Let Me Love You ✨|| Completed

14. Family Bonding

~ meeting you was like meeting a stranger, as normal as breathing, but then it took me sometime to realize the difference of breathing air and breathing pure oxygen~

( I was editing this chapter to publish and I realized I seriously wrote this cheesy a quote two years ago! By god! 😂😭😂😭 Don't drown in the cheese okay? :p)

Nandini opened the front gate and entered with a smile but her face stiffened at the view in front of her. On the dining table, her monsters were seated, across each other with unreadable expressions and her mother was nowhere to be seen.

"Navu, Rishab? What's wrong? Where is amma?", She aksed, trying to hide the panic in her voice. Navya shifted uncomfortably with a glum expression and Rishab looked at her didu with anger. Well, fake anger. Too fake to seem real.

" We..", he pointed at himself and Navya," are not on talking terms with you", he announced and shifted his gaze towards the other side. Nandini, finally realizing what the fuss was all about, smiled and tiptoed to the dining table. Sitting on the empty chair between them, she made a puppy face before looking at her siblings.

" But if Didu's babies would be angry, how will didu be happy?", She spoke a little dramatically, the way which works between siblings making a sad face with a frown. Now, no matter how much they fight with their didu or how many tantrums they throw, Rishab and Navya could trade even their lives for one smile on her Didu's face.
So, like always, it worked and Navya eyed Rishab to end the drama because they couldn't bear her sad.

" Sorry didu...we were just trying to tease you. Please don't be sad didu. You will leave us soon and I don't want you to be sad the remaining days because of us...", Rishab explained seriously and Navya bobbed her head looking at the glum expression on her Didu's sweet face. Looking at them now nobody could tell they were 22 year olds, college going adults. But then, maybe it always works that way. The younger sibling is always a child to the elder one.

Nandini couldn't control and burst out laughing at their faces.

"And who said you were successful in teasing me? I am your Didu remember?", She laughed harder making both of them chuckle in embarrassment but she could also see tears in Navya's eyes and Rishab's heart.

" What's wrong with both of you?", She aksed this time, seriously holding each of their's right hand in one of hers.

" Didu...?", This time Navya spoke, but her tone was shivering.

" What happened Navu? You are scaring me!", She asked and Navya looked at her didu with tears streaming down her cheeks.

" It's not we are jealous or something didu. Dont misunderstand us but now that you will have your own family, you won't forget us right? Will we still be your priority?", Navya finally spoke her fears out aloud and Nandini was astonished at her thought process, only to realise she should not be. She should have expected exactly this.

" Will you still help us in our assignments? Will you still know without us speaking about what we need and when? You won't stop being our santa right?", It was Rishab this time and Nandini smiled at both of them though their faces were grief stricken. Navya and Rishab were more close to her than their mother. It was Nandini who had heard their stories about school and college patiently. It wad Nandini who didn't sleep the entire night before their exams and sat with them supplying them enough coffee and helping with the questions. Every unasked wish Nandini fulfilled for them. She was more of a mother to them than Padmini.

Nandini stood up and dragged both of them to her bedroom. Sitting with the support of the bedrest, she made them lie in her lap, kneading her fingers through their hairs.