Cravings and Mood Swings
1337 Words
Cravings and Mood Swings
Arnav entered his room at thirty past ten after completing an important meeting. It was way past his wife's sleep time, but he didn't find Khushi tucked in the bed. A white A4 paper stuck on the mirror caught his attention. He recognized the untidy cursive to be his wife's.
It read,
I know you don't love me anymore, Arnavji. I am going away. Don't search for me. You can live happily without my constant interference.
Khushi
Arnav sighed disapprovingly. What is wrong with her? He wondered. His legs immediately took him to his brother Akash's room. After two knocks, Arnav waited patiently for Akash to open the door. Akash appeared behind the door with a frown and completely upset.
"Akash, I...." before Arnav could justify Akash stopped him by his hand gesture.
"Don't" he warned. "I didn't expect you to be so insensitive."
Arnav shook his head knowing his brother is extremely blind and judgemental with his thoughts when it narrows down to this.
Arnav silently followed Akash inside the bedroom. He saw Payal sitting on the bed holding a bowl of ice cream with a pouting Khushi, wrapped in duvet, beside her. Payal glared at Arnav accusingly. Yes, yet another Raizada who never wants to listen to his side of the story before blindly supporting his wife.
Khushi's nose scrunched and her pout deepened looking at Arnav. She narrowed her eyes at him as if asking why he was here now.
"I don't want him anywhere near me, jiju." She stated looking at Akash.
"Bhai, don't trouble her now. Go back. We'll talk later." Akash said.
"Listen, Akash, don't encourage her adamant behaviour." Arnav said looking at his brother. But before his brother could say anything, it was Payal who answered back.
"Adament behaviour!!!" Payal repeated. "Arnavji, you are saying this after adamantly refusing to take the poor girl out for dinner REPEATEDLY?"
Trust Payal to become the protective one when Khushi and her interests are concerned.
"All your Raizadas are insensitive with zero love for their wives." Payal subtly took a dig at Akash like always much to Akash's unhappiness. He now looked at Arnav as if he was the root cause for all this.
One drama family he has been bestowed with, Arnav grunted. Ignoring his brother and Payal completely, Arnav walked towards his wife. She turned her face the other side immediately when he sat near her.
"Khushi..." he called lovingly, but that didn't melt her heart.
All this started with Arnav refusing his seven month pregnant wife to dine outside. No, he was not being an insensate and dictator husband as he was being accused of. He was being sensible and caring one. He knew Khushi's cravings are reaching sky high, but her health rarely matches with her heart's desire. Her body repulses almost every food her heart desires.
One day she came to his study weeping with complain that she wants to eat gol gappa but with every bite she feels nauseating and pukes. The doctor said it is natural and the baby might have taken taste buds of father. From the said words escaped the doctor's mouth, Arnav's likes and dislikes became Khushi's number one problem.
"I can't believe you don't like mango pickle." she complained when she was not able to eat even a single piece of pickle that her mother lovingly made for her.
"This is so boring." She said to him when he was watching a documentary about renaissance paintings, but soon when he changed to a channel playing 'Maine Pyaar Kiya', she surprisingly said in angry voice, "But I want to watch that only."
All hell broke loose for Khushi when the baby desired the smell of his certain plant varieties and Khushi herself was allergic to it. "Main barbad hogayi!!!" she screamed bringing down the whole house. It took every single member of the Raizada house to distract her and make her smile. The ever pampered drama king NK admitted, "She is worse nautanki than me yaar. She made even naani play ludo with her for an hour. Beware bro!"
Even the lord of temper Arnav was finding it difficult to handle the firecracker Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada.
Well, today's argument started with Khushi wanting to have nachos. Arnav denied vehemently after previous experience of her having kebabs in a Punjabi restaurant and later puking on him mercilessly in the same restaurant as the baby rejected it. Arnav was not up for another public humiliation. So, he ordered servants to make nachos for her and left to his office. Soon, he learned his moody wife refused to eat and began throwing tantrums until Anjali herself cooked dinner for her. Arnav's instinct warned him that he was up for another drama. Akash and Payal are Khushi's favourite persons to complain about Arnav as they never failed to take her side. The hastily scribbled letter and missing of her favourite duvet meant only that she would be in her Jiji's room complaining her heart out while chewing on some snacks. After all this is not the first time it happened.
The first time was when Arnav said Khushi that her bump is showing and she misinterpreted it as 'you are fat'. She refused to even enter their room as he, in her mind, thinks she is fat. Arnav heard an earful from whole family for not treating his pregnant wife carefully and then they all ended up having sleepover at Anjali's room.
"Jaan..." he called knowing full well how much his wife likes the endearment. Khushi looked at her husband through the corner of her eyes. He continued. "I am sorry, jaan. I know I was being a bad husband. Forgive me. I swear I will take you to your favourite Mexican joint tomorrow." He said.
Khushi, who was looking at him straight now, pouted. "I want only pizza."
Did I mention her changing moods and timelessly varying food cravings?
"Okay, Pizza, sure." He said nodding.
Khushi nodded her head wiping her dried tears unconsciously as she began to get up. Arnav was on his foot to help her get down properly while holding her baby bump with care.
"Jijaji, I think I should forgive him now." Khushi said standing in front of Akash and Payal. "And the baby will also not sleep without him near me." She confessed cutely making the three chuckle.
Akash patted Khushi's cheeks and said,"If he troubles you let me know, Okay?"
"We will literally chop his home garden." Added Payal
Khushi looked at Arnav warning him that she has her army full. He shook his head assuring her that he will make no more mistakes.
Once Arnav and Khushi were back to their room and settled in their bed, Arnav wrapped his hand around Khushi and caressed her waist and her baby bump.
"Arnavji..." she called distractedly while playing with his hair
"Umm..."
"I want to eat Dum Biriyani from Hotel Magadha. It is the best."
"Okay, Jaan. We will go tomorrow."
"Sachi!!!" asked excited Khushi lifting herself up. "We will go to Hyderabad?"
"Hyderabad???" asked Arnav
"Haan, Hotel Magadha is in Hyderabad. They serve the best dam biriyani. I saw it in a TV show today."
"But, you can't travel. Don't you remember what doctor said?"
Khushi sat up folding her arms with angry pout. "See, you are denying me again. You don't love me."
Arnav pressed his lips together exasperated and sat up.
"Listen , Jaan..."
"No, I want to have Dum Biriyani from Hyderabad only." She said adamantly.
Arnav sighed and looked at his wife. "Acha okay." He agreed. "Tomorrow you can eat same Biriyani from Hyderabad." He promised
Next day, Arnav sent an employee on fully paid visit to Hyderabad just to get his wife's desired Dum Biriyani only to have his wife throw it away for she hated the smell of it.
God help Arnav until they are blessed with a baby girl after two months and fifteen days from then.
- Writer
