"Mummeee," Raghav cried, holding on to the table for balance and standing up.
"I'm right here," Sanyukta said, sitting on the ground on her knees in front of the sofa. "Walk to me... come on baby."
Her arms were extended, and Raghav was only a few steps away. Raghav held on to the table and started to walk.
"Come on sweetheart. Come to mommy," Sanyukta urged.
Raghav let go of the table slowly and fell forward. Sanyukta reached out and caught him in her arms. She stroked his hair lovingly.
"It's okay. I'll be here to catch you if you fall," she told Raghav. "But my dear son, we have to learn how to walk."
Somya then came running down the stairs.
"I'm done!" she said victoriously and saw Raghav sitting on Sanyukta's lap. "Why does he look sad now?"
"I'm trying to teach him to walk," Sanyukta said, rubbing Raghav's back affectionately. "Come, we can both teach him."
Sanyukta then placed Raghav on his feet again. She stood up and held his hand. Raghav took one step forward and was about to lose balance, but held on to his mom's hand tightly.
"Raghuuu," Somya said, falling to the ground in front of him. "Want some?"
She held a piece of opened chocolate out in front of him. Raghav reached forward to grab the chocolate and let go of Sanyukta's hand. Somya moved back and Raghav stepped forward to get the chocolate.
"Wow!" Randhir said, appearing behind Somya. "It seems like Raghav wants that chocolate more than you."
"See, he walked!" Somya said victoriously, and then ate the chocolate.
Raghav grabbed Somya's mouth, trying to get the piece of chocolate.
"Ouch!" Somya screamed.
Randhir pulled Raghav off Somya and Raghav started to cry.
"Somya where did you get the chocolate?" Sanyukta asked her impatiently.
"It was in my room," Somya mumbled.
Sanyukta sighed.
"At least he took a step," Sanyukta said, taking Raghav from Randhir. "Thanks Somya."
"See, I deserved that chocolate," Somya huffed. "It was obvious, he would run after something tasty."
"I guess I wasn't motivation enough," she said, rubbing Raghav's back soothingly. "But bribing him with chocolate isn't nice... he's not allowed to have chocolate."
Raghav started to cry loudly as he heard this.
"Does he even understand?" Somya gasped.
"Maybe," Randhir said, "But thanks Somya, he took his first step because of you."
"I am brilliant," Somya said haughtily.
"Of course you are. After all, whose daughter are you?" Randhir asked with a smirk.
Sanyukta glared at Randhir.
"Don't forget I am equally good, if not better," she retorted.
"Oh yeah?" he asked her lightly. "I need you to show me proof. Come upstairs now and prove it to me."
Sanyukta blushed and looked down.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled, then she turned to leave the living room with Raghav. "I'm going to finish making food."
"Running away from the challenge?" he teased.
"I am not!" she replied, sounding flustered, "I'll show you later. I'm busy now."
Then she disappeared into the kitchen as Somya looked at her dad confused.
"How will she prove it?" Somya asked.
Randhir smiled and ruffled her hair.
"She already has proven it by stealing my heart," he responded to his daughter. Somya smiled up at her daddy.
"I'm the first girl though right?" Somya asked.
"Of course," Randhir said and pulled Somya to him, hugging her. "I love you."
"I love you too daddy!" Somya replied, hugging Randhir back happily.
307
Raghav finally started to walk in another week, and he was so excited about it, that he kept trying to run. They had to watch him carefully to make sure he didn't keep falling, because he was over enthusiastic.
Time flew by for the family. Randhir's business grew even bigger. Somya was starting to mature, and Raghav was growing.
Four years passed like this, where they were happy together. They had a few family arguments, but overall, they were a very happy family.
One day, a twelve year old Somya screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Mommy!" Somya screamed.
Randhir heard the scream first and ran to her room to check up on her.
"Somya what's wrong?" Randhir asked.
Somya came out of the bathroom, tears in her eyes. She hugged her father tightly.
"I - I need mommy!" Somya sobbed.
"Tell me what happened?" Randhir asked.
Sanyukta ran into the room, a five year old Raghav trailing behind her.
Somya shook her head, refusing to tell Randhir, and when she saw her mommy she burst out crying again.
"I only need mommy!" Somya cried.
"Randhir," Sanyukta warned, indicating him to leave the room.
Randhir picked up Raghav and started to leave Somya's room.
"What happened to Somya didi?" Raghav asked innocently. "Why is didi crying?"
"Nothing happened Raghav. She's okay," Randhir said, and left the room, closing Somya's door behind him.
