It was almost dinner time when Ram and Pihu came downstairs after playing hide-n-seek for an hour. Priya also joined them for some time but then Sandy called so she began talking to her and then went to help in the kitchen.
Coming downstairs, both Ram and Pihu sneakily scanned the whole living room.
Ram(whispering): Clear hai! Aa jao. Aa jao.
Tiptoeing Pihu looked inside the kitchen and confirmed to Ram that Priya wasn't there too. So they entered the kitchen and Ram asked Pawan, who was cutting cucumbers for making salad, to go sit in the living room. Knowing that these two again came to rob the snacks cabinet, Pawan shook his head and went outside the kitchen.
Leaning in Ram gave a high five to Pihu who jumped in utter joy as it all felt too exciting to her. For Ram it was like being in a spy movie and having Pihu as his chotu assistant.
Pihu: Chalo chalo Papa jaldi leke bhagte hain.
Ram nodded and walked towards the farthest corner of the kitchen where the chips, cream biscuits, wafers and other snacks were kept. Pihu trailed after him with shiny eyes.
Ram opened the cabinet and began rummaging through it as there were very less chips packets and above all they were the small 5 rupees packets.
Ram(whispering): Yeh 5 rupees ke packets kaun rakhta hai. Ismein toh hawa hoti hai aur uske saath 2-3 chips. Zaroor yeh Priya ki chaal hogi!
Feeling a tug on his kurta, he turned to look at his little munchkin who was waiting for him to fetch something for her as it was out of her reach. Her tiny pout made his heart melt and taking out two packets, he handed her one packet of chips just as littul as her.
He was going take some more when they heard a sound of clearing throat from behind. Both of their eyes widened in fear knowing who it was. Pihu hid the packet behind her while Ram immediately moved a little backwards and grabbed some pieces of cucumber that Pawan was cutting earlier. Putting a couple of pieces in his mouth, he gave Pihu some who also munched on it knowing they had to do some acting now.
Ram: Yeh cucumbers kitne fresh hain na Cupcake? Aur dekho Pawan ne kitna achha cut kiya hai...star star!
Pihu: Haan. Kitne cute hain!
The father-daughter duo began a extremely meaningless conversation, ignoring Priya who was leaning on the kitchen door. Pretending that they did absolutely nothing, they kept eating more pieces of cucumber.
Being very annoyed by their behaviours, Priya entered with a deep frown.
Priya: Kya chal raha hai yahan?
Ram and Pihu looked at her as if they absolutely didn't know she was here.
Ram(smiling widely): Arey Priya!
Pihu(smiling widely): Mumma!
Pursing her lips, Priya crossed her arms near her chest.
Priya: Mujhe achhe se pata hai aap dono yahan kyun aaye ho! Dinner ka time ho raha hai na! Kaha hai na maine ke itna junk food nahi khaate! Kaha hai ke nahi?
Pihu and Ram both bobbed their heads like a good kid.
Priya shook her head in disapproval seeing a little bit packet showing behind Pihu.
Priya: Pihu betu aap ke peeche woh kya hai? Chips?
Pihu shook her head vigorously, scooting closer to Ram who felt very helpless now. Letting out a sigh Priya walked towards them and held out her hand in front of Pihu.
Priya: Betu it's dinner time. Abhi yeh sab nahi khaate. Petu mein dard hoga Pihu. Baat suno meri please. Dedo mujhe woh packet. Baad mein khaana woh.
Pihu looked at Ram once and knowing very well that her Papa didn't stand a chance in front of her Mumma, she gave the packet to Priya with a pout.
Priya: Thank you betu. Main baad mein dungi okay?
Pihu nodded still pouting sadly.
Priya: Aap gussa ho mujhse?
Pihu shook her head with a small smile. Priya caressed her hair, giving her a flying kiss.
Priya: Dinner mein aap ke favourite Matar paneer hai.
Pihu's mood immediately lifted listening to that and her eyes sparkled in joy.
Pihu: Yayyy!
And then Priya turned towards Ram, her lips forming a tight smile. She noticed how he was covering his belly with his hands.
Priya: Aur aapko kya invitation doon main?
Ram(with a frown): K-kya? Maine k-kuch nahi kiya.
Priya closed her eyes to gather strength to deal with this 44 year old child. Opening her eyes, she patted Ram's belly and all three heard the sound of the packet. Ram looked at Priya with fear in his eyes while Pihu covered her mouth seeing what her Papa did.
Priya: Toh yeh kya hai?
Making a face, Ram let go of the packet that fell on the floor and then kept it on the counter.
Ram: Sach mein x-ray vision aankhein hain tumhari!
As Pihu forwarded her arms towards Priya, she picked her up in her arms.
Priya: Nahi x-ray vision aankhein nahi hain par aapki yeh harkatein zaroor pata chal chuki hain achhe se.
