Chapter 15
Shravan squeezes eyes as morning sunlight falls on his sleeping face, he feels sheer pain in head the moment he woke up, must be hangover! He holds his head tightly. He slowly opens his eyes, looks around, finds a hairpin beside his arm. He picks it up looks on. Still there is sweet aroma around, very familiar! He sighs.
He gets conscious when his two little bundles of joy run into his lap together, he smiles & hugs them.
"Good morning, papa", Krish & Kriya say together.
"Good morning, my snowballs", Shravan says holding them into lap.
"Is this morning really good?", Kriya asks in a serious tone which makes Shravan giggle.
His daughter in just like the portrait of his childhood, that childish seriousness, those curious eyes and all.
"Yeah of course! Neend se jaagte hi agar aapki sabse favourite persons aapke samne aa jaye, isn't it a very beautiful morning?", Shravan says tapping his daughter's nose.
"Haan mumma humein humsha aise uthati", Krish says sadly.
Shravan sighs & hugs his kids.
-Flashback
"Good morning, babu", Suman says kissing on her sleeping son's innocent face.
"Good morning,mumma!", he says in a sleepy tone.
Suman then makes Kriya wake up & sends the both kids to brush their teeth.
"Ab sab se bade baby ko uthana hai, the toughest task of my mornings!", she murmurs between giggles.
She goes to their room, stares at her sleeping husband's face. She bents down & caresses his face, stubble. He smiles still closing eyes.
"Good morning, Mr. Malhotra!", she whispers into his ears.
He holds her, lifts & places her top of him even in laying, placing his arms around her.
"Now thats called a very GOOD morning, Mrs. Malhotra", he smirks.
She smiles.
"You know, baccho ko neend se uthana bohot easy hai aur tumhe - usse kahi jyada tough", she chuckles.
"Really?", he says in a husky voice.
She could get his intention, but she's not in mood to stop him & leans on.
"Mummaaa", both kids shout from the dinning area.
"Coming babies", she shouts, laughing at the interruption which made Shravan disappointed.
"I thought Krish Kriya would love to have a baby bro or sis!?"
"Yes. They would. But this is not the right time I guess. I mean...", she says in a confused tone.
"Yeah yeah mujhe abhi bhi yaad hai kaise behave kiya tha tumne Krish aur Kriya ke time. Shravan...promise me, tum dobara shaadi nehi karoge..hahahaha", he imitates her.
"Very funny!"
"Isn't it?"
"No. Only I know how much pain I bore! Whoaa! that was horrible but yet the most beautiful moment of my life!", she softly pecks on his nose causing him to smile.
"Yes. For me too..", he agrees.
"Now let me go, kids are waiting & you too..get freshen up. I made breakfast"
"What? Thepla and Dhokla?", he asks in a funny way.
"No. Paratha. Punjabi's obsession", she pecks on his lips & gets up.
"Gosh Sumo...I love youuu"
"For paratha?"
"No silly...for everything! Specially for my bundles of joy, who're waiting for us in the dinning area, he says lovingly.
She pecks on his lips before getting up finally.
At dinning hall.
"Hey babies! Good morning!", Shravan wishes his kids who're waiting for him in dinning table.
Both kids smile & wish him back.
"You know..you two have the cutest smiles of the universe!", Shravan says, sitting on the chair, pulling his babies' soft cheeks.
"Papa, did you use the same lines to impress mumma too?", Kriya asks making Suman drop her jaw in surprise.
"Beta! Tum ko school mein yahi sikhate hai?", Suman asks surprisingly.
Shravan & Kriya laugh, as she made her mumma so shocked.
"No mumma! Ye sab naa Kriya ne woh stupid bollywood filmo se sikhi hai", Krish claims.
Suman nods her head in disappointment which made Shravan & Kriya laugh out loud.
Door bell rings. Krish attempts to get up but Suman stops him.
"Continue, babu. Your tiny hands won't reach the door lock!", she giggles.
Krish blushes. Shravan smiles at him lovingly. Suman comes back to them after a while.
"Kaun tha?", Shravan asks curiously.
"Our neighbor. Mrs. Sen. Her daughter gave birth to a baby boy! Chota sa function hai unke ghar mein...tonight!", Suman replies with a smile.
"Wow! Krish & Kriya got to meet a chotu baby!", he says in an excited tone to his kids.
Kids also get excited. Suman stares at the beautiful sight in front of her. How to thank God in a proper way for this blissful life?. She sits & silently hears their conversation.
"Papa! Baby kaise aate hai?", Kriya asks curiously.
"Woh beta..sabke papa aur mumma naa pray karte God se ke unke ghar chotu sa baby aa jaye aur God unki wish puri kar dete hai. Aur mumma ki tummy mein baby ko de dete hai. Aur kuch mahine baad doctors unko bahar lakar papa ke godi mein de dete hai!", Shravan explains causing Suman to smile.
