Rk walked out of his bathroom after taking his shower. He had a towel wrapped around his waist and was searching for his night tracks when he heard a knock at his bedroom door. He didn't bother to put his cloths on as but rushed to the open the door.
"Madhu" Rk said and waited for her to speak.
"Um... I... I couldn't sleep."
"Oh! You want me to sing lullaby?" Rk asked with a teasing grin.
"No, not that."
"Then?" He took a step out of his room as walked little closer to her. She jabbed a finger at his bare chest and pushed him away from her, glaring at him. He grinned sheepishly and moved back.
"I thought why not you, Ruhi and I sleep together?" she tried sleeping in her room but she couldn't. she was just tossing and turning on the bed.
"Sure! Where you wanna sleep? In my room or yours?" he asked.
"Um... in the living room, on the water bed, looking at the stars" she suggested.
"Okay. I will go bring Ruhi from her room."
"No, wait. She is in my room. I told you right I want my baby girl to sleep with me till she gets little older?"
"Oh right! Is she awake or asleep?"
"She is up and playing."
"Oh, you go bring her to the hall, I will put my clothes on and join you two."
"Okay" Madhu nodded and went back to her room to pick Ruhi.
By the time Rk walked to the living room, Ruhi and Madhu had settled on the water bed, both of them looking at the glass ceiling, Ruhi was lovingly cooing to her momma pointing her puny hand at the stars.
Rk with a smile walked around the water bed and slumped down on it with force making Ruhi bounce off the bouncy water bed and land on her momma. Madhu clutched her securely to her chest and Ruhi started laughing liking the bouncing game.
"Papa, gain! gain!" she wanted her papa to that again so she bounce up and down on the bed. Rk tried but this time the bed failed to bounce her up. So Ruhi stood up and started jumping on the bed gleefully.
"Ruhi, lie down and sleep. It's late." Madhu gently yanked her hand and made her lie beside her.
"Momma, oohh... oohh" Ruhi sat up on the water bed and complained that the bed was so cool.
"Wait, Momma will bring your blankie."
"Madhu, you be here, I will go bring our blankets." Rk said and ran upstairs to their rooms to collect their blankets.
When he returned he found Ruhi lying on top of her momma's chest.
Rk folded a blanket squarely and placed it down on the middle portion of the bed where Ruhi sleeps and then passed Madhu a separate blanket which she will share with Ruhi and he had one for himself.
When Madhu tried to gently lift Ruhi off her body and place her back on the now warm bed, Ruhi denied to get down. She shook her head and clung to her momma by wrapping her hands around Madhu's neck. Ruhi's head was digging in Madhu's throat and her body was pressed on Madhu's breast causing her little pain but she couldn't complain because it was her baby girl and she loved the closeness.
Seeing Madhu's discomfort Rk gestured whether he could take Ruhi and make her sleep on his chest and Madhu nodded in agreement.
"Ruhi, baby, will you come to Papa?" Rk asked lying little closer to Madhu.
"Nah!" Ruhi shook her head and she faced other side. Ruhi acts as per her moods. If she wanted to sleep on her momma then she will sleep. No one can trick her!
"Ruhi, papa is scared of sleeping alone. You always sleep on my chest nah?" Rk asked with a pout. Ruhi looked up at her momma silently asking if it was okay with her to go and sleep on top of her Papa and Madhu smiled in return granting her permission. Ruhi slide off her momma's top and crawled closer to her Papa and claimed on top of him and rested her head on his chest and she gently started patting her Papa's arms, singing an unclear lullaby assuring him that she was there and not to get scared and sleep peacefully.
Madhu turned to her side and looked at the father-daughter duo with a smile. She felt more content and less bitter. She was thankful that she wasn't so stubborn in giving Rk a chance... Well, a second chance only to be part of Ruhi's life not hers!
But she didn't want to brood over that past now, she just wanted to cherish the blissful moment so she scooted closer to them and wrapped a hand over Ruhi's back and a moment later Rk placed his hand over hers when she tried to remove her hand he gripped it little tightly.
"Rk..."
"Please, Madhu. Let me hold your hand. I promise I will never leave it." Rk pleaded in a whisper not wanting to disturb his little sleeping beauty. Yeah, Ruhi was one fast sleeper. Once her body got the comfortable position to sleep she soon drifts to deep slumber.
"Okay" Madhu whispered back and closed her eyes. Wishing not to give any meaning to his words. Rk gently squeezed her hand back in gratitude and the trio slept closely and warmly.
--0--
(Next Day)
"Hi, Bittu-ji" Madhu greeted Bittuji as she walked to the cafe holding Ruhi's hand.
"Hi, Bhab... Bala-ji" Bittuji was about to greet her back as bhabhi-ji but he knew well she hate to hear that.
"What?"
"I'm mean Madhu-bala-ji" he clarified with a grin.
Madhu just gave him a whatever look and asked "Where is Rk?"
"He is in the bouquet shop."