Sanyukta looked at Somya and crossed her arms.
"Why are you yelling?" she asked her sternly.
"M - mommy," she cried, glancing at the bathroom.
Sanyukta's mouth fell open.
"You got your period?" Sanyukta gasped.
Somya nodded and threw her arms around her mom, hugging her tightly. Sanyukta hugged her daughter back and caressed her hair.
"Why are you crying?" she asked Somya.
"B - because I - I heard you stop growing when you get it," she sobbed. "I'm too short to stop growing!"
"That's not true. I grew the most after I got mine," Sanyukta told Somya softly. "You will still grow. Wait here. I'll bring you some pads and show you how to wear them."
Somya nodded, and as Sanyukta was walking out of the room, Somya gulped and said, "Mommy?"
"Yes sweetheart?" Sanyukta asked.
"Don't tell daddy," she demanded.
"Why?" Sanyukta asked. "It's okay to tell him."
"No! It's embarrassing," Somya replied. "He's a boy!"
"Okay, I won't," Sanyukta said with a smile. "I'll be back. Wait here for me."
Somya nodded slowly and Sanyukta went into her own bedroom to get a pack of pads.
"Where's Raghav?" Sanyukta asked Randhir.
"In his room playing with lego," Randhir responded. "What happened to Somya?"
Sanyukta looked at Randhir with a smile.
"Our daughter is growing up," she told her husband, a glint in her eyes.
"What?" he asked, sounding shocked, "Was she crying because she got -"
"Yes!" Sanyukta cut him off with excitement, confirming his suspicion. "But don't tell her I told you. She wants it to be a secret."
"But why?" Randhir asked, sounding confused.
"She says you're a boy so it's embarrassing," Sanyukta laughed, picking out a pack of pads from the bathroom.
"Did she forget that I was her mother for half her life?" Randhir asked.
"Jealous?" Sanyukta teased.
"Not at all," he said, then he smiled. "I'm happy she's growing up... but we have to talk to her now, to tell her she has to stay away from boys."
"You stay far away from that talk," Sanyukta warned. "I'll give her that talk. You'll embarrass her more."
Randhir smiled as Sanyukta left the room. He fell on top of the bed and sat there in deep shock. Time seriously flew by quickly. It felt like just yesterday that Somya was a newborn baby, who he was holding in his arms for the first time... and now she was here all grown up.
308
Later on that day, Somya was complaining about pain in her stomach to her mom in her room. Sanyukta was patiently explaining to her about cramps and moodswings.
"It shouldn't be so bad right now. It'll get worse later. Does it really hurt that much?" Sanyukta asked her daughter.
On her bed, Somya was lying on Sanyukta's lap.
"A little," Somya said.
"Somya, there's one thing that I have to say to you now. You got your period, so it is important to stay away from boys," Sanyukta told Somya. "I mean, it's okay to be their friend, but you shouldn't get too close... because once you get your period, it means you're mature enough to have children and get pregnant."
"Ew mommy, gross!" Somya said, and got off her mom's lap.
"I know it sounds gross, but I'm giving you some information," Sanyukta told Somya softly. "You have to keep a little distance."
"Mommy I don't even want to go near boys!" Somya said loudly. "They're all annoying!"
Sanyukta smiled at her daughter.
"There may be a time you want to go a little close, that time you have to remember this," Sanyukta said.
"Please mommy, stop," Somya begged. "This is so weird!"
"Okay, I'll stop," Sanyukta said and then touched her daughter's cheek. "You go to sleep and put the old bedsheet I gave you earlier on the bed so in case you leak, it won't leak on the bed."
Somya nodded.
"Good night," she said, still disturbed by what her mother just brought up.
"Good night sweetheart," Sanyukta said and kissed Somya's forehead.
Sanyukta then left the room and entered Raghav's room quietly to check up on him. Raghav was already fast asleep.
She smiled and closed his bedroom door.
As soon as she entered her own room, she felt Randhir's strong arms grab her and push her against the wall. Then before she could even think about what was happening, his lips were on hers.
Sanyukta kissed him back passionately, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He pressed his body against hers and she could feel how much he wanted her right now.
Finally, after he broke the kiss, he locked the door and placed his hands on her cheeks.
"What was that?" she asked him breathlessly.
"I don't know," he said. "I just want you."
Sanyukta blushed. This never got old.
"I wanted to discuss something with you actually," she whispered to him.
"Now?" he asked.
"Yeah, Somya getting her period reminded me that mine is late," she responded quietly.
