The update is not showing in the notifications so had to re publish.
There stood her landlord and her husband with all their glory, and looking at them with strict faces. For a moment, Neetika and Akansh feared if they came to know about their truth.
"Let me handle. " Akansh whispered to Neetika before going towards the old couple and bending down to touch their feet.
When they blessed him, both Neetika and Akansh relaxed.
"Ye mehangi gaadi tumhari hai? " The old man asked and before Akansh could tell them an yes, Neetika interrupted.
"Nahi. Itni mehangi gaadi inki kaise ho sakti hai, inke boss ki hai. Voh bhi yahin ke hain, aur aaye the yaha apni family se Milne, toh unhi ki gaadi le aaye ye. Ab ye jaayenge unhe leke vaapas. " She explained.
"Abhi? " The lady asked and they both nodded. "Laao apne boss ka number, bolti hu ki ek toh miya biwi ko alag rakhte hain, or phir subah jaldi bhi bula lete hain. Beta tum jhukha mat kro unke saamne. " She said sternly.
"Par naukri ka sawal hai, agar nikal diya inhe naukri se, toh kaise kaam chalega? " Neetika said , acting gloomy.
"Naukri? Are uski chinta na karo tum log. Hum intezam kara denge. Mahine ke 20,000 rupaye milenge. Aur kya hi chahiye.. " The man told proudly.
"Jii uncle dhyan rakhenge. " Akansh stopped Neetika from speaking further. He was deeply embarrassed how they were discussing about his employment, when he himself gave the same to the people.
"Or aunty, " He turned to the lady. "Abhi phone aayega sir ka, tab jaana hai. Aap baat na kariye unse thik. Thank you. "
Before someone can say a word more, Akansh took Neetika's free hand in his and pulled her with himself to the lift.
"Hasshhh!! " Akansh dramatically wiped his forehead as if he was cleaning the sweat after a long hard work. "Kitne jhooth bolne padte hain.. "
Neetika scrunched her eyes and looked at him sharply. "Kisne bola aapse itne jhooth bolne ke liye. Mujhe toh lagta hai ki aapko maza aati hai jhooth bolne me.."
"Ek minute. " Neetika widened her eyes after concluding something. "Aap itni safaai se jhooth bolte hain, kahi koi... Gadbad toh nahi? "
"Like? " He questioned.
"Like.. Are you real Akansh Gupta? You are not faking it right? "
Akansh looked at her weirdly when he noticed her eyes shining with mischief and lips threatening to laugh. He narrowed his eyes at her, before giving a fake laugh.
"Nice joke, don't do again. "
Neetika rolled her eyes and turned her attention to her baby.
___
Neetika came out of her bathroom, after a long shower that erased her sleep enough to prepare something for Akansh and herself, and started combing her long hair.
While she was busy combing, she could hear the gibberish voice of Prince from outside the room i.e. the terrace, and she smiled thinking how happy he is with Akansh.
After getting to know about Akansh's past, she realised Akansh was not just her boss, he was more than that. Maybe a friend with whom she can share all her worries, and vice versa.
She had developed a soft corner for Akansh, knowing his life was not as easy as she always thought to be and he had bear immense pain in his life as well. And the only thing she now prayed was, his happiness.
When she was done braiding her hair, she applied the Kohl in her eyes and a light lip tint on her lips. She put a small black bindi on her forehead and smiled at her reflection, before going out to check on the duo.
But she frowned when she saw Akansh sleeping near the railings with Prince sitting on his lap and playing with his watch. He was looking ahead and speaking loudly (as if he was yelling), before looking back at the watch.
Neetika noticed that he was shouting on the girls who were looking at the two from the other building and giggling while teasing the baby. One of them was recording the video and made funny faces at the baby.
Neetika walked a little closer and waved her hand at them, with a blank face. The girls, smilingly, waved back.
"Are you done having the entertainment, or need more? "
The smile disappeared from their faces as they looked at each other and immediately ran back inside. Neetika waited there, to know if they will come back to check, and when they really came back, she passed them a glare that made them ran inside, again.
Neetika turned to the duo and looked at Prince who was now looking at his mother, opening his arms for her to lift him.
"Aa gyi maa ki yaad? " She squinted her eyes and tried to take him in her arms, but Akansh's hold was tight on him.
"Chorte hi nahi ye mere bacche ko. "
She complained to herself, and slowly tried to remove his hand from Prince but the hold tightened.
Prince tried to come out of his arms but when he couldn't, he looked at his momma with teary eyes and a pout, ready to cry.
