“You ran only three runs?”
“I count to ten… see, Mama see! One, two, five, six, seven…”
Atharva lunged inside the kitchen and swooped him up.
“Aaaaah!!!! Baba cheater!” Yathaarth’s loud shrieks were inaudible between his laughter. Atharva hauled him over his shoulder and tickled his side, holding him tight. “Arth cheater,” he blew a raspberry into his neck, making his giggly shrieks deafening. He glared at Iram over their writhing toddler. She rolled her eyes, sitting back down and going back to her work. Atharva couldn't fault her. She had a book to finish. Her fourth and final one in this series.
“Now come out and finish the over…”
His ringing phone cut off his words. Atharva kept Yathaarth steady upside-down over his shoulder and reached for his pocket. He glanced at the wall clock.
“Hello?”
“How did you do it?!”
“What’s the result?”
“Aren’t you watching?”
Giggles and two tiny hands pumping his back.
“No, tell me. Are the trends settling?”
“40 out of 68 have been declared. The rest are close. Himachal Jan Sangathan will close at 22-23. Janta Party is at 20, might go to 24. HDP is ahead on 5, 7 have been called.”
“What is the status on independents?”
“Ours or others’?”
“Ours.”
“Jagtap Thakur is ahead on Hamirpur. The rest are cutting votes.”
“Are you in Shimla?”
“Yes, at HDP office. They are already celebrating. Samarji has called a meeting at 11.30.”
Atharva pulled his phone down his ear and scrolled to his chats.
SAMAR
HDP Meeting at 11.30, we hold the winning seats
Atharva quickly typed.
ATHARVA
Did HSJ or Janta get in touch?
“I will come to the office at 11.30,” he plastered the phone back to his ear. “Well done, Vikram.”
“Atharva Bhaiya.”
“Yes?”
“There are talks that HDP might go with HJS.”
“It will not.”
