Words Count- 4120
Attached Song- Umbrella
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[ Neha Mehta ]

I was driving towards home, and plotting all the ways to please my grumpy husband. I was so happy to see that he came to the hospital to pick me up, but all my delight blew off like a fuse bulb as I knew that he was there to talk with Dr. Kshiraj.

Ugh, That man, I tell you!

I reached home and opened the main door. I plopped on the sofa, resting my body on it and seeped some water. As I sighed in refreshment and looked around, I was gobsmacked. The whole of marble floor was red.

I saw a tiny figure, climbing down the stairs feebly, while half of the stairs were being swiped up with the trailing saree, she was draped in. Tiny red hands were imprinted all over the saree as if an exclusive handicraft. I was watching her in astonishment, when a hand shook me.

"What the hell is going on here?" Raaz asked.

"I am trying to figure out the same." I whispered, scanning the red screaming everywhere.

"Where is Prava?" He asked me, but I shook my head in negetive.

"Pa, how am I looking?" We heard this cute lady's voice.

"Nice, baby. Now go and change." He smiled partially, while I laughed inwards.

"Baby, where's your Prumma?" I heard Raaz ask to Urvi about Prava's whereabouts.

"Prumma said bye and went." It took some time for us to understand. As we did, I saw Raaz was literally breathing fire. He was about to dial her, when I stopped him. I sent him to change his clothes as I went to my room to do so along with the muchkin, jumping merrily in the saree, that is ten times longer than her height with a furry puppy toy in the crook of her arm.

"Let's clean you up." As I took her to the bathroom and made her sit on the empty bathtub, she pouted. I discarded the pink saree from her body and wiped the lipstick from her puckered up lips. She squealed as I poured lukewarm water over her head gently and lathered soap on her soft silky skin.

The red water swirled off her near the small holes and finally a trail of foam water swept out, overtaking the former. She was adamant to not leave the bathroom, so I showered quickly and wore my robe as she was blowing off soap foam.

I held her fingers in my hand and was untying my robe when the door dashed open.

"What's taking you so-?" Raaz's voice dampened as his eyes landed on me. I was holding Urvi, who was draped on a cute ninja robe.

"Uhm, I came here to give Urvi's night suit." He whispered and walked away, giving us privacy.

I wore a simple top and a loose one-third pant and dressed Urvi in her night suit after drying her hair.

I tied her hair in a cute pony and held her in my arms as we descended down the stairs. I was surprised to see everything clean as if not a thing happened earlier. I could make out the silhouette of someone's shadow in the darkness of the kitchen's corner from the view of living room.

My breath hitched as I saw him coming out of the kitchen in a navy apron over his yellow loose vest top and sweatpant. His hand held a large covered bowl.

"I've made poha. Is it okay for you?" He asked me. I nodded.

Oh my, He cooked for us.

Okay? Not just okay, It's more than okay for me!

I wanted to smile so bad and I did. I smiled my brightest.

"I love Poha." I squealed, that earned a big look from him. The look that screamed, 'I want to award you an oscar for being the best liar of the world.'

I squirmed in my seat as I saw urvi looking at her plate with her big round eyes. Discarding his apron, he sat on my opposite chair and took urvi on his lap. He was constantly telling her animated stories from his childhood and saanvi's pranks. I ate the poha and it seemed too simple for my taste. He seemed so carefree with that dimple smile that I had no heart to tear my gaze from him and listen to him. At the length, the whole of her small bowl was empty.

"You will be a great father." It came out of my mouth, unintended. His gaze moved to me as my cheeks decided to go emerald.

"Did you say anything?" He inquired, to which I fervently shook my head in negetive.

He plopped urvi on the centre of the dining table as if she was a bloated chicken. I laughed at my own analogies. But, soon my chortles turned into vigorous coughs as I saw him walking towards me with a glint in his eyes. He stood infront of my chair, his footwear touching mine and a swift shift between our faces as he leaned more into me. My heartbeats were in uproar as a zoo of fireflies danced inside my stomach. He made no move and my desperation was at the end of the thread. I knew, if he doesn't come closer I will surely lose my sanity and pounce on him.