Pihu started laughing covering her mouth with her hands as it was highly entertaining for her when her Mumma scolded her Papa.
Ram: Arey tum mujhe kyun daant rahi ho! (Pointing towards Pihu) Iska plan tha yeh. Ab dekho kaise khi khi karke hass rahi hai. Hadd hai yaar!
Priya turned towards Pihu with a frown.
Priya: Betu yeh dinner ke pehle chips khaane ka plan aap ka tha?
Pihu shook her head with a very innocent expression.
Ram(with widened eyes): Hooo! Kaise jhooth bol rahi hai. Pihu ne kaha mujhe ke Papa chalo chips khaate hain. Thodi thodi bhookhi lagi hai. Ab dekho kaise sar hila rahi hai.
Priya: Pihu betu aisa kaha aap ne?
Pihu again shook her head innocently, making Ram gape in utter shock.
Ram: Arey! Hamesha tum aisa karti ho mere saath Cupcake! Aur phir daant main khaata hoon.
Pihu looked at Priya with puppy eyes.
Priya: Mr. Kapoor Pihu 4 saal ki hai. You should know better. Aap kyun iski baat sunte hain!
Pihu looked at Ram, sticking her tongue out playfully.
Ram: Dekho Priya dekho kaise mujhe jeebh dikha Rahi hai!
But when Priya looked at Pihu again, she had already taken her tongue inside and looked at her Mumma innocently.
Priya: Koi chips khaata hai itni raat ko Mr. Kapoor?
Ram: Haan meri hi galti hai sab. Mujhe hi iski baat nahi manni chahiye.
Pihu looked at Ram puffing her cheeks.
Pihu: Mujhe baat nahi karni.
She then hid her face in the crook of Priya's neck.
Ram: Huh mujhe bhi baat nahi karni.
Saying this Ram walked out of the kitchen.
The whole time during dinner Ram and Pihu gave each other side-eye and didn't speak a word to each other. Normally Pihu would seat in the middle, between her Mumma and Papa but today Priya was sitting in the middle, playing Switzerland. She had already announced that she won't be taking any one's side and that she valued her mental peace over their fight.
. . . . . . . .
Finishing his dinner Ram went upstairs in their room while Pihu kept following Priya wherever she went.
Priya was making a list for the grocery shopping next day when Pihu kept tugging on her dupatta.
Pihu: Mumma hua?
Priya: Nahi Pihu thodi der aur. Aap jao na Papa ke saath khelo tab tak. Main thodi der mein aati hoon.
Pihu: Mujhe nahi khelna Papa ke saath.
Letting out a sigh, Priya tilted a little to talk to Pihu.
Priya: Betu jhagda toh aap ne kiya na unse? Toh sorry bhi aap ko hi bolna chahiye.
Pihu: Papa mujhe daant khilana kyun chahte the?
Priya: Betu aap jhooth bol rahe the yeh mujhe achhe se pata hai aur daant unko padi kyunki woh bade hain. Aap hass bhi toh rahe the na maine jab unhe daant lagayi. Mazza aata hai kya aap ko?
Pihu nodded with a smile.
Priya: Tch. Pihu! Buri baat! Jao sorry bolo aur manao unhe.
Pihu shook her head dramatically.
Pihu: Offo! Yeh Papa bhi na...choti choti baaton pe gussa ho jaate hain. Ab jaake manana padega. Okay Mumma main chali.
Saying this Pihu walked out of the kitchen while Priya shook her head with a chuckle thinking how she gave birth to the twin of her husband.
. . . . . . . .
Pihu: Papa! Papa!
Pihu called out even before entering the room. Ram turned his gaze towards the door and saw Pihu enter with a smile, her hands behind her back.
Although he was melted by only calling him Papa, he still chose to show fake anger that he had been doing since everything happened. As he turned to look towards his phone again, Pihu went up to the bed and sat in front of him.
Pihu: Popsieeee! Ohhh Popsieee!
Ram stifled a laugh and finally looked into Pihu's eyes.
Pihu(poking his hand): Sorry naaaa...ab toh baat karo! Achha main ek story sunaungi toh chalega?
Ram excitedly smiled.
Ram: Story?
Pihu nodded.
Ram: Thik hai toh phir maaf kiya.
Pulling Pihu into his arms Ram gave her a bone-crushing hug, rubbing his beard on her right cheek.
Pihu: Papaaaaa! Chub rahi hai!
Ram left her immediately, caressing her cheek.
Ram: Ohhh! Sorry sorry. Ab sunao story.
Surprising Ram, Pihu went to sit in the middle of the bed, crossing her legs and gestured to Ram to rest his head on her lap.
Ram became very confused. It has been years since someone asked him to do that and he didn't know how to feel about that. There was a weirdly good feeling bubbling up inside him.
Pihu: Jaldi Papa jaldi!
