Author's note: A new chapter for all you lovely people. Hope you enjoy reading it!😊

Shaurya stood with his back, facing the showerhead to shield Dhvani from the warm spray of water from the shower when she flinched at the sudden onslaught. Pushing her wet hair away from her face, he looked down at her.

She looked up at him and blinked slowly to try and look as seductive as possible. However, given that the fact that a crazy high tech shower system was practically shooting water from different angles, she wasn't sure if she actually succeeded.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She gasped at the sensation of his skin against hers. "How is it possible that you look more beautiful to me every time I look at you?" He asked.

She blushed and wrinkled her nose at the sudden compliment. He really had gotten better with his words. "That's because you are blind in love." She replied, throwing her arms around his neck. Her statement made them both laugh.

"I love you." He declared as he cupped her face; His face suddenly turned sombre. She had seen it every day for the past weeks, but more now that they were living together.

"I love you too..." Dhvani whispered and stood on his feet to kiss him.

"Mumma!" Dhruv's sleepy voice made both Shaurya and Dhvani spring away from each other, startled.

"Yeah, baby," Dhvani yelled, hurriedly turning off the shower to hear Dhruv better. "You are awake. I am just taking a shower. I'll be out in a minute."

"Where is Papa?"

"Yeah!" Shaurya immediately answered. "I am-" Dhvani slapped her hand over Shaurya's mouth to shut him up.  Glaring at him, she mouthed, "What's wrong with you?"

"You both are having a shower together?" Dhruv's confused and scandalized voice travelled through the bathroom door, making Shaurya laugh. Luckily, Dhvani's hand muffled most of the sound.

"No!!!" Dhvani said, trying to sound offended. "Papa is just helping me with turning on the shower. You go watch some TV."

There were a few moments of silence and then some rustling noises followed by Dhruv's "okay."

As soon as Dhvani moved her hand away, Shaurya began laughing loudly. She tsk' ed and slapped his hand away when he tried to hold her again. "It's not funny." She scolded as she stepped out of the shower and picked up a towel to pat herself dry. "What if he tells his friends that his parents showered together?"

"Relax, Dhvani." Shaurya too followed suit to pat himself dry. "He won't even remember it, and you handled it well." He assured.

"Easy for you to say it since you are not going to be the one attending the parent-teacher meeting or sitting on any parent council." She grumbled as she continued to dress.

"What do you mean I won't be attending anything related to Dhruv's school?" Shaurya asked. He stood with only a towel wrapped around his waist, watching Dhvani get dressed.

"I am his father, after all." He added once Dhavni was fully clothed.

"Shaurya," Dhavni placed her hand on his bare shoulders and stepped a little closer to him. "You know we can't do that without someone finding out who you really are. The man at the restaurant last night almost recognized you. As much as I hate the mustache, it was the only thing that saved us."

"Would it be so bad for everyone to know that I was your husband and Dhruv's father?" Shaurya asked quietly as he studied the pattern on the wall behind Dhavni.

She sighed and moved her hands away.

"Sorry. I overreacted." Shaurya said after he cleared his throat. Picking up his t-shirt from the counter, he slipped into it.

"You promised me that we would take it slow." She gently reminded as she watched him pick up their discarded clothes from the floor.

"I did." He nodded in agreement and pecked her lips lightly before opening the bathroom door.

"Then why are you reacting like this?" She asked as she followed him out of the bathroom.

Shaurya shrugged his shoulders and sat on the bed. "Like what? I said you are right, and I am wrong. I shouldn't be expecting to be a part of my son's life outside the confinements of our houses." He said, keeping his tone of voice as nonchalant as possible even though he felt hurt on the inside.

"That's not what...." Dhvani sighed again and walked up and sat on his lap. Wrapping her arms around his middle, she tucked her head under his chin. "You know that things are not the same. Your world is very different from the world that Dhruv and I live in."

"You both are my world." He said as he wrapped his arms around her.

She moved her head away and looked up at him. "I know, but I still need some time to wrap my mind around this idea of having our lives out to the public. I need to get Dhruv used to the idea that his father is a celebrity, unlike his friends' fathers. Please?"