"I wish I could get back to mumma's tummy! At least waha toh homework, drawing classes aur itna sara stress toh nehi hota", Krish says in disappointment causing his parents laugh.
Suman takes Krish in her arms making him sit into her lap lovingly & kisses on his cheek.
"Awwle mera baby", she says in a childish tone.
Krish smiles & rests his head on his mom's shoulder.
"Humari friend Ananya ka ek bhai hua hai! Mumma mujhe bhi ek chotu sa bhai chahiye. I don't like Krish!", Kriya claims.
"Haan I don't like you too! Mumma! Mujhe ek chotu si cute si sister chahiye. Better than her", Krish says to Suman.
And the fight starts. Both argue for thier own demands.
"Stop kids! Don't fight. Hum Krish ke liye ek doll jaise sister aur Kriya ke liye ek chotu sa bhai lekar ayenge ok?", Shravan says.
"Oh you mean they'll be twins also?", Kriya asks.
"Yeah", Shravan chuckles.
"Bohot baatein ho gayi. Jaao tum dono school ke liye ready ho jaao!", Suman says.
At Shravan-Suman's room.
Shravan sets his hair as he's getting ready for court. Suddenly a pair of beautiful arms get encircled around his torso from behind causing him to smile. He places his hands over her hands & brings her to in front of him hugging her from behind. He places his right hand softly over her flat stomach softly, another hand on her waist, resting his chin on her right shoulder. They look at each other lovingly at the mirror.
"Didn't I tell you Krish & Kriya would love to have a sis or bro?", he whispers into her ear causing her to turn crimson red.
She turns back & hides her face into his chest, while he hugs her warmly.
Flashback ends-
---
Someone knocks at the door. Suman looks up, its Shravan. She gulps, God knows what he would say now.
"Yes. Mr. Malhotra! Kaise aana hua?", she tries hard to hide the fear in her voice.
Gosh! This is the same way his Sumo used to call him. He sighs.
"Kuch khaas nehi! Meri family yaha reh rahi hai so I want to pay the rent as its not our house anymore, Ms. Roy!"
Suman is shocked. Not because he offered rent, but because he called her as Ms. Roy, Sanchi's surname. She gulps, trying to calm herself down.
"No need of that. You people can stay here as long as you want!"
"Why? Why should we? You're not our relative not our friend or something. So why should we take your favour?"
"Because I don't want kids to get involved in struggle."
Shravan giggles sarcastically & sighs.
"Thanks for the concern but their dad is alive & he can take proper care of them. Ab toh akela hi samhal raha hoon unko, since one year", he says sadly causing her to look up.
"Anyway, if you let me pay the rent then its ok. Otherwise...", he changes his tone & stops.
She can't decide what to say. He smiles a little & leaves. She huffs. Within few seconds, he comes back to her.
"By the way, Ms. Sanchi! Here is your hairclip which you left in my room last night...mistakenly of course!"
"That doesn't mean I stayed at night in your room!", she says nervously.
"Maine aisa kab bola?", he smirks.
Shravan puts the hairclip on the table, slowly steps toward her. He leans on, she closes her eyes in anticipation. He smirks & whispers in her ear.
"And properly hide your neck, I am sure your fiance Neip won't like the tattoo of my name on there", he says moving the hair strands from her tattoo mark.
"Have a good day, Ms. Roy!", he grins.
He leaves. She tries to calm her breaths down.
---
"Papa hum ghar kab jayenge?",Kriya asks in between taking bites in her toast.
"Haan I too miss home", Krish sighs just like elder people.
"Beta abhi yaha thoda problem chal raha hai naa to yaha rehna parega. Aur tum dono ki to vacation chal raha hai naa school ki?", Shravan asks.
Krish & Kriya nod. Shravan smiles.
"Ye breakfast kitna boring hai. Mujhe pani puri khana hai", Kriya says.
"Hahh girls aur unke nakhre", Krish says in disappointment.
Suman comes to dinning table to get water & hears them.
"Papa mujhe pani puri chahiye", Kriya repeats.
"Tum spicy food nehi kha sagte toh kyun zid karte ho!", Shravan says.
"Mumma hoti toh zaroor mujhe pani puri khilati", Kriya pouts.
Suman smiles hearing her.
-Flashback
Shravan & Suman are in supermarket, buying stuffs. They come outside after shopping. A man mistakenly collides with Suman & immediately apologises.
"What the heck!!! Are you crazy??", Shravan lashes out at him.
"Sorry gentlemen..I didn't notice her", the stranger says politely.
Suman tries to calm Shravan down.
"Sorry!? Thats it?? Agar usse lag jati toh?", Shravan gets scared & checks Suman if she got hurt.