He heard Pihu say, again gesturing at him to lay down, keeping his head on her lap. Ram smiled and letting out a soft sigh, he laid down resting his head on Pihu's lap.
As soon as he did that, he felt Pihu's soft and tiny fingers brushing through his curls very gently. And he knew who she reminded him of- his mother, Meenakshi.
After losing his mother at such an young age, he never felt that unconditional, motherly love with anyone else. Only one person who came close to that was Meera but that love also, betrayed him.
Our bodies has a tendency to memorize how they felt at a certain point of time even though there was no recollection of a visual memory.
So even though Ram had very little memories of his mother, he still remembered how loved he was.
Pihu: Papa aankhein bandh karo.
Pihu was copying her Mumma. Her Mumma always made her lay down on her lap while putting her to sleep. But her Papa was so big that he wouldn't fit into her lap, so she asked him to rest his head only in her lap.
Turning on the side, Ram closed his eyes. The tears he was trying so hard to control, rolled down his eyes. Hiding his face in Pihu's lap, he hugged her tiny leg like a side pillow.
Pihu caressed his hair and rested her back on the headboard.
Pihu: Good boy. Toh main start karoon?
Ram(clearing his throat): Haan haan.
Pihu: Okk...toh iss story ka naam hai "Happily Ever After".
A lone tear escaped his right eyes when he smiled listening to the name of the story.
Pihu: Yeh na Mumma ki favourite story hai.
Ram's smile widened and he couldn't wait to listen to the story anymore.
Ram: Achha?
Pihu: Haan. Iss story mein jo Prince hai...woh unhe bade achhe lagte hain.
Forgetting his tears, Ram frowned deeply. A pang of jealousy rippled in his heart.
"Mujhe toh hero nahi maanti. Par kisi story ka kaunsa buddhu Prince bohot pasand hai madam ko! Wahh! Yeh hi zindagi hai teri Ram. Pata nahi kya dikha usmein Priya ko!", Ram thought pouting sadly.
Pihu cleared her throat softly and resumed the story. So Ram focused on it immediately, to find out what was so special about this Prince.
Pihu: Bohottt dino pehle ki baat hai. Durr samander ke kinaare ek bada sa sheher hua karta tha. Aur ussi sheher mein, samander ke paas ek badeee se mahal mein ek Khadoos Prince rehta tha.
"Prince bhi khadoos hai...isiliye Masterni ko woh pasand hai", Ram made a face.
Pihu: Aur uss sheher ke bilkul ek alag side ke ek chote se Ghar mein rehti thi ek Pyaari si Princess.
"Lo dekho! Prince ki toh Princess hai! Phir bhi meri Princess ko woh hi kyun pasand???", Ram thought letting out a soft sigh.
Pihu: Toh Prince aur Princess ek doosre ko bilkul pasand nahi karte the.
Ram(with a frown): Kyun?
Pihu: Kyunki jab bhi woh milte the...unn mein fight hoti thi.
Ram: Ohoo...achha achha. Galti na Khadoos Prince ki hi hogi, kyunki Princess toh badi pyaari hai.
Pihu: Offo Papa! No! Aap suno na!
Ram: Achha achha. Phir?
Pihu: Uss Khadoos Prince ko baarish bohottt pasand thi, aur Princess ko bilkul nahi.
And something clicked on Ram's mind. His eyes widened in pleasant surprise as he tried to do the math. He decided to wait as the story unfolded more, to reach his conclusion.
Ram: Phir?
Pihu: Phir ek din dono mile aur phir se dono se bohot ladayi ki. Aur achanak baarish hone lagi. Princess ka toh mood aur kharab ho gaya baarish dekh ke. Aur Prince ko bohottt Khushi hui. Uss din na Princess umbrella bhi nahi laayi thi aur na hi raincoat. Bechari! Toh Princess na sad ho gayi...toh woh dekh ke Prince ne apna jacket utarke Princess ke mathe pe pakda...umbrella ki tarah taaki Princess baarish mein na bheege.
Ram finally smiled to his heart's content, realising whose story Pihu was telling him.
"Toh main hoon story ka Prince! Aur Priya meri Princess! Priya ne Pihu ko hamari kahani sunayi hai!", Ram thought, smiling bashfully.
But then something else annoyed him as he couldn't agree with the terms of the story.
Ram: Ek second! Prince toh phir achha hai na! Cute hai. Princess hi khadoos hai. Baarish kisko nahi pasand hoti! Khadoos!
"Khud pyaari...aur main...khadoos? Isne toh story hi ulat palat kar diya! Bohot badi chant ho tum Priya!", he thought, sulking.
Pihu: Nahi nahi. Aap story suno na chup chap. Shushhhh!
Ram: Ohh sorry sorry. Phir?
Pihu: Toh Prince ki ek pyaari si Behen thi Chhoti Princess aur Princess ka ek cute sa Bhai tha Chhota Prince.
