***Part 19-i***
It was a new day, a new beginning. I am up, showered and getting ready for the big day - it was Ria and Nikki's first day at school. I walk upto Virat who was waking up rubbing his eyes looking at his phone ring. "Mom??" he answers.
"Yea, I am fine mom. How are you?"
"Yes, I am sure mom, why will I not be fine? Is everything okay with you?" he asks.
"Okay...yes...I will video chat with you mom. Let me wake up first. Here, talk to Manvi in a meantime." Virat says looking at me surprised at his mom's request. He hands me the phone and slips into the shower.
"Ma?"
"Beta, you guys are fine right? Virat is fine?"
"Haan Ma, both of us are fine. Why do you sound so tensed?" I ask.
"Kuch nahi beta, I was just feeling a bit apprehensive since a few days. Leave all that, tell me, how are my grandkids?"
"Your grandkids are doing fine too, we are taking them to school today. Ma, I feel like you are hiding something?"
"I am sorry beta, I didn't mean to worry you. It is probably nothing, I had a very bad dream last night about Virat and I just wanted to make sure everything is okay. It is just a silly mother fussing over her kid." I freeze listening to her. Mom had a nightmare about Virat too? This is a bad sign.
"Manvi, remind Virat to come on his video chat. I will feel assured if I see him once."
"Haan Ma. I will remind him."
~~~
Virat comes into the kitchen while I am making breakfast with Liz. Liz immediately disappears seeing him in there. I mentally make a note to talk to Virat about him being so intimidating to the staff. He hugs me and pecks me on my cheek. "Good morning Mrs.Vadhera." He says still half-sleepy, dozing on my shoulder.
"Good morning jaan" I smile widely and give him his coffee.
"Last night was umm...out of the world baby.." he is nuzzling me with his lips on my shoulder.
I smile and blush remembering last night. "I am going to wake up the kids." I tell him still smiling.
"Aaah" he pulls me by my elbow. "What did I tell you last night?"
I remember my promise but I decide to mess with him. "What did you tell me?" I ask innocently.
"Forgot already?"
"Nahi toh"
"Manvi?"
"Virat?"
"Fine! Be that way." He is walking away pouting.
I hug him from behind "Acha baba, ofcourse I remember. You are the boss."
He takes my hand on his chest and kisses it, holding it, brings me around to his front and smiles. "Well then, I am waking up the kids and you are just watching."
"You are waking up the kids?"
"You know, this would be considered arguing by some people." he says sighing.
I roll my eyes.
"Did you just roll your eyes?"
"Nope." I reply right back and I follow him silently as he walks to into the kid's room.
"Alright munchkins, time to wake-up. Let's get you both to school." Virat announces himself in.
"Go away!!!" Nikki shouts - he was already awake, sitting inside his tent which he calls a fort, his fort and Ria was still sleeping. I go and sit beside Ria letting Virat take charge. Ria was lying flat on her stomach in her pink bunny pjs hiding her face below her folded hands. She steals a glance at me and quickly closes her eyes pretending to be asleep. I smile and keep this information to myself.
"Hey bud. Why are you sitting inside all alone? Come to daddy." Virat calls Nikki kneeling in front of his make-belief fort.
Nikki crawls out slowly.
"Hey, little guy, today is your first day of school, aren't you excited?" Virat asks.
Nikki nods his head from far left to far right.
"You will make a lot of friends buddy. Come on, get ready." Virat holds his hand and walks towards the bath.
Nikki doesn't move. "Nikki, come on, we are getting late." Virat tugs his hand.
"I don't want to go to school." Nikki mumbles.
Virat looks at me.
"That's not an option Nikki." I tell him clearly.
"But, mama, I don't like it..." Nikki comes running to me and hugs my legs. Virat shakes his head.
"School is really fun sweety..." I try to explain, while Virat turns to deal with Ria.
"Wake up sleepyhead." He calls to her.
No reply.
"Ria?"
She doesn't reply, she shuts her eyes tightly.
"Ria, I know you are awake."
"No, I am nooot!!!" She replies turning her face to the wall.
Spiderman, our brand new dog marches in and starts barking below Ria's bed. She looks at him secretly. Spiderman climbs over her bed and starts licking her.
"Ewww!" Ria screams and starts giggling and laughing.
"Good boy!" Virat pats spiderman.
"Papaaa..." Ria goes to Virat putting her tiny hands around his neck, doing her cute face trick.
"Hmmm?" Virat looks at her cautiously, raising his eye-brow.
"Nikki does not want to go to school. I can't go without Nikki." she makes her case.
"Nikki is getting ready sweetheart and you should too, otherwise me and mamma will take Nikki to school and you will be alone at home all day." Virat tells her.
"But, I wanna go tooo..." she says looking at Nikki who is busy playing with spiderman, trying to figure out if he really did change his mind.
"Awesome! Go get ready. I need to call your grandmom." Virat smiles at me triumphantly.
