Mumma, Do You Love Me?

Chapter 3 - Wish You Were Here

Ansh who had just got up from his nap rushed downstairs with high hopes of having his mother next to him, but all his hope was crushed when he saw his father cooking alone in the kitchen.

"Papa, where's Mumma?" Ansh questioned him as he settled himself on the high stool.

"Back to where she belonged!" Shivaay said in a nonchalant way.

"Huh? But, doesn't Mumma belong here, with us?"

"No, your Mumma never truly belonged to anyone. Not to her parents, not to me, not to you. She's just on her own!" Shivaay thought to himself. It was the truth actually, but, how can he say it to Ansh?

That pity little soul just got to know about his mother and met her. Now, after this, after knowing that his mother would never return, how would Ansh react? Would he throw a fit and be adamant to bring his Mumma back? Or would he go back to being the usual obedient child he always was. Or, the worst part of all, would Ansh turn out to be a rebel? Shivaay knew very well that his son is exactly like his mother. Unpredictable. He had never expected to see the naughty form of Ansh when he had yelled at him for asking about Anika. He had never thought that Ansh would scare off his babysitter. Even worse, he had never thought that Ansh would be in his mother's arms when he entered the house. Everything was going just fine in their life, until Anika stepped in. She just had to interfere and make a mess, doesn't she?

'She used to be your beautiful mess!' Shivaay's inner voice mocked him.

"Papa? Where are you lost? The food is burnt!" Ansh shouted at the top of his voice while shooing off the air in front of his face, unable to withstand the burnt odour.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Shivaay apologized as he quickly removed the pan from the stove and placed it into the sink, and opened the tap. Once the cool water hit the burnt food, more smoke began to evolve.

This made Ansh laugh as hard as he could, until the smoke hit the fire detector and the fire alarm started to blare along with a shower in the kitchen, making Shivaay completely drenched. Ansh on the other hand, was able to judge that the water was going to break when the alarm broke and ran out of the kitchen, at a safe place. Once Shivaay was able to put the pan away and turn off the fire alarm, Ansh peeked in through the entrance of the kitchen.

"Papa?" Ansh called out as he wasn't able to see his father's face.

"Yeah, Ansh, it's nothing. Don't be scared. Just a little mishap!" Shivaay began explaining but stopped when he saw his son laughing out loud.

"Papa... you... look... look like a... joker!" Ansh squealed as laughed out loud.

"What? Ansh!" Shivaay reprimanded him but his son cracked up more upon seeing his father like that.

"Papa! Don't wash yourself, just come like this for Halloween tomorrow!"

"You little brat! Wait, come here!" Shivaay chased him the whole house when Ansh began to run away.

"No!" Ansh squealed as he dashed towards his room, but was caught by his uncles in between.

"Ru Chachu, O Chachu! Let me go! Let me go! Monstervaay is chasing!"

"Monstervaay?" Rudra asked confused.

Just then, Shivaay came in sight. His face was blacken with the smoke. His usually well set hair was in a total mess. And, to make things worse, he was dripping wet.

"Mumma bhoot!!!" Rudra screamed on top of his voice and was about to run away when Om stopped him, saying it was Shivaay.

"Oh! Bhaiya, you scared me!" Rudra whinned.