The Big Swap - Epilogue 3

 ~EPILOGUE 3~

A/N:

Yes, I had never planned on writing BACK IN TIME. And in all honesty, most of what kept happening with Meera and Vedant throughout the novel, was just me observing things around me and letting this story be the outlet for my emotional turmoil about so many things in the past year.

I can't control the World, but I can control my characters and how they deal with problems in their life.

Here's the last part of the epilogue, a little peek into their future and how I see the two of them come to terms with reality.

Enjoy!

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"Chai for Ms. Modi!"

Meera turned on her spot, raising her brows at him. Vedant blushed, "Sorry sorry. Mrs. Shah. Happy?"

She grinned, grabbing the Styrofoam cup from his palm and bringing it close to her lips. Blowing at the hot tea she replied, "Very happy."

Vedant settled next to her on the stoned flooring at Marine Drive, nursing his tea cup in his palm, "I kind of dig the surname Modi though. It suited your name better."

Meera chuckled, "I wonder why you didn't come up with that before the marriage registration."

"Well..." he started, his voice playful and teasing, "...I was kind of looking forward to sharing my surname with you."

She rolled her eyes at that.

They enjoyed the quiet and the sight before them, until Meera stirred, "By the way, I feel like we've never...discussed children."

Vedant shrugged, "What's there to discuss? They're cute."

She shook her head, "Not like that. You know...I want this marriage to be complete in every way."

He nodded in response, "That makes the two of us."

"So...we must have kids."

Vedant looked amused, "Well...let me know if you need my help with that."

Meera rolled her eyes, "I'm not kidding Vedant!"

He laughed, fascinated at how much she seemed to have changed after their marriage; even when it had only been about a month. She almost looked cute when she was angry.

"Achha baba. Tell me. You look like you have a plan in mind."

She bit her lip, her eyes shining in earnest with the same calculative glint in them he had once been frightened of. "I was thinking of having just one child, preferably before I'm thirty. That way I can get back to work after my maternity break latest by I'm thirty five."

Vedant blinked, not even trying to supress his surprise at how much she had already planned. When he said nothing for a while, she nudged,

"Say something!"

"Well...I don't know what to say. I honestly haven't thought that far."

"I know." Meera let out a thoughtful sigh, "It's just that...I want to do this whole...marriage and parenting thing right."

Vedant couldn't help but pull her closer to him and sigh, "And you will, darling. Just relax a little. Okay?"

She wiggled her way out of his grasp, gazing at him seriously, "You don't understand."

"I do, Meera. We'll do both marriage and parenting right. Together. Besides, all this is supposed to happen naturally...with the course of time. Don't make it a project for yourself."

"I want to plan it all Vedant. You know I want to work even after the baby-"

"-I know; and you will. I promise."

She bit her lip, indecision flashing in her eyes.

"Do you trust me?" he queried gently.

"I do."

"Then you let go. We can plan for the baby when it is okay with you."

That finally managed to loosen her up. Meera smiled with a nod.

"If there's something we must discuss, tell me if you're sure about London." Every alert part of his brain chided him for it, but the words were already out of his lips. This was the new Vedant.

The Vedant that would not keep things bottled within him and open up to Meera about whatever bothered him. Like this decision of hers did.

When he had applied for various firms abroad after wrapping up with his ACCA degree, he had mentally decided that his final yes or no would completely depend upon Meera's will to move. He had been almost confident she'd dissuade him for the same. Two nights before their wedding ceremony, he'd been called for an interview which was scheduled on the same day they were to get married.

When he'd told Meera about it, she'd been ecstatic; much to his surprise.

She'd gladly convinced her family to move their wedding date to ensure he could focus on the Skype interview; which had easily lasted beyond an hour. He hadn't been modest when he'd told her the interview hadn't been all that great. But Meera had been optimistic, and alarmingly understanding through all their wedding rituals.

He heard from the firm two weeks later, when they were on their honeymoon in Lonavala. Meera had insisted on a low budget honeymoon to save up for their move; if at all it got to that.

Much to his surprise, it did come to that; exactly how Meera had predicted it would.

Vedant had been shortlisted from among at least a hundred and fifty other candidates globally. The Finance Team needed him to report to London within a month.

His family had been ecstatic, his Father finally uttering the words his ears had literally bled to hear his entire childhood, "I'm proud of you beta." And so had Meera's family, his Mother in Law drowning his platter with freshly cooked theplas and khandvas when he paid them a visit. Their son in law was leaving the country for work and was most likely to return an NRI! That indeed was hot news.

He had been sceptical about Meera's opinion though.

But she'd been nothing but excited for him too.

"London? You...did you think I was...pretending to be happy for you all this while?" Meera responded at last, her whole disposition tensed.

"Of course not. I just...I thought you never wanted to move out of India."

She shook her head at that, "That was in your head. I've always just wanted to have a career of my own."

"But you love your job here. And your MBA won't be as valuable there."

He didn't understand anything she said at this point. In fact, he didn't even understand how she looked so at ease.

Meera shrugged, "You think I don't know that?"

Vedant blinked, "Meera, you know I will never force you into this right?"

"I know you will never force me into anything Vedant. I'm doing this, because I want to. Because for once, I want it to be about you. And not me."

"It doesn't have to-"

"-yes it does."

He shook his head, now looking away to face the sea. When he spoke, his voice was low and defeated, "This is the exact reason I didn't want to do ACCA."

Vedant's gaze dropped down to his lap, noticing her fingers lace with his, "I know my MBA degree will probably be a waste. But I am a Chartered Account Mr. Shah." She paused, "I wanted this to be a surprise for you, but you've ruined it for yourself." She sighed, "I'd sent my resume to a couple of London based firms whose work description suited my qualifications."

His brows quirked up, now both excited and thrilled, "And?"

Meera grinned, "And I heard back from two. I was going to show you their profiles tonight, to ask for your opinion."

Vedant pressed her palms tightly, already loosening up, "But...but why didn't you tell me immediately?"

"There were other factors to take into consideration. I mean, I had to see where your company is giving us our accommodation and traveling and the like-"

"-we'll figure it all out!" he exclaimed, no control on his enthusiasm any longer.

Meera nodded with an infectious smile, "We will. Together."

A/N:

This is it guys.

An end, and hopefully a justified end, for Meera and Vedant. I know, life is not safe sailing, and I know they're just starting off a long, bumpy journey. But as Meera (and in some ways me) has learnt to appreciate, they're going to be in it, TOGETHER.

I think I'm going to be taking a break from writing romance for a while, because if it isn't obvious, I'm becoming a little too philosophical for my own good. And I guess, there's this part of me that is DYING to try writing new genres.

It could either be 'HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT' or something entirely different, but I promise to be back.