'Will my husband still love me if I become as round as a balloon?' I type and chew my lips as I press the search button waiting for the results.

A couple of seconds later several articles pop up.

But none of them directly answer my question.

Articles saying, signs of toxic relationships, how to lose weight etc etc come up on my phone's screen.

Arjun and my relationship isn't toxic. Why the hell has Google even suggested that article.

Wait, Shravya stop it, you're overthinking again. This is not good for your bean.

Nope, relax.

Arjun doesn't even know about bean yet.

It's been only a few hours that you've got to know about bean yourself.

Relax.

Even if you do turn into a balloon there's still about five months for it.

Oh My God, I'm having a baby.

There's a little Arjun or Shravya growing inside me.

Or a mixture of both.

Secretly I wish it's a little Shravya. One more girl in the house will definitely make team Shravya stronger.

I found out about my bean today after I finally took a test this morning after my periods did not arrive after fifteen days of it's due time.

When I saw the two red lines on the kit my first instinct was to call Arjun but then I stopped myself.

I had to be 100 % sure about it so I quickly booked an appointment with a gynaecologist in the afternoon and got myself tested again.

Positive.

The test results were positive.

It was confirmed. I had a bean growing inside my stomach.

A baby.

The only person who knows yet is Sneha.

I don't even know how I am supposed to break this news to the others.

And most importantly Arjun.

We've never really spoken about having a baby in the one and a half years that we've been married. Never have we ever had unprotected sex either so how has bean come into the picture I don't have any idea.

Maybe it was from the time we decided to do it raw, a month back?

Arjun told me he'd pull out just in time.

Guess his pull out game wasn't strong enough.

I laugh at the thought.

I hadn't taken any pills afterwards and I am glad I did not. How else would bean come in the picture if I did.

This is the second best surprise life has given me so far. The first obviously has to be my encounter with Arjun Mehrotra, my husband.

My phone rings, breaking me out of my trance.

It's Arjun calling me.

I begin freaking out again and end up not picking up the call.

My eyes move to the clock.

9.35 p.m.

He must be on his way back home.

I'll speak to him once he comes back home.

Yes. Perfect.

My phone starts ringing again.

I ignored it this time too.

However when he calls me for the third time I do receive his call.

"Hello?" I ask in a whisper.

"Shravya, love, are you fine? I called you twice but you didn't answer.?" He asked me. The worry in his voice is crystal clear.

"Arjun, I'm fine. I was in the washroom." I told him.

"Oh. Okay." He says.

"Why did you call?" I ask him.

"Abhi called me and asked me to come to the MM urgently with you. Abhay has brought home a girl with himself and he says he's married her." He tells me.

"Oh My God! What!? Arjun how?" I ask him.

"That's what I'm even thinking about. We'll find out what exactly has happened when we reach there so you get ready. I'm reaching home in half an hour. I'll call you when I'm outside the building and you come down okay?" He tells me.

"Okay, I will." I tell Arjun.

"Okay, babe, I gotta go. Love you." He tells me.

"I love you more." I say in response and in my mind add, Dad to be.

A smile forms on my face.

"I know you cannot hear me yet, but that doesn't mean Mamma's not going to talk to her little bean, yes?"

"So it seems like we'll have to wait for a little longer to tell Dad about you coming. Right now we're going to go to the MM. That's where other members of our family live. They're all wonderful people and are going to be delighted when they hear that you're coming in all of our lives in about eight months from now. But for now, something big has happened there. Abhay Chachu [Paternal uncle] has brought home your Chachi [Paternal aunt]." I say looking down at my stomach with both my arms wrapped around it.

•

"I think there is something about this marriage that we don't know yet. Abhay and his wife, Ahana are hiding something." Arjun tells me later that night when we're back at our apartment as he stands behind me in front of our dressing table.

"I agree. Dadi has been hell bent on getting Abhay married since the time he came back from the UK for our wedding but he always refused. Now suddenly he's brought home a wife? How's that possible?" I say in response as I open my earrings and keep them on the table.

"There's something fishy, I'm damn sure but for now let's hope Ahana brings back the old Abhay."

Arjun says.

"I hope so too." I told him.

"We're invited to the MM tomorrow for the post wedding rituals. Let's see if we can find something out." He says and then he wraps an arm around my stomach pushing me towards himself.

Arjun puts my hair on my right shoulder and presses his lips to the back of my neck.

I immediately realise where this is going to go.

In a second Arjun turns me around and pushes me to the dressing table.

His lips crash against mine and his hands secure themselves around my waist.