Ram's smile saddened as he remembered Shivi. His Shivi Bachha. He had so many dreams for her. He was so happy that she got Akki in life. But life was unfair. He lost his child and Akki lost the love of his life.
Rubbing his nose a little, he blinked back his tears, not wanting to ruin Pihu's mood who was so excited to tell him her Mumma's favourite story.
Pihu: Aur woh dono na ek doosre ke bestfriends the. Toh dono ne shaadi karne ka socha taaki woh hamesha hamesha ke liye bestfriends bann jaaye.
Ram(with a sad smile): Wow. Phir?
Pihu: Par jo Chhota Prince tha woh Princess se bohotttt pyaar karta tha toh usne kaha jab tak meri didi ko unka Prince Charming nahi milta, main shaadi nahi karunga.
Ram: Tch. Tch. Phir?
. . . . . . . .
Priya was about to enter the room when her eyes fell on her husband and her daughter. The sight in front of her, melted her heart like nothing else in the whole damn world. Happy tears pooled into the corners of her eyes. Leaning on the door, she kept adoring the two parts of her soul. The way Pihu was caressing her Papa's hair just felt so heartwarming to her.
But her smile turned into a frown as soon as the words "Khadoos Prince" reached her ears. Running inside the room, she took a deep breath and tried to stop Pihu from telling the whole story.
Priya: Pihu! Betu it's 10:15 pm. Ab sona chahiye aapko.
Pihu pouted while Ram frowned deeply.
Pihu: Mumma main suna doon poori story Papa ko? Pleaseeeeee! Thodi der baas!
Ram: Haan haan mujhe sunna hai...(with a tight smile) Aur yeh bhi samajhna hai ke asal mein khadoos kaun hai...Prince ya Princess?
Priya mentally slapped her head, knowing very well that she wasn't ready for this. But more than that she knew that Ram wouldn't let go without listening to this "a lot happier" version of their story.
Pihu held out her hand for her and gestured to her to sit beside her and listen to the story. Helplessly she sat resting her back on the bedrest as Pihu resumed once again.
Pihu: Toh ab sab Princess ke liye ek Prince Charming dhoondne lage.
Ram gave Priya a mischievous grin who was looking at him.
Ram: Toh mila Prince Charming?
Pihu: Offo Papa! Kitne questions poochte ho! Wait karo thoda.
Ram placed his right index finger of his lips like a little kid, making Priya smile widely.
Pihu: Sab ne dhoond kar bhi Prince Charming nahi mila toh uske baad Chhoti Princess ki Mumma ne kaha Prince aur Princess ki shaadi kara dete hain.
Priya saw Ram let out a sigh, closing his eyes.
Ram: Phir?
Pihu: Princess sunke bohotttt gussa hui aur Prince ko daantne chali gayi. Dono mein phir se ladayi ho gayi. Phir Princess rone lagi toh Prince se usko Tissue diya aankhein pochne ke liye.
Ram looked up at Pihu with a smile.
Ram: Jaise main deta hoon?
Pihu: Haan waise! Aur phir Princess ko pata chala ke Prince ko toh iss ke baare mein kuch pata hi nahi tha. Tab Prince ne ek bohot bura joke bola aur Princess bohot hassi.
Ram: Toh Prince aur Princess ki shaadi cancel?
Pihu: No no. Phir Princess ki Mumma ne kaha Prince achha hai aur Princess ko usse bestfriend banana chahiye toh Princess ne ha kar di. Aur Prince ne bhi haan kar di kyunki Chhoti Princess bhi same same chahti thi.
Ram: Par Prince aur Princess toh bilkul pasand nahi karte the ek doosre ko toh haan kaise kar di? Aur Prince toh khadoos tha na?
Pihu: Papa! Shushhhhh! Mumma dekho na Papa kitna bolte hain!
Priya laughed covering her mouth while Ram pouted.
Ram(muttering under his breath): Ab insaan baat bhi na kare aur questions bhi na pooche?
Pihu: Papa aap phir se baat kar rahe ho? Aise karoge toh main nahi sunayungi.
Ram shook his head with extreme urgency.
Ram: Arey nahi nahi. Main chup rahunga. Sorry sorry.
Pihu frowned and waited for some time before continuing her story.
Pihu: Toh Prince aur Princess ne bola ke woh dono bina jhagda kiye rehne ki koshish karenge aur dono ki shaadi shuru ho gayi. Prince aur Princess ne ek doosre ko ring pehenayi jaise Mumma aur aap ne kiya tha. Hai na Mumma?
Priya nodded with a smile looking at Pihu, marveling at Pihu's storytelling talent. And her cheeks flushed when Ram held her right hand and caressed her engagement ring with a smile.
Pihu: Phir unki Sangeet mein dono ne dance kiya.
Ram frowned deeply and couldn't help but talk.
