You'll never look back in life and say,
"I spent too much time with my grandparents!"....

That night, Anirudh had left for Siliguri. He had been so proud of his Bondita and was all praises for her. She too was really happy and had been re-reading the letter.

Rudhi was happily crawling around the house as Baba was chasing her, running behind her slowly. Bondita and her mother were laughing happily as the whole scenario was just perfect to be captured in the heart forever.

"I'm sure she's gonna miss you both once we return back." Bondita said, her eyes fixated at Rudhi.

"We will miss her so much more!" Maa replied, feeling even more sad.

Bondita had no reply to this. She too was sad and wanted Rudhi to spend more time with her Nana Nani.

Why can't children just have enough of both their grandparents together?

"Roshu!" Baba suddenly walked to them with Rudhi in his arms.
"Give me Bulbul's clothes, I'll dress her. She's going out with her Nanu!" He kissed Rudhi's cheek and the baby laughed happily, sticking her pink tongue out.

"Okay Baba!" Bondita replied and walked to her room.

As she returned with Rudhi's clothes, she sat on the sofa.

"Baba give her to me, I'll dress her!" She suggested.

"No!" Baba instantly denied, sitting on the sofa beside her.
"Only I will!"

He was so bossy about Rudhi these days!

Bondita sighed and handed him Rudhi's clothes.

"After you come back..." Maa said to Baba.
"Bulbul is just going to play with me! I hope that's fine!"

Baba just nodded, rolling his eyes, not wanting to fight her. But he no where wanted to give Rudhi to anyone else.

"You both!" Bondita sighed, shaking her head at her parents.

....

Baba and Rudhi were soon on the streets, talking in some undeciphered blabbering.

"Naa... Nuuu!!" Rudhi called him, patting his shoulder.
"Chiyaaa!!" She pointed towards the road, where a few birds were picking up grains.

"Yeah!! Chiyaa!" Baba laughed as she clapped her hands happily.

"Taannaaa!!!" She again pointed to a Taanga this time.

Baba kept on telling her names of every thing they crossed.

"Bhow!! bhow!!" She suddenly widened her eyes fearfully as she saw a black dog barking around at a few people.

"Yeah! That's a Bhow Bhow!!" Baba said staring at the dog.
"A bad one!" He chuckled at Rudhi, brushing her hair softly.

His arms were aching, as he had been carrying her for a long time. But that pain, that ache was what he wanted to last forever. He just wanted his Bulbul closest to his heart, forever.

Rudhi was busy playing with his wrist watch as he walked her to the temple.
It was a huge temple, he used to visit regularly. Everyone knew him, he was obviously quite famous.

"Nomoskaar Das Babu!" A friend greeted him, as he was walking up the temple stairs.
"Is she Bondita Bitiya's daughter?" He asked, walking closer to them and smiling at the little girl.

"Yeah! She is my granddaughter!" Baba told proudly.

"Bulbul, Jay Jay!" He told her with a smile.

The baby instantly joined her hands together and the man just looked in amazement.

"She is so smart!" He exclaimed, squeezing her cheeks lovingly.

Baba frowned at this, not liking anyone touching his Bulbul. He just smiled at his friend and wishing him a goodbye, walked away.

"Why did he squeeze my Bulbul's cheeks like that?" He frowned at Rudhi as she looked at her Nanu with wide eyes.
"You might have gotten hurt na, Babu?!" He kissed her cheeks lovingly.

They reached inside the temple and he just rang the huge bell, making Rudhi look up with amazed wide eyes.

She raised her hands, trying to touch the huge bell, but she was so tiny.

Looking down at her Nanu, she made the most innocent tensed face and he just laughed, raising her in his arms.
She could now reach the Bell, but still it wasn't easy to ring it. It was difficult for her to push it, so her grandfather just pushed her hand onto it, making the bell ring softly.

"Naa.. Nnaa... Nuu!" Rudhi squeaked happily, clapping her hands.

She was looking the cutest, everyone's eyes were fixed onto to the little chirpy girl who was so happily playing with her Nanaji.

After they had offered the prayers, Baba walked out of the temple. While returning Baba bought a loaf of bread from the bakery. As they walked back the same street, they came across the black dog again.

"Bhow! Bhoww!!" Rudhi got scared this time and  hugged her Nanu tightly.

He just laughed and walked closer to the angry dog. He wasn't barking, but stull looked angry.

Baba stood in front of the dog and taking a small piece of the bread, threw it near the dog. He looked up at the old man for a moment, before eating the bread silently.

"Bulbul see!" Baba called her, as she turned to look at him.
"He is a good Bhow- Bhow now!" He laughed.

He handed Rudhi a small of bread and the baby dropped it near the dog. As it was eating it happily, Rudhi wasn't scared anymore.

"Now we're friends right?" Baba gently touched the dog's head as it wagged its tail happily.

"Bhow Bhow!" Rudhi laughed and clapped her hands happily.

Baba just smiled and walked away with her, kissing her cheek lovingly.

"Taataah!! Bhow Bhow!" Rudhi waved at the dog as her Nanu walked away with her.

......

Back at home, after dinner, Bondita was humming a song while helping her Maa in cleaning the dining table.

Rudhi was sitting on her Nanu's lap, as he was busy in checking some files. They both were seated on the sofa and Rudhi was noticing her mother all the time.

Her Maa was just walking in and out of the kitchen, taking things with her..... And those things would just disappear when she returned back!!

Rudhi was still more focused on the tune her Maa was humming. The little girl had been sitting quietly for a long time now, and she wanted to sing like her Maa.