I encircle my arms around his neck and kiss him back, matching each of his strokes.

We part for a second and that's only to get rid of our clothes.

I start unbuttoning Arjun's shirt but midway it becomes too much for me so I just tug on his shirt hard causing the buttons to fly away.

"Not again Shravya." Arjun says with a groan as he throws the shirt behind him.

"It was bothering me, love." I tell him as I get out of my kurti.

"It's done now, let's worry about that later." Arjun says and pecks my lips before picking me up and carrying me to the bed.

Once we're on the bed Arjun's body hovers over mine as he starts planting kisses all over my body.

His hands tug on the hem of my leggings and he pulls it down my legs throwing it behind him.

"Do you want us to do this today, love?" Arjun asks me.

There's this thing with Arjun, everytime we make love he'll always ask me if I really want to do it or not.

I have never refused because making love with Arjun is like my favourite thing to do but I really appreciate how he always asks for my consent.

Wait, bean. My baby. I completely forgot about it.

Arjun's squishing my baby.

Oh no.

"Arjun stop, wait-" I tell him. He looks startled but stops immediately.

"Shravya what's wrong?" He asked me.

I put my hands on his shoulder and gently push him away from me.

I then climb on top of him.

He raises an eyebrow.

"Arjun, there's something I need to tell you and it cannot wait." I told him.

"You do? What is it?" He asked me.

"Arjun, we're having a baby." I tell him without beating around any bush.

"We're having a what?" He asks, his voice slightly raising.

"Baby, we're having a baby. A kid. A small human who's going to be half you half me or full you or full me or.." I answer but Arjun stops me midway.

"Wait, I got it. We're having a baby." He softly and slowly says as if processing what he's saying.

I nod my head at him.

"Oh My God, Shravya we're having a baby!" He squeals.

"Yes, Arjun we are." I tell him and peck his lips.

"Shravya, are we ready to be parents yet though?" He asked me. A frown forms on my face.

"Arjun, no, I'll kill you if you ask me to drop this baby." I told him.

"Shravya, relax, I'm not asking you to do that. I'm just saying having a kid and raising one is a big responsibility. Are we ready to take on that responsibility over our shoulders?" He asked me.

"Arjun I don't really know but then again when will I know I'm ready?" I ask him.

"Well even I don't know that." He answers.

"Arjun when I saw those two lines on the kit from that moment onwards I think I've developed feelings for this little life inside me. I know I won't turn out to be the best mother there is out there but that doesn't mean I won't try. For my bean, our bean I'll work hard everyday. I know it's easier said than done but I am ready to take on this responsibility." I told him.

Arjun raises his head and kisses my forehead.

"If you're ready then I am ready, Shravya. I'm ready to help you and support you in each and every moment of this new journey that we're going to begin. Together we're going to try and I'm sure with each other on our side we're going to do it." He says.

"Yes." I utter and press my lips against his kissing him gently.

In between the kiss Arjun mumbles, "I am going to be a father. It's unbelievable Sharvya."

"I know, unbelievable but it's the truth, baby." I told him.

"I love you, and I promise to love our bean just as much as I love you." He tells me.

"I love you too, Arjun." I told him.

"Is it safe for us to continue what we started?" He asked me.

"Uh well, I guess it is." I told him.

"Shall we continue then?" He asked me.

"Of course Mr. Mehrotra." I told him.

"With pleasure, Mrs. Mehrotra." He answers and continues.

•

Two years later,

"Arvya Mehrotra, where are you?" I yell, my voice booming in the empty living room.

I run my eyes all around.

No sight of this girl. Where can a one year old who's not yet learned to even walk properly disappear off to? I wonder.

Suddenly I hear her giggles.

I follow the sound and it leads me to the bathroom.

I walk with careful steps making sure to make no noise and spot my daughter inside.

Sitting inside a tub, with the tap on, splashing the water all around.

"Arvyaaaa. I just changed your clothes baby!!" I say with a groan and her head immediately turns in my direction.

When she spots me her giggles increase.

"Uh mumm mumm mumm." She says in that adorable baby voice of hers and raises her hands towards me asking me to pick her up.

That adorable face. That does it everytime.

Immediately the anger I felt towards my little bean vanishes and I rush to pick her up in my arms.

Her clothes are completely wet by now.

"Mamma ki jaan [Mama's life], do you not love mamma?" I ask her.

In response she wraps her hands around my neck and pecks my cheeks.

"Mum mum mum." She continues to mumble as she now wraps her small fingers around my hair and rubs her face against mine.

