.

"I love it." Randhir said.

All of us whispered the name in the ear of the baby and rocked it in the cradle as per the ritual. The event ended and all of us rested.

The next day, we had to go back to college as our lectures were starting from the next day. After we bade goodbye to Akhil bhai, Aashna di and little Adithi, we took the first plane to Portland. I was catching up on whatever I missed with Meera when Neel and Randhir snored off. Lucky guys! We reached Portland and received a message from Joyce. We were supposed to report to Professor Derek's cabin immediately. We drove to college quickly and ran to Professor Derek's cabin. The others were already present there.

"We are sorry for our tardiness sir." I said, out of breath as I faced him.

"WHAT IRRESPONSIBILITY IS THIS?" Derek sir raged at me. "Where were you on Monday? You just walked out of college? You realize that this is a serious violation of the Aspire team rules right?"

"Sir, I am sorry sir. I had a family emergency."

"I don't CARE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY EMERGENCY. You were supposed to be here and you weren't and neither was Randhir. Were you two together?" he asked.

"Sir, I flew down to San Francisco shortly after hearing about Nidhi's problem." Randhir said, his head hung low.

"You could be kicked off the team for this you know." Derek sir said. I looked up in alarm.

"Please don't do that sir. I am sorry, very sorry. I am willing to do anything to make up for this mistake!" I said, pleading.

"You will have to finish analyzing these documents by tomorrow morning at 7:00." Derek sir said, handing me a stack of files. It was already 8:30 in the night here.

"I will get it started immediately sir." I said. He dismissed the team. Kate smirked at me when Joyce and Nina gave me looks of sympathy. The boys were animatedly chatting with Neel. Meanwhile, Randhir took my hand.