He leaned more and his fingers brushed my knees as he opened the drawer just before my chair, affixed to the table. He took out a pack of aloo bhujia.

He sprinkled few seeds of pomegranate, some more minced coriander leaves with chillies, handful of aloo bhujia and squeezed a lemon after slicing it. My face glowed as he poured chilli sauce and tomato ketchup on it. He laughed at me and went back to his side to finish his food, leaving me behind to sulk.

As he was chewing, he looked at me still sitting and raised his brow. And, I pouted more.

"It's unfair." I mumbled to no one in particular.

"Now what?" He asked me, somewhat amused.

"You fed her." I pointed at the cute muchkin, sitting on the table and playing xylophone on the wooden dinning table with the stainless steel spoons.

"So?" He inquired with a puzzled face.

"You will also feed me." I whined as cutely as I could. As soon as those words left my lips, I saw him rolling his eyes at me.

"You aren't in L.K.G." He stated as a matter of fact, gulping another spoonful of poha and glancing at Urvi once.

"Pleaseee." I pouted and saw Urvi eyeing me strangely.

He held his clean plate and ditched it in the sink. He sat on my adjacent chair and dragged my chair closer to him, resulting in a soft screeching sound of the chair's foot against the tiled floor. I was in a daze as I saw a spoon lurking near my lips.

"Open your mouth." He pointed to the spatula again. I nodded and did the same.

He kept feeding me as I took ages to chew and gulp them down my throat. I have always been slower than a snail in eating food and more of a choosey eater than lion itself.

"You are the slowest than all the four girls, I have fed till now." He hushed to no one in particular as he kept holding the spoon filled with poha, waiting for me to finish chewing whatever I had in my mouth.

"Four?" I asked so abruptly that his head tilted upwards in a hurry, which was focused on the food till now.

"Aisha, Saanvi, Urvi, and Priya." He answered as a matter-of-fact.

"Priya?" I asked as I could understand that he has fed his baby sister and both Saanvi and Urvi since he considers them as his kids. But, always the 'Priya' topic made me uncomfortable.

"She is my best friend. What's wrong in that?" I heard him answer nonchalantly.

"Is he also treating me as his friend only like he said last night?" My conscience spoke to me spontaneously.

"I'm not hungry anymore." I bluffed as he kept the filled spoon near my mouth again.

"There's still some left." I heard him say but, I shook my head in negetive.

I sipped on my glass of mosambi juice and I walked up the stairs. As I stared at him, I saw him finishing the leftovers on my plate. I smiled a little.

I was reading a new book "Sing you home" by Jodi Picoult, I purchased last day. As I was skimming through the slightly yellowish pages of the greenish black covered book. A line stole my attention -

"You know someone's right for you when the things they don't have to say are even more important than the things they do."

I closed my eyes as the flashes of the past two days and the earlier days of our befuddled life rewinded. He was always there for me, whenever I needed. But, was I?

No.

"He loves you, Neha" My heart whispered in my ears. And, I love him too. I felt anxious yet giddy at that mere thought. I thought to calm by nerves and read some more from the book.

"Someone real," I hear myself saying as I read.

"Someone who never has to pretend, and who I never have to pretend around. Someone who's smart, but knows how to laugh at himself. Someone who would listen to a symphony and start to cry, because he understands music can be too big for words. Someone who knows me better than I know myself. Someone I want to talk to first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Someone I feel like I've known my whole life, even if I haven't."

As I delved further into reading more and more words from the book, all I wanted to do now was to go and hug him. It was the first time I felt such a feeling. I felt such an urge to run to him.

And, I listened to my heart.

I strode out of my room's door and knocked on the second door to my right.

His room.

