Part 41 Why?

Arnav came from the office. He saw Abhi doing his homework. Khushi was helping him to finish his work. He smiled at them and received nice smiles from them in return.

"Coffee?" Khushi asked.

"Not, now, Khushi. Let me get fresh" he went to the bedroom while loosening the tie.

He so wanted to know about the conversation that happened between the mother and the son about SISTER. He could not sit with Abhi and talk about it without taking bath as he felt dirty. Taking a few minutes, he took bath. Wearing his casuals, he came to the living room. He sat next to Abhi and gave a look at his homework. Abhi was doing math homework. Khushi stood from the couch.

"Where are you going, Mom?" Abhi asked.

"I will just come with Dad's coffee and will teach you other sums"

"You go, Khushi. I will teach him" Arnav said.

"Do you like Math, Dad?"

"Yeah... but it doesn't matter whether I like t or not. I do everything with interest" he said smilingly.

Khushi stopped smilingly, listening to his reply.

"Oh... that means, don't you like Math?" Abhi asked.

"I like everything..."

"What is your favorite subject?"

"I like Math when I study Math... English will be my favorite subject when I study English"

"Ohh..."

"We should like what we do. if we do the job with interest, we won't complain. IT WILL NOT BE TOUGH IF YOU LIKE IT" he said looking at Khushi.

Those words didn't seem for Abhi. Khushi went to the kitchen silently and Arnav smiled inwardly.

Arnav didn't disturb Abhi until he finished his homework. Abhi closed his notes and book and kept them in his bag. Khushi got ready to go to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"Khushi, you take rest," Arnav said.

"Rest? For?"

"Simply... today, I and Abhi will cook. What say, Abhi?"

"Wow... super Dad... we will cook"

"What are you going to cook?" Khushi asked.

"We will cook something and you are going to eat it, today," Arnav said.

Khushi chuckled.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"You can help us another day but today you take a rest"

"Dad, what are we going to cook?"

"What do you want?"

"Will you cook anything?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah... I have a great chef called Google. We can do anything with the help of Google"

"Ok... Cheese Burger?"

"It's not a dinner dish. We will make it on Sunday evening. Now, we will make Fried rice..."

"Wow... and Paneer sixty-five also"

"Done"

Picking Abhi up, Arnav made him sit on the kitchen slab. Taking wheat flour, Arnav started making dough.

"Mom also does the same. I always am with Mom when she cooks. Hain na Mom?"

Khushi nodded yes.

"Oh... really? That's great..."

"Dad..."

"Mmmm?" Arnav looked at Abhi.

"I like all this..." Abhi said.

Arnav stopped the work that he was doing. He looked at Khushi who was also looking at him. Abhi spread his hands, asking for a hug. Arnav hugged him mildly smiling. Abhi kissed his cheek.

"I love you Dad..."

"I love you too..." Arnav said looking at Khushi, caressing his back.

Khushi gulped down hard.

"By the way Abhi, have you forgotten something?"

"What Dad?"

"You were so interested in getting a sister in the evening..." he said looking at Khushi.

She started washing vessels as if she didn't hear him.

"No, Dad... I don't want a sister as of now" Abhi folded his lips.

"whaaaaaat?"

Arnav shouted in shock making the mother and the son flinch.

"But why?"

"As of now, you are more important to me than anyone Dad. So, I have decided to give my time to you. I can't spend my time with you if get a sister because she needs me. We have met after a long. I don't want to make you feel bad by spending my time with her in its place of you, Dad."

Arnav looked at Khushi raising his brows unbelievably. She was continuing her job without reacting. That was how she handled Abhi?

"And, I should be ready to look after my sister Dad. For that, I have to learn a lot of things. Then only I can teach her and make her talented." He talked like a big guy.

Arnav nodded his head left to right huffing. It seemed Khushi was an expert in handling Abhi and she knew very well how to corner Abhi. He was not as smart as Khushi and he got to know that. He looked at Khushi smilingly. He didn't even know what to do. so, he concentrated on cooking.

Arnav served the food to Khushi and Abhi. Khushi tasted it. Arnav could not know anything from her face. Abhi ate it and about to say something, Khushi gestured to him something.

"You cook good Dad," Abhi said.

"Really?" Arnav smiled.

"Yeah... it's good" Khushi said.

"Abhi, give me the correct critic."

Abhi was about to look at Khushi, and Arnav stopped him, holding his chin.

"Don't look at your Mom. It's not necessary to follow her instructions when it comes to me because i and your mom are the same"

Khushi looking at the plate said nothing.

"You cook good but not up to Mom's level"

"Oh... then ask your Mom to teach me."

"Mom, teach him," Abhi said without even taking a second.

Khushi smiled.

"By the way Dad..."

"Mmm?"

"Are you still upset with Mom?"

Arnav stopped eating and looked at him frowning.

"I never get upset with her"

"Then why are you always addressing her, YOUR MOM instead of MY WIFE?"

Arnav and Khushi both got stuck. Children these days are very smart as well as dangerous. They notice everything without missing a small thing. Khushi was looking at Arnav to know what Arnav was going to say.

"Of course... I too want to address her as MY WIFE. I thought you will fight with me" he laughed.

"Dad, why would I fight with you?"

"You may think I'm snatching her from you"

"I don't think so"

"Won't you?"

"No"

"Really?"

"I love you Dad. So, I won't fight with you"

"Then why would I feel bad if you spend your time with your sister? I love you and we both will love your sister, right?"

Khushi was shocked, seeing Arnav hitting the right point.

"Will you teach her everything as you teach me?" Abhi asked.

"Of course, yes" he smiled.

Abhi's face radiated. Khushi left the place as she finished eating. Arnav controlled his smile. They came to the bedroom and got settled. As usual, Abhi lay in between his parents.

Abhi spoke to Arnav a lot. Arnav didn't touch the sister thing again. Abhi slept after a while.

"My son wants me to address his mother as MY WIFE" Arnav smiled.

"Children are so mean. We should be careful about them" Khushi said.

"I think you already have enough smartness to tackle them" Arnav teased.

Khushi said nothing but looked at him.

"You are very clever than what I thought," he said.

"I too didn't expect you will break my smartness with your sly"

"What I did Khushi?" he asked as if he didn't get her.

Khushi closed her eyes and said nothing.

"I asked you something, Khushi"

"We can't wake up the person who is pretending like sleeping," she said without opening her eyes.

"Yeah... just like how you are closing your eyes without sleeping"

She opened her eyes and looked at him. Arnav was about to counter, but he stopped hearing Khushi.

"Abhi is happy with your approach. Even a little change of yours will hurt him" she gulped hard.

"Don't you want me to change for good too?" he questioned her.

Khushi didn't know what to say.

"Understand one thing, Khushi. Abhi is not only your son but also mine. Don't think I'm doing all this in the OPENING excitement. I will be like this and you have all the rights to question me if I show any change in me"

Khushi nodded her head sighing. She looked at Abhi and extended her hand to caress his hair. At the same time, Arnav also extended his hand towards Abhi's hair and touched Khushi's hand. He pulled his hand back immediately.

"I'm sorry... I just... I didn't notice your hand..." he said and closed his eyes.

Khushi was stuck for a while. why did he panic as if he touched fire? He spoke a lot... flirted a lot... talked about having a girl baby. On the other side, apologized for touching her hand? WHY? what he was up to? What was there in his mind? She didn't know.

To be continued...