Pritika's POV

Hearing my little daughter's cry my sleep broke. Opening my eyes I saw Adesh is sitting beside her crib looking at her.

Seeing him I remember bua's words “ Pritika, as a mother you are worried that someone will hurt your babies. No one understand your babies better than you it’s true… but Pritika dear, your protectiveness behaviour is hurting everyone else’s feeling. They are also their (babies) family members. They will never harm them. Forget about everyone… just think about Adesh. He is their father. He wants to hold them… he wants to do his duties as a father… but your behaviour is stopping him. Pritika, you are hurting Adesh’s feeling the most. He is already guilty for not protecting them well. But it’s not his fault right? Don’t punish him like this. They are also his children. He will never harm them.”

Am I really doing wrong? But I am just worried. I know Adesh will never harm them but I don’t know why whenever anyone hold them I feel they will hurt them. I am very afraid.

‘Pritika, it was your mother-in-law who had stopped you from drinking the milk. She jad saved you.’ – my subconscious remind me.

I know. I know they will never harm them but I am afraid.

‘Pritika you are not god… and it’s also not that you have done a PhD in motherhood. Babies can get hurt from you.’

No… I will never harm them. I will never harm my babies intentionally.

‘Do you think they will harm your babies intentionally? No…right? Pritika, you are doing wrong. Stop behaving like a mad person. Overcome your insecurities… overcome your fear. No one will harm your babies.’

I am… I am afraid…

‘Then overcome that fear Now.’

I looked up to Adesh who is looking at me worriedly and asking me what happened? Why I am not pacifying our daughter.

No I have to stop my behaviour. I can’t hurt them anymore. I know they will never hurt them… and I also know very well it wasn’t Nidhi… it was Natasha who tried ti harm my babies. I have hurt them enough. I have hurt Adesh enough. I have to overcome my fear.

Adesh again called me getting no response from me.

ADESH : Pritika, what happened? Our daughter is crying…Pacify her… maybe she wants to get up on lap… pick her up.

PRITIKA : Why? Can’t you pick her up? Can’t you sway her? Don’t you have any responsibility as a father?

Adesh was looking at shockingly… as if, he couldn’t believe in his ears what I am saying.

ADESH : you… you mean.. I… I can…

PRITIKA : Adesh! Baby is crying!! What are you doing?

ADESH : hu? Yeah… yeah…

Very carefully Adesh picks up our daughter in his arms and sway her while talking with her… “ Hey princess, look I am your Dad… I am holding you. Your dad is holding you.’ Hearing his words to her and seeing a lone tear which escaped from his eyes… I am now feeling very guilty… how could I hurt this man? Hoe could I do this?

My thoughts broke hearing my son's cry… I hurriedly took her in my arms. I don’t want to ruin their father daughter moments. I have noticed whenever anyone hold my daughter, he starts crying. I don’t understand how this small child can even sense that someone has taken his sister in arms? Even if he sense that I don’t know is he cry out of jealousy or possessiveness? God knows…

ADESH : Look Pritika! She is smiling… I think she is comfortable in arms.

Adesh excitedly said to me and show her smiling face with close eyes to me.

PRITIKA : Yes… she is. Adesh…… I am sorry.

Third Person's POV

Adesh looked towards Pritika with a frowning face and saw tears were falling from her eyes.

He slowly put the baby back in her crib and also put his son who was in Pritika’s lap inside his crib. Putting the both baby in their crib he came in front of Pritika and sat in front of her and hugged her in his arms.

Pritika was crying and continuously saying sorry to Adesh.

ADESH : Pritika… don’t cry like this… why are you crying? Now everything is fine. Then why are you crying? Don’t cry…

Adesh wiped her tears with his both thumbs.

PRITIKA : Adesh… I am very sorry…how could I stop you holding your own babies? Why didn’t you say anything to me? I hurt you all so much… I am very sorry. Everyone must be angry at me.

ADESH : No one is angry at you. Everyone understands your feelings. We all can understand your mental state. We all can understand what you have gone through that little amount of time. We are all guilty for not protecting you properly.

PRITIKA : No Adesh… it wasn’t Your fault. No one could have predict this. No one could have thought Natasha could do something like that…

ADESH : Pritika, I.. I am not telling you this because I am her brother… really She didn’t know it… she ….

PRITIKA : Adesh… do you think I don’t understand? Maybe we don’t have a great bonding… I don’t know her for many years... But I have seen her care during my pregnancy. I know she will never harm them…it was Natasha.

ADESH : Hmm… I don’t know how could accuse her.

PRITIKA : Ok… forget it. I know when tomorrow I will take babies to the living room, Nidhi and Ridhi will start fighting about who will hold whom first...

ADESH : It will not happen…

PRITIKA : Why? Is Nidhi angry with all of you? That’s why she didn’t come once to see them?

ADESH : She isn’t at home… she left home. she has gone to do her internship. Didn’t you read the letter? What was in it?

PRITIKA : No… I didn’t… I… give it to me… it is in that drawer.

Adesh got up and took out the letter from the drawer and gave it to Pritika.

Pritika opened the letter and started reading it. Adesh was also beside her.

In the letter it was written “ Dear Bhabi, I know now maybe you don’t want to hear this call from me. I am sorry. I am sorry for all the disrespectful behaviour I had done towards you. Forgive me. Trust me, I can never even think to harm the babies. But I know somehow indirectly it was my fault. I am leaving. I will not come back in these two years. Tell my munchkins that I love them very much. Maybe you will not choose this but still I want to say. My munchkins are very special, they are unique, so I have thought the names Advik and Advika. I know Ridhi will also tell some names, I know I am nowhere to compare with Ridhi. She is a far more better person than me. I will try to be good person so that my munchkins will be proud of me. Again Forgive me please.”

Completing the reading when Pritika look towards Adesh, she saw tears were falling down from his eyes. She hugged Adesh in her arns.

PRITIKA : Adesh, don’t cry…

ADESH : I am feeling guilty Pritika. I am the worst brother.

PRITIKA : No… Adesh, don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know, and You blame her because you were not in proper state of mind. The situation was critical.

ADESH : No, Pritika… I am not only talking about that. I think it was our fault to not guide her properly. When I first came to know about her planning to break our relationship… I should have stopped her, confront her at that time but I didn’t do. I ignored that. Even after knowing that she likes Neel, who is not a good person at all… we didn’t warn her. We had just kept our eyes on her so that she didn’t take any wrong steps. We are at fault. We failed as her guardian.

Pritika rubbed Adesh's back to console her.

ADESH : Pritika, can we name them as-

PRITIKA : Yes… Advik and Advika. We will name them as Advik and Advika.

Pritika and Adesh looked towards the cribs and smiled seeing at their babies.