I stood there for a moment, comprehending wheather to go inside or not. I patted my heart, listening to its sayings and pushed the door gently. Phew, the door was not closed.

I cautiously walked inside and turned the lights on. The wonderful wall paintings of the cloudy sky in adratic mist, belize and turquoise. It looked so unique and had an awesome calming effect. Then, my stare collided with a little figure looking at me with her big black and round eyes like a deer caught in headlights. She was sitting silently on his bare back in the sheer dark room.

Seeing me, she stood up and walked feebly towards me. Rounding her pinkish tiny fingers around my bangles, she dragged me to the bed. She jumped up the bed and pushed me on the same bed as she slept on both of us. To me, Her fragile body felt a little hot.

Her baby hands wounding around my neck felt a bit ticklish. Adding to the tingles were Raaz's breathings, fanning over my neck and right cheek. I kissed her cheeks and slept as his arms wrapped around me.

❄️❄️❄️

As my eyes opened the next day, the first sight that I got was of his hair. I tossled his morning hair and his body that was lying over me moved a little. His head was rested on my chest as he cuddled with the little girl, sleeping on me. I felt like he was about to wake up so, I sealed my eyes again.

"Baby?" I heard him shouting worriedly. Then, I heard him again.

"Neha?" He shook me and I flashed my eyes in a go.

"She is not responding." His voice seemed broken and helpless.

I called her several times.

"She has fever." I whispered.

"Let me call Priya." He dialled her and she came in a jiffy.

After checking on her, she concluded that she had skin rashes, leading to a fever caused by allergic reactions.

"Did you make her wear any new clothes?" She inquired, to which we both shook our head in a 'no'.

"Or any change in soap or baby product?" She questioned and fear gripped me.

"Neem soap?" I asked as I recalled bathing her with my soap last night.

"Neem is harsh for urvi's sensitive skin. So, yes, maybe that can be a possibility. I just hope she has not drank soap water or else, we need to take her to the hospital." She stated and I could feel someone's piercing gaze on me.

I shifted on my foot as I knew it was my fault. Quite nervous and extremely worried.

"I am staying here till the evening to observe if the medications don't work properly on her or there's any more complication." She stated and Raaz hummed.

As soon as her words ended, I felt a sharp pull on my forearm. Raaz dragged me out of the room and shut the door with a loud thud.

"I am warning you. Stay away from my urvi." His voice thundered, making me flinch. I could feel heat radiating off him as he stood dangerously close to me. I nodded meekly and walked into my room.

I kept sitting on the bed, bored of all the things. I was scared to go near him after what my carelessness had wrought. I sat biting my nails and walking all over my room anxiously as the time weaned off in its original pace. Once in a while, I would go and peep into urvi's room to see if she was fine. But, seeing Raaz and Priya conversing freely or eating together constricted my heart each time. Still, all I was focused right now was on Urvi. Her recovery.

I saw through the half-sealed door of my room and trudged towards his room as I saw him leaving Priya at the main gate. I saw urvi sitting on the bed, a pink fur cap on her head and a blanket curled over her body as she peeped at me in her red face.

I ran towards her and kissed her cheeks.

"Sorry, baby. Sorry." I made her sit on my lap and cuddled her close to me.

"Auntee." She squealed shrilly.

"Yes baby." I hushed and pinched her red cheeks gently.

"I am hungry." She pouted.

"Okay. Tell me, what's your favourite food?" I asked.

"Muchy muchy." She excitedly shouted as I stared at her in confusion.

"Mushroom?" I asked and she nodded. To even to clear out my mind, I showed her the picture of mushroom. She just smiled, nodding.

I asked her to sit quietly on the bed, till Raaz came back. I messaged our watchman, Ratan Dada to bring mushroom from the market.

He came back in about ten minutes, and by that time, Raaz was playing with urvi the blocks and puzzles. I wanted to apologise for my carelessness so, I went to him.