Ram: Nahi nahi...dance nahi kiya.
Pihu: Offo Papa...kiya tha dance. Aap ko story nahi pata. Chup!
Scratching the back of his head, Ram looked at Priya with questioning eyes as he didn't expect that. But he got his answer when Priya refused to make an eye contact with him. He understood that it was HER story, the way she wanted everything to happen in her life, for them.
Pihu: Aur phir Prince aur Princess ki shaadi ho gayi.
Ram let out a soft sigh thinking how good it would've been if their marriage happened this easily and beautifully, without any problem, any misunderstandings. He kept holding Priya's hand whose eyes were fixed on the view outside the window, aimlessly staring at the night sky.
Pihu: Uske baad dheere dheere Prince aur Princess baat karne lage. Jhagda bhi karte the par bohot kam. Princess samjhi ke Prince utna bhi khadoos nahi hai, achha hai. Aur Prince ko bhi Princess achhi lagi.
Priya let out a soft chuckle as Ram kept gently poking on the back of her hand to grab her attention.
Pihu: Aur phir aayi woh Zyada Makeup karne wali Chudail.
Ram immediately stopped whatever he was doing and looked at Pihu, completely shocked by the statement. He needed to confirm if whatever he just heard wasn't just his imagination.
Ram: Zyada what? K-kya bola?
Pihu: Arey Papa! Hote hain na Zyada Makeup karne wale chudail? Waiseeee!
As Ram understood that Priya referred to Vedika as "Zyada Makeup Karne Wali Chudail" in her story, he couldn't stop himself from laughing his ass off.
Letting out a loud laugh, his head fell from Pihu's lap. He rolled on his belly and began to throw his legs and hands while laughing hysterically. That was the most entertaining thing he has ever heard.
Priya covered her face with her hand, feeling really awkward and slightly annoyed, seeing Ram's reaction to it.
And on the other side, Pihu couldn't understand what was so funny and why her Papa was laughing like that?
Pihu: Itna funny tha kya?
Ram(still laughing loudly): Bohottttttt! Hahahahahahahahhhhh zyada makeup karne wali Chudailllllllll!
Ram kept laughing for another couple of minutes before Pihu again scolded him for not giving enough attention so he tried to keep his mouth shut,
Occasionally staring at Priya who looked like a tomato by then out of sheer embarrassment.
Pihu: Yeh Chudail na bohotttt buri thi. Usse Prince ka Cinderella banna tha aur woh koshish karne lage ke Prince aur Princess aur ladne lage. Par Prince aur Princess toh dost banne lage the. Aur unn dono ne ek doosre ke liye fast bhi rakkha tha taake woh dono healthy rahe, khush rahe.
Ram: Yeh Chudail toh bohot kharab hai?
Pihu: Hainaaaa? Bohot kharab hai. Mujhe toh bilkul achhi nahi lagti!
Ram(scruching up his nose): Mujhe bhi nahi!
Ram saw Priya's lips curling up in a little smile listening to him.
Pihu: Aur phir Prince ke birthday pe Princess ne ek bohot sundar si party arrange ki aur uske liye uska favourite cake bhi banaya. Prince uss din bohotttt khush hua aur dono ke bohot masti ki. Baarish mein bheege, bohot saara cake bhi khaaya!
Ram: Achha baarish mein bheege? Par Princess ko toh baarish pasand nahi thi.
Pihu(with a smile): Haan par Prince ka toh birthday tha na...toh Princess ne special gift diya.
Ram(nodding): Achhaaaaa...special gift! Toh ab dono dost....
Sticking his tongue out, Ram gestured to not disturb Pihu again, seeing her angry eyes.
"Bilkul Mumma ki tarah gusse se dekhti hai, jaise kha jayegi abhi. Phewwwww!", Ram
Pihu: Kuch din baad phir se bohotttt ladayi ho gayi. Par jab Prince ko chott lagne wali thi, toh Princess ne usse bacha liya...phir iss wajah se Princess ko chott lagg gayi.
Slowly holding Priya's hand, Ram intertwined their fingers. As she finally looked into his eyes, she saw the abundance of gratitude those held in them. Giving a soft smile to each other, they again focused on the story.
Ram: Aur tab Prince ne kaha tum please mat jao, tum meri bestfriend ho. Haina?
Pihu: Nahi! Uff Papa chup!
Ram: Arey main keh raha hoon na...kaha tha Prince ne!
Pihu: Mujhe story khatam karne do na Papa please.
Priya smiled shyly as she remembered him telling her a few weeks back, how he confessed his feelings towards her at that time. But now the temperature was rising again as Pihu was losing her cool because of Ram's constant disturbance.
Priya: Mr. Kapoor aap usse sunaane dije. Aap apni story baad mein suna dena. Betu aap bolo.
Ram pouted and dug his face in Pihu's lap with a soft sigh.