"What?" he gasped.
"What if I'm pregnant?" Sanyukta asked, still breathless from the earlier kiss.
Randhir looked at her, his eyes wide, like he didn't know how to react.
309
It was like a shock hit him when she said that she could be pregnant. They were both thirty five years old, and they had two kids already... they would never plan to have another child, yet if if they were destined to give another child a life, then so it would be.
"It's okay," he told her softly, caressing her cheeks.
"I don't know if it's the right time to have a child. Somya is already twelve... it'd be weird for her, wouldn't it?" Sanyukta asked him.
"Your period might just be late," he murmured. "I don't think you're pregnant. This has happened before."
Sanyukta nodded and smiled at him before leaning towards him and kissing him on the lips gently. He held her waist gently and pressed himself against her as he deepened the kiss, taking her breath away.
As they made love that night, it was like all the other times they made love... beautiful and filled with passion. Even after all these years, how they continued to lose themselves in each other, still fascinated them.
The next day, Sanyukta was getting Raghav ready for school.
She was packing his bag when he asked her a question.
"Mommy why didn't Somya didi talk to me yesterday?" he asked Sanyukta innocently.
"She was just spending some time alone. But before you go to school today, give your Somya didi a kissy," Sanyukta told her son with a smile.
As soon as she took Raghav downstairs for breakfast, she saw that Somya was already sitting down and Randhir was serving her orange juice.
"I have to go to school? I don't feel good," Somya grumbled.
"That's not an excuse to not go to school," Sanyukta warned.
"What isn't?" Raghav asked innocently.
"N - nothing," Somya said, turning red.
"It'll be okay Somya," Randhir said, squeezing his daughter's shoulder reassuringly. "It'll be over in a few days."
"What will? What do you know daddy?" Somya asked, her eyes wide.
Sanyukta nearly slapped her forehead out of frustration. Why didn't Randhir think before he spoke?
Randhir looked at her apologetically, but she just glared at him angrily.
"Mommy you told daddy?" Somya asked.
When Sanyukta ignored her question, the twelve year old stood up angrily, tears filling her eyes.
"How could you?" she screamed. "You don't care about me!"
Somya ran up the stairs into her room and Sanyukta continued to glare at Randhir for not keeping his mouth shut earlier.
This wife and her husband were about to get into a big fight today.
310
Randhir gulped as Sanyukta's angry glare pierced through him. Those words had accidentally just slipped out - he was so normal around his daughter that he completely forgot that there was something he shouldn't say.
Now, he would have to face Sanyukta's wrath.
"Why is Somya didi not eating?" Raghav asked his parents. "And mommy why are you looking at daddy like that?"
Sanyukta shook herself out of her anger and stroked her son's hair.
"You eat your food. I'll just be back," Sanyukta told Raghav.
Raghav nodded. Randhir went to sit beside Raghav as Sanyukta gave him one last angry look before running up the stairs to Somya.
She entered the room and saw Somya lying on her stomach on the bed, her face in her pillow. Sanyukta sat next to her and stroked her hair softly.
"Leave me alone!" Somya said, her words muffling into her pillow.
"You have to go to school. You can't run up to your room and cry everytime you don't get your way," Sanyukta said. "You'll be late. Come down and eat."
"No!" Somya refused. "It isn't like you care about me anyways!"
"I do care about you," Sanyukta told her daughter softly.
Somya turned around on the bed and sat up, her eyes swollen from crying.
"You don't! If you did, you wouldn't have told daddy!" Somya accused.
"I'm sorry," Sanyukta apologized. "But you know Somya, I can't hide anything from your daddy."
"So you don't care about me, see," Somya pointed out.
"I do," Sanyukta stated firmly. "But even so, there is nothing to hide. I know you feel embarrassed, but there is no reason to be. He's your dad!"
"Just leave me alone!" Somya argued.
"Get up," Sanyukta said firmly, standing up and grabbing Somya's arm. "You have to go to school soon."
"Stop trying to control me!" Somya screamed.
Sanyukta looked at her daughter angrily when she spoke to her in that tone.
"Is that how you speak to your mom?" Sanyukta yelled back. "Is this how I raised you?"
Randhir, who was downstairs, feeding Raghav, heard the screams from upstairs and he sighed.
"I'll be back Raghav. You keep eating," Randhir told his son.
"Somya didi always screams," Raghav pointed out. "But I'll be a good boy and eat!"
Randhir smiled, patted his son on the head, and then rushed upstairs to the room.
