Page 94 of Not Your Basic Love Story

“Did you get what you were looking for?”

“Yep,” he said, showing me the bottle of Gravol he’d retrieved from his overhead luggage. I laughed at the memory of how we’d met.

Time had gone by very fast, and we hadn’t been able to escape for a honeymoon until the first semester of his master’s program was over. He was loving school and didn’t regret continuing his education.

His additional time getting his Master of Business Administration is proving most useful. With his expertise, he helped me orchestrate a pitch meeting with Jag and several investors. The pitch had gone swimmingly, and they’d all been very enthusiastic, as well as generous. That, paired with the Green Research & Development funding I received from the Canadian government (woo!) I was able to purchase the next contract at work, which starts in just a few short months. No more monotony for me, baby!

My first official patent had been approved and was displayed proudly on the wall of mine and Dev’s new apartment.

We’d moved out of my old space and into a two-bedroom condo, close to both my work and his school. My 3D printer, desk, and a new computer took up the spare room. The walls were covered in diagrams and drawings, and shelves lined the walls with little printed turbines. A half-sized model sat leaning against the wall, the original proudly displayed in a prominent location—Dev’s idea, not mine.

With Dev busy in school, I’d devoted all my spare time to the project. Jag had volunteered one of his shops to be the first to have my prototypes installed, paying for them to be built and hiring an electrical engineer and electrician to tie them into a giant battery and inverter they’d installed next to the building’s electrical panel. He said it was an investment. Jag was very optimistic and wouldn’t talk about anything else during our dinners.

Jag was still able to take a step back from work, thanks to Sonja. Since her family was also involved in the businesses, they decided she’d be put on the advancement track to be the next CEO of their conglomerate when Jag retired. I could totally see it; she has a good head on her shoulders.

Shawan said it was good fortune that Dev was getting his master’s degree, seeing as we would need an expert in the field to help spur the business and bring it to the mass market. Though Dev hadn’t approached continuing his education in the best way, his family was incredibly supportive of his dream, and they admitted later it was the best thing, not only for him but for the future of the entire family. Shawan was also adamant that once Dev was finished school, I go back to finish what I’d started.

The thought of going through the final exam again didn’t scare me as much as it used to. Maybe it was Dev rubbing off on me, but I was much less anxious and neurotic than I used to be. I hadn’t scheduled myself to take it, yet, but the date was saved into my calendar so I could begin mentally preparing. The third time’s the charm, right?

But for the present, I was content.

No... Beyond content.

I was happy.

Just Dev and I, sitting on a plane, about to celebrate our one year of being together and our wedding at the same time.

Dev rested his hand on my leg, and I took his hand in mine, the ring I’d made him in its rightful place. I glanced down at my own, and thought of how perfect they were together. Not matching, exactly, but complementing one another so well they may as well have.

As we taxied down the runway, he gave my hand a squeeze.

There was so much to look forward to, and not only the ocean view suite we’d booked, or the couples massage, or the room service in bed we had planned.

I looked forward to the next few years of him in school, pursuing his dream, listening to him talk excitedly about his projects and future, watching his eyes light up, and his face become animated. He could talk about anything like that, and I’d be rapt.

I looked forward to starting our family. We’d decided to wait until Dev’s program was over before adding a new little addition. The spare room, so full of engineering things, wouldn’t be the ideal space for a nursery. The basement suite back in Dev’s family home would be perfect.

Having spent so much time with Dev’s family, I now looked forward to moving in with them. We’d already arranged with his grandparents to trade the upstairs for the basement suite, which was better for them since they were getting older and needed more assistance. Priya had been accepted into an arts program for graphic design. She would live in the basement with us for the time being, which was totally fine. Priya was an awesome little sister to have, plus it woul includ regular visits from Angelina.

But what I looked forward to most?

It was the regular days. Him crunching through his morning cereal before racing off for the day. Me, trying to remember to pick my clothes up off the floor, drinking chai on the couch, watching the evening news. Everyday life, for the rest of my life, with him by my side.

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