Pihu: Toh Prince uss din bohot roya kyunki Princess ko bohot chott lagi thi. Phir jab Princess neend se uthi, toh Prince bohot khush hua, usne Princess ka bohot dhyaan rakkha. Aur dono dheere dheere dost banne lage.
Ram felt butterflies in the pit of his tummy as Pihu said those last few words. He felt all shy and mushy-mushy inside and blushed profusely.
Pihu: Aur jab Princess thoda thik hui...toh Prince ne usse ek surprise diya!
Ram: Kya?
Pihu: Unn dono ne terrace pe baithke stars dekhe!
Ram: Wowww!
Pihu: Hainaaa! Aur samose bhi khaaye.
Ram: Ahahahahhh! Samoseeee! Phir?
Pihu: Phir ek din Princess ne uss Chudail ko Prince ke saath baat karte dekha. Princess ko toh bohot gussa aaya kyunki Chudail bilkul achhi nahi thi.
Ram: Achhaaaa...phir?
Pihu: Phir Prince ne bohot koshish ki Princess ko manane ki par woh bohot gussa thi. Aur achanak wahan ek itnaaaa...(showing how big it was) bada sa Chuha aa gaya.
Ram covered his mouth dramatically.
Pihu: Prince aur Princess dono dar gaye.
Priya didn't know if she had it in her to stay till the story so she decided to go for a walk on the terrace.
Priya: Oho...Pihu mujhe ek kaam yaad aa gaya. Abhi aayi. Aap continue karo.
And she walked out of the room without making an eye-contact with Ram who frowned deeply leaving like that but then turned towards Pihu again.
Pihu: Prince ne Princess ko bola aur Princess ke Prince ko...ke tum chuha bhagao. Dono ne iss liye bhi ladayi ki ke chuha kaun bhagayega.
Ram began to laugh remembering their encounter with the rat.
Pihu: Because Princess bohot bahadur thi, usne chilla chillake chuha ko bhaga diya. Hai na Princess story ki hero?
Ram: Bilkul. (Pouting) Aur Prince bilkul zero!
Pihu giggled softly, putting her hand on her mouth.
Pihu: Phir Prince ne Princess ka gussa bhagane ke liye usse ek itniiiii badi jaadu ki jhappi di, aur Princess ka saara gussa aise phuss ho gaya.
Ram again hid face feeling very shy recalling their special hug that day. It still gave him goosebumps thinking how he felt hugging Priya like that.
Pihu: Aur phir Prince aur Princess bestfriends bann gaye hamesha, hamesha ke liye.
Ram clapped his hands with a wide smile plastered on his lips.
Ram: Yayyyyy!
Pihu: Phir ek din Princess ne Prince ko surprise diya.
With a confused expression, Ram looked at Pihu.
Ram: Kya?
Pihu(excitedly): Princess ne Prince ko bataya ke unke paas ek littul baby aane wala hai!
Tears pooled into Ram's eyes as he understood that Priya wanted to tell him on her own about the happiest news of their life but things didn't go as she wanted them to.
Caressing Pihu's hair, Ram placed a soft kiss on Pihu's hand with a tearful smile.
Ram(softly): Phir?
Pihu: Prince bohotttt khush hua aur kuch maheene baad ek littul Princess aayi. Aur littul Princess ki eyes bilkul aap ne Papa ki tarah thi. Prince aur Princess bohottt khush huye aur happy happy rehne lage.
A lone tear escaped Ram's right eye that he wiped on Pihu's pajama and smiled.
Ram: Kitni achhi story thi na Pihu bachhe?
Pihu: Nahi nahi Papa story baaki hai abhi. Wait.
Ram smiled softly as he didn't expect that there would be more to the story.
Pihu: Phir littul Princess thodi badi hui uske baad ek aur bhi littul Baby aaya. Littul Princess bohottt happy hui aur woh chaaron khushi se rehne lage. The end!
If said that Ram was shocked, would be underestimating. He was shocked, beyond explanation. So shocked that he couldn't keep his head seated on Pihu's lap. Sitting with a jerk, he looked at Pihu, completely bewildered.
Ram: K-kya? Ek-ek aur bhi...littul...baby? Matlab?
Pihu looked at him, pursing her lips, a little disappointed. Did her Papa not know what a littul baby was? What a dum-dum!
Pihu(showing the size of a small baby): Haan ittu sa smol baby Papa. Hote hain na chote chote! Maitri maasi ko bhi toh baby hoga na!
Ram shook his head for a few times, trying to get a hold of his racing brain.
Ram: Nahi matlab chota baby? Prince aur Princess ka? Matlab do do babies?
Pihu nodded with a smile, making Ram's eyes more widened.
Pihu(proudly): Toh batao achhi story thi na?
Ram nodded with a smile but his mind was somewhere else. He couldn't stop thinking about the last para of the story his little princess just told him.
