AsYa OS: His Little Bundle Of Sunshine

AsYa OS: His Little Bundle of Sunshine

Asad sat on the bench at the garden, close to tears, staring blankly at the garden stretching in front of him. Sighing heavily, he slumped forwards holding his head in his hands. He wondered vaguely why he couldn't sleep on this particular night every freaking year.

Today was the day that Mr. Rashid Ahmed Khan left him and his family, 25 years ago. He still vividly remembered that night... the night he left them and took Ayaan with him. It was the first night that he had spent in his bed without sleeping a wink all night long. He could hear his mother's muffled sobs and Najma's occasional cries. But most of all, he remembered the suffocating feeling of helplessness that overwhelmed him.

He had a come a long way since then. Now he was the owner of one of India's biggest construction company, had more money than he could ever spend, had a wonderful loving wife and two absolutely amazing kids.

But still every year on this date, that night haunted him.

He had spent the entire day with his little bundles of joy, Ahsan and Zoha. They had kept the pain away. Their shrieks of delight, crazy running around, laughing and throwing things had kept his sorrow in check. He could never be sad in the company of his little angels.

And then came the insecurity of not being a good father himself.

And without warning, unexpected, convulsive sobs overtook him and he sat there with silent tears streaming down his face, his head in his hands, the deep insecurity of turning out a failure like his father, overpowering him.

Just then, he felt a small pair of arms go around his middle and a little face peered up at him. He looked down at his daughter's sympathetic face and quickly wiped his tears, embarrassed to be seen crying by her.

"Zoha, I didn't know you were awake. I'm sorry, sweetie! Abbu's just a little sad tonight." He explained, trying to compose himself.

She quietly crept into his lap with her teddy clenched tightly under one arm and then looked at him with her huge brown eyes, "Its okay, Abbu! It's okay to cry. I cry sometimes too."

He looked at his beautiful angel before hugging her tightly, suddenly smiling through his tears. His daughter was giving him the permission to cry. Telling him that he didn't always need to be strong, he could cry sometimes too.

"Abbu?" she asked and he pulled apart to look at her, not feeling lonely anymore.

"Yes baby?" He asked, moving her hair out of her eyes.

"Why are you sad?" She asked, tilting her head innocently.

"Hmmm?" He asked absent-mindedly, trying to think of an excuse but couldn't come up with anything suitable for a 4 year old.

"Abbu, you didn't fight with your best friend, did you?" She asked wide-eyed.

Asad gave a slight chuckle, "No, I didn't." Zoha had just grasped the concept of best friends and she sometimes liked to call her Ammi as her Abbu's best friend.

"Then why are you sad?" She asked a bit impatiently. "I always tell you when I'm sad, Abbu. Now it's your turn."

Massaging his head, he decided to go with the truth. There was no harm because Zoha was too small to understand much.

"Abbu's sad, Princess, because sometimes... Abbu gets scared that he's not going to be a good father." He spoke slowly.

"But you are the best Abbu in the world!" Zoha replied without a second's hesitation, looking confused.

Asad laughed lightly despite himself. His daughter almost told him this every day especially when he gave in to her demands.

"Really?" He asked.

"Uh huh," She bobbed her head in affirmation.

He went quiet, smiling slightly as he ran his hand through his daughter's shoulder-length straight hair.

"But Abbu, who told you, you weren't a good Abbu?" She asked.

"No one did."

"Then why are you thinking you're not a good Abbu?" She inquired. Asad smiled at his little girl's inquisitive nature. She was so like Zoya.

"You see baby... my Abbu left me when I was a little boy... I sometimes get very worried that I'll somehow do the same... or not be a good father." He didn't even know why he was telling this to his 4-year-old. But it felt good talking his heart out right now.

"Oh you can never leave me Abbu." Zoha said with a confident shrug, rising Asad's curiosity.

"And why is that so?"

"How will you cross roads then?"

"Huh?" He let out, completely at a loss.

"You always hold my finger when you cross any road, right? Bhaiya told me it's because you're scared of crossing roads by yourself." She explained simply. "If you leave me, how will you cross roads all by yourself? There are so many outside our house."

He couldn't help the chuckle that left his lips as he kissed her on her cheek fervently.

"Abbu!" She wriggled in her arms. "Your chin tickles." She said, giggling.

"Should I shave it?" He asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"No," she said shaking her head and running her small fingers over his jaw. "I like it!"

"Ok Ma'am!" He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. Just then, there was a flash of lightening and Asad quickly gathered Zoha close to him. She was terrified of thunderstorms but to his immense surprise, Zoha wriggled free and beamed towards the sky.

"Abbu, I'm not scared of lightening anymore."

"Really? I always knew my Zoha was a really brave little girl."

"You know, Ayaan Chacho told me that it's just angels taking our photo and that's why there's the flash in the sky. So whenever there's a flash, that's actually your cue to look up and smile so, your photo comes out pretty." She explained smiling cheekily.

Asad smiled and made a mental note to thank Ayaan. This was the first time he had told the kids something smart. Otherwise he was always telling the kids all sorts of ridiculous scary stories that made Asad and Zoya's life difficult. Like these days, Ahsan and Zoha refused to enter Ayaan's room before checking for some sort of a monster underneath his bed first.

"Now do you want to go to sleep?" He asked, picking her up in his arms as he got up himself.

"Nope," She shook her head vehemently, her open hair flying all over her face.

"Why not, Zoha?"

She beckoned him to bring his ear towards her and he did, even though there was no one around. He always liked to act along with her.

"First you have to promise that whatever I ask for; you'll give it to me." She laid down her condition.

