I sustain myself with the love of family

~Maya Angelou

Jagati

"Jagati Maa! It's time to go to Eeshu's school for the dance performance." Shyam bhaiyya reminded me as I was looking in to the last months financial records.

My daughter Eesha Devansh Raghuvaran is now 7 years old, and she is Dev's little peanut, he literally can't live without her.

She looks just like Dev, that black eyes, glassy skin and my smile, she has power to light up the room. Luckily, she got Dev's brain which makes her the topper in her school just like my stupid husband.

She is doing her first dance performance in school today, so everyone of us are going to be there for her.

"Bhaiyya, What about Yuvaan? Can you call Mama and ask her if they are going to come too." I asked him the next question that popped in my mind.

Yuvaan Devansh Raghuvaran is my almost 2 year old son. I am proud to say that Yuvi looks like my Papa, there is such an uncanny resemblance between them. I was shocked to see my dad's childhood pictures where he looks exactly like my son.

But Yuvi is the complete opposite of Eesha, I knew Yuvi was a going to a brat when he was in me, because he turned around so much that he wrapped the umbilical cord around his neck almost choking himself to death and killing me along with him.

He worries me so much unlike Eeshu, with Mama and Papa retired, and Uncle and Aunty at home, my kids got the love and presence of their grandparents more than their parents.

There are days when I wished to stop working and stay with them and be the ideal mother, but my whole family convinced me otherwise and be an inspiration to all women and show them they can have it all:

"I did Jagati Maa, Devansh started with them and called me to inform you." He said and I locked my computer to start to Eeshu's school.

Shyam bhaiyya has been with me ever since papa retired from politics. The first few months of papa's retirement were really hard on everyone because the busiest man had nothing to do, but later he started a NGO and has been working for it along with mom and has helping Dev's dad with farming too.

Every day after work going back to my family and seeing their laughter makes me feel home.

"I bought Eeshu's favorite dollhouse, I am going to give it to her after the performance." Shyam bhaiyya said with excitement showing me the beautifully wrapped box in the car.

"Bhaiyya! What about me? Ever since Eeshu came you didn't give me anything." I pouted at him, competing with my own daughter.

"I knew you would say that and I have something for you too." He said and gave me my present.

I excitedly open the box and it was the first doll, a stuffed elephant Ginny, my grandpa got me when I was a kid. I lost it while moving and he found that for me.

It reminded me of the days I played with it and the tears I shed when I lost it.

"You found it bhaiyya! Thank you so much." I said to him with tears in my eyes and hugged him.

He gently patted my head, and hugged me back.

We reached the school and as the driver dropped us at the gate, we walked in to the school and I found Karthik standing by the main entrance of the auditorium.

"Kar! You are here too!" I exclaimed in shock as soon as I saw his face. I hugged both Samanvi and Karthik while Shyam bhaiyya left into the auditorium.

"How can I not? When it's my nieces first dance? I can never miss that." He said proudly holding his wife, Samanvi.

Karthik got married 6 months after mine and they have a boy Vivaan who's an year older to Eeshu and my viv is such a cutie.

"Where is Viv?" I asked them after not finding with them.

"He is with everyone inside, mostly playing with Yuvi." Samanvi replied and we all walked in together to find the family.

Dev waved at me as we entered the auditorium, and I found Mama, Papa, Aunty, Uncle, Dev's parents, Shyam bhaiyya,Vivaan and Yuvi who occupied the whole front row cheering for my little girl.

I walked with Karthik and Samanvi as we settled down the event started, dimming the lights down in the auditorium.

I was beside my papa who held my hand and kissed me and Dev was on the other end with Vivan by his side and Yuvi in his arms.

That cute little slugger was jumping in his dad's arms having fun and I was feeling left out. I wanted to go to my son and hug the life out of him.

As we sat there watching little kids perform, finally it was time for my daughter to shine, she along with her group came and danced, she looked so beautiful in her sparkly blue and white gown that I couldn't take my eyes off her.

All I could see was my daughter and everything else blurred out like it always happens with Dev. A loud applaud erupted the room, indicating the end and to me her performance seemed to last for seconds even though it was not.

Papa was literally whistling at his grand daughters performance in happiness, while mama was trying to shush him feeling embarrassed. Everyone's faces in our rows were shimmering with happiness.

After a few other performances the event ended and we walked out of the auditorium. After greeting everyone I literally ran to Dev who had Yuvi in his arms.

As soon as Yuvi saw me, he started calling out for me opening his arms wide.

"Janu...Janu.." he squirmed out of Dev's hold.

And yes! He calls me Janu, not Maa or Mama, that's because everyone in the family calls me Janu and he caught up on that instead of Mama.

I kissed him on his cheek and he did the same with a sloppy wet kiss on my cheek.

"I missed you Yuvi baby..." I said to him kissing his nose looking at his cute face, which I have missed the last few hours.

