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As they sat around the dining table having breakfast ,Balraj Rao filled them with the history of their village, the cultureof their nation and their beliefs and customs.

"How long have you two been married" Sarala asked

"Seven years" Ava said without thinking and stiffened immediately thinking what she was blurting out.

She turned to look at Zayed only to see him already looking at her.

"Oh. But you two look like newly married couple" Sarala said smiling.

"Kids??" Balraj asked

"Yes" Ava said at the same time Zayed said "No"

Ava cursed herself for talking without thinking.

"What she meant is ,Yes. We are trying for babies now" he said.

Only if he knews!! She thought to herself

"Seven years!! And you are still only trying" Sarala asked with a frown!!

"Actually Ava was very young when we married. So we thought to wait a little longer" he reasoned and she rolled her eyes at his excuse.

He is talking about the woman who became a single mother of three at the age of 19!!

She mentally scoffed at the irony.

"Don't delay such matters kids. Children are God's gift." Sarala said

"We know aunty. And we want atleast two children. One boy and one girl. Right Aveline??" Zayed asked with a devilish smirk

Right?? A boy and a girl!! Too late for that. You have a buy 2 get 1 free offer here Zayed ,Ava thought

"The goddess of our temple is very powerful. If you tie a cradle in the banyan tree of the temple premise, you will have a beautiful and healthy baby in the next nine months" Sarala explained their belief

Damn!! Another baby?? No way!!

But she still misses them when they were babies, don't she??

Another baby won't hurt, right???

God!! What the hell is she thinking.

Ava shook her head to dispel such thoughts

"She is right. Anyways, it will take another two hours for the road to be cleared. So we can go to the temple after breakfast" Balraj Rao said and

Ava tensed.

"Sure" Zayed said and Ava glared at him.

What the hell is he playing at?

After breakfast once they were ready to go to the temple ,Sarala looked at Ava and frowned.

"You don't have a nuptial chain or a ring signifying you are a married woman?" Sarala asked and Ava stiffened.

What is she going to say to that. She looked at Zayed for help and saw him smirking at her.

"Aveline. You forgot to wear your wedding band again??" He asked with a mock frown on his face and Ava gritted her teeth.

"These new generation kids" Sarala shook her head in disappointment and Ava stood there helpless.

"Atleast wear the sindoor" Sarala said and took the aarti plate containing the vermilion in her hands and gestured Zayed to come forward.

They both stood staring at it wondering what the woman is talking about.

"Apply the vermilion on her hair partition. The legend is that a woman wearing her vermilion is significant for the long and healthy life of her husband. I know that this is not your custom. But as we are going to the temple ,do it if you are comfortable with it" Sarala said and gestured Zayed to apply the vermilion

Zayed took the vermilion in between his thumb and forefinger and raised his hands to apply them on her.

She closed her eyes feeling his touch.

She opened her eyes once he applied he vermilion and saw the tautness of his posture and she realized he is not as indifferent as he

wants to portray.

This is affecting him as much as it affects her.

And that made her feel a little better!!

By the time they reached the temple she was a bundle of nerves.

What the hell are they doing!!

And why the hell is he playing along with this.

She looked sideways and saw the smirk on his face.

He is definitely enjoying making her uncomfortable!!!

"See. That is the tree. You can buy cradles here in this stall" Sarala said pointing at the stall in front of the temple.

The temple and the stalls in front of the temple

reminded Ava of another place and another time. The little village where she grew up

She missed her village. Though she doesn't miss the people who turned against her when she needed them ,even knowing her all life. She definitely misses her little friends to whom she would always be indebted.

"Why are some cradles tied to each other" Zayed asked and Ava realized he is already in the process of buying the cradle.

What is going through his head!!

Does he really want babies??

"Oh. That's another belief dear. If you tie those twin cradles, it is believed that you would be blesses with twins" Balraj said

"Twins it is then" Zayed said and picked up the twin cradle set and her jaws grazed the floor.

"Twins??" She asked almost breathlessly

"It would be fun Aveline. Two boys?? Two girls?? Or may be a girl and a boy" he said winking at her.

Only if he knews how fun it could be.

She mentally rolled her eyes at the thought of all the fun he could have when given an hour with Zahir Zian and Zada.

"No need. Take the other one. Single one" she said.

Zayed might not believe in all this. He is an atheist afterall. But Ava, though she spent the last five years in London, is still the same spirited village girl at heart.

So what if this works. And what if this particular goddess decides to bless her with another baby!!

She definitely don't want twins.

God!! Being a mother of five!! Unthinkable

"But I would love to have twins" he said with a smug look on his face earning a deadly glare from Ava.

She snatched a single cradle from the stall and gestured him to follow her towards the tree.

Once they tied the cradle together Zayed bent down and whispered "When are we going to start working on the baby habibti" making her tremble at his sudden proximity.