"Oh, okay. I will go see him there." She said and walked with Ruhi tagging beside her. Madhu slowly helped Ruhi to climb down the glass stairs which will lead them down to the bouquet shop. She wanted to pick her up in her arms so that she will not fall as the staircase where in spiral shape and the steps were little high for Ruhi's little feet but as ever stubborn Ruhi wished to walk on her own with the help of her momma.
Rk was busily arranging white roses in a basket just like roma had showed him to do. Roma had gone to do some flower decoration for a wedding reception in a church. She kept on thanking Rk for making the shop bigger and better so she was getting big orders and Rk said she was one fine florist and nothing big he did that deserve thanks.
He didn't notice Madhu and Ruhi walking inside the counter and he realized only when he felt a pull on the leg of his pants. He can immediatedly say it was Ruhi as no one else call him by pulling his pants, with her height she could only reach her hands till his pants.
"Oyi, darling!" Rk scooped Ruhi up and set her on the counter top beside the flower basket which he made just now with his own hands and the beautiful basket was ready to deliver for the order.
"Papa, oh bhah.." Ruhi pointed to the basket and cupped her cheeks loving it. She either haven't heard the word 'beautiful' before or it was too long a word for her to pronoun so she said 'oh bhah' meaning 'so beautiful'
Rk kissed Ruhi's cheek and turned to Madhu.
"Tell me, Madhu you need something?" Rk asked her with a gentle smile.
"Um... no, I was getting bored sitting at the huge mansion so thought to come here and check whether you need my help."
"Well, actually the work is done but still if you want you can make a bouquet"
"I don't know to wrap bouquets."
"It's actually simple, today morning only Roma taught me to wrap a simple bouquet with single rose." Rk said and took all the necessary items like roses, fresh greeneries, transparent wrappers, satin ribbons and pins. He kept the pins at the lower counter so that Ruhi will not mess with it.
"Papa" Ruhi took a rose and gave it to him. Even she wanted to help him make a bouquet. Rk took the rose with a smile and quickly made a bouquet.
"Seems simple. Let me try one." Madhu said and Ruhi again took another rose and passed it to her momma and Madhu too made one bouquet perfectly.
"Salut!" (Hello) a customer greeted as he entered the shop.
"Indians?" the customer guy asked guessing by looking at them.
Rk glared while Madhu politely nodded her head in yes.
"Vous etes beaute Indienne" (You are one Indian beauty) the french guy complimented Madhu.
"What he said?" Madhu asked Rk in a whisper.
"He said he have visited India and it's one beautiful country." Rk in a soft voice translated wrongly to her though he knew the right meaning.
Madhu smiled at the french guy and he beamed back at Madhu.
"Votre bouquet est pret" (your bouquet is ready) Rk said in rude tone getting pissed off with the way the guy was undressing his Madhu with his eyes. Rk took a step forward hiding Madhu behind his body and thumped his hands on the desk creating a loud 'Thud' sound making Ruhi jump a little who was sitting on the counter desk arranging the roses. Rk and the french guy looked down at Ruhi. She looked scared. Her lips started trembling. She thought she did some mistake with the flowers and her dad got mad at her.
"Nah, baby nah! I'm sorry. I just beat the table..." he glared at the guy muderously. He wanted to beat the crap out of the guy. "Do you see dust here? If you tap like this the table will get clean" Rk cooed softly gently dusting the dust-less table. Ruhi believe what her daddy said and smiled at him. Rk pressed his lips against Ruhi's forehead.
"So you guys speak English?" that idiot guy asked with heavy french accent.
"Your order is ready. You can pay and take your bouquet and leave!" Rk said through gritted teeth.
"Rk... what's wrong?" Madhu asked holding his hand. She can tell he was seething in anger.
"I will take this cute little bunch" He tried to lift Ruhi from the counter top. She was sitting on the counter like a flower bunch with her pink color gown wide spread around her, her legs crossed in a stylish pose.
"Take your filthy paws off of my daughter and move your ass out of my shop before I kill you" Rk said in a menacing tone and at the same time Ruhi kicked the guy with her legs when he tried to touch her.
"Ruhi... no..." Madhu rushed to her side and lifted her off the counter from behind while Ruhi kept kicking at the guy.
"Didn't mean to harm, so calm down, dude" the guy said lifting up his hands as if surrendering.
"She is my daughter not a product in any supermarket you go see, touch and buy." Rk growled at him.
"Rk, get the money and give his flower basket, then he will leave,"
"The hell I will give him flowers! Get out of my shop!" Rk snapped his fingers and showed him the way out.
"Sorry" muttering that the guy walked out.
"There wasn't any need to create a scene, okay!" Madhu muttered irately.
"He was stripping you off with his eyes and you are saying I created a scene?" Rk growled at her.
"Don't shout at me. You are scaring Ruhi." Madhu said boucning Ruhi on her hip calming her down. Rk sighed.
"You didn't see the way he was staring at you? And he has the nerve to say that 'I will take this cute bunch'... the hell I will let him take her. She is mine! So are you!" Rk said in soft tone but his words were firm and strong as if chiseled on a rock.
Madhu gaped at him open mouth not knowing what to say. When she could come up with nothing she just turned and walked back to their house along with Ruhi.
... to be continued!!!
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