His reply was a few more sloppy kisses all over my face, while I consumed his baby smell which made my heart melt all over again in his love.

With work and his sleeping schedule, it's really hard for me and Yuvi to spend time with each other.

"And I missed you too." Dev said to me and pulled me into his arms before the guilt enveloped me.

Look at him? Does he look like he is in his mid 30's?

And look at all the women eyeing him.

Stop looking at my creature, he is branded and I own him now.

Everyone in the world knows that already dumbo, and let them see what they can't have. With that I pecked his lips in a room filled with kids and parents, shocking myself and Dev.

Thankfully, the attention was diverted from us as the doors opened with all the kids running towards their parents.

I could see Eeshu talking to a boy her age walking to us, as soon as she found us, she ran to me and the words coming out of her mouth just shocked me.

"Maa..Paa...I told him..I told him that you are a CEO and paa's awards and company..Do something, take a picture, do whatever you do and impress him.."

I wasn't able to comprehend what she just said and looked at Dev who was equally numb.

"Hi..Kiaan! You might already know my parents, or seen them on TV." She said to him with a smile on her face.

What in the fruit cake is happening here?

"My parents watch them on TV. Nice to meet you Ma'am and Sir."Kiaan said in a calm and composed tone.

Eeshu turned and glared at us both as there was no reply from us.

"Hi Kiaan,nice to meet you too! And I loved your dance." I said to him while he smiled at me.

"Thank you, you look beautiful in person." He said as I bent down to his level to talk to him.

This boy definitely has the skills, no wonder my daughter looks whipped.

"You are beautiful too honey." I said to him as Yuvi broke my hold and went to his sister.

Soon the boy left to his parents and Eesha was showered with all gifts from everyone. She was glowing in happiness and wanted to show her presents and Yuvi to her friends.

Dev was still frozen, that I literally had to drag him along with me to the cafeteria.

"Look at Dev, he is still in shock. Don't put too much thought into it Dev, she is still a child." Papa said consoling Dev.

Ever since I got pregnant, papa and Dev became a team and I was the happiest person because of their union.

After Eeshu came back, We all went out for dinner as part of the celebration, and dispersed to back to our house. But the kids wanted to go with Karthik for Vivaan, leaving me and Dev in one car.

Taylor's All to well in the car, the cold breeze coming from outside and Dev's hand in mine. It felt so calming and soothing, taking my mind away from the zillion thoughts I have running in my mind.

"Janu! Do you think that we are bad parents?" Dev asked me out of the blue, making me look at him.

Bad parent...I don't think I even qualify as parent.

"Why are you asking me that?" I quickly asked him back defending myself.

"Our own daughter is using us as her wingman and I didn't do anything about it, I was just too stunned to speak in that moment, I didn't think this situation was gonna come this early." He sighed in disappointment.

"If there is ever a contest about us being bad parents, then I am the winner because I can't even get my own son to call me Mom. I talked and encouraged our daughter when she came with the boy. I feel like I don't spend enough time with them and that's why they are like this." I weighed out my thoughts trying to ease his mind.

"We really suck at parenting don't we?" He let out a sad chuckle and I agreed with him.

It has been really hard for us to keep up with both professional and personal lives. After Eeshu was born, Dev started his own manufacturing unit and started making all the devices, and as of last year the whole country uses Dev's ideas for farming, The work load has been growing exponentially along with personal responsibilities.

We try to be back home by 5 everyday but there are days which we can't control leading us to disappoint our children.

"That we do, I guess we are turning into those people who have their grandparents take care or we are way too cool of people that our kids can share their crushes and call us by the name." I snorted away all the tears making a joke.

"Yup! We are the cool parents." He said laughing at my sick joke.

"Dev, don't worry about Eeshu okay? She is just a child and she just wanted to impress the boy. And did you see that boy, he has more charm than you, he said that I look beautiful." I said to him to ease his mind.

"You are beautiful Janu, and I am way more charming than him. I don't like that boy, he was way to slick for his age, We should move Eeshu to a private school next year." He said parking the car by the house.

"We will talk about moving later." I replied not wanting another thing to feel guilty about and got of the car.

As we entered the house we got welcomed to the dead silence, and that's when my phone pinged with a message from my mama

We all left to Mumbai on the NGO work, take care of the kids and don't forget to eat.

When did the work come up, I showed the message to Dev and he shrugged in response.

"You what this means?" He asked raising his eyebrow in a cocky way coming closer to my face.

I shook my head and took a step back

"It means, we are alone in an empty house..it means we can kiss right in the middle of this house and no one is gonna kill me." He said pulling me closer by the waist and placing his lips on mine.

After 10 years of marriage and 6 years of relationship, it still feels like the first time, the goose bumps on my body, the electric tingles in my hands, the knots in my stomach the urge to hold him tight.