Shaurya nodded slowly. "I was being selfish... I am sorry."

Dhavni smiled and shook her head. "I am sorry that I am making you wait so long too..." She said and stood up.  "Now, please go downstairs and get that son of yours to brush his teeth. I am making something special for breakfast today."

"Really?" He fell back on the bed and watched Dhvani first pin her hair back with a small butterfly clip.

"What?" She asked him through the mirror as she put some lotion on her arms.

"What?" She demanded again, but this time a little annoyed when he continued to watch her with amusement lacing his smile.

"This green dress really suits you."

"Shaurya," Dhvani gave him a pointed look, but before Shaurya could get up, Dhruv ran to the room and jumped on the bed.

"You need to stop doing that." Shaurya laughed and bit back a painful groan when Dhruv's knee pushed into his rib as he fell onto his father's chest.

"Mumma, are you still upset because we didn't  play scrabble with her last night?" Dhruv asked as he turned his face to look at Dhvani. Both father and son looked at Dhvani.

"No, I apologized really well..." Shaurya gave a smug grin that had Dhvani rolling her eyes almost immediately.

"Shaurya, get Dhruv dressed and downstairs in half an hour. If he is not down at that time, then I'll be angry and won't let you apologize at all. So, hurry up." Dhvani warned as exited the room, after flipping her hair back.

●○●~~~☆~~~●○●

There were lots of instances where Dhvani wished she had the power to pause time, but those moments hadn't even come close to how much she wanted this week to not go by as fast as it did. The week had definitely been the happiest she had been for a very long time, and she didn't want it to end, where the reality awaited them. Living here was like living in a bubble where it was only the three of them and the outside world didn't exist, but tomorrow morning they were going back. Dhvani and Dhruv would return home while Shaurya would head to Delhi for a meeting with the BCCI. The meeting was to finalize Shaurya's return to the game for the Asia Cup. They had found out meeting a few hours ago, and Dhvani had jumped in joy and hugged Shaurya.

"I think it was all because of your PR campaign," Shaurya said as he hugged her back.

"That was only the part of it. It is all your talent. I am so proud of you."

Dhruv, on the other hand, just watched his parents in confusion.

Dhvani laughed and used a tissue to wipe the flour off Shaurya's forehead.

"Dhruv, come on, your cheese pizza is ready," Shaurya said as he pulled it out of the oven.

Dhruv didn't get up; instead, he just leaned forward to watch the show he was watching.

"I told you not to let him watch TV," Shaurya complained to Dhvani, who placed another pizza into the oven.

"He was dropping all the toppings all over the counter. It was driving me mad." Dhvani whispered as she began cleaning up the counter once again. "Maybe you should go and sit down too."

"You are being bossy again." He said as he tweaked her nose.

Dhvani huffed as she pushed his hand away. "How many times have I told you not to touch my nose?"

He grinned and then kissed her cheek. "Okay."

Shaurya went towards the couch and sat beside his son. "What are you watching?"

"Shhhh..." Dhruv hissed without looking away from the TV.

Both Shaurya and Dhvani shared an amused smile.

"What's wrong?" Dhvani asked her son, who was just nibbling on his pizza. "Do you not like it?"

"I don't want to go back." He mumbled and pushed his plate away.

"I know you don't want to. Even mumma and papa don't want to either, but if we don't go back home, then how will I go to work? Or how will you go to school?" Dhvani asked as she cupped Dhruv's chin.

"But Papa won't stay with us."

"He will," Dhvani said, interrupting what Shaurya was going to say. "Just not right now. Papa and Mumma have to figure out some adult stuff before that."

Dhruv folded his hands over his chest and looked at the pizza with a scowl for a few seconds before looking up at his mom again. "Okay, but then you have to go to the hospital."

Dhvani put her pizza down and looked at Shaurya to ask him if he knew anything; however he too appeared just as puzzled. "Why do you want Mumma to go to the hospital?" Shaurya asked his son.

"So you can bring me a baby sister," Dhruv said, waving his little hands in the air as if his parents didn't understand the most obvious thing.

