(continued from 20.2)

Veer had been in and out of washroom for a while now. This was his fourth time rushing in.

B: (shouts from outside) aur khao thoos thoos kr. Tb to lalachi Bandar ki tarah sb nigal liya. Ho gaya na pet kharab?

V: (groans while coming; his hands are on his tummy) Lalach kiss ka tha, khane ka nahi. Tum itna bhaav khati ho dene me...meri galti nahi hai; mujhe mauka milla isliye mai lapak gaya...

He came near the bed and stood in front of Bani who was sitting. Then he leaned on the floor and put his face in her lap. Bani caressed his hair. Its true she wasn't as vocal about her love but him saying in baby voice how he struggles for her affection pained her. She vowed to not be a difficult lover and lifted him up and made him sit in her lap and kissed his forehead.

B: Batao kya hua hai? Dard hai?

Veer nodded sadly, his lower lip sticking out. Bani lifted him up and made him lie down. She got up.

V: Tum kahan jaa raho ho?

B: Bs abhi aayi...tum tb tk TV dekh lo.

Bani put on a kids show on television so that he gets distracted from the pain and took her hot pack from a drawer and heated it. She changed into comfortable nightwear and placed the heated pack on his stomach and blew kisses on it.

B: Better?

Veer nodded with a smile.

Bani then headed downstairs and made him some soup and sent kaka to get medicines. She arranged it all in a tray and went to their room.

V: (sees her enter with a tray) mai kuch nahi khaunga sweetheart.

B: Bs thoda sa Veeranshu. You'll feel better.

V: Khane se hi toh dard hua hai...nahi please.

B: accha ek dum thoda sa and then we'll take medicine. Please? For me?

Bani somehow convinced him. She fed him some soup and gave him the medicine.

B: Mai ye rakh kr aayi abhi...

V: Nahi, wait. Tumne kya khaya?

B: Um, mai baad me...

V: Nahi, ye soup tum finish kro. Jo extra us thermos me layi ho...use bhi

B: Veeranshu

V: Bani!!

Bani chuckled at him trying to intimidate her as a child but smiled and finished the soup. She went to keep the tray downstairs and came back to their room.

B: Dad aur koi nahi aya abhi tk...

V: kissi ko meri padi nahi hai...

B: aisa nahi hai Veer

V: Jb tum bacchii thi tb sb tumhare aage peeche ghum rahe they, mujhe tumhe baacha baccha kr rakhna pad raha tha aur mai bana to koi nahi aya mere pass...

B: arey aisa mt socho...maybe it is because I was the first girl child in this house, even if it was for a day.

V: Mere bachpan me bhi aise hi tha....sb they pr hokr bhi nahi they...mai jb first time uda tb dad they wahan, he was so happy but fir kya...age ki practise mai khud krta tha...mai poora cheel bana tb to koi nahi tha wahan... see, I know my family loves me but cheelon me emotions nahi dikhate utna...but as a kid, I craved that...

Bani fell silent. She realized that her crazy, I-have-it-all lover had a lonely childhood. He had people who loved him but weren't always around. This strengthened her vow to love him like nobody else.

B: Accha ab mujhe ye batao, pet me dard kaisa hai?

V: Better hai..

B: To chalo mere sath..

V: kahan...

B: Something that I always wanted to do as a kid but aaj tumhare saath tumhe krta dekhungi to lagega khud kr liya...

Veer smiled at the idea of making her happy and quickly agreed and Bani smiled at the prospect of bringing to him another normal yet new experience.

...............................

V: cookies?

B: Haan, I always wanted to cook dessert with my mom jaise baaki bacche krte they pr meri family life as a child to tumhe pata hi hai...so aaj I want to experience it through you.

V: Pta hai mai bhi maa ko cook krte dekhta tha...unhone kaha tha jb mai bada hounga na tb vo mujhe sikhayengi..pr.. (he looked down)...accha leave, ye batao kya ingredients chahiye?

B: sbse pehle ....vo

Bani lifted veer up in her arms and raised him towards the top shelf.

B: Vo flour pakdo.