"Do you wanna wear this green dress or the white one cupcake?" I ask Ria while taking out their clothes.
"I want to wear my bunnyjs to school." Ria tells us.
"That's silly. You can't wear that. Wear the white dress." Virat tells her.
"Whyyy can't I wear my bunnyjs?" she looks at Virat angrily.
Something beeps on Virat's phone and he gets immersed in answering it. "Because I don't approve. Go NOW." He says distractedly.
"What is approoove?" she asks him.
"...means I don't like them Ria. God, does she always ask these many questions? Tum pe gayi hai" Virat looks at me accusingly.
"Am I even talking Virat?" I look at him offended.
"But I liiike them..." Ria is not done yet.
Jeeez! "Ria, listen to daddy..." I tell her.
"But whyyy?" The girl doesn't give up!
"..coz daddy is the boss!" Virat tells her.
"Ohh..When can I be the boss?" she asks him.
"When it is never. Are you getting ready or not?" Virat replied a bit crisply, distracted with his phone.
"Mommma, daddy yelled at me!!" she comes to me, stomping her feet.
~~~
We finally got both of them cleaned, dressed and fed. Virat is sitting at the dining table and video chatting with Ma, Viren bhai and Jeevika bhabi on his computer. Ria is sitting on his lap and looking at all of them intently. Nikki temporarily forgot all about school and is instructing me in the kitchen about how to feed spiderman - he wants me to feed him ice-cream, that too mint flavoured.
"I am fine mom. As you can see, I have even gained some weight, thanks to your loving daughter-in-law. Aur bhai, tu India ja kar settle hogaya hai kya? When are you coming back?" Virat asks Viren.
"We are starting today evening bhai. Can't wait to meet you guys." Viren replies.
They were all very happy looking at Virat, talking normally and happily with them.
"You are very prettty..like mommyyy." Ria tells Jeevika.
Everyone starts laughing "Thank you sweety. You are very pretty too. I love your white dress." Jeevika replies.
"Daddy approooves.." Ria tells her, pronouncing 'approves' in the funniest possible way.
"Bhai, she toh talks like a parrot. I remember she was so quiet when we met her here."
"She is only quiet when she is sleeping." Virat tells them laughing. "Chatter-box!" he ruffles her hair.
"Mamma call me parrot." Ria retorts.
"Haan, her mom calls her bunny, parrot, cupcake patha nahi aur kya kya. Confuse ho jathi hai bichari.."
"So we met your little princess, but where is your little prince?" Jeevika asks.
"Hoga yehi par, apne mummy ki pallu pakad kar gum raha hoga kahi...Buddy, come say hi to your Dadi."
"acha, mamma's boy and papa's girl huh? Sahi hai bhai." Viren laughs.
"mamma's boy and mamma's girl." Virat corrects. "Ask her. How much do you love you mommy Ria?"
"More than aaall the stars in the sky.." she replies, extending her hands out and dropping her head back.
"Wooow!..and how much do you love your dad?" Ma asks her.
She thinks for a minute and pouts, looking down, playing with Virat's watch.
"Daddy yelled at me."
"Virat, be nice to my grand daughter." Ma scolds Virat.
"Ji Mom. Kyu Shaitaan, you told on me to my mom?" Ria nods her head up and down and everyone starting laughing crazily.
Ria looks at Virat confusedly not understanding what everyone was laughing about.
"Dude, I thought Nikki is the naughty one, but this one is too much."
"Yeah, they both keep us entertained. You should think about having kids now Bhai. My twins need cousins to play with yaar." Jeevika and Viren start smiling and Ma nods her head agreeing with Virat.
"Acha? We need to have kids so that your kids can have playmates. Kitne matlabi hogaya hai tu haan? I have one more idea, why don't you give me one of your kids, share karlengi, one with you, one with me. No tension. Kya bolta hai?"
"Haan, sure. You can take Ria. Ria? You don't like daddy right? You can go stay with your Uncle and aunt. Nikki will stay with me and mom. OK?"
Ria looks at me with a tensed face and then at Virat who was watching her with an amused face. She climbs down from his lap and runs to me with an about-to-cry face.
"Viraaat? Kya kar rahe ho?" I chide him.
"Ria is crying.." Nikki yells. The guy is very protective of her sister sometimes.
"Ohoo..." Virat comes to us. "...itte baddde baddde aasu...Ohhh.my.god...I am so sorry sweetheart..don't cryyy!.." He lifts her up and makes her sit on the kitchen counter beside Nikki and spiderman. They both watch her with their full attention.
"I want to be with you and mommy, I don't wanna gooo.." Ria hugs Virat crying.
"Daddy is just joking baby. He is never going to let you go anywhere." I explain to her.
"Ria, look at me. Stop crying. I was only joking princess. Daddy makes very bad jokes sometimes. You know what? Daddy and mommy can't stay without you even for a day. You darling, are our own little secret treasure. Get it?" he says wiping off her tears.
"What is secret treasure?" she asks curiously.