My hands went into his head, pulling him closer not able to take in the little distance between us.

The recipe to a perfect marriage is an amazing family, a little bit of love, pinch of romance, a drizzle of fights and anger and lots of food.

Ughh..you and your stupid food.

"MAA..." My daughters voice made me jump and push Dev away from me.

Dev held the wall nearby stopping himself from falling down and composed himself.

"It's not a crime to kiss infront your kids, that's how they learn that this is not taboo." He whispered in my ear and I rolled my eyes.

"I pushed you away because your hands were in my shirt getting lost somewhere and I don't want my kids to see an R rated movie at such an young age and send them to therapy later." I scoffed at him and setting up my shirt right.

I looked at the door and found Eesha holding Yuvi's hand at the door walking into the house.

"Maa..I potty trained him, he told me that he wants to pee now.." My daughter flaunted her achievement grinning tooth to tooth.

"I'll take him to the bathroom." Dev came forward and took away Yuvi to the bathroom.

"Do you want me to give you a bath?" I asked her walking to her room, she nodded and kissed me.

I ran the warm water in the tub, while she got undressed and sat in it playing with the bubbles. Her happiness has no end, I could literally kill anyone or even Dev just to keep her happy.

"You did such a great job today princess, Mama is so proud of you." I said to my daughter, taking her into my arms after wrapping her in a dry towel.

"You think so Maa, I fumbled in between and I was really scared to start at first, but Papa said to look at him and you when I get scared, and when I did see you guys, you looked so happy that I forgot I was scared to begin with." She replied wrapping her arms around me.

"Is papa mad at me that I told Kiaan?Did he not like my dance?" She asked me with worry evident on her beautiful face.

My cutie is worried about her father, I should kill Dev for making his feelings visible for her.

"Eeshu, Your dad is just jealous that you could dance better than him and that you have a new friend now. He is scared that you will forget him with your new friends." I said to her putting her clothes on while she took both her hand and slapped her head.

Why does her every action makes me go awww and melt like puddle?

Cause she is your daughter

"Offo..Mama..I will never forget him, he is my bestest friend." She said like it was the obvious.

"I better be your bestest forever and ever." Dev came in and swooped my daughter in the air making her giggle and shriek.

Looking at them me and my son were just laughing, and Yuvi tapped me to do the same thing to him.

"Dev..put her down, she might get hurt." I stopped Dev and took Yuvi into my arms.

"Your mom is such a worry wart.." Dev made fun of me and put our daughter back on our bed.

"Papa..Do me..."Yuvi asked trying to jump out my arms.

Dev took him in and threw him in the air, while Eeshu stood behind on the bed and hugged me.

When did I turn into this boring person? Kids are asking for Dev instead of me, Dev the boring old man.

Where did the fun Janu go?

Ewww..I am not that boring parent who refuses every thing and mostly i don't want make Dev the fun parent.

He is the fun parent, you are the boring one.

I am way more fun.

I don't see it, what's the last fun thing you did this year? And don't say traveling around because that's for work.

Man! I am the boring one and I can't let it happen again.

"That's it. We are going on a vacation tomorrow." I announced and all the smiles in the room paused and turned into a shock at my words.

"What about our work?" That was the first question that came out of Dev's brain instead of Yay vacation.

"Take a leave I guess, I want to spend more time with my family. And we can go wherever we want. I'll tell Jamie and Andy to manage for a few days." I told and they started jumping up and down on the bed in happiness

"Really Mama, no work and just vacation. And no school for me too..?" Eeshu asked with bubbling excitement about skipping school and I nodded agreeing with her.

I cringed at myself on the inside, because all the vacations we took were because I was working on that country.

Being a working woman in a man's world is a struggle, people constantly undermining my abilities, the need to be louder than any other man in my position to make people listen, and discrimination i face from the world about me not being a wife and a mother from all the random people in the world.

In fighting all these battles I lost the fun person in me, it might sound more like an excuse but it is true.

"Where do you want to go?" Dev asked them.

"Disney world and Universal Studios, I want to hop in all the rides with you and can we go to Aunt Amy and Divya's house?" She asked me with a pout and I know I can never refuse.

"Amieeee..." Yuvi mumbled combining both Amy and Yipeee.

"I love you Mama...I love you.." Eesha ran to me and hugged me hard.

"My Janu...my Janu..." Yuvi came in with more force making me almost fall back but Dev stood behind me and wrapped me in his arms making it a family hug and helping me before I fall down.

I don't care if we have the worst parenting skills, as long as the day ends with family hugs and smiles like this.

Wasn't that sweet? For me it was absolutely

I am so obsessed with Dev and Janu, I wish I could write more about them.

I hope you enjoyed the bonus chapter. Get ready to read Arjun's book soon, I can't give the date yet but it will happen soon.

Till then take care and Adios.

Don't forget to Vote and Comment.

Love,
Sneha