MN - The Fragile Magic ** Epilogue - Pg 140. - Page 42

"Good morning!!", his vibrant voice made her re-surface from that sudden disappointment that came from the feeling that Mayank will soon be leaving for office.

"morning", she slowly said, adjusting herself in the sitting position.

"so,? feeling better?", he came to her and placed his hand on her forehead, "hmmm, you are better, but that doesn't means you will stop resting, okay?"

Nupur nodded with a smile and yet again kissing her forehead, Mayank left for the office.

Once she was alone in the room, she lied down in the blanket, caressing the cards and the flower. She was amazed at how was she getting comfortable with his nearness. She had stopped feeling awkward at his closeness, at his kisses, at his warmth, and she should better accept that she actually yearned for it.

Taking a deep breath, she just took the flower in her hand and caressed it lovingly, it was such a sweet gesture that he brought her flowers, her eyes went to the huge bouquet on the table. She remembered how he got shy and then quietly placed a flower under her hand, "he's so cute", she smiled and kept the flower near her, and didn't even realize when she slept again.

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It was late at night when Mayank came home. He had sent the children earlier with the driver, and informed Nupur that due to the urgent submission of the tender, he had to stay back.

It was almost 2 a.m, when quietly he entered the home, expecting everyone to be asleep, but what shocked him was the beautiful woman, sitting on the dining table, slowly rubbing her nails on the table, and looking at her it was evident that she was waiting.

"Nupur!'

Ignoring every emotion of warmth and endearment contracting in his heart, he called her name in a strict voice remembering that she was supposed to rest.

"a gaye ap!", ignoring the strictness she came towards him and took his files, "ho gayi submission??, how was it?"

She was smiling brightly, and the paleness which was yesterday was nowhere today, and what made Mayank's heart skip a beat was that she had put an effort in her dressing, he could see the black pencil around her eyes and also her lips shining with a light gloss, although she was dressed in a night gown, but still her wet hair flowing on shoulders were making her look like a mesmerizing beauty.

"mayank!!", nupur's voice jolted him and he blinked his eyes to break the enchanting trance, "aisey kia dekh rahen hain?", she opened her eyes even more wide and mayank's heart skipped yet another beat, "you are looking very pretty", he confessed the reason with utmost sincerity and nupur smiled, though after a nano- second flutter.

"umm .. thank you, wo kiya hai k do din se main sirf bed pe so rahi thi, tu aj main thek ho gayi hon tu main ne thora sa make-up kar liya", she was speaking in a bubbly tone and Mayank's heart warmed at seeing her gaining her composure.

"hmm, bohat achi lag rahi ho", he couldn't help praising again and received another smile, "acha tu ab dinner kar len?", and without waiting for his answer she held his hand and took him to the dining table.

She served him with dinner and both of them ate, with discussing the happenings of the children and mayank's questions about her sudden recovery, which she answered in a way that satisfied Mayank.

After the dinner and his daily dose of saffron milk, Mayank was in bed, while nupur was busy arranging his files on the study. After doing that, she lied down on her side and was about to close her eyes when she was called by mayank,

"nupur?"

"gi?", she immediately turned, rewarding him with a smile.

"ummm, I was thinking k ab tumhari tabiyat thek ho gayi hai tu.." , he stopped in between and looked in her eyes which gave him the power to complete his sentence, "tu will you please stroke my head, as you always do .. please ..", he quickly said and nupur have him her warm smile in less than a second, "ofcourse!!",

She came close to him and slowly starting stroking his head, "you know I really missed this the past two days", he said with his eyes still closed and without opening them , he knew that nupur smiling, as her touch turned more soft.

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Life had taken a beautiful turn for four alone people ' Mayank , Nupur, Rahul and Pranav.

They all fulfilled each other's voids and every short coming and no one complained ever, and gelled together as a family, with the ease one could just wish for.

"mummmyyy"

Pranav was shouting on the top of his voice.

"kiya baat hai pranav?', Nupur came running, but frowned to see that he was comfortably lying in his bed, munching chips.

"kia hua?, why were u shouting?, kitni baar mayank uncle ne mana kiya hai na k unchi awaz main baat nahi karni, but you don't listen, today I am going to complain him", she glared and all of a sudden Pranav jumped out of the bed and snuggled in nupur's lap, "mummy please don't complain to mayank uncle, I called you for Rahul", he blinked his eyes.

'rahul?, why for rahul?", she got tensed, "aur Rahul hai kahan?", she looked around the room while pranav snuggled close to her,

"mummy Rahul wants to call you mama as well, can he?"