"I am sorry. I promise, I will be more careful from next time. Pleasee." I pleaded and he nodded.

"Be careful." He mumbled, before transferring all his attention to the game again. I did a happy dance in my mind and went to start cooking my angel's favourite dish, moderately spicey for her. I cooked potato and mushroom curry with green peas.

I was just about to wrap up the cooking, when I reminded myself that he would be so glad to see that I cooked angel's favourite.

I served the curry on the big bowl and garnished coriander leaves on them. Along with that, I also prepared rice. She had ate nothing the whole day, so I thought rice would be more wholesome for dinner.

I kept them on the table and called out to them.

Raaz was busy on a call so, I served food on his platter and also for angel and me. I was mixing rice with some gravy to feed urvi after I placed her on my lap when someone held my hand.

"What happened?" I inquired Raaz, as he stopped my action.

"I will talk to you later." He spoke to the person on the other line of the call. He took the bowl of curry and emptied it in the dustbin.

"Who told you to cook?" His raged voice stumped me.

"I told you to stay away from my child, didn't I? Then, who gave you the right to cook for her?" His hold on my arm tightened as soon as he dragged me to the kitchen, leaving urvi in the living room with her toys. His grip was so tight. Enough to break my arm.

I held his wrist, trying to convey that his grip was hurting me.

"Answer me." He screamed again as I held my right arm after he unexpectedly pushed me away from him towards the kitchen slab.

"Are you on a mission to kill her?" He shouted as his palms again clasped tightly around my arm.

"I asked her to tell me her favourite dish and she told me it's munchy. I thought, it's mushroom. I even showed her the picture and she nodded." I gulped as I answered.

"Who is this 'she' here?" I heard him ask.

"Urvi." I uttered and his stare hardened.

"And, you thought that a 5 year old will be able to say everything right? Seriously?" He laughed.

"Couldn't you just ask me once before cooking it? Didn't this thought once cross you, maybe she could've any allergy of mushroom? Didn't you think 'munchy' could be manchurian and mushroom may seem to her like cauliflower?" He hissed. And, I was baffled.

"Do you even realise what would have happened if you would've fed her mushroom? That child has recovered from fever and skin rashes just now." His voice broke as his tired and helpless eyes clashed with me. But, then, closed as a sigh left his lips.

I felt utterly useless!

I raised my palm to cup his face, but he thwacked my hand away.

"Just remember each of my words. I want you no where close to my child in any way. You hold no rights to cook for us. We are quite capable of taking care of ourselves. Understood." He deadpanned and tears rolled down, raining over my heated up cheeks.

"Raaz, I am sorry. Please, just a last chance. I promise, I will never repeat it again. I am genuinely sorry." I held his elbow, close to my frame as he turned to leave.

"I don't trust you anymore. Neither with my heart nor with the ones, close to my heart." His sentence froze me. My eyes burned with more tears.

"You don't trust me?" I contrived as I soaked in his words more and more. Over and over again. I wiped my tears and stood upfront him.

"I promise, I won't do anything for her before asking you. I swear."

"Were you not the one, who said the same thing two hours ago?" He breathed out.

"I won't." I tried again, only to be cut off harshly by him.

"Just shut up." He silenced me again.

"Be in your limits. You are just an outsider, so behave like one." He spelled each word calmly, dripping with venom.

And, that 'outsider' word did hurt a lot. I stood there, seeing him cooking in the kitchen as he cradled little urvi on his back. My glossy eyes saw her legs and hands wrapped around his waist and neck respectively as her head rested on his back.

I failed him yet again!

I wiped my tears and went to my room again. His every words ripped my heart, digging it more as I cried sinking my face in the soft curve of the pillow.

[ Surfraaz Mehta ]

I was pacing on my room till I was tired. I couldn't believe that I let out all of my anger and frustrations on her. I scolded myself again as her I remembered the marks on her arm. I hissed as I sliced my palm while chopping potatoes. I washed my hand and bandaged it.