Suman says she's okay.
"Why are you so over reacting, Shravan! Chalo yaha se", Suman whispers.
"Why are you shouting?", the stranger asks astonishingly.
"Shouting? I'm not!", Shravan says louder than before.
"Shravan you're shouting. Please don't creat scene. Lets go", Suman whispers to him.
"I am sorry! You please carry on!", Suman says gently to the stranger.
The man leaves.
"Shravan I'm ok!"
"Sumo, its not about only you, its about our baby too, which is growing inside you. Please be careful.", Shravan says in a saddy concerned tone.
Suman sighs happily & holds his hand.
"Yeah I know! Shravan main promise karti hoon chahe jo ho jaye par main humari bacche ko koi anch nehi aane dungi"
Finally her pacifying words bring a wide smile on his face.
"Mujhe pani puri khana hai", she says to cheer up the environment.
"Haan ghar pe jaake kha lenge"
"Nooo mujhe ghar ka nehi bahar ka pani puri khana hai"
"Sumo woh bohot unhygenic hote hai"
"Kya!? Yehi unhygenic pani puri tum bachpan mein roz khilate the mujhe after school!"
"Haan kyun ki tab tum pregnant nehi thi naa? Tabhi humara baby tumhare tummy mein nehi tha na!", he claims making her blush hard.
"Shut up! mujhe bahar ka pani puri khana hai. Bohot sara teekha wala"
"No way! Ghar chalo Sumo"
"Kaise pati ho tum biwi ki pregnancy craving ka koi khyaal nehi hai tumhe", she pouts.
Shravan laughs remembering her craving. Few days ago she demanded for layered cake of chocolate-vanilla-strawberry flavours. He had to order in the shop where the owner was hell shocked to hear such weird demand. But they made it.
At home.
"Ready!!!", Shravan shouts excitedly.
"Shravan I'm tired. Please pareshan mat karo. Jo pati apne patni ko pani puri nehi khilata usse mujhe koi baat nehi karni", she says in weak tone, resting in bed.
"Arey your pani puri is ready!"
"O God really!!! Chashmish you're the best husband of this universe", she says excitedly pecking in his lips.
He smiles. She's such a cuteness!! Suman takes one pani puri in her mouth & paused. He is tensed as her facial expression changed. Looks like she's angry. She calmly finishes the bite & looks up angrily.
"What was that?"
"Arey pani puri hai! bhool gayi?"
"Meethi?"
"Woh spicy khane se..."
"Chashmish I'll kill you!!", she rushes to catch him.
He doesn't run but laughs as she made face.
"Meethi pani puri? was that a joke?", she fumes.
Her childish anger made him laugh out loud.
Flashback ends-
Suman smiles recalling the moment. Before anyone noticed her, she leaves.
---
Shravan is applying henna on Kriya's tiny hands, Krish is sitting beside them with chocolate. Whenever she gets henna applied on hand, he got the responsibility to feed her, he always makes irked faces though he likes to serve his dear twinny. No matter how much they fight, baby bro Krish is always protective about his little sister, Kriya.
"Kriya eat fast. Mere paas aur bhi bohot kaam hai", Krish fakes anger.
Kriya shows tongue to irk him. He controls his laughter, his sister is such a doll. He feeds her chocolate. Shravan sees them & smiles.
Ved enters.
"Wow chachu! This is so pretty!", Ved praises the henna design.
Shravan smiles at him & blinks.
"Par aapko kaise mehendi design karna aata hai?", he asks surprisingly.
"Papa toh expert hai isme! Jab bhi koi occasion hoti thi papa humesha mumma ke hatho mein mehendi laga dete the!", Kriya claims.
"Par aaj toh koi occasion nehi hai!", Ved says.
"Arey to? occasion date se thodi na bante hai! Occasion to manane se bante hai", Kriya says same as the way Suman used to tell.
She taught this from her mom. Shravan sighs. Ved smiles. Krish gets sad remembering Suman. Shravan notices & signals him to feed Kriya to distract him.
At dinning hall.
Kriya tries to get some water but she is unable because of her mehendi and nobody is near to help her. She sighs & pouts. Suman comes & pours water in glass. She attempts to make Kriya drink water but Kriya moves back.
"What happened?", Suman asks.
"Mumma ne kaha hai stranger se help nehi lete", Kriya says.
Suman's heart breaks into unlimited pieces. Stranger? Her own daughter is calling her a stranger? She gulps & takes a deep breath to compose herself.
"But main toh stranger nehi hoon naa, baby..?", Suman says with a forced smile.
Krish enters & pours some water in another glass, and puts a straw into it. Kriya drinks water via straw & shows all her teeth (funny smile) to her brother which means silent thanks. Krish side hugs his sister. Suman smiles sadly seeing her babies.
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