Virat thinks for a really long time. Nikki and Ria are waiting for his answer "Well..me and mommy went on a treasure hunt to collect the seven mooost precious things in the whole world, like in that story mom was telling you guys. We both fought hundreds of demons, lions and tigers and to get them. And, after we got them all, do you know what we did???" he was talking as if it was story-time, both of them were listening with their eyes wide open. Man! he is getting good at this. I am looking at him mesmerized.
Ria nodded her head "No!"
"...we gave all of them to god and in return he gave us the most beautiful and sweetest baby in the whole world - Ria, our secret, most precious treasure."
"Reaaally?" Ria asks me. I smile and nod to her.
"Me?????????" Nikki jumps in excitedly.
"tu toh iske saaath free main mil gaya.." Virat laughs.
"Virat?" I nudge him.The guy doesn't learn any lessons.
"Acha acha, you don't start crying now. You both are my secret treasure - the world's beeest kids."
"And you both are always staying with me, even if you go somewhere without telling me, I will come and get you, even before you know it." he threatens them.
"What if someone takes me?" Nikki asks.
"I will still come and bring you back bud."
"How will you know where I am?" Ria asks.
"Hmmm..Daddy has secret strengths sweety and whenever you want me to be with you, here, take this phone, just press this number and I will be in front of you in 10 minutes. Okay?"
"Okay." They both give him a dazzling smile.
"Say I love you papa.."
"I love you papa.." they both hug him.
Give me a kiss. They both peck his cheek dutifully.
"Chalo, let's tell dadi good-bye and get started to school."
Virat carries both of them in his arms and walks back to his laptop "Bhai, where is mom?"
"Tera family circus dekh kar baag gayi bhai. Lagtha hai kuch zyada hi emotional hai. She will call you later." Viren tells us smiling.
"Ok bhai, we will meet you here then. Have a save trip Bhabhi." We all wave good-bye together.
~~~
We are driving to school in Virat's car. Ria is super excited to go in and meet everyone. Nikki is sullen-faced, I try to cheer him up without any success.
"Are we there yet?" Ria asks Virat impatiently.
"In a minute Riaaa." Virat answers shaking his head. "Atleast pretend to be sad about leaving us kid. Look at your brother, he is so sad to leave us." Virat tells Ria.
"Nikki, cheer up baby. You know Ms.Daisy has a lot of games for you to play. You will love it." I stroke his hair and raise his head up. But, he looks back down again.
We arrive in front of the school.
"Let's go momma!!!!" Ria is pulling me to take her in.
"Wait a sec Ria. You both are going to stick together ok and if there is any problem, you will tell Ms. Daisy and she will call us." I instruct them.
"Nikki?" I call my unusually silent son. He is still on mute and looking down.
"I will get him, you guys go in." Virat tells me.
"But Virat.."
"Trust me."
"Okay.."
~~~
"Where is Nikki?" Ria asks me as we are walking in.
"He is coming in a minute with daddy bunny." I kneel in front of her. " Don't trouble anyone and you will be on your best behavior and no running around and getting hurt. OK?"
"Ok.." she answers too readily.
Promise?"
"Promise." She says relunctantly. I hug her and kiss her goodbye. "Love you baby.."
"Love you too mamma.." she kisses my cheek.
I turn around and see Virat and Nikki still in the car. He is talking to him about something and Nikki is laughing and they are throwing punches in the air towards each other and cracking up. I look at them curiously. Virat is pretending to have been hurt by Nikki's punch and Nikki beams excitedly and hugs him.
About five minutes later, Nikki is running towards us. "Lets gooo!" he shouts and holding each others hands, they both run inside excitedly.
"Nikki!!!!" I call him. But they are both inside already. Virat comes and stands beside me.
"What did you tell him?" I ask Virat.
"Guys stuff.." he winks.
"Virat?"
"Chalo, lets meet the teacher and leave, I have to go to work in a few minutes."
~~~
I am sitting at home worried and anxious. My mind is a crazy thing to be with after yesterday, especially when I am alone. I keep thinking about my dream and mom's dream and I am awefully scared - for Virat. I decide to call and check on him.
"Virat?"
"Manvi, is everything ok?"
"Yeah, I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"What's going on baby? This is the fifth time you are calling me in the last...2 hours."
"Can't a wife call her husband and talk to him when she wants?"
"Manvi, I am in a meeting."
"Oh, I am sorry jaan. I will let you get back to work."
"Alright, I will call you after my meeting okay?"
"Okay. Bye Virat. I love you."
I hear him smile into the phone. "I love you too darling, bye."
~~~
note: Since, so many of you missed Nikki and Ria, I wrote a full update on them. This part is not done, there is 19-ii. And omg! 115 likes on the last update!!!! I am soaring high in the sky!! wohooo! thanks so much, I am thrilled!!! Hope you like this one too. Luv ~Anu❤️
Edited by bluebolt - 12 years ago
Anupamaa