"Arvya, baby, you're not supposed to play with water. It's not safe, plus you would have catched a cold if you played with it for too long. Now we need to change you into fresh clothes again." I told her.

God knows how much of it my one year old understands but in response she kisses me on my cheek again.

"Nope, you cannot always kiss mamma and get away with it." I tell her in the best stern voice I can manage and she giggles.

"Arvya!!!. You're not supposed to giggle." I tell her and she lets out a laugh in response.

This little devil. She crawls to the most unexpected places and finds something or the other to amuse herself with.

I cannot even let her away from my sight for a minute or else this is what she ends up doing.

We have a whole nursery filled with toys for this bean, but she enjoys playing with everything other than her toys.

Ladles, bowls, cushions, Mamma's laptop if ever in sight. Dad's phone, chargers, water bottles and everything that's around and can be reached.

"Let your Dad come home. I'm going to complain about you to him today." I told her.

Listening to the word Dad she immediately starts muttering,

"Dadda."

"Yes, Dadda. Dadda is going to scold Princess Arvya today." I told her.

"No no." She mumbles.

I shake my head at her and then leave the bathroom to make my way back to the bedroom.

"Stay put, Mamma's going to fetch you some clothes to wear okay?" I tell her as I put her down on the rug in front of the bed and she nods her head at me.

I peck her forehead and then walk to the walk in closet.

When I am back with her clothes I find her standing against the dressing table and trying to open the cap of a perfume bottle.

Arjun Mehrotra never keeps things in place. And his daughter then loves to inspect them.

In between this father and daughter duo, the mother has to suffer.

"Mamma ki jaan, you're not supposed to touch that and certainly not put it inside your mouth." I tell her and take the perfume bottle from her hand.

She tries to reach for it but I keep it on the topmost shelf.

"Mum mum." Arvya continues to wail, pointing in the direction of the perfume bottle as I pick her up and bring her back to the rug.

I put her down on it.

"Shh, that's a bad thing. You don't put it inside your mouth. Stop crying." I tell her and that makes her shake her head as her lower lip pulls out and her eyes water up.

"Mera baccha [my baby], listen to mamma. That's not something you're supposed to play with." I tell her while trying to get her out of her clothes.

Thankfully after a few minutes she did stop crying and I successfully put on fresh clothes on her.

"Aww mera bacha. Kitna pyara lag raha hai. [Aww, my baby. How lovely are you looking.]" I tell her and in response she grins at me, showing me her four tiny teeth.

Suddenly the doorbell rings.

"Dadda." Arvya says and squeals before she begins crawling towards the door.

I laugh as I watch her enthusiasm.

My little girl knows this is the time when her Dad comes back home.

I quickly rush to her and try to pick her up but she doesn't let me. Instead she continues to crawl until she's reached the main door.

I look through the peephole to confirm it's Arjun and then open the door when I see it is indeed him.

The moment the door opens Arjun bends down and picks Arvya up.

"My baby's been waiting for me, yes?" He asks her sweetly while Arvya rests her head on his shoulder and grabs a fistful of his shirt.

I watch the father and daughter duo interact as they move towards the sofa and sit on it.

Arvya stands on Arjun's lap and messes up his hair while he makes a face at her, faking anger.

At this Arvya throws her head back and laughs.

Arjun then looks back at her with a smile of admiration.

"Dadda." Arvya calls out.

"Yes, Dadda's princess?" Arjun asks her and in response Arvya rubs her face against Arjun's shirt.

Arjun lets out a laugh at this and then he rubs his face against Arvya's stomach causing my baby to giggle whole heartedly.

I look back at them from a distance with a huge smile on my face.

The two of them are my world and seeing my world so happy makes me happy and content too.

Later that night when Arjun's pur Arvya to bed he walks over to me and pulls me towards himself.

"Yes, Arjun?" I ask him with a straight face.

"Are you mad at me for some reason?" He asked me.

"No, why would I be mad at someone who did not even so much as greet me when he got back home. All love for that baby and none for this one." I tell him, looking away from him and pointing at Arvya's sleeping figure.

"Shravya Arjun Mehrotra, you never fail to amuse me. You're jealous of our baby now? That's so bad." Arjun tells me with a teasing smile on his face.

"That's because Arjun Mehrotra you do not love me the same anymore." I tell him with a pout.

"I don't? Let me prove you otherwise then." He says.

"You can try." I told him.

"Trust me baby, I'll succeed." He says and presses his lips against mine.

This leads to a very beautiful night where Arjun Mehrotra indeed shows me how much he loves me and will continue to forever.