Part 2 : An unease

Armaan was dead asleep.

Outside, the sun was blazing but he always wanted complete darkness during his beauty sleep. Hence the curtains were always closed.

Suddenly the curtains were pulled open.

Morning sunlight plunged inside the room, painting warm golden streaks across the bedroom.

The harsh sunlight slapped his face mercilessly.

He let out an ugly groan. "Shilpaaa! you are so cruel. Close the curtains pleaseeee..." He grabbed a pillow and covered his face with it to continue sleeping.

Shilpa put her hands on her hips staring at him, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"Absolutely not! You have to wake up now." She pointed a finger at him and ordered.

"My most beautiful, sweetest , hottest, smartest wife in the world...please let me sleep..." He choked out pitifully, his voice muffled under the pillow.

She let out a huff trying her hide her smile.

"I swear if you don't get up now-"

"10 more minutes pretty pleaseeee..." He whined.

Shilpa finally sighed and closed the curtains.

Armaan finally smiled a little in victory and went off into his dreamland where he is romancing with his wife.

The peace lasted exactly for three seconds as a loop-sided grin graced Shilpa's face.

Her hand went upto their door handle and she quietly clicked it open.

"Papaaaaa!"

A tiny body dashed inside like a flash and launched onto the bed like a missile.

Armaan barely had time to grunt before the five-year-old Nikki landed neatly on his stomach.

"Oof-" he wheezed dramatically, one hand clutching his chest. "Send help! I'm under an attack."

Shilpa burst out laughing at the scene.

Nikki giggled softly and babbled.

"Wake up papa! Wake up! Mama said school!"

"Your Mama betrayed me this early in the morning?" Armaan muttered in fake disappointment, voice still rough with sleep.

Beside them, Shilpa only hid her smile while sitting in front of the mirror, brushing her hair.

"She’s been screaming for you since the last ten minutes," she shrugged innocently. "I simply unleashed the monster."

"Traitor!" he accused pointing a finger at her weakly.

Nikki tilted her head in confusion and looked at her father in disapproval. "Tr..tra...tractor? Mama is not a tractor!"

That instantly broke both adults into laughter.

Armaan finally took a proper look at his daughter.

Her pajamas were mismatched while her hair looked like she was fighting demons in her sleep.

Freaking Adorable.

He reached up lazily and pulled her down until she collapsed against his chest in another fit of giggles.

"Five more minutes," he bargained.

"No." She whined in protest.

"Three?"

"No."

"One?"

"Nononono," She remained stubborn.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Kisne tumhe bargaining karna sikhaya?"

Nikki immediately pointed at Shilpa with zero loyalty and said out cheekily. "Mama ne!"

Shilpa let out a haw and blinked innocently. "Don’t drag me into this."

"Too late," Armaan sighed dramatically. "Both my girls have turned against me."

That softened something quietly inside Shilpa every single time he said it so naturally.

My girls.

Like there had never been any separation between them at all.

Nikki suddenly grabbed Armaan’s cheeks with both tiny hands, demanding his attention. "Papa! Papa!"

"Hm?" He gently brushed away some of the messy hair out of her face.

"You promised milkshake."

His expression turned serious immediately. "That is a very important matter."

"Chocolate milkshake," Nikki demanded.

"Obviously."

"With oreos!"

"Your demands are becoming unreasonable."

Nikki squinted at him. "Then Mama makes better milkshakes."

Armaan sat up instantly in offense, dragging Nikki up with him. "Excuse me? That's a slander! Absolute slander under my nose in my own house."

"But it’s true," Shilpa added much to his misery while finally standing up.

He looked at both of them with betrayal. "Wow. I provide love, shelter, emotional support-”

"And salty milkshakes," Shilpa interrupted him with a sweet smile.

Nikki nodded solemnly. "Very salty."

Ouch...that landed straight at his poor heart.

Armaan stared at the two most important people in his life standing together against him before finally scooping Nikki into his arms with a dramatic groan.

"This family doesn’t appreciate me enough."

Nikki wrapped her arms around his neck happily while Shilpa laughed softly behind them, the sound warm enough to fill every quiet corner of the house.

Outside, the morning breeze stirred gently through the open windows, carrying the distant scent of rain that hadn’t arrived yet.

~

After much fussing and finally sending off Nikki till the School Bus, Shilpa flopped on the couch with a huff.

What it seemed like a moment of peace, then-

"Shilpaaaa..." She jerked up hearing his loud voice from the upstairs.

"Ab kya hua?!" She huffed slightly before yelling back.

"I can't knot my tie! Help me sweetheart!" He sounded frustrated with himself.

"Coming, coming..." Shilpa got up with a groan and climbed upstairs with heavy steps.

She totally forgot to turn off the TV downstairs.

~

She pushed open the door and found him twisting and turning the tie. She face palmed mentally and stalked closer to him.

"Tumse ye kab hoga bhi?" She glared at him before taking the matter into her hands by pulling him closer with the tie.

"Tum ho na." He hit his forehead slightly onto hers, his eyes twinkling with cheekiness on which she only let out an unimpressed sigh.

Armaan's hands naturally found its way to her waist, holding on while she fussed with his tie.

"These days the weather is worsening by the evening." He commented as he gazed at her face.

"Yeah..everyday the news is about how it will rain heavily in the coming days." Shilpa complained. "The clothes will take much longer time to dry now."

He frowned at her words. "Who cares about the laundry...?" His grip tightened slightly. "Don't you think the weather will be nice for romance? Moody rain...gentle breeze...aha.." he sighed dreamily.

A snort escaped her. "Ha...as if! You will clean the whole house!" She retorted to which he pouted pitifully.

After she was done with his tie, Armaan leaned down to press a kiss on the tip of her nose to pacify his cranky wife, followed by which he pressed a kiss on her forehead.

Then both of them descended downstairs while the TV kept running. Shilpa went to see him off.

She had taken few days off from work and hence remained alone most of the time at home when both Armaan and Nikki were away.

Shilpa was about to take a step outside when a voice from the podcast playing on the TV sounded.

"....The tragedy was never the loss, it was everything that came after..." She didn't know why her steps halted.

She looked up and watched him walk to the driveway, before calling out "Have a safe journey!"

Armaan blew her a kiss before getting inside and drove off.

She watched the vehicle disappearing slowly with each distance.

But even as the car finally disappeared after a corner, her feet seemed to be rooted on the floor as the voice from the TV kept running in the background, almost hauntingly.

"...Waqt dhire dhire aage badh jaata hai…par kuch rishte raste bhool kar bhi laut aate hain..."

A shiver slithered down her spine as a faint sense of dread grew inside her.

"...Shayad isliye sabse zyada ghayal toh woh insaan hota hai, jo dono zindagiyon se juda hua hota hai...."

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Phewwwww it was a long one enjoyyyyy