The Way She Loves Me
By the time Shravan had gotten home, night had fallen and engulfed the entire neighbourhood in darkness. He looked into his home from the outside with the same anxiety he felt every time he looked in from the porch.
Years had gone by and yet he wasn't used to this feeling . The feeling of love that was unconditional, the feeling of support that wasn't attached to an agenda. The feeling of home that wasn't attached to the bricks surrounding him but to the people who resided in it.
He sighed brushing away his routine fears and instead turned the doorknob with ease, entering the house. The smell of flowers hit him as soon as he walked in reminding him of the tulips he had given her yesterday. Her reaction to them bringing a smile to his face instantly. He loved seeing her smile especially, when he knew he was the reason for it. Eager to see it again he called out
"Babe Im home" Walking towards the kitchen where he knew she would likely be.
Before he could even reach her he heard the pitter patter of his 4 year old baby girl run towards him.
"Papa" she squealed in her adorable toddler voice as he lifted her off the floor and twirled her into the air.
"Papa Stopp you're going to ruin my dress" she whined bringing Shravan's attention to her hands for the first time.
He put her down squatting so that he could look into her eyes at her level.
"What are you doing baby?" Shravan asked confused. She seemed to be mixing whip cream in a bowl and looking hella cute at it . That didn't seem to bother her though she instead was focused. Looking like an exact replica of her mother, with matching aprons and everything.
"Im cooking" she lifted the bowl towards him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Shravan giggled at the sight before him knowing this had to be his wife's doing.
"Mama cook's for you all the time and I just wanted to be like her"
"And what about Papa?" he asked in jest, pretending to be appalled.
She looked at him thoughtful not wanting to hurt his feelings. "Mama's work gives me cookies... your work makes you yell on the phone and put's Mama to sleep"
Shravan laughed heartily at his daughters understanding of his work.
"And Mama told me that whenever she cooks for you, you do anything she wants" she added with a cheesy smile.
"ohhh what else did she say " he asked trying to get his daughter to spill the beans.
"She also told me that you were always annoying her but became sweet whenever you tasted her halwa" she pointed out giggling.
"oh yeah... well I'm going to tell you another story one that mommy forgot to mention" he carried her into the living room and bounced her on his lap leading her to squeal in excitement.
"When Papa met Mama at just about your age she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Like a .."
"A princess" his daughter stated wanting to be part of the story.
Shravan laughed but quickly agreed "Exactly, like a princess."
"and Papa fell in love with her as soon as he saw her, but he was too scared to tell her... so he let his misunderstandings and other people get in between them.. and he left and went far far away"
"Haww" his baby girl gasped completely engrossed in the story.
"Then Papa came back many years later with all this pain and hate still in him and was very VERY mean to Mama... and do you know what she did?"
"She stopped talking to you?" she offered, thinking it was exactly what she would do.
"No... she forgave me" he nodded in reflection, getting lost in his own memories.
"What next Papa?" she complained bringing his attention back to her.
"Then one day someone came into Mama's life"
"Like a villain?"
Shravan smirked at his daughter's black and white view of the world. "Something like that"
"Then Papa saved Mama...like prince charming" she concluded happy to have figured out the story.
"No... instead of helping her out Papa lied and was really mean to Mama and instead became another villain in her story... and you know what Mama did then ?"
The toddler shook her head this time really confused as to what could have happened.
"She forgave me again. So Papa does everything for Mama because she's always loved him. Not the kind of love he thought he had for her...but real unconditional love and because of that he has everything. He has you." he ended smothering her in kisses.
"Thats a nice story and all but you forgot to mention one important detail " Suman added from the door way eaves dropping all along.
"What?" both Shravan and their daughter said in unison.
"Does Papa now love Mama, the way she's always loved him" she asked smirking at their reaction.
Shravan stood from his place on the couch, with his daughter in his arms and walked up to his wife never breaking eye contact with her the entire way.
He then slowly leaned in and kissed her, and suddenly everything slipped away. It was just the two of them and nothing in the world mattered. It was reassuring in a way that words would never be enough to express. His hand rested on her hip bringing her closer as their hearts began to race. She ran her fingers through his hair deepening their kiss until their was no space between the three of them.
"Does that mean if a boy hurts me he loves me" Their daughter added breaking the moment taking away a moral of her own.
Suman looked at Shravan the way she always did when she thought he messed up. "Fix this while I fix dinner"
All Shravan could do was ruffle his daughters hair and sigh, content at where his life was at this point.
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Debate Mansion
