~*~* Tera hone laga hoon *~*~
PART 3
Bharti woke up to the sounds of Jiya and Armaan talking and the smell of breakfast being made. She looked over at the clock and saw that it was 8am, much too early to be waking up in her books. But she thought that she needs to get up as she should go help with breakfast. She somehow managed to pull herself out of bed and went to brush her teeth and get ready.
Jiya was busy in the kitchen making breakfast as she had insisted on making Bharti Mama's first breakfast. She asked Armaan when Bharti Mama would be waking up and Armaan said that she's probably still asleep and that he'll go and wake her up now. He assumed she was sleeping, so he lightly knocked on the door before entering and softly calling her name. Bharti was out of the bath and had not heard Armaan enter as she was drying her hair. She tossed her hair to the other side and saw Armaan in the mirror. She had not expected to see him so she let out a little scream.
Armaan: (laughing)"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, are you okay?"
Bharti: "I'm fine and stop laughing!"
Bharti picked up the cushion and threw it at him. This made Armaan laugh even more. Just then Jiya came in to see what happened. She also laughed, but then went over to Bharti and hugged her and said good morning before turning to Armaan and looking at him angrily.
Bharti : "Dada, why are you troubling Bharti aunty so early in the morning?"
Armaan: "What is this? One day and you're already on your Bharti aunty's side! What about me?!"
Jiya then ran across to Armaan, hugged him and told him that she's always on his side. Armaan picked her up and swung her around before kissing her cheek. Bharti couldn't help but smile at their father-daughter moments. She turned around to continue getting ready. Jiya went to the kitchen saying that she still has some stuff to do. Armaan went to draw the curtains and make the bed. He then went over to Bharti with the hairbrush and said that he's sorry for scaring her and sorry for laughing at her.
Bharti laughed at him and took the hairbrush from him.
Bharti: (smiling) "Okay you're forgiven, but you might want to try flowers next time"
Armaan and Bharti started laughing even more and Bharti said that she'll be right out. Armaan turned to go, but stopped and asked Bharti if he could apply the sindoor for her. Bharti nodded and gave him the sindoor, which he lovingly applied for her. Both of them then went to join Jiya and Bharti saw the spread of toast, pancakes, fruit and juice.
Bharti: "Oh wow Jiya, you did all of this yourself?"
Jiya: "Well, I had a little help from Dada. Pancakes are the only thing that I can make at the moment so I hope you like it. "
Bharti: "I'm sure I'll love it. Thanks Armaan and thank you my sweetheart"
Bharti went over to Jiya and hugged her. They sat down and enjoyed their breakfast with Bharti occasionally feeding Jiya the pancake which had a chocolate sauce smile on it.
Armaan: "So Bharti, today's Sunday. What do you want to do?"
Bharti: "I'll do whatever Jiya wants to do."
Jiya: "We can go shopping and watch a movie and have lunch and then lastly we can go to the beach for the sunset."
Bharti: "Now that sounds like a plan, Armaan do you have you credit card ready?"
They finished up in the kitchen and quickly got ready to do some shopping. They had immense fun going in and out of shops trying on everything, even Armaan had fun watching them. Jiya picked out clothes for Bharti while Bharti only looked for stuff for Jiya and nothing for herself. Once they were done Bharti went to the counter to pay. But Armaan came next to her and paid for everything.
Bharti: "Armaan! I was just joking about the credit card."
Armaan: "It's my treat"
Bharti: "And why didn't you get anything for yourself? "
Armaan: "Next time"
Bharti: "I'm going to hold you to that!"
They went to catch a movie, but there wasn't anything good showing. Jiya was hungry so they decided to go and have lunch. Next stop was the beach and now they were glad that they didn't watch a movie as they could spend more time at the beach. Jiya and Bharti built sandcastles and then Armaan was swinging Jiya around in the air and she was having so much of fun. Bharti thought that Armaan must have a camera in the car and went to check. Luckily she was right and took many photo's of them. Armaan saw what she was doing and went to get the camera from her.
Bharti: "What is this? The photographer doesn't like photo's of himself?"
Armaan: "Lets see how you like it."
And he started taking photo's of Bharti. Jiya was just watching both of them and smiling, thinking that she had never seen her Dada so happy before. Jiya ran over to them and took the camera and started taking their pictures. Jiya then asked someone to take pictures of the three of them. By the end of that they were all very tired, so they just sat on the sand and watched the sun go down. Jiya unfortunately missed it as she had fallen asleep on Bharti's lap.
Bharti: (watching the setting sun) "I always love sunsets more than sunrises. It's just so beautiful, all the colours..."
Armaan looked at the setting sun and then at Jiya and Bharti with the setting warmth of the sun on Bharti's face.
Armaan: "It definitely is.."
He then took a few pictures of Bharti and Jiya and by this time Bharti was just too tired to fight with him. Armaan picked up Jiya and him and Bharti walked along the water's edge for a bit before returning to the car. When they got home Armaan made a quick dinner while Bharti went to bath. By the time she was out the food was done and Jiya was awake. They ate and Armaan asked Jiya if she had any homework for the next day. Jiya said she did and had completely forgotten about it. After dinner, Armaan and Bharti helped Jiya with her homework and then Bharti excused herself to do the dishes. When she was done, she went to Jiya's room to see Armaan reading her a story and she just went and sat at the edge of the bed watching the two of them. Just then the phone rang and Armaan went to answer. Bharti kissed Jiya goodnight and was about to go when Jiya stopped her.
Jiya: " Thank you Bharti aunty."
Bharti: "What for?"
Jiya: "For everything - for coming into our lives, for giving me my Mama and most of all for making my Dada happy. You know, he's always smiling and happy, but I have never truly seen him as happy as I saw him today. He has never said it, but I'm sure he has been lonely. I never met my real Mama, but Dada was married to her and I'm sure he felt her absence even more than I did. But ever since you came to work with Dada, he has been happier. And I'll pray every night that we will always stay a family and you'll never leave us."
Bharti didn't know what to say, she just kissed Jiya's cheek and hugged her tightly, while wiping away her tears. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered what would happen when she was Bhaskar again. Both Jiya and Bharti were oblivious to Armaan who was standing at the door wiping away his tears.
Jiya: "Can I ask you for something? "
Bharti: "Anything Jiya."
Jiya: "May I call you Bharti Mama"
Bharti smiled at her and just nodded. Jiya hugged her again and Bharti told her to sleep as she had school the next morning.
Bharti switched off the lights and saw Armaan as she came out of Jiya's room. He stood there wiping the tears from his eyes and just said "thank you" to Bharti. Bharti put her hand on his shoulder and told him that there is nothing to thank her for.
Bharti: "Armaan, you know I haven't felt like I am a part of a family in a long time and never before have I felt so..needed. It's a big responsibility, but it's an amazing feeling. I should be the one thanking the two of you...."
Armaan: "Bharti, you're an integral part of this family now...Oh I almost forgot, that was Amarjeet Sir. He said we have to come to work tomorrow, he has something urgent to discuss with us."
Bharti: "Oh ok, we'll go to work together then after dropping Jiya at school. Oh man, I completely forgot! Payal is going to London tomorrow and that too for a month. I've got to see her off at the airport."
Armaan: "How about we pick her up after we drop Jiya, we won't be that late and Amarjeet Sir didn't specify a time."
Bharti: "Okay, I'll just go call her"
Bharti spoke to Payal and organized everything with her. She switched all the lights off and went to her room. There she saw Armaan putting his pillow on the sofa to sleep.
Bharti: "Excuse me Mr Armaan, what are you doing?"
Armaan: "Um... going to sleep."
Bharti: "Yes, I can see that, but why on the sofa?"
Armaan: "Well, I thought..you know..you on the bed and.."
Bharti: "Look, yesterday you told me that I can trust you and I do, but you should trust me too. Come on I don't bite, though I do talk in my sleep sometimes and I occasionally kick, but it shouldn't be too hard. (winking at Armaan). Come sleep here, the bed's big and anyway we have lots to do tomorrow."
Armaan came to sleep on the bed and Bharti said goodnight before switching the lamp off.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~