"Roo mat dena, Prince. " She warned with her big eyes and slow voice. "Boht jaane ka mann karta hai na inke pass, raho ab vahi. Aana mat mere pass. "
She said it playfully, but tears fell down the baby's eyes as he started sniffing and Neetika grew tensed.
"Mazaak kar rahi thi bhaiya, aapke siwaa mera koi hai bhi? " She assured wiping his tears and kissing his cheek. "But abhi aise hi raho, Varna phir Sir jagg jayenge. Thak gye hain na voh, toh sone do unhe thoda. Thik?"
The baby still widened his arms for her to take him in her arms and love her like she always does in the morning.
Neetika smiled at him and neared his face, kissing his face several times, making smooching sounds.
"Mera pyaara RajKumar, mummy ka dulaara, sabse nyaara. Meri aakho ka taara, dil ka tukda, sabse haseen or sabse pyaara. " She recited what she recites every morning to Prince and the baby giggled. His saliva dropped from the corner of his mouth and Neetika wiped it with her dupatta.
"Aaj pata hai, mumma ne shanti se nahaya, kyuki unka Prince aaj roo nahi raha tha. Kitna Acha laga mujhe " She told Prince who was just trying to get a way to reach in her mother's arms.
"Vaise aap dono yaha kya kar rahe? Andar kyu nahi hain? " She asked, faking anger to the baby who was showing his tongue periodically.
"Pata hai, sab dekh rahe the. Agar nazar lah gyi toh? "
Neetika wiped some Kohl from her eyes and placed a dot behind Prince's ear and then looked at Akansh. He was sleeping, so she did not placed the black dot behind his ear but prayed for his happiness, again.
She slowly shook his body and when he looked at her with dropping eyes, she asked him to come inside and sleep. He was so exhausted, that he immediately stood up and went to her room. Neetika followed him with Prince in her arms.
Reaching her room, Akansh laid on the bed, pulling Prince in his embrace and fell asleep due to the exhaustion. While Neetika shook her head and she smiled seeing the duo.
Akansh was asleep in the next second while Prince was watching his face and blabbering in his own language. She moved to kitchen to prepare the food for Prince, Akansh and herself.
___
She was just done with her work when her phone started ringing and someone knocked in the door like fire caught the building.
She closed the knob of the pressure cooker and turned to open the door, when her elbow touched the cooker, and it fell right on her feet.
The heavy and bulky pressure cooker fell on her feet and the content poured out, making her scream and take a step back.
She sat on the ground, feeling immense pain. Her eyes turned teary as the foot burned, even though she was wiping it with her dupatta.
Hearing the loud noise and Neetika's scream, Akansh woke up with a jerk and immediately placed the sleeping Prince on a side, while running to the kitchen.
Ignoring the loud knocks on the door and the ringing of both their phone.
"Neetika! " He rushed to her and kneeled down beside her. He took her reddened feet in his hands and started rubbing it.
"Nooo.. " She screamed with tears. "It is paining. " She cried, trying to take her feet back but Akansh just ignored her and looked at the kneaded dough.
He took it and spread it nicely before applying it on her feet. "You are wasting--"
"Shut up Neetika! " He shouted at her and she sat back silently.
He looked at the condition of the kitchen floor and then her clothes, before looking at her with a mad look. "Jab khaana banana nahi aata, toh kyu banati ho. Pagal ho kya? "
"Pagal nahi hu mai, or khana banana aata hai mujhe.. " She told him back, sniffing with her nose and tearful eyes.
"Dikh raha hai kitna aata hai. " He mumbled, shaking his head and stood up. Neetika looked at him when he suddenly took her in his arms.
"Wha.. What are you.. Doing? " She stammered and Akansh looked at her irritatingly.
"Phekne jaa raha hu tumhe, gandi ho gyi ho na. " He rolled his eyes at her and went to her dressing table.
Sensing his false mood, she tried to lighten the mood. "Sajaa ke phekenge? "
"Chup chaap raho, varna sach me phek dunga. "
"Kaise? "
"Aise!" Akansh threw her lightly in the air before catching her in his arms back.
Neetika, frighteningly, clutched his collar and pushed her head in his neck. "Do.. Don't. Please. "
"Toh chup rehna! " She nodded meekly at him while Akansh hid the amused expression and continued to look for the cream in the dressing table.
"Suniye! "
"Sunaiye" The mere one word response from him made her heart flutter in happiness, but she controlled the light blush and spoke back,
"Someone is knocking on the doo--" Just as she was saying, the door was pushed-open and the two looked at that side.
"Kon? "
"Mom? "
The two spoke in parallel and then looked at each other.
_________