Veer giggled and picked it up and gave it to her. They gathered all the ingredients to make choco-chip cookies and started off making a dough. They played around with it and got flour everywhere. Finally they cut shapes and put it in the oven. Vani cleaned the kitchen and the themselves while they baked.

Cookies were ready and they were in all shapes. They decorated them sitting at the dining table. The rest of the Singhanias came in. Meera was going to stay at her mother's home and Tapish had left on an important trip that was preplanned. He video called.

T: Hi Veer

V: Kya hua Bhai

T: Kuch nahi, tujhe aise dekhna tha...meri flight abhi land hui and I will rest as meeting is early tomorrow but wanted to see my baby brother one last time before he grows up.

Veer was surprised and happy. He began chatting with Tapish while Bani helped the maids set the table for dinner. Vani had already had an early dinner and were sitting with their glasses of milk and cookies.

V: tumne aise steel ki glass kyu li?

B: Vo..chodo na..kya fark padta hai..

But Veer being Veer, he peeped in.

V: Haw, isme to pani hai!

B: vo mujhe, mujhe doodh nahi pasand.

Ponky: Kaisi naagin ho bhabhi?

Bani glared at him.

B: Das ke batau?

He shut up after that and Balwant came in as well. He lifted Veer and sat him on his lap.

Balwant: lagta hai poorane din wapish aa gaye.

Veer beamed, happy. He began telling Balwant about his day and his dad kept listening to all stories while his brothers kept sneaking away cookies. He finished the milk and moved towards the cookie but saw the Ponky and Daksh were busy eating them.

V: Ye kya kr rahe ho?

D: Kha rahe hai bhai!

Ponky: aap akele thodi khate?

V: khata...sb khata...meri sweetheart aur maine banaye hai...

Veer jumped down Balwant lap but his brother ran away with the plate and began eating. He ran behind them but couldn't keep up. Bani came from the kitchen.

B: Kya ho raha hai yahan.

V: Bani dekho na....inhone saari kha li...maine taste bhi nahi ki..

B: Veer?

V: tum inhe danto

B: cookies ke liye?

Veer stomped his feet and left. It might not sound like a big deal to many but to him, it was. Bani left after him.

B: Veeranshu....kahan ho tum?

Bani looked around the room to see tiny feet sticking out from under the bed, she smiled and got in as well, her lower body sticking out like Veer's.

V: Tum yahan kyu ayi andr?

B: Tum bhi to yahin ho..

V: Mai ata hoon, mujhe kuch time do...

B: Tumhe time chahiye? Ye cookies nahi khane?

V: Cookies? Pr vo to sb?

B: Adi Naagin apne cheelu ko thodi ne bhuka rehne deti, I sneaked some out.

Bani showed him a few cookies, she had sneaked almost all the heart shaped ones and few others as well. Veer cheered and ate a few with Bani.

V: Bani, ruko..

B: kya hua?

V: Ye last cookie hai..

B: toh?

V: Isse frame krwa le...

B: Pagal ho kya?

Bani broke it into two and ate half of it herself and put half in Veer mouth who looked horrified. He slid out and Bani was going to slide out as well but she was a little slow as she wasn't a small child. Veer noticed and sat on her butt before she could come out.

B: Veer ye kya hai?

Veer just laughed. Bani shook her head and took her naagin roop and crawled out. Veer pouted at her. Bani took her human form and took Veer with her to the bed.

B: Ab so jao.

V: Nahi na...abhi nahi...

B: Its late...

V: jb neend ayegi toh so jayenge na..

Bani nodded because she knew how stubborn he could get. She placed a set of grown up Veer's clothes next to bed. From her experience, she knew Veer is going to rip off this tiny clothes. She blushed at the thought of it.

V: Ahhan! Kya soch rahi ho? Naughty naagin!

B: Chup Veeranshu!

Bani and Veer began talking and slowly drifted off to sleep. She, a careless happy soul and Veer on top of her. His head on his chest, hands and feet to her sides like a baby koala and a smile on his face that said he didn't care what happened of this life because he had all that he wanted in his arms.

............fin..................

..................................

xoxo