Somya was standing on her feet, facing her mom. Both of them looked livid.
"If you are my mom, then you should care about me!" Somya screamed. "You act like a step mom! Am I even your daughter?"
Randhir stepped between mother and daughter and looked from his wife to his daughter. Both of them glared at him angrily.
"Sanyukta, let me speak to her," Randhir said.
"You've done enough speaking!" Sanyukta snapped. "She's getting out of control now. This is not a way to speak with parents!"
"I know... but you should know too, she's having moodswings," Randhir told Sanyukta.
"As if you know more than me about it!" Sanyukta retorted.
"Sanyukta, go out," Randhir told her coldly.
"You're telling me to leave?" Sanyukta asked him angrily. "You are seriously telling me to leave?"
"I'm telling you to let me speak to my daughter!" Randhir said, raising his voice.
"Your daughter? She's my daughter too!" Sanyukta argued. "And this is all your doing! She's this way because you pamper her too much!"
Somya looked from her mom to her dad fearfully as she witnessed their argument.
"I - I will go down," she mumbled.
Randhir and Sanyukta both stopped glaring at each other and turned to face Somya.
"Really?" Randhir asked her.
Somya nodded.
"Y - yes," she agreed.
Randhir wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulders.
"Good," Randhir said.
Sanyukta inhaled sharply before walking out of the room, angry at both her husband and her daughter right now.
"Don't fight please," Somya said. "I don't like it when you and mommy fight."
"We don't like it when you fight with us either," Randhir told her softly. "And Somya, what's wrong if your mom told me about it? It's okay. It's normal. It's not something to be ashamed about."
Somya turned around to face her father.
"It's awkward," she mumbled.
"You know I raised you until you were six," he told his daughter softly. "I was both your mom and your dad... you yourself called me your mom. So you shouldn't feel awkward with me."
"I know... I just do because - because you're a boy," Somya admitted.
"You have to see past that," Randhir instructed. "You can't limit me to a gender... otherwise that's all you'll ever see. Anyways, don't worry about it and come down."
Somya nodded and followed her father down. As soon as they got down, they noticed that Sanyukta was sitting next to Raghav, feeding him.
Randhir and Somya sat across from them and Somya started to eat her breakfast.
Sanyukta was filling Raghav's glass with juice, when Randhir coughed.
"Can I get some?" he asked her.
Sanyukta pressed her lips together and placed the jug of juice on top of the table.
So she didn't want to serve him. Fine. Randhir took the jug of juice and filled his own glass.
Sanyukta and Randhir continued to ignore each other until it was time for the kids to go to school. Randhir was at the doorway, taking both Raghav and Somya with him.
Sanyukta fixed Raghav's shirt.
"Be a good boy and answer all of your teacher's questions," she told her son. "I know my son is very smart, but your teacher has to know too."
"Teacher's pet," Somya muttered under her breath.
"What's a teacher's pet?" Raghav asked innocently.
"It's something you should be," Sanyukta said firmly.
"It's when you make the teacher love you and get on their good side, but everyone else hates you," Somya pointed out.
"Somya!" Sanyukta said sternly. "Stop spoiling your brother!"
"What? I'm just being honest," Somya said with a shrug.
"Raghav, it's nothing like that. You be a good boy and listen to your teacher," Sanyukta said and kissed Raghav's cheek.
Randhir was just standing there by the door, ignoring his wife. Sanyukta then walked to Somya and caressed her cheek.
"Don't get angry at small things," she told her daughter. "At school, don't cause trouble. Study hard."
Somya looked away.
"Whatever," she mumbled.
Sanyukta kissed her daughter on the cheek as well.
"Let's go," Randhir said coldly to his two children.
"Why aren't you saying bye to daddy?" Raghav asked his mom innocently. "You always say bye to daddy too. And sometimes you kiss his cheek too!"
"They're in a fight," Somya pointed out.
"Fight?" Raghav asked, sounding sad. "Why?"
"Somya stop it," Sanyukta said sternly. "Raghav, it's nothing like that."
"Then say bye to daddy," Raghav said.
Sanyukta looked up at Randhir and coldly said, "Bye."
"Bye," he answered back, just as coldly.
"That's not how you normally do it! You fix daddy's tie too!" Somya interfered, now smirking. "Right Raghu?"
"Right!" Raghav said, sounding excited.
Sanyukta didn't know why her two children were teaming up to get her closer to Randhir, but she smiled softly. At least they were working together.