She also started to imitate her Maa.

"Aaa.... Aaa... Aamm...." She cooed, trying to catch the tune like her Maa, but that was so tough!!

Baba looked down at her, removing his specs and  keeping them aside. He was so amazed by his granddaughter.

"Bonduuu!!" He called happily.
"See! Bulbul is singing too!" He said, raising the baby in his arms, making her stand on his lap.

"Really?!" Bondita walked to them excitedly.
"Puchki sing for me too!" She giggled.

"Arey! Not like that!" Baba smiled with a  frown.
"What were you singing? Just sing it again."

Bondita giggled and started to sing the song for Rudhi, more clearly now. Rudhi again looked at her Maa as her Nanu also started to sing the song.

Rudhi clapped her hands happily, sticking out her pink little tongue and joined the two.

"Aaa... Aa.. Aaaaa!!" She cooed.

"Areyyy!! Myy Babyyy!" Bondita hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek.

"Huhhh! She's my Baby!" Baba shrugged proudly.
"She learnt to sing because she was sitting in her Nana's lap!" He said, with so much proud and arrogance that Bondita couldn't helo but giggle.

"Yeah! Ofcourse!" Bondita laughed.
"Afterall I've got this talent from you only!" She smiled.

"Arey! I'll teach her everything now" Baba announced proudly.
"You see! She's my Nightingale! That's why I named her Bulbul!!" He kissed Rudhi's cheek.

Bondita was so happy to see both of them like this. She just just smiled and went away to tell this to her Maa.

Baba sat there, singing songs for Rudhi and finishing off his work. Soon he got up and cradled a sleepy Rudhi in his arms, as the baby fell asleep instantly.

Baba had thought that it would be tough for the little girl to sleep without her parents, but Rudhi seemed to be more happy with her Grandfather.

....

The next Morning, after Maa dressed Rudhi, she fed her with her own hands. Finally her Nanaji had left the baby for some time and she could play with her Nanima too.

Bondita had just forgotten about getting to be with her daughter now. There wasn't any point of waiting, afterall. She had gone to visit a couple of her childhood friends. Now that she was here for a week, she could catch up with them again.

As Bondita returned in the evening, she found Rudhi playing with both her grandparents happily.

"This girl has definitely not missed me!" She muttered under her breath with a chuckle.

She also went and joined the three of them.  Rudhi was crawling around the house and picking up random things to bring back to her Nana Nani, just to see their reactions.

She had gotten almost everything in her range to the hall now.

"Baba! Won't you scold her for messing up the whole house?!" Bondita raised her eyebrows at her father.
"When I used to keep my room messy, you would always scold me!" She rested her hands on her waist angrily.

"She's my little princess! I love her more than you, Roshu!" Baba laughed, kissing Rudhi's head.

"Go I won't talk!" Bondita puffed her mouth, crossing her arms against her chest.

Baba laughed and cupped her face, kissing her cheek too.

"My Roshu!" He laughed and she just smiled.
"You're still my princess, okay?!" He kissed her forehead, hugging her tightly.

.....

In the evening, Anirudh had called on the house telephone. Bab talked to him for a while, before handing the receiver to Bondita.

"I'll bring Bulbul too!" He said and went to his own room to bring down Rudhi.

"Hello! Bondita!" Anirudh spoke softly.

"How're you, Pati Babu?" She asked.

"I'm absolutely fine. Tell me how're you and Mishti? Is she missing me too much? Was she able to adjust in the new surroundings? Does she cry at night? Is she being able to sleep without me?" He asked all of it in a single go, not letting Bondita speak.

She just shook her head and waited for him to finish. After he was finally done, she sighed and giggled.

"Are you done?" She giggled.
"Shall I speak now?"

"Sure!" He chuckled, embarrassed.

"Puchki is soo happy here, that I can't even tell you! She has even forgotten about me!" Bondita laughed.
"She doesn't cry much too. And yeah, she obviously misses you, but not too much. She's so happy with Baba and is all the time busy playing around and going out for walks."

"Oh!... Um... That's great!" Anirudh said.

"Okay! I know you're sad that she didn't miss you!" Bondita laughed, she knew him so well.
"But don't worry, she isn't gonna forget her Baba!"

Baba came down with Rudhi and walked to Bondita.

"Here, talk to your princess!" Bondita said, keeping the receiver on Rudhi's ear.

"Haa... Llo!" She spoke, she had always seen everyone talk like that with this device.

"Mishtiii!" Anirudh called her lovingly as the baby's eyes glowed up listening to her Baba's voice.

"Baabaa!!" Rudhi shouted, happily.

She could hear him, but he wasn't visible to her. This was sooo fascinating for the baby! But she wanted to hug him too.

"Mishti, Baba is missing you!" Anirudh said, feeling his eyes tear up.

"Baabbaa!" Rudhi squeaked, calling him.

Bondita laughed and took back the receiver.

"Enough Puchki! Your Baba will end up crying!" She giggled, keeping the receiver on her own ear.

"Tell her I love her soo muchh!" Anirudh cried happily.

"She Loves you too!" Bondita smiled.

"And you?" He finally teased her.

"Hmm... Good question!" Bondita pressed a smile on her lips.
"I'll need to think about that!" She giggled.

"You're so bad!" Anirudh laughed.
"Okay! Good Night!"

"Good Night, Pati Babu!" She smiled and kept down the receiver.

.....

That's all for this part!❤️ Hope you like this!❤️

Please don't forget to comment and  vote!😂🙈❤️

Love, Author!❤️

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