Boiling potatoes, papaya, tomatoes and carrots along with beet root in a pressure cooker, I smashed them. I cooked daal fry. Mixing them with rice, I fed urvi.

I couldn't bring myself to eat, knowing very well that she was hungry. Though she was at fault, I did over-react. I could remember the way her twinkling eyes went dull, hearing me terming her as an 'outsider'. I carried her plate along with mine to her room as Urvi was still mounted on my back and the cloth I tied on our stomach, kept her safe from falling.

I could hear her sobs as I neared her door. I berated myself more. I knocked on the door, but it creaked wide open. Placing the platters of food on the side table, I held urvi in my arms. Leaving her on the bed, I sat near the figure sleeping on the bed.

My palm glided over the surface of her hair and stopped in her mid-back.

"Neha." I whispered softly as my palm rubbed her back.

I kissed her shoulder and caressed the arm, I left a bruise on. Getting no response, I held her arm and pulled her upwards. Her unruly open hairs were giving me a blurred look of her visage. I sidelined her hair and tucked them behind her ears. Her head hung down and hands were hurriedly wiping her face while her breathings were erratic and hitched once in a while.

It seemed like she has been crying since a long time. Her tears were my weakness and she was using it well against me as a weapon.

"Sorry." I whispered as my lips pecked her forehead, then, my forehead rested on her.

I made her eyes face me and it was all red and puffy. Her eye bags under her eyes were clearly distinguishable. How did I not notice them before? Her chubby cheeks were on the verge of being flat. I wiped the tears on the nook of her eyes and kissed her forehead. I stood up to bring the food.

"I'm sorry. Don't go." She croaked, her voice painted with fear of the unknown.

"Shh, I am here." I hushed as her face was resting on my chest.

I brought two plates and fed her one morsel and the next one to myself, that she snatched it to feed me. I glanced sideways to see my doll sleeping peacefully. It was a quite energy draining day for her.

I looked at Neha to see her constantly staring at me. My eyes flickered to her lips and I immediately diverted them. I saw Neha walking to the one-seater sofa, I was sitting in. Her fingers cupped my neck and her face inched closer. My hormones were going wild as I was this close to her after almost one and a half year. I breathed hard and my grip on her waist tightened as my stare restricted to her lips.

"It's been just 2 days and you are already losing your control. What about your determination of never falling in love again?" My subconscious mind laughed at me as realisation dawned upon me.

I held her by her shoulders and created distance between us. I held both the empty plates and marched towards the wash basin and cleaned them up. I tidied the kitchen slab. Then, I washed the scotch brite scrub pad and kept everything on their place.

Later, I called Saanvi.

"Hello. How are you?"

"I am good. How are you and my doll?" I heard her interrogate.

"We are doing fine. When are you coming back?" I asked.

"Day after tomorrow." She excitedly gushed.

"Great!" I mentally cheered in joy.

"Oh yes coming." She sang, as if to someone in the background.

"Shay, let's talk later. They are calling me for dinner." She spoke and I hummed, before terminating the call.

I went back to the room to see urvi sitting in the centre of the bed, as Neha laid on the bed awake brushing my doll's hair with her fingers. Still, she seemed lost in her thoughts.

I sat on the empty side of the bed and patted my doll's hair. She was rubbing her eyes and yawning cutely. She was really close to sleep. Her head was lying on Neha's stomach. As her eyes lashes dropped, I made her sleep in the proper way.

I turned to leave for my room, but I felt warmth seeping into my tired body as odd pairs of long fingers held my hand. I felt Neha's eye directing me to the uninhabited side of the bed. Having no energy to put up with another argument, I laid on the bed. Only to sleep the best, that I hadn't had in the past year as my doll, cuddled to my chest and a part of my heart held onto my hand tenderly.

Just this once, let me live in my dreams!

I sighed as I recalled all the past plaintive memories. Maybe, this will last just a day more!

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