PUNARVIVAAH - ARRANGED TO LOVE (L&M #3)

SHOT 10

Abhay's pov!

"Where is she?" I asked desperately.

"Who?" Siddhu asked in a nonchalant tone.

"Damn it, Siddhu! Where is my daughter?" I asked furiously and he looked equally furious.

"Why do you care?"

As the voices escalated, mom hurried out from the kitchen.

"What is it?" Mama asked anxiously, looking between us.

"Where is Kriti?" I asked and before anybody could respond, I heard the guest bedroom door opening. I looked in that direction and saw the woman from earlier coming out, with Kriti in her arms. Kriti was trying to put the pendant around the woman's neck, into her mouth. The woman was trying to get the pendant out of Kriti's hold, but Kriti had her chubby little fists tightly wrapped around it.

I stood there, my heart skipping a beat as I watched the interaction between the woman and Kriti. My daughter clutched the pendant tightly, her chubby fingers unwilling to relinquish their grip. The woman, with her gentle demeanour, attempted to coax the pendant away.

"No Kriti.." The woman said and Kriti's lips jutted out thinking she was being scolded and I watched on as the woman panicked seeing Kriti about to cry.

But as Kriti's lips began to quiver and her eyes welled up with tears, I felt a surge of panic rise within me. I couldn't bear to see my daughter cry.

The woman's brow furrowed with concern as she tried to soothe Kriti, her own worry mirroring mine.

"Oh no, sweetie, please don't cry," she murmured, her voice tinged with urgency.

My heart raced as I watched the woman's frantic efforts to comfort Kriti. I felt a wave of helplessness wash over me, a bitter reminder of my own inadequacy as a father.

I ached to take her in my arms and pacify her. But I don't even deserve to go near her.

Siddhu, sensing the tension, stepped forward.

"Hey there, little one," he said softly, his voice a soothing balm in the room. "Let's see what we can do about this, shall we?"

With practised ease, Siddhu gently pried the pendant from Kriti's grasp, exchanging it for a colourful toy from her toy box near the couch.

"Here you go," he said, offering the toy with a warm smile.

Kriti's tears dried up almost instantly, her face lighting up with a delighted squeal as she reached for the toy. Siddhu chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he watched Kriti's joyful reaction.

My heart clenched as I watched my brother effortlessly calm my daughter. I felt a pang of envy mixed with admiration as Siddhu's easy confidence seemed to effortlessly ease Kriti's distress.

The woman shot Siddhu a grateful smile, her eyes shining with relief.

"Thank you, Siddhu," she whispered, her voice filled with gratitude.

"Ah! Don't worry about it, Vaiga. We have an oscar winning actress at home. She can cry at the drop of a hat and stop it as quickly. She is an expert at it and she clearly knows that by crying, she could get whatever she wants." Siddhu said with a chuckle, his gaze never leaving Kriti's smiling face.

At that moment, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. It should have been me, I thought bitterly, stepping up to comfort my daughter.

But I don't have the right to.

Without standing there for another moment, I walked towards the dining area.

Within a few minutes, the others also joined me there.

Siddhu brought Kriti's high chair and buckled her into it. And the woman, Vaiga, sat on the chair next to Kriti, instead of Mama. It was Mama who usually fed her. Why is she sitting next to my daughter? If she sits there, how will my daughter have her dinner?

I shot an angry glare at her, but she wasn't even looking in my direction. She was focused on talking to Kriti.

Who is she anyways?

Vaiga! Where have I heard that name?

"Vaiga, do you want me to feed Kriti? You must be hungry too.." Mama said.

"It's okay, Anjana Maa. I will manage.." Vaiga said and started feeding Kriti her baby food. Kriti is a messy and fussy eater and it is usually difficult to feed her. But this woman was patiently doing it without complaints.

Is she a new nanny? To look after my daughter.

If yes, I should keep a close watch on her to make sure that she looks after my baby well and this is not just an act she puts upon in front of my family, to please them.

As Kriti sat in her high chair, her face adorned with a mischievous grin, she grabbed a fistful of mashed peas and flung it across the table, sending green goo flying everywhere.

Damn!

Vaiga, sitting beside her, couldn't help but laugh at Kriti's antics, despite the mess.

"Oh, Kriti, you little troublemaker!" Vaiga exclaimed, reaching for a napkin to wipe up the mess. She gently dabbed at Kriti's face, trying to contain the chaos as more peas found their way onto the table rather than Kriti's tummy.

But Kriti wasn't done yet. With a gleeful squeal, she grabbed another handful of peas and attempted to stuff them into her mouth, only to smear them across her cheeks instead. Everyone chuckled at the sight, marvelling at Kriti's determination to make a mess.

"Alright, little one, let's try to eat some of these peas instead of wearing them, shall we?" Vaiga said with a playful smile, offering Kriti another spoonful of food.

But Kriti, giggling with delight, seemed more interested in exploring the texture of the peas with her fingers than actually eating them.

As dinner progressed, I found myself unable to tear my gaze away from Vaiga and Kriti, my mind consumed with questions and doubts. I knew I needed to find out more about this woman, to ensure that she was indeed capable of caring for my daughter.

As if sensing my scrutiny, Vaiga glanced up from her task, her eyes meeting mine for the briefest of moments before returning to Kriti.

There was something in those fleeting glances that gave me a pause.

She was smiling alright! Her lips were smiling at Kriti.

Why did her eyes look so dead?

A/n

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Love,

SF❤️