Dhvani choked on her drink and looked at her son with wide, astonished eyes. "W-what?" Shaurya, on the other hand, covered his mouth with his palm to hide his laugh.

"Yeah. Meet's mom also went to the hospital and," he held his hands out a little. "Then brought a baby brother for him, but I want a baby sister." He declared as he picked up the pizza slice to eat again. "So, make sure you check and then bring her home."

Dhavni gave Shaurya a warning glare when she saw his shoulders shaking with his laughter. "Dhruv, just eat your pizza." She ordered and hid the flush on her cheeks by taking a sip of her drink.

"Mumma, promise me to get me a sister. Papa, you have to go to the hospital too with Mumma to make sure they give us the right baby." Dhruv said frantically. "Mumma, I want a baby sister. I promise I will take care of her all the time. I'll hold her carefully." He said the last part and demonstrated his promise with the pizza. "So carefully. I'll teach her to ride the bike just like you taught me. Please, mumma! Please, mumma! Please, mumma!"

"Okay!" Dhvani said, raising her hands in the air. "I'll go."

"Really?" Shaurya whispered in Dhvani's ears when Dhruv got busy with eating the pizza.

"Shut up." Dhvani blushed some more.

○●○~~~☆~~~○●○

Saying goodbye to Shaurya and the little villa they had called home for a week was harder than she had expected. She couldn't believe that she actually cried when Shaurya left before them to go to the airport.

"It's just one day. I'll be back in Mumbai tonight." Shaurya promised as he ran her hand over her long hair to calm her down when she bawled like a baby.

"Stupid phone." She grumbled at her phone when it died just as she turned it on. She wanted to ask Shaurya how his meeting went. The meeting should have been over by that time. Now, she would have to wait until she got home.

"Mumma, our bag." Dhruv pointed at their bag as it came around the carousel.

Once Dhvani loaded the bag on the trolley, they began their journey to the exit.

She noticed that there was a lot of media around the exit point. It wasn't a new occurrence at Mumbai airport where the press always gathered to snap "airport looks" of the celebrities.

Dhvani looked at the heard of media running towards her with their microphones and cameras in hand in bafflement.

"Are you Dhvnai?" One reporter demanded as he practically shoved the microphone into her face.

"Is that child Shaurya Gupta's?" Another reporter asked, and Dhvani's heart leaped into her mouth. Bright lights and flashes blinded her eyes. Hiding an equally frightened Dhruv behind her back, she tried to push away from them, but they kept tightening the circle around her and Dhruv that she was finding it hard even to breathe.

"Are you the reason that Shaurya Gupta and Priya Sinha broke up their engagement?"

"Is it true that Shaurya Gupta cheated on Priya Sinha with you?"

"Are you the mystery woman that was vacationing with him?"

"Is it true that Shaurya Gupta demanded you have a paternity test done for the child?"

"Dhruv," Dhvani yelled when a petrified Dhruv pushed through the crowd of media and tried to run away.

"My son," Dhvani yelled as she tried to follow Dhruv, but the media refused to let her pass.

"You can't leave without answering our questions. You have to tell us about your relationship with Shaurya."

"Is it true that he physically assaulted Priya for you? And then, in return, she slapped you?"

"Please let me through." She begged as tears blurred her vision, and her voice came out quiet and choppy—nothing to match the conundrum around her.

Dhavni pushed one reporter away enough to see Dhruv running right into the oncoming traffic. She didn't think it was possible to be more terrified than she already was, but was she wrong. Her heart felt like it had stopped beating entirely, and everything seemed to move in slow motion. The car speeding towards Dhruv and then him falling to the ground. Everything.

"Dhruv!" She screeched as loudly as she could and then with her motherly superpower, she tore through the media. "Dhruv!" She cried as she fell to her knees, not caring about the traffic. "Dhruv!" She picked up her son in her arms and wept profusely, looking at all the blood that had pooled around him because of the accident. "Somebody, please call me an ambulance." She yelled hysterically at the bystanders. Not caring about the media who was taking pictures of her and her injured son. "Dhruv, open your eyes. Mumma is here. I promise nothing will happen to you. Just open your eyes for me. Please!" She pleaded, but his eyes remained closed.