"Toh kya...phir...Priya...baby? Hamara...baby? Matlab Priya aur...m-mera?", Ram thought, still trying to put two and two together.
But then he looked at Pihu who was waiting for his appreciation with eager eyes. So he took a long breath and smiled at Pihu.
Ram: Bohotttt achhi thi. Thank you bachhe!
Picking Pihu up in his arms, he hugged her close to his heart and kissed her hair.
Ram: Aap kitne achhe se stories sunaate ho. Mujhe toh pata hi nahi chala itni badi story kab khatam ho gayi. Phir se sunaoge mujhe stories?
Pihu: Okk! Phir se sunaungi.
Ram: Thik hai. (Caressing her hair) Ab sone ka time hai. Bohot raat ho chuki hai. Aankhein bandh karo okay? Nahi toh Mumma aake ab daant lagayegi.
Pihu: Thik hai. Good night Papa.
Ram: Good night meri Littul Princess.
Pihu chuckled and then closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Ram's neck.
Ram: Pihu bachhe? Sorry...ek question!
Pihu: Hmm?
Ram: Littul Princess ko Baby Sister mili ya Baby Brother?
Pihu: Yeh toh nahi pata. Mumma se poocha tha maine...Mumma ko bhi nahi pata.
Ram: Oh...umm...thik hai. Tum so-so jao.
Ram kept caressing Pihu's hair until she felt into deep sleep. He then placed her on the bed gently, resting her head on her pillow.
With tears in his eyes, he kissed her forehead and hands. He felt overwhelmed with the range of emotions he was experiencing at that moment. On one hand, his daughter reminded him of his mother and it was both heartwrenching yet heartbreaking. And in the other, he got to know something that he wasn't aware of, something that his Priya wished for but didn't share it with him yet, something that didn't came to his mind as he was too busy living in the present, be there for his little Pihu and his Priya.
Ram(whispering): Thank you Pihu bachhe. For everything. Aap sach mein meri angel ho. I love you so much. (Tears rolling down his eyes) Main na aapko bata nahi paaya...umm...par aap ne mujhe na aaj aap ki Daadi ki yaad dila di. Toh...jo bhi kiya aaj aap ne thank you for that.
He felt Pihu tightening her grip of his hand and that made his heart happy. Wiping his tears he stayed there for some more time, caressing her head gently.
After some time, he again kissed her forehead and then tucked her securely in the blanket before going out of the room, in search of his Priya.
. . . . . . . .
Reaching on the terrace, Ram looked around and found Priya leaning on the railing as he expected. Her eyes fixed on the sky filled with stars.
With a soft smile, he walked up to her and embraced her from the back. It wasn't much of a shock to Priya. She expected him to be there after hearing the complete story and she still didn't know how to talk about her wishes with him.
Priya: So gayi?
Ram: Hmm.
She felt Ram's hold tighten around her waist when he placed a soft kiss on her hair.
Ram(softly): Tumne bataya kyun nahi mujhe?
Priya didn't answer. She just let out a soft sigh and then blinked back her tears, not knowing how to tell him that she dreamt of having a little family with him since the day he mentioned that he would be the "daddy cool". Them and their two little kids. Their lil happy family.
Holding her shoulders gently, Ram made Priya turn around and then placed a soft kiss on her right cheek but she kept her eyes fixed on the ground.
Ram: Priyaaa...dekho na meri taraf. Batao na kyun nahi bataya?
Priya closed her eyes for a couple of seconds and then decided to speak her mind.
Priya: Aap toh nahi chahte na...
With a deep frown, Ram cupped her face and gently made her look at him.
Ram: Maine aisa kab kaha?
Priya: Uss raat...jab aap kutte, billi laane ki baat kar rahe the.
Ram's frown deepened as he tried to recall that particular conversation. And his eyes widened because even though he was thinking about adopting an animal, his wife was thinking about their second child.
He chided himself for being such a dumb head. How could he not notice the glint in Priya's eyes, how she was blushing at the thought of having a "naya sadasya", how she said "sochke dekh sakte hain". She was thinking about growing their tiny family and he had no clue about it.
Ram: Tch. Ohhh...uss raat. Sorry main na bilkul budhhu hoon. Mujhe samajh nahi aaya tha tum bachhe...ki...baat. Main toh kutta billi kya kya samajh baitha. Par maine na toh nahi bola.
Priya shook her head with a tight smile.
Priya: Na nahi bola...par socha bhi nahi iss baare mein. Hai na?
Ram sighed deeply and shook his head.
Ram: Main jhooth nahi bolunga Priya. Maine sach mein nahi socha. Main Pihu ko leke itna busy ho jaata hoon. Har din usse dekhke abhi bhi shocked ho jaata hoon. Toh mere dimaag main kabhi aaya bhi nahi.
