Arnav immediately sat up concerned, "Whats wrong sweetie? Had a bad dream?"
"No daddy! Its raining outside" She told him with a huge smile.
Arnav slumped back on to his pillow relieved as he listening to the steady dripping of the rain drops and whoosing of the wind. He smiled as he smelled the wet mud. It was one of his favorites.
"I know. Is my baby Princess scared?" Arnav asked her sweetly not understanding what his 3-year-old daughter was doing in his room in the middle of the night.
"Nope!" She shook her head, her open hair flying over her face. "I wanna play in the rain" She announced, her eyes shining.
"What? But sweetie, Its 2 in the morning!" he said checking the time on his bedside clock.
"Thats why we're waking you up! Cos we can't go by ourselves" Ashar said from the doorway. Arnav hadn't noticed him before.
Asmara now proceeded to climb over Arnav to reach Khushi and started shaking her lightly saying "Mum, wake up! Its raining!"
Khushi woke up confused, "What? Whats going on?"
"Your kids want to play in the rain in the middle of the night!" he said chucking a little.
"Oh Suddenly they're My kids, huh? And when they do something good then they're Your kids! Nice!" She mumbled.
"No, you have to admit! Playing in the rain in the middle of the night is definitely something they got from their mother's side" He retorted laughing.
"Come on! Get up! It'll stop raining!" 6-year-old Ashar said, he was rarely this excited about anything but getting soaked in rain was one of his favorites.
"Listen guys, you can play in the rain tomorrow." Arnav tried to make them understand. "I'm signing a huge contract tomorrow so I need my sleep!"
"Daddy!!" Asmara whined! "You're always doing that! Come with us otherwise your little princess will start crying!" She threatened.
Arnav smirked while Khushi smiled with her eyes closed, listening to their conversation. His daughter had recently started this blackmailing and he found it adorable.
"Ok, but If I do come with you guys, what do I get in return?" he asked, his eyes twinkling, wide awake now.
"You'll be the best daddy in the whole world" Asmara replied cheekly spreading her arms wide.
"Oh! I thought I already was" Arnav replied back trying hard to control his laughter at his daughter's attempt to butter him up.
"But you'll get even better!" She replied "and I'll even give you a kissie on your scratchy cheek" She added.
Khushi couldn't control her laugher as she got up and declared that they were going to play in the rain causing both Ashar and Asmara to whoop in delight.
"What the khushi? What if they catch a cold?" Arnav asked concerned.
"Arnav, I think you should go back to sleep! Your brain isn't working properly. Its June!" Khushi said mischievously getting out of bed and slipping her feet into her slippers.
"Come on Daddy!" Asmara pulled at his hand and turning to Ashar said, "Help me, bhaiyya" and Ashar grabbed his other hand tugging at it to make him sit and Arnav laughed seeing the effort they were putting into it as he got up.
He opened the front door leading to the gardens and Ashar and Asmara flew out whooping with joy and Khushi joined them, her arms stretched wide and her face towards the skies smiling as she felt the rain drops falling on her face while Arnav watched her amused. 'She is such a child' he thought fondly.
"Come on Uncle!" Khushi mocked him as she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the rain too.
He smiled involuntarily as he felt the refreshing cold drops land on his face and body. He hadn't had a soak in rain in ages. It felt so good.
Asmara came bouncing up to him, her face lit with pure joy as she jumped into his arms and he twirled her around, making her squeal in delight.
He put a slightly dizzy Asmara on the ground and grabbed Ashar from behind swinging him in a circle as well as Ashar's laugher made him laugh before putting him down and sneaking behind his wife and in a swift motion, he started twirling her too by putting his arms around her waist and Khushi's blissful laugher ringing like music in his ears .
They played for half an hour, splashing each other and jumping in puddles like kids, till the rain stopped and they got back inside. Khushi quickly got both the kids bathed and ready for bed.
Asmara ran up to Arnav standing beside her bed and gave him a kiss on his cheek saying "Thank You Daddy! You have a deal tomorrow?" she asked.
"Yes princess!" He replied kissing her forehead as he made her lie down.
"Daddy what was the best deal you made in your life?" Asmara asked suddenly.
"My best deal? Hmm... that would be the marriage contract deal I made with your mum. That deal has never given me anything except pure happiness and joy" he replied with a true smile and quickly pecked Khushi on her cheek making her feel like the luckiest girl alive.
NOTE BELOW
272