"Okay," He laughed. He always gave her what she wanted anyway.

"Promise?" She asked, giving a quick peck on his cheek.

"Promise," He replied, kissing her in return. This was the way they always sealed their promises.

She leaned towards his ears secretively and suddenly yelled loudly, "I want Ice cream!!"

He shielded his ear with his hand and she laughed. "You want Ice cream? Right now?"

"Yes!"

"Umm okay then... let's go to the kitchen and get you some Ice cream. But you'll have to brush your teeth afterwards too."

Zoha just nodded excitedly and squealed, "Piggyback, Abbu!!"

He laughed as he crouched down and Zoha quickly scrambled on his back, winding her arms tightly around his neck in a choking grip.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Let's go!!" She yelled and he began jogging slowly to the kitchen with Zoha bouncing on his shoulders. He smiled blissfully, relishing his daughter's high-pitched sound of laugher. He could never get enough of it. And every time he listened to it, he found himself laughing along. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

On reaching the kitchen, he lowered Zoha to the ground, before making her sit on the counter, getting the ice cream out from the refrigerator and scooping some in a bowl.

"Abbu, you're going to eat with Zoha too."

He smiled. "But Abbu has already brushed his teeth."

"Please Abbu, please?" She made Zoya's famous puppy-dog face and Asad chuckled as he nodded.

He handed her the bowl and stood next to her as she hurriedly scooped a spoon full and plopped in her mouth, smiling widely.

"Abbu, sit here next to me." She patted the space on the counter next to her.

Asad laughed loudly, eyeing to the cabinet above the counter, "Baby I don't think I can fit in there."

"Abbu, please! Sit next to Zoha otherwise your Princess won't eat her Ice cream." She threatened.

"All right." He pulled himself on the counter, his head bent down in the small space, his legs dangling. Suddenly he felt like a kid himself.

"This is sooo much fun, Abbu!!" She giggled seeing her Abbu squished in the small space next to her, unable to raise his head. She offered him a spoonful of Strawberry Ice cream and he promptly opened his mouth to take it.

***

Zoya stretched in her sleep and blindly patted the space next to her. On finding it empty she opened her eyes and looked around confusedly before remembering that Asad had fallen asleep with the kids. Swinging her legs off the bed and into her slippers, she made her way to their kid's bedroom.

She was a bit surprised to find only Ahsan in bed and the other two missing. She pulled his covers over him properly and kissed his forehead before going in search for other two.

Low giggling sounds and the light shining through the kitchen door grabbed her attention and she made her way towards it, only to be greeted with a wonderful sight that made her eyes moist and her heart swell.

Asad and Zoha were perched on the kitchen counter eating Ice cream together. Asad was hunched over in the small space and Zoha was feeding him and herself alternatively while talking about the cartoon film they had watched together in the afternoon. Zoya felt her heart melting on seeing the lovely sight they created. She kept watching them quietly, her eyes brimming with unshed tears of pure happiness.

Suddenly she had an idea. Hurrying back she quickly got her camera and quietly clicked their picture, keeping the flash off. If this wasn't a picture moment, she didn't know what was. Asad Ahmed Khan was huddled on a kitchen counter with his long legs dangling like a child, being spoon-fed by his daughter. It surprised Zoya how much Asad fulfilled his children's whims. The man who refused to bow down in front of anybody, always bowed down in front of his kids' demands.

Gently wiping a tear that had slipped down her cheek, she made her way back to the bedroom. There was something about the moment that told her not to go and disturb them. Slipping back under the covers in her room, Zoya thanked the Almighty for the wonderful family that He had blessed her with.

***

Finally done with eating, Asad jumped down from the counter and helped Zoha down.

"Shall we go and brush her teeth now?" He asked her.

She nodded happily and he took her in his arms after tossing her in the air, just to hear her musical giggling sound and then marched to her room.

"Did you like the Ice cream, Abbu?" She inquired.

"It was the best in the world," He replied simply.

"Really? But it tasted like it did in the afternoon to me." She said with a confused look.

"I loved it the best because my princess fed me with her own special hands."

"Really? My hands are special? Wow!" She looked at her small hands in awe.

He simply laughed as he walked into the kid's bathroom and put some toothpaste on her brush and helped her brush her teeth. The problem came when Zoha had to rinse her mouth and Asad ended up getting his clothes all wet as he was carrying her in his arms. He marveled at Zoya's ability to do this everyday.

As he lowered Zoha on her bed, she asked tilting her head, "Abbu, can I sleep with you tonight? I really really want to," She asked and he kissed her quickly saying "Sure Sweetie. Any time you want."

He took her to his room and made her lay in the middle next to Zoya and quickly went to change and brush.

He came out to find Zoha kissing a sleeping Zoya on her cheek and his heart swelled at the sight. His family was just perfect. He climbed in the bed next to her, trying not to wake Zoya up who looked like she was sleeping soundly.

"Abbu, my special pillow?" Zoha asked, smiling at him and he stretched his arm and she laid her head on top of it, her face towards him and her little arm over his chest. Her favorite position.

"Abbu?" Came the low whisper in the dark.

"Yes baby?"

"You're the Best Abbu in the whole wide world."

"And you're the Best daughter in the whole wide world." He answered, kissing her forehead and she cuddled more into him.

Asad smiled as he closed his eyes, his earlier anxiety and insecurity long forgotten now. He could never thank God enough for blessing him with this little bundle of sunshine that could light even the darkest of his nights. And for the first time in 25 years on this date, Asad slept peacefully.

THE END