Priya: Main samajh rahi hoon Mr. Kapoor. Asaan nahi hai aap ke yeh sab. Achanak se itna bada change. Main aap pe koi pressure nahi daalna chahti. It's okay agar hum dono same nahi chahte.
Priya did say that but her heart broke at the thought of it. She didn't want to overload Ram because it was a huge decision for their lives. It was already a big change for Ram because he became a father overnight.
Caressing Priya's cheeks, Ram kissed her forehead gently.
Ram: Pehle nahi socha toh kya hua...ab soch lete hain.
Rubbing her nose with his once, Ram touched their foreheads and then closed his eyes. His imaginations took him to someplace really beautiful.
Priya, with a little baby in her arms, Pihu sitting just beside Priya caressing her baby brother or sister's cheeks lovingly while he was clicking a picture of their sweet family.
Ram smiled as his heart got filled with immense love and happiness. He did want another baby. It would have been great to experience fatherhood like that.
Ram: Priya?
Priya: Hmm?
Ram(with a smile): Achha hoga na agar Pihu ko ek choti behen ya bhai mile?
Priya immediately looked into Ram's eyes. She saw him smiling at her. A ray of hope lit up her face seeing the sparkle in his eyes.
Priya: Aap chahte hain?
Ram: Haan Priya. Ismein na chahne wali kaunsi baat hai. (With tear-filled eyes) Of course main chahta hoon ke hum dono phir se Mummy Papa bane.
Tears pooled into Priya's eyes and she pulled Ram into a tight hug with a wide smile.
But Ram felt scared too. Priya wasn't well physically and mentally. Would she be able to carry a healthy child while being healthy herself?
Ram: Priya?
Priya: Hmm?
Ram: Tum sure ho na?
Priya broke the hug and looked at Ram with a confused expression noticing his troubled voice.
Ram: Mera matlab tumhari tabiyat...(caressing her face) Sab theek hoga na? Tum kar paogi na? I mean...phir se pregnancy...itne maheene...itna strain.
Priya knew that her current health status would be a problem and it would stress Ram to the point of rethinking about the whole decision. She needed to reassure him that she was capable and that she wanted to do it for them.
Removing his hands from her waist, Priya held them tightly.
Priya: Sab theek hoga. Aap itna stress mat lije. Aur iss baar toh aap honge mere saath. Haina?
Ram: Of course. Woh galti main phir kabhi nahi dohorayunga Priya. Tumhare saath rahunga, har pal. Par phir bhi...
Ram wanted Priya to be completely okay before they start trying and he knew that Priya would be like "I'm fine. Aap stress le rahe hain and all that" so he needed to come up with a different idea of making sure that her healing is prioritised before anything else.
Priya: Kuch nahi hoga. Main bilkul thik hoon.
Ram gave a soft smile and kissed her nose, making her smile.
Ram: Thoda waqt dogi mujhe? Sab kuch thoda thik thak ho jaaye pehle. Tumhari tabiyat thodi aur thik ho jaye, Pihu school jaana start kare aur tumhe bhi toh join karna hai na. Toh thoda rukk jaate hain...kuch maheene. Main chahta hoon iss baar koi problem na ho. Sab kuch thik se ho jaaye. Tum aur (with a smile) hamara baby bilkul healthy raho. Toh?
Priya nodded with a smile.
Priya: Thik hai. Koi baat nahi. Main thodi aaj ke aaj hi...
Priya bit her tongue as she just spoke without thinking about what they needed to do to make a baby. Seeing Ram giving her a naughty smile, she lowered her eyes feeling shy. Her cheeks heat up at the thought of being physically intimate again.
Wrapping his arms around her again, Ram pulled Priya closer, rubbing his beard gently on her cheeks.
Ram(softly): Kya keh rahi thi waise...aaj ke aaj? Haan?
Priya: K-kuch nahi.
Ram let out a loud laugh, seeing her not even making an eye-contact with him.
Ram: Itna sharmaogi toh bachha kaise...
Immediately he earned a gentle smack on his chest and his wife didn't even let him speak properly.
Priya: Aap hamesha mujhe chadhate rehte hain. Mujhe baat hi nahi aap se!
Getting out of his hold, Priya started walking towards the door. Ram ran behind her.
Ram: Arey rukko na Priyaaaaa...Chadha thodi raha tha...yeh toh fact hua na...I mean hume karna toh....arey suno na...Priyaaaa...
Priya paced up knowing very well that Ram would tease her more if he saw her flushed face and made him run faster following her.
Ram finally held her hand and made her stop on her track, pinning her to the stair wall.
Ram(softly): Suno na...thoda rukk jao.
Priya felt her cheeks burning with desire as Ram traced her jawline with his nose and then looked into her eyes, asking for her consent. Shyly she leaned in a little and he locked his lips with a smile. And with that they made a silent promise to keep their family together and happy.
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Hope you all liked the chapter!