She walked up to Randhir and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Have a good day," she told him softly, bring her hands to his tie, which was already nicely tied around his neck.
"I will," Randhir told her, looking away.
"Daddy, give mommy a goodbye kiss!" Somya said.
"Yeah!" Raghav agreed.
Randhir turned to glare at Somya. His daughter knew exactly about the tension that was between him and his wife right now. Sanyukta looked down at the ground.
Randhir sighed and tucked some of Sanyukta's hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing over her cheek, causing her to tremble.
He kissed her on the cheek softly.
"Bye," he told her quietly. "Come on kids, we're getting late."
"Bye mommy!" Somya said with a smirk and held her little brother's hand.
"Bye mommy!" Raghav repeated, before following Somya.
Sanyukta waved at them as they left and she smiled softly. Then she frowned again. Right now, his kids saved him, but when Randhir came home from work, she was going to go back to giving him the silent treatment.
311
That evening, Sanyukta was in Somya's room, massaging her hair with oil.
"There's a boy mommy, who is so irritating! He likes to irritate everyone in our class! His name is Darsheel but I like to call him Dumbo!" Somya said. "He got in trouble with the teacher so many times because he talks so much in class... but he never learns! I don't like him! Even Tanya says he's annoying."
Sanyukta smiled, as she gently rubbed her daughter's scalp. Tanya was Somya's best friend in school.
"Were there any irritating boys when you were in school?" Somya asked.
Sanyukta smiled even more widely.
"There were many," Sanyukta answered, "But I met the most irritating one in college."
"Most irritating?" Somya gasped. "Who?"
"Your daddy," Sanyukta said lightly.
"My daddy?" Somya said, her eyes wide.
"Your daddy irritated me non-stop," Sanyukta giggled.
"Doesn't he still?" Somya pointed out.
"Yes, but after you fall in love, even if they irritate you, it doesn't seem too bad," Sanyukta confessed. "In fact, everything is beautiful when you fall in love."
Somya scrunched her nose.
"Love," Somya said, rolling her eyes. "It's so weird."
"I love you and you love me," Sanyukta said. "Isn't that love? What's weird about it?"
"But that's different! You're my mom, of course I love you! And it's your job to love me! How do you fall in love with a stranger?" Somya asked.
"It just happens... and you don't even know until it's too late," Sanyukta laughed. "When you first met me, I was a stranger to you too Somya... but remember how you accepted me as your mother?"
Somya pressed her lips together and nodded.
"I guess I kind of understand," she agreed. "Is daddy sleeping?"
Sanyukta finished massaging Somya's hair with oil.
"Probably. He looked very tired after work today," Sanyukta replied.
"You weren't even talking to him!" Somya gasped.
"That's love," Sanyukta said with a smile. "When you know what's happening to them yet you don't have to exchange words... when you can feel what they feel, when you know..."
"Okay, I get it!" Somya interrupted. "Can I sleep now?"
"Okay. I love you sweetheart. Get some rest," Sanyukta told her daughter lovingly.
She picked up the bowl that previously held the oil and kissed her daughter's forehead.
"Good night mommy!" Somya said happily. "I love you too."
Still smiling, Sanyukta left the room and entered her own, her hands oily.
Randhir was lying in bed, but she knew he wasn't asleep. Sanyukta ignored him and went to the bathroom to wash her hands. She got ready for bed and got in the covers next to her husband.
She relaxed against the pillow and closed her eyes, about to fall asleep when he finally spoke.
"Want to watch a movie tomorrow?" he asked her.
She opened her eyes and turned to look at him. His eyes were open too.
"Which one?" she asked him softly.
"What do you want to watch?" he replied.
"Will you watch it if I tell you?" she asked.
"Tell me first," he pressed on.
"Okay, I want to watch something romantic," Sanyukta told him.
"Sure," Randhir told her then held his hand out and touched hers softly. "I don't like arguing with you."
"Me neither," she whispered. "But you should have been careful with what you were saying."
"I know," he admitted. "I'm sorry... but you did overreact."
"I know," she confessed. "I'm sorry."
Randhir then held his arm out and Sanyukta snuggled in, resting her head on his chest. He kissed her forehead lovingly.
"I love you," she said to him.
"I love you too," he whispered.
Sanyukta lifted her head from his chest and placed her lips over his softly.
"Good night," she whispered against his lips.
He deepened the kiss for a few seconds, before pulling away.
"Good night," he replied.
Sanyukta snuggled into his chest again and closed her eyes with a smile.
Their fights hardly ever lasted long.
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