When he opened the door, he was greeted by Sanvi's stormy expression. She brushed past him without a word, her silence more alarming than any outburst. Sohan's eyes widened as he exchanged a glance with Vivian, silently pleading for an explanation.
Vivian gave him an embarrassed look, quickly grabbing her ears as a gesture of apology and mouthing that Sohan's premature revelation had ruined the surprise.
Sanvi returned from the bedroom, holding two baby outfits in her hands. "Take these. It was dumb of me to order them," she tossed the two clothes towards Vivian and Sohan. Both impressively managing to catch them just in time.
One read: "My beautiful Godmother-to-be."
The other: "My handsome Dad-to-be."
"When the package arrived, this jerk opened it without my permission and found out the secret. Then he went and hinted at it to you. Why, Sohan? Why did you have to say anything?" Sanvi's voice trembled with frustration as she folded her arms across her chest and turned away from both of them.
Vivian nudged her brother-in-law forward, signaling for him to apologize first, using the emergency communication sign language they had devised long ago.
Sohan sighed, then knelt before his wife, gently placing the baby's outfit on her lap. He took her hands in his, his voice softening.
"Honey, I'm sorry," he began, his eyes cutely pleading. "Please don't be angry. This is a happy moment for all of us." He kissed the back of her hand, his expression a mix of regret and hope as he tried to coax a smile from her.
"You—" Sanvi began, her voice trembling with the lingering remnants of her earlier anger. But before she could say anything more, Vivian knelt down behind Sohan, mimicking his posture. She clasped her hands together, holding her ears in a gesture of sincere apology.
"I'm at fault," Vivian confessed, her voice soft but filled with emotion. "I shouldn't have known. I'm sorry, Sanvi." Her eyes were filled with genuine remorse, pleading for forgiveness from the friend she considered a sister.
Sanvi looked at the two of them, her frustration melting away in the face of their combined apology. She rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"Whatever," she muttered, shaking her head. "I forgive you both, but I'm not in the mood to go ahead with the party I had planned."
Vivian's eyes widened in mock horror. "How come? My brother-in-law worked so hard for this. He even took a leave from his restaurant to be here for you. Right?" She turned to Sohan and winked, nudging him to play along with her little white lie.
Sohan caught on quickly, nodding in agreement. "Yes, yes, that's right," he said, though in reality, he hadn't taken a full day off. As the head chef and owner of a newly opened restaurant, it was nearly impossible for him to be away for an extended period. But for Sanvi, he was more than willing to play along.
Sanvi's expression softened as she glanced at her husband. "Really?" she asked, a hint of guilt in her voice.
"Of course," Sohan replied, his voice warm with affection. "You know I'd do anything for you."
"You didn't have to go that far," Sanvi said, her tone gentler now, the earlier tension all but gone.
"I must," Sohan insisted, giving her a loving kiss on the back of her palm.
Sanvi's smile grew, her anger forgotten. "Well, in that case, I guess we can go ahead with the dinner. I'm starving, and so is the baby."
Relieved to see her friend's mood lifting, Vivian watched as Sohan hurried back into the kitchen to finish the final touches on dinner. She finally exhaled, a sense of calm washing away her worry. She quickly texted the driver, instructing him to deliver the special gift she had ordered for Sanvi.
"Vivian, come, sit here," Sanvi called, patting the cushion beside her on the couch.
Without hesitation, Vivian joined her, settling down with a soft sigh. She picked up the baby cloth Sanvi had thrown earlier and held it up in front of her face. The rays of white light passing through it and made it shine bright, like a blue star. "This is a very beautiful feeling, Sanvi. I have no words to describe it," she said, her smile returning, though her face was still pale from the day's emotional rollercoaster.
Sanvi placed a hand on her flat belly, her eyes softening with a tender expression. "I can't even begin to figure out my feelings right now," she admitted. "All I know is that I'm incredibly happy."
Vivian carefully folded the baby cloth, her movements gentle. "You should consider staying home from now on," she suggested, glancing at her friend.
Sanvi shook her head, a determined look in her eyes. "No, I'll keep working for the next seven months. Then I'll take a long leave— probably for a whole years."
Vivian frowned, not liking the idea. "Why? You know you could stay home starting today itself, right?"
Sanvi laughed softly. "That's not how it works. Besides, it's good to stay active during pregnancy. And you know Sohan—he won't let me lift a finger around here."
Vivian sighed, knowing her friend was right. "Fine," she relented, just as the doorbell rang.
Vivian's face lit up as she realized her gift had arrived. She sprang to her feet and opened the door to find the driver holding a large white box. She thanked him and carried the box over to Sanvi, kneeling down at her friend's feet as she carefully opened it, almost startling her for a second.
Inside was a beautiful pair of white shoes, specially made for comfort during pregnancy. Vivian gently removed the shoes from the box and slid them onto Sanvi's bare feet, her hands trembling slightly with nervous anticipation. When she finally looked up, she saw that Sanvi's eyes were brimming with tears.
"What's wrong?" Vivian asked, panic rising in her chest. She searched Sanvi's face, trying to figure out what she had done to make her cry.