In her muddled mind, it took a moment for Nupur to de-code parnav's words to understand what he meant.

"huh?", her mind was still in kind of dilemma,

"pleaseee",

This soft voice wasn't from the child in her lap, it came from the other corner of the room, her eyes followed the direction of the voice, and saw Rahul was sneaking from behind the curtain, holding it tightly in his hands and her eyes were getting wide with imploring.

Nupur's heart contracted with tenderness which she though herself never capable off, "rahul", she said his name in between tears, and in the next moment she was on her knees, near the curtain, looking in rahul's eyes, "kia hua beta?", she asked pulling him close and she could see shyness and confusion in his eyes.

"mummy main ne bataya tu hai", paranv also came by their side and nupur glared at him ,"pranav beta ap chup ho jao",

Parnav made a face and Rahul licked his lips as a clich attempt to start speaking something he was hesitant.

"ummm .. can I ,.. can I also call you mummy .. as pranav does .. please", he said with eyes getting wide showing the fear of rejection and nupur, although very happy, still was afraid that all this may not a dream.

"are you sure?, are you sure you want to call me mama?", nupur asked, her own heart pumping irregularly, and the kid nodded, "yes .. please .."

His eyes had now started twinkling with tears and nupur pulled him in a hug, "you know Rahul I was waiting for this, but I was afraid to ask you to call me mama", she pouted and Rahul got amazed,

"you were afraid of me"?, this was something of sheer surprise for him, because he himself was so afraid of her.

Nupur nodded and paranv giggled, but receiving a glare from nupur, he turned towards Rahul, "chalo Rahul, call her mummy na..", he was excited and Rahul yet again licked her lips, while nupur was holding her beats for the biggest moment since she had met Rahul.

"you won't ever leave me na mummy?',

This was not even the last thing nupur expected him to say, but the fear and despair in his eyes made her heart come to mouth, she could see in which context was he asking this, he knows his real mother was not with him and now he was fearing her to leave him too, she pulled him in tight hug, "I'll never leave you beta, never",

YAYY", just then pranav clapped his hands and placed his tiny arms around both of them, and they both took him in the hug too.

Nupur suddenly felt so elated and happy, she thought as if the whole world had started to feel complete. She had a child of her own and she didn't yearn someone to call her mother, but still this word from rahul's mouth made her feel her all her efforts were paid off. The first thing she did was to thank the Al Mighty, as much as she could, and then after spending the whole day with kids, finally the time came when she was about to inform mayank that her efforts had finally paid off.

Hearing the horn of mayank's car, all three of them felt a flutter in their heart, although didn't discuss but still it was a big moment, and they all were shy of mayank.

"Hello all!!", mayank's jubilant voice brightened the environment and the kids on the dinner table squealed, "welcome!!", they said in chorus.

Mayank got seated on the dinner table, "bachon nupur kahan hai?", he had started feeling that emptiness and it was obvious that she was in the kitchen or upstairs, but still couldn't hold himself from asking.

"mummy is in the kitchen ", pranav informed with a smile and mayank was about to call nupur when his mouth was left open on rahul's voice, which said, "MUMMMYYY ' daddy is calling you".

For a moment Mayank was just shocked,

"a rahi hon,", nupur came holding the dishes and mayank saw that strange contentment on her face and then he turned to Rahul who was also smiling with a sparkle in his eyes.

"haan gi mayank, main bus kitchen main thi", she came smiling and mayank looked away, "haan wo bus .. "

All of a sudden his zeal and excitement was vanished. He took his dinner and quietly started eating. Nupur and kids were waiting for him to notice this big event but he was not showing any response. Nupur thought maybe he didn't notice,

"umm .. mayank .. wo .. ", she had no problem in telling him straightaway, but somewhere she thought that he should have noticed,

"uncle u didn't notice.?", pranav finally lost his patience and wanted to inform but mayank was quietly eating, and just raised his head and smiled.

'mayank ap ki tabiyat thek hai?", nupur got worried seeing his strange behavior, "bus sar main dard hai", he left his dinner half and went to his room.

Nupur was about to call him but seeing that Rahul was on the verge of crying, she let mayank leave, '

"kia hua Rahul?", nupur came to him and he looked up at her with teary eyes,

"daddy didn't like that I called you mummy?", his voice was shaking and nupur felt her body tremble all over,

"yes mummy, uncle was not happy ..", pranav also said in an equally scared voice and nupur knew somewhere they were right - He was not